‘Danny can’t fly,’ Carrie said.
‘He can’t fly on a public flight while he’s infectious,’ Nik agreed. ‘Luckily, I have my own plane.’
‘Your own plane!’ Carrie echoed Nik’s words in surprise. Just how rich was Nikos Kristallis? ‘Is that how you got to Menorca so quickly when I didn’t get on the flight home?’
‘No, I simply jumped on the first flight to Menorca out of London Gatwick,’ Nik said. ‘It was quicker than getting to my own plane, which was at another airport. I don’t usually use major airports—too many people, too many delays.’
‘Oh,’ Carrie said, not quite sure how to respond to the information that Nik was obviously even wealthier than she had thought. ‘Sorry you had to rough it by travelling with the public.’ She looked down and her eyes settled on the tie Nik had left lying on the bed. Without thinking she picked it up and smoothed her fingers along it. ‘Anyway, if you left your plane at another airport, how can you offer us a ride home?’
‘It will be here later this evening,’ Nik said, letting his gaze dr
op to her lap, where she was unconsciously tracing the pattern on his tie as it lay across her thighs. ‘Until then you can rest in the hotel.’
‘It’s not necessary.’ Carrie slid the silky fabric of his tie between her hands. It was tempting to accept his offer, but she didn’t want to be even more indebted to him than she already was. He was still dangerous to her, and she mustn’t let herself forget it just because he had helped her out of a difficult situation. ‘Danny and I will be quite all right staying at Elaine’s villa.’
‘I think it’s best if I take you home,’ Nik replied, his eyes still fixed on her hands. God, she was turning him on! Watching the sensual movements of her fingers playing with his tie was pure erotic torture. If he didn’t feel those sexy hands on his body soon he was going to explode. ‘I can’t stay here. I have work I must do.’
‘I didn’t ask you to stay here!’ Something in her voice made him look up, and the expression on her flushed face told him she had finally realised what she’d been doing with his tie. And that she’d seen him watching her sensual actions.
Her heated cheeks revealed that she knew how it was affecting him, and as that fact sank in her own body was responding in kind. She wanted him as much as he wanted her.
She tossed her head in a gesture of denial and stood up jerkily, dropping the tie as if it had suddenly burnt her fingers.
‘I’m grateful you came when you did, but now we’ll be perfectly all right on our own.’ She folded her arms defensively, but lifted her gaze to meet his.
‘There’s no point taking chances.’ Nik stood up and moved a step closer to her. He wanted to feel her hands on his body, caressing him the way she had caressed his tie. ‘I’m going to take you home tonight.’
‘So when you said that we needed to discuss our plans, you meant you needed to tell me your plan?’ Carrie placed her hands firmly on her hips. She stood her ground and looked him squarely in the eye.
Another bolt of desire ripped through Nik as he looked down at her. She seemed unaware that her defiant posture was thrusting her breasts towards him in a way that was almost impossible to resist.
‘If you have another idea that is better, I’ll listen to it before I make a decision.’ Nik narrowed his eyes and tilted his head slightly as he studied her.
There was an enticing naïveté about her sexuality that experienced women didn’t normally have. Oh, he was quite sure she’d had her share of lovers—how could such a sensual creature not have experienced physical love?—but there was still a freshness about her actions that drew him.
‘Don’t think for a moment I’m going to leave you alone in a strange country with no one to watch over you, though,’ he added.
Carrie swallowed, and unconsciously drew her lower lip into her mouth as if she was struggling to maintain eye contact with him. Her teeth pressed gently into her lip as she concentrated, but her gaze slipped down and he guessed she was staring at the vee of bronzed skin at the open neck of his white shirt.
She was looking at him as if he was irresistible, and that turned him on like nothing else before. He was used to women falling all over him, but there was something different about this. She wanted him, but she was fighting it. It was the biggest aphrodisiac he had ever experienced.
Nik lifted his brows slightly as he continued to look at her. ‘Do you have another course of action to suggest?’
‘What?’ Carrie asked, blinking as if to clear her mind. She looked up at him, clearly trying to appear as cool and collected as she could. ‘I’m sorry. I lost my train of thought. I was miles away for a moment.’
‘Not that far away,’ Nik spoke quietly, deliberately letting his voice drop to a deep, seductive tone. ‘You were right here all the time—with me.’ A buzz of anticipated conquest ran through him. Despite her resistance she was going to be so easy to seduce.
‘I’m tired,’ Carrie said. She tossed her fringe back and tried to stare him down, even though she could feel herself blushing furiously. She had to brazen it out. She couldn’t let him know just how much he was affecting her. ‘It’s been a long day, but I’m still capable of making my own decisions.’
‘What do you suggest?’ Nik asked.
Carrie thought hard for a moment.
‘Take us home,’ she said. ‘But don’t get any funny ideas about it. I’m only doing what is best for Danny.’
‘Funny ideas?’ Nik echoed, his Greek accent more pronounced as his gaze skimmed sensually across her body. ‘What could be funny about taking you home?’
‘You know what I mean,’ Carrie insisted, ignoring the wave of heat that moved through her as his eyes swept over her. ‘Nothing is going to happen between us.’