Seducing His Opposition by Katherine Garbera

I know that every action has a reaction.”
    “And every reaction is bad?” he asked.
    “Not at all. But every reaction causes ripples and I don’t want to hurt my grandparents…not again.”
    He shifted them on the bed so she was lying on her back and he was next to her propped up on his elbow.
    “Tell me about it,” he invited. “Whatever it is that you did to hurt them before.”
    She brought her arms up to her waist and hugged herself and he didn’t like that. He was here with her now; she should turn to him for comfort.
    He stroked her arm and she patted his hand.
    “I don’t think it’s the right story for tonight but I will tell you about it sometime.”
    “Tomorrow?” he asked. “After you cook me dinner.”
    “Stop being so bossy,” she said, but she smiled when she said that, so he suspected she didn’t really mind.
    “It’s part of my charm.”
    “You always put such a heavy burden on your charm.”
    “And it doesn’t measure up?”
    “You measure up just fine,” she said, sweeping her hands down his chest and cupping him in her hand.
    He was no longer interested in talking and instead made love to her in his bed, then held her quietly in his arms afterward as they both drifted to sleep.
     
    The next morning, Justin showered in the guest room while Selena used the master bathroom. He gathered her clothing first and left it lying on the bed so she’d find it when she came out.
    He hadn’t planned on making love to her last night, but then he hadn’t planned on much when it came to Selena Gonzalez.
    She totally knocked him for a loop. Since the first time he’d laid eyes on her he’d been lost. That wasn’t right, he was a very successful businessman and he didn’t get lost. He always had a motivation for everything he did. He had to remember that Selena wasn’t only an attractive woman, she was also a powerful adversary.
    That’s right, he was doing what he had to in order to ensure that Luna Azul continued to prosper. And no matter that he was determined to keep the personal and business parts of their lives separate, he knew something had changed between them last night.
    His BlackBerry pinged and he glanced at the screen to see the reminder of his 10:00 a.m. tee time with Maxwell Strong. He still had an hour but getting the boat back to the marina and then dropping Selena at the Ritz was going to eat into his time.
    He got dressed and checked the master bedroom. Selena’s clothes were gone. When he got upstairs, he found her sitting on the bench at the stern of the boat. She had on a pair of huge sunglasses that covered not only her eyes but also most of her face.
    She might be wearing yesterday’s clothing but she didn’t seem unkempt. In fact she looked cool and remote—untouchable.
    He paused and studied her, realizing that just because he’d had her body last night didn’t mean he’d comeclose to unraveling all the secrets that made Selena who she was.
    “Ready to head back to the real world?” he asked.
    She tipped her head to the side and studied him. “I guess we have to. I have a meeting this morning that I’m going to be late for unless we get moving.”
    “I have one as well,” he said. “I have a Keurig machine in the galley if you want some coffee.”
    “No thanks. I’m a tea drinker,” she said.
    “I wouldn’t have pegged you for one,” he said, climbing the stairs to the pilot house.
    He glanced over his shoulder and saw that she’d followed him.
    “Why not?”
    “You just don’t look the type.”
    “There’s a tea type?” she asked.
    A part of him knew it was time to let this conversation drop but another part was just dying to see how she’d react. “Yes, I’m thinking white-haired old ladies sitting around in homemade sweaters, having little cakes and drinking tea out of pots covered in quilted cozies.”
    She punched him in the arm. “Not only old ladies drink tea. And those cozies can be very nicely made.”
    “I told you I