Page 4 of The CEO

During dessert, a light chocolate soufflé that melted in her mouth, he turned toward her.

“You’re awfully quiet. Maybe we should get to know each other better?”

His bold stare scanned her face and focused briefly on her mouth before returning to her eyes, admiration tinged with something more, something that made her heart go pitter-patter, glittering in those blue depths.

“Maybe, though I should warn you. I’m single and probably hungrier than a piranha.”

His smile slipped as he dabbed at the corners of his mouth with a linen napkin, those vivid eyes never leaving hers for a second, and she blinked to break the hypnotic contact.

“You overheard me earlier?”

“Yeah, and your opinion of women on cruises sucks.”

She silently applauded her bravado—fueled by indignation—while inwardly cringing at her outburst. Antagonizing him wouldn’t be conducive to remaining unnoticed, which is what she’d hoped for if she had to sit next to him every night for the next fortnight.

His eyes deepened to midnight, dark and challenging, as he leaned toward her. “Care to change my mind?”

“And disillusion you I’m not the man hunter you think I am?” She eased back, needing some distance between them before she leaned into him and lapped up some of that delicious citrusy-sea-air scent he exuded. “Where’s the fun in that?”

“I think it could be fun.” His gaze dipped to her mouth again, lingered, before sweeping back to her eyes, and she flicked her tongue out to moisten her lips, tingling as if he’d physically touched her. “And seeing as you think I’m a judgmental idiot, it would take a lot of convincing.” His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “Which could equate toa lotof fun.”

“I didn’t say you were an idiot.”

He chuckled, a rich, deep sound that washed over in a warm wave. “You didn’t have to. You’ve got very expressive eyes.”

“Must be the contacts.”

Her dry response garnered more laughter.

“Look, I’d really like to clear the air between us. I honestly didn’t mean anything by what you overheard, it was merely an observation from working on these tugs too long.”

She opened her mouth to respond and he held up a hand. “Yes, it was a sweeping generalization. And yes, I’m suitably chastened and I apologize. But tell me, Lana Walker, which are you?”

He leaned closer, so close she couldn’t breathe without imprinting his seductive scent on her receptors. “Husband hunter or fun fling girl?”

She reared back, knowing now was the time to clam up like she usually did before she scolded him like her tardy students. But as her lips thinned into an unimpressed line, she noticed the teasing sparkle in his eyes, the cheeky smile playing about his mouth.

“You’re trying to wind me up.”

“Is it working?”

“No.” Damn him, it was; not that she’d let him know.

“So I could say anything and you’d be totally immune to me?”

Immune? She could have a hospital’s worth of vaccinations against suave sailors and it still wouldn’t give her guaranteed immunity, the type of immunity she desperately needed the longer he stared at her with those twinkling eyes.

She tipped her chin up, faking bravado. “That’s right.”

“So I could say you intrigue me and you wouldn’t react?”

“Nope.” Liar, liar, pants on fire.

“What about the fact I think there’s more to you than the obvious?”

She rolled her eyes. “That’s the same as intrigue so you need to come up with a better line, sailor boy.”

“Sailor boy?”

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