personal life. I’m here to do a job. That’s all you need to think about.’
Dexter looked disgusted. ‘Then do your job and remember that this isn’t a school camp. And another thing.’ He put his hand on her arm as she turned to leave. ‘If we lose this campaign because of your lover, it will be your reputation that suffers, not mine.’
Glaring at him, Miller shook her head. ‘You know, Dexter, earlier this week I could have sworn we were working on the same team. My mistake,’ she finished coolly.
She heard something skitter across TJ’s desk as she let herself out of the study—presumably the pen he’d been madly tapping the whole time.
‘Miller! Dammit, we have to talk!’
Miller didn’t stop. She had no idea what had gotten into Dexter, but she needed time and space to work out what to do next.
* * *
Tino was sitting on the bed when the door opened. Miller stood in the doorway like Medusa on a mission. He was on the phone to his sister Katrina, who was doing her best not to talk about Sunday’s race and thereby placing it front and centre in both their minds.
Miller stepped into the room, her eyes sparking fire and brimstone in his direction.
Man, she was something else when she was riled—passionately alive—just like on the beach earlier. Not that he was thinking about that. He’d been honest when he’d told her it wasn’t part of his plan, but watching her come apart underneath him had been possibly the most sensually arousing experience of his life, and as such it was damned hard to put out of his mind.
‘Kat, sweetheart, I’ll ring you back.’ Glad of the excuse to end the conversation early, he dumped his mobile on the quilt cover beside him, reminding himself that he was supposed to be keeping his distance from Miller. ‘Bad day at the office, Sunshine?’
She stalked across the room and dumped her computer bag and satchel on the small desk against the wall. Then she turned on him, hands on hips, her large aquamarine eyes shooting sparks.
Tino lounged back against the bank of pillows behind him. ‘Are you going to tell me what’s eating at you? Or is this one of those times when a woman tries to make a man’s life truly miserable by making him play Twenty Questions?’
Her gaze narrowed. ‘You’ve got that wrong. Women do not make men’s lives miserable. People do that to each other.’
He stared at her and could see she was mentally wishing her words back. He wondered who had hurt her. It was obvious she didn’t like talking about herself. Something they both shared, and that protective instinct she seemed to engender in him tightened his gut.
She drew in a breath as if preparing to go into battle, but her words were resigned when she spoke. ‘It would have been nice if you’d told me that TJ was trying to recruit you to represent his Real Sport stores.’
‘Ah.’ That was where he knew TJ Lyons. TJ’s people had been hassling his publicist to get him to become Real Sport’s public representative for about six months now.
‘First—’ Miller’s voice brought his eyes back to her ‘—you don’t tell me that you’re the legendary lothario Valentino Ventura and nearly make a fool of me. Now you neglect to tell me that my client wants your face and body for his online sports brand and succeed in making a fool of me.’
‘Miller—’
‘Don’t Miller me.’ She stalked towards him and stopped at the foot of the bed. ‘You’ve been having fun with me right from the start of this silly charade and I’ve had enough. I am not here as your resident plaything and nor am I here to alleviate your boredom.’
Irritation blossomed inside him. ‘I never said you were. And might I remind you that this is your silly charade and I’m actually trying to help you.’
‘Some help when TJ all but told me the only way we would win his business is if you “quit stalling” and give him what he wants.’
Tino rubbed his jaw. ‘Sneaky bastard.’
His response
Dexter looked disgusted. ‘Then do your job and remember that this isn’t a school camp. And another thing.’ He put his hand on her arm as she turned to leave. ‘If we lose this campaign because of your lover, it will be your reputation that suffers, not mine.’
Glaring at him, Miller shook her head. ‘You know, Dexter, earlier this week I could have sworn we were working on the same team. My mistake,’ she finished coolly.
She heard something skitter across TJ’s desk as she let herself out of the study—presumably the pen he’d been madly tapping the whole time.
‘Miller! Dammit, we have to talk!’
Miller didn’t stop. She had no idea what had gotten into Dexter, but she needed time and space to work out what to do next.
* * *
Tino was sitting on the bed when the door opened. Miller stood in the doorway like Medusa on a mission. He was on the phone to his sister Katrina, who was doing her best not to talk about Sunday’s race and thereby placing it front and centre in both their minds.
Miller stepped into the room, her eyes sparking fire and brimstone in his direction.
Man, she was something else when she was riled—passionately alive—just like on the beach earlier. Not that he was thinking about that. He’d been honest when he’d told her it wasn’t part of his plan, but watching her come apart underneath him had been possibly the most sensually arousing experience of his life, and as such it was damned hard to put out of his mind.
‘Kat, sweetheart, I’ll ring you back.’ Glad of the excuse to end the conversation early, he dumped his mobile on the quilt cover beside him, reminding himself that he was supposed to be keeping his distance from Miller. ‘Bad day at the office, Sunshine?’
She stalked across the room and dumped her computer bag and satchel on the small desk against the wall. Then she turned on him, hands on hips, her large aquamarine eyes shooting sparks.
Tino lounged back against the bank of pillows behind him. ‘Are you going to tell me what’s eating at you? Or is this one of those times when a woman tries to make a man’s life truly miserable by making him play Twenty Questions?’
Her gaze narrowed. ‘You’ve got that wrong. Women do not make men’s lives miserable. People do that to each other.’
He stared at her and could see she was mentally wishing her words back. He wondered who had hurt her. It was obvious she didn’t like talking about herself. Something they both shared, and that protective instinct she seemed to engender in him tightened his gut.
She drew in a breath as if preparing to go into battle, but her words were resigned when she spoke. ‘It would have been nice if you’d told me that TJ was trying to recruit you to represent his Real Sport stores.’
‘Ah.’ That was where he knew TJ Lyons. TJ’s people had been hassling his publicist to get him to become Real Sport’s public representative for about six months now.
‘First—’ Miller’s voice brought his eyes back to her ‘—you don’t tell me that you’re the legendary lothario Valentino Ventura and nearly make a fool of me. Now you neglect to tell me that my client wants your face and body for his online sports brand and succeed in making a fool of me.’
‘Miller—’
‘Don’t Miller me.’ She stalked towards him and stopped at the foot of the bed. ‘You’ve been having fun with me right from the start of this silly charade and I’ve had enough. I am not here as your resident plaything and nor am I here to alleviate your boredom.’
Irritation blossomed inside him. ‘I never said you were. And might I remind you that this is your silly charade and I’m actually trying to help you.’
‘Some help when TJ all but told me the only way we would win his business is if you “quit stalling” and give him what he wants.’
Tino rubbed his jaw. ‘Sneaky bastard.’
His response
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