To Kiss a King (Kings of California #11)(17)
Author: Maureen Child

“What’s wrong?”

He glowered briefly because he hadn’t thought she was paying close attention to what he was doing. “Nothing’s wrong. Just keeping my distance from that boat.”

She looked over her shoulder at the boat that was fading into the distance. “Why? What’re you worried about?”

“Everything,” he admitted, swinging the little boat around to head back toward shore.

“Well, don’t,” she said and reached out to lay one hand on his forearm again. The heat from before had hardly faded when a new blast of blistering warmth shot through him. Instantly, his groin tightened and he was forced to grind his teeth together and clench his hands around the wheel to keep from shutting the damn engine off and grabbing her.

Seriously, he hadn’t been this tempted by a woman in years.

Maybe never.

Shaking his head at the thought, he said, “Don’t what?”

“Don’t worry, Garrett.” She released him and even with the heat of the sun pouring down on them, his skin felt suddenly cool now at the loss of her touch. “I’m taking a holiday from worry and so should you.”

That wasn’t going to happen. Garrett made his living worrying about possibilities. About danger around every corner. Possible assassins everywhere. Not an easy thing to turn off, and he wasn’t sure he would even if he could.

“And what do you usually worry about?” he asked.

“Everything,” she said, throwing his own word back at him. “But as I said, I’m taking a holiday. And so are you.”

Then she laughed and tipped her face up to the sky. Closing her eyes, she sighed and said, “This is wonderful. The sea, the sun, this lovely boat and—”

“And—?”

She looked over at him. “You.”

He nearly groaned. Her blue eyes were wide, her lush mouth curved and that off-the-shoulder blouse of hers was displaying way too much off-the-shoulder for his sanity’s sake. Now it had dipped low over her left shoulder, baring enough of her chest that he could only think about getting the damn fabric down another two or three inches.

For God’s sake, she was killing him without even trying. Garrett was forced to remind himself that he was on a job here. He was working for her father. It was his job to guard her luscious body, not revel in it.

Besides, if she knew the truth, knew who he was and that her father was paying him to spend time with her…hell, she’d probably toss his ass off the boat and then drive it over him just for good measure.

Knowing that didn’t change a damn thing, though. He still wanted her. Bad.

“Alex…”

“I’ve been thinking.” She slid closer. Their thighs were brushing now and he felt the heat of her through the layers of fabric separating them.

He almost didn’t ask, but he had to. “About what?”

“That kiss.”

Briefly, he closed his eyes. Throttling back, he cut the engine and the sudden silence was overwhelming. All they heard was the slap of water against the hull, the sigh of the wind across the ocean and the screech of seagulls wheeling in air currents overhead.

That kiss.

Oh, he’d been thinking about it, too. About what he would have done if they’d been alone in the dark and not surrounded by laughing kids and harassed parents. In fact, he’d already invested far too much time indulging his fantasies concerning Alex. So much so that if she moved another inch closer…pressed her body even tighter to his…

“Garrett?”

He turned his head to look at her and knew instantly that had been a mistake. Desire glittered like hard diamonds in her eyes. He recognized it, because the same thing was happening to him. He felt it. His whole damn body was on fire, and he couldn’t seem to fight it. More, he didn’t want to.

He hadn’t asked for this. Hadn’t expected it. Didn’t need it, God knew. But the plain truth was he wanted Alex so badly he could hardly breathe.

The worst part?

He couldn’t have her.

He was working for her father. She was a princess. He was responsible for her safety. In the real world, a holiday romance was right up his alley. No strings. No questions. No complications. But this woman was nothing but complications. If he started something with Alex, regret would be waiting in the wings.

All good reasons for avoiding this situation. For brushing her off and steering this damn boat back to Decker’s yard as fast as possible. For dropping her at her hotel and keeping an eye on her from a distance.

And not one of those reasons meant a damn thing in the face of the clawing need shredding his insides.

“Not a good idea, Alex,” he managed to say.

“Why ever not?” She smiled and the brilliance of it was blinding. She leaned in closer and he could smell the soft, flowery scent of her shampoo.

Her question reverberated in his mind. Why not? He couldn’t give her any of the reasons he had for keeping his hands to himself. So what the hell was he supposed to say?

That he was actually a monk? That he didn’t find her the least bit attractive? She wouldn’t buy either of those.

“It’s a beautiful day,” she said, pressing her body along his on the bench seat. “We’re both on holiday—” She stopped suddenly and looked at him. “Unless you’re involved with someone already and—”

“No.” One word, forced through clenched teeth. He took a breath. “If I were, I wouldn’t be here with you.”

“Good. Then Garrett…kiss me again.”

He ground his teeth in a last ditch effort to hang on to his rampaging desires, or at least his professionalism. Then her scent came to him again on a soft wind and he knew he was lost. Maybe he’d been lost since the moment he met her.

Alex the princess might be easy enough to ignore, but Alex the woman was an entirely different story.

He grabbed her, pulled her onto his lap as he moved out from under the steering wheel and looked down into her eyes. “This isn’t a good idea.”

“I think it’s a brilliant idea,” she countered with a smile, then lifted her face to his.

Her eyes were bright, her mouth so close he could almost taste it and her hair flew about them like a blond cloud, drawing him in. He didn’t need any more encouragement. Right or wrong, this was inevitable.

He took what she offered, what he needed more than he’d like to admit. He’d curse himself later for surrendering. For now, there was Alex, a soft sea breeze and the gentle lap of water against the hull of the boat. They were alone and damned if he’d waste another minute.