In daylight, the house was astonishingly, dazzlingly bright. Every wall was made of glass, and there were walkways at different levels, leading to platforms actually within the rainforest itself.
No doubt it had been designed that way, she thought slowly. So that the wildlife could be watched up close but safely in its natural environment.
Her heart began to thump.
Only some of the wildlife clearly didn’t understand the rules, for there on the deck, standing at the edge of an infinity pool, was one of the most dangerous animals in Australia—probably in the world.
Unfortunately there was no safety glass between her and Ram.
She was on the verge of making a quick, unobtrusive retreat when suddenly he turned, and her breath seemed to slide sideways in her chest as he began slowly walking towards her.
It was the heat, she thought helplessly. Although she wasn’t sure if it was the sun or the sight of Ram in swimming shorts that was making her skin feel warm and slick.
She tried not to stare, but he was so unbelievably gorgeous—all smooth skin and golden muscles. Now he was stopping in front of her and smiling, as though yesterday had never happened, and the stupid thing was that she didn’t feel as though it had happened either. Or at least her body didn’t.
‘Good morning.’ He squinted up at the sky. ‘I think it still qualifies as morning.’ Tilting his head, he let his eyes drift casually over her face. ‘I was going to come and wake you up. But I didn’t fancy getting punched on the nose.’
She met his gaze unwillingly. ‘So you admit that I’ve got a reason to punch you, then?’
He grinned, and instantly she felt a tug low in her pelvis, heat splaying out inside her so quickly and fiercely that she thought she might pass out.
‘I’m not sure if you need a reason,’ he said softly. ‘Most of the time I seem to annoy you just by existing.’
She gazed at him in silence, trying to remember why that was.
‘Not always,’ she said carefully. ‘Only some of the time. Like when you kidnap me, for instance.’
There was a short, pulsing silence, and then finally he sighed.
‘We need to talk about this now, Nola. Not in a week or a month. And, yes, maybe I overreacted, bringing you here like this. But you’ve been building a life, a future, that doesn’t include me.’
Her heart gave a thump. ‘I thought you wanted that.’
‘What if I said I didn’t?’
His eyes were fixed on her face.
She breathed out slowly, the world shifting out of focus around her.
‘Then I guess we need to talk.’
‘And we will.’ His gaze locked onto hers. ‘But first I’ll give you the tour, and then you’d better eat something.’
The tour was brief, but mind-blowing. The house was minimalist in design—a stunning mix of metal and glass that perfectly offset the untamed beauty of the rainforest surrounding it.
Breakfast—or was it brunch?—took longer. A variety of cold meats, cheese, fruit and pastries were laid out buffet-style in the huge sunlit kitchen and, suddenly feeling famished, Nola helped herself to a plate of food and a cup of green tea while Ram watched with amusement.
‘I have a live-in chef—Antoine. He’s French, but he speaks very good English. If you have any particular likes or dislikes tell him. His wife, Sophie, is my housekeeper. She takes care of everything else. So if you need anything...’
Fingers tightening around her teacup, Nola met his gaze. ‘Like what?’
He gave a casual shrug. ‘I don’t know. What about a bikini? You might fancy a swim.’
His eyes gleamed, and she felt something stir inside her as his gaze dropped over the plain white T-shirt that was just a fraction too small for her now.
‘Unless, of course, you’re planning on skinny-dipping.’
Ignoring the heat throbbing over her skin, she gave him an icy stare. ‘I’m not planning on anything,’ she said stiffly. ‘Except leaving as soon as possible. I know we have a lot to talk about, but I hardly think it will take more than a day.’