don’t trust me. Well that’s good, because you shouldn’t.
She kicked herself for getting all cosy with this man. Her only concern was Jason, which put Luke and herself on directly opposing sides.
Did he still want to have sex with her tonight? She glanced up at his frigid, hard face.
They reached the river and swam to the boat. Same delicious cold water. No smiles or yells this time. As she climbed aboard beside Luke, his eyes flicked over to her. Her T-shirt had ridden up over her bottom. Luke’s eyes lowered to her exposed thighs and pink panties.
And she had her answer. Her pelvis gave a huge throb. Yes. Sex was definitely on the menu tonight.
* * *
After he’d found the emeralds, Luke had experienced a surge of anger he didn’t think he’d ever felt for a woman before.
Dammit, when was he going to grow a reliable brain? He’d lost it with Mai Ling in Singapore for a brief, almost fatal few seconds when lust had taken over. But it wasn’t only lust with Ariana. Oh, there was plenty of that, but he liked her too. At least…until they’d both stared at the emeralds in their cosy little cave. He’d seen the moment in those pretty, expressive eyes of hers when he’d known all that comfortable chumminess was crap. When he’d remembered she was going to fight him for those emeralds, every step of the way.
He’d spent most of his time thinking Ariana was a rookie who had no idea what she was doing. But he was wrong. She was good. Damn good.
He was so pissed off right then, and all the way back to the boat, with himself as well as her, that he could barely bring himself to say a word. He’d decided to forget about their sexual arrangement. A quick trip back to Sri Lanka and he’d never see her again.
Then he’d seen her panties and the sexy curve of her backside and her long, creamy thighs.
‘Ariana,’ he said harshly, ‘Come with me to the bridge.’ Time to explain the deal. No more Mr Nice Guy.
As she stood before him, he unwrapped the emeralds and held them up to the dying sun. Their intense greenness sparkled right back from every facet of their traditional emerald cut. They were worth a fortune. And he couldn’t trust this woman in front of him for one second.
‘Beautiful, aren’t they?’
Ariana nodded warily.
‘Is that all you’ve got to say?’ he asked mockingly. ‘After all the trouble you’ve taken to get to this point. Aren’t there any questions you’d like to ask? Like where I’m going to hide them?’
She shrugged, an annoyed spark in her eyes. ‘I’m guessing you’ll put them in your safe.’
‘Very good, Moonbeam.’ Luke ignored her glare. ‘My turn for a question now. How are you planning to get them off me? Are we going to have a boxing match, baby?’ he taunted. ‘I’ve no intention of hurting a hair on your pretty head, so you could try.’ He pretended to give it some thought, then shook his head in mock regret. ‘But I don’t like your chances.’
‘I’ll think of something,’ she said between clenched teeth.
Luke laughed, relaxing. Changpu had lost this time. Placing his treasure in the safe, he slammed the door. ‘Go and make our dinner, baby, while I take the boat downstream. Make it substantial, okay? We’ve had a big day, and we have a big night in front of us.’ He raised his eyebrows suggestively, letting her know he hadn’t forgotten their bargain.
She rolled her eyes.
He waited till she got to the doorway. ‘Moonbeam…’
She turned, and he grinned at the fire spitting out of her eyes.
‘Bring me a beer before you start.’
She flounced off, her blonde ponytail swinging.
About an hour later, Luke drained the last of his second beer. And chuckled as he remembered Ariana’s display of deafness when, after she’d crossly shoved the first bottle into his hand, he’d told her to bring him another in half an hour.
Maybe he was being too hard on her. No harm in playing nice. She’d been great today. Fun. Brave. Hell, there
She kicked herself for getting all cosy with this man. Her only concern was Jason, which put Luke and herself on directly opposing sides.
Did he still want to have sex with her tonight? She glanced up at his frigid, hard face.
They reached the river and swam to the boat. Same delicious cold water. No smiles or yells this time. As she climbed aboard beside Luke, his eyes flicked over to her. Her T-shirt had ridden up over her bottom. Luke’s eyes lowered to her exposed thighs and pink panties.
And she had her answer. Her pelvis gave a huge throb. Yes. Sex was definitely on the menu tonight.
* * *
After he’d found the emeralds, Luke had experienced a surge of anger he didn’t think he’d ever felt for a woman before.
Dammit, when was he going to grow a reliable brain? He’d lost it with Mai Ling in Singapore for a brief, almost fatal few seconds when lust had taken over. But it wasn’t only lust with Ariana. Oh, there was plenty of that, but he liked her too. At least…until they’d both stared at the emeralds in their cosy little cave. He’d seen the moment in those pretty, expressive eyes of hers when he’d known all that comfortable chumminess was crap. When he’d remembered she was going to fight him for those emeralds, every step of the way.
He’d spent most of his time thinking Ariana was a rookie who had no idea what she was doing. But he was wrong. She was good. Damn good.
He was so pissed off right then, and all the way back to the boat, with himself as well as her, that he could barely bring himself to say a word. He’d decided to forget about their sexual arrangement. A quick trip back to Sri Lanka and he’d never see her again.
Then he’d seen her panties and the sexy curve of her backside and her long, creamy thighs.
‘Ariana,’ he said harshly, ‘Come with me to the bridge.’ Time to explain the deal. No more Mr Nice Guy.
As she stood before him, he unwrapped the emeralds and held them up to the dying sun. Their intense greenness sparkled right back from every facet of their traditional emerald cut. They were worth a fortune. And he couldn’t trust this woman in front of him for one second.
‘Beautiful, aren’t they?’
Ariana nodded warily.
‘Is that all you’ve got to say?’ he asked mockingly. ‘After all the trouble you’ve taken to get to this point. Aren’t there any questions you’d like to ask? Like where I’m going to hide them?’
She shrugged, an annoyed spark in her eyes. ‘I’m guessing you’ll put them in your safe.’
‘Very good, Moonbeam.’ Luke ignored her glare. ‘My turn for a question now. How are you planning to get them off me? Are we going to have a boxing match, baby?’ he taunted. ‘I’ve no intention of hurting a hair on your pretty head, so you could try.’ He pretended to give it some thought, then shook his head in mock regret. ‘But I don’t like your chances.’
‘I’ll think of something,’ she said between clenched teeth.
Luke laughed, relaxing. Changpu had lost this time. Placing his treasure in the safe, he slammed the door. ‘Go and make our dinner, baby, while I take the boat downstream. Make it substantial, okay? We’ve had a big day, and we have a big night in front of us.’ He raised his eyebrows suggestively, letting her know he hadn’t forgotten their bargain.
She rolled her eyes.
He waited till she got to the doorway. ‘Moonbeam…’
She turned, and he grinned at the fire spitting out of her eyes.
‘Bring me a beer before you start.’
She flounced off, her blonde ponytail swinging.
About an hour later, Luke drained the last of his second beer. And chuckled as he remembered Ariana’s display of deafness when, after she’d crossly shoved the first bottle into his hand, he’d told her to bring him another in half an hour.
Maybe he was being too hard on her. No harm in playing nice. She’d been great today. Fun. Brave. Hell, there
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