Lush Curves (2 page)

 
Yeah, right!
That was absolutely not
happening.

“We
haven’t got all day, Lani,” Martin barked from on deck.

I
put my head in my hands, sighing deeply before brushing my hair back from my
eyes. What the hell had I gotten myself into?

There
was a gentle rapping on the bedroom door, and I opened it, wishing I had a
towel to cover up with. Gavin’s gold-flecked eyes met mine, and I stepped back
to let him in. He sucked in a breath, looking me over in that brash way of his,
his lips curling into a grin.

“Now
that’s
what
I’ve been hoping for,” he said.

I
laughed nervously and crossed my arms in front of my body. “I don’t know if I
can do this. You heard Martin out there.”

Gavin
reached forward and put a hand on my arm, smoothing his large palm over my
skin. I shivered beneath his touch, feeling the heat from a connection I
wondered if he felt, too. Judging by the heat in his gaze, he did, but how was
that even possible? I couldn’t be reading him right.

“You
look stunning, Aolani,” he said, that dangerous, bad-boy smile of his making my
toes curl. “You’re exactly what I’ve been waiting for. Exactly what this
campaign needs. Please say you’ll try? For me?”

I
looked down at my feet, feeling the heat creeping onto my cheeks. He didn’t
seem like he was messing with me, but I seriously doubted I would photo better
than the blonde he’d just fired. Then again, he was the CEO, and he was asking
me to try. I had to comply if I wanted to keep him from firing our firm, didn’t
I? Maybe winning him back after Martin had pissed him off would get me brownie
points with our department head, too. Maybe more opportunities would open up if
they saw I was a team player...

If
it meant embarrassing myself in a bikini to get a chance to move up, I’d do it.
I closed my eyes, thinking of my grandma’s words, and took a deep breath.

“Okay,
fine. Let’s get this over with.”

“Brilliant,”
he said, beaming down at me. His hand was still on my shoulder, and now he gave
it a squeeze before releasing me. “That’s my girl.”

My
arm felt cold absent his touch, and for a moment, I wondered what it would be
like, to really be Gavin Fletcher’s girl. To have him hold me in his strong
arms, to run my hands through his hair, and feel his stubble against my cheek
as I breathed him in. What it would be like to meet those sensual lips of his,
to feel his heat stealing over me...

I
shook my head and followed him out of the cabin onto the deck of the yacht. I
had to get myself under control. Thoughts of what I couldn’t have were only a
distraction, and I had a job to do.

***

Gavin

The
moment I saw her, I knew she was something special.

I
wanted to laugh when I saw her bending over that coffee spill, looking back at
me in such a vulnerable position, but something in those deep, black eyes and,
let’s face it, the arresting sight of her bum pointing straight at me, made me
clear my throat and look away before she got the wrong idea. I wanted her, my
body reacting to hers, but I had business to attend to. And I certainly didn’t
need to be leering at any employees.

But
when Martin introduced us, and I felt her small hand in mine, I couldn’t help
but feel the connection, couldn’t deny the chemistry between us. With her
flowing, black hair and gorgeous skin, she was one of the most beautiful women
I’d ever seen, and my thoughts wandered to the strictly unprofessional.

What
would her body look like set free from her business attire? What would those
gorgeous curves of hers look like clad only in a teeny, tiny Bond Girl bikini?

Now,
standing on the deck of my yacht, I marveled at her bravery. That a person with
no experience modeling would have the confidence to get up there and give it a
go was impressive, to say the least. I asked her to do it--Hell, I nearly
begged her--but I don’t know if I could have done the same, if she’s asked me
to don a Speed-o in front of a wanker like Martin, not to mention the rest of
the crew.

Aolani
was something else. Something remarkable. And even though I knew I shouldn’t
get involved, I wanted to know more about her.

“Um...
Where should I stand?”

Aolani’s
voice cut through my thoughts. She stood near the cabin, the anxiety in her
eyes as clear as day, twisting her hands together in front of her body. That
beautiful body that should never be covered up.

Martin
opened his mouth to answer, probably to tell her to quit fidgeting, but I spoke
first.

“Would
you please join me by the railing?”

She
glanced at Martin’s frown, then nodded to me, obviously relieved I’d be giving
the instructions. Martin fumed next to me, but I’d deal with him later. It was
too important that she remain calm and comfortable in order to get the shot
right.

She
wasn’t one of his models, who cut their teeth on the abuse of bastards like him
snapping away. It was painfully obvious she didn’t know how beautiful she was,
or what she was capable of. She didn’t know what I saw when I looked at her.

She
was next to me now, looking up at me with those almond eyes, drawing me to her
with that inexplicable tug I felt whenever she was near. I could smell the
scent of coconut in her hair, and I couldn’t stop my eyes from traveling
downward, over her ample cleavage held perfectly by the cups of her white
bikini. My eyes traveled back up to hers, and I cleared my throat.

I
had to remain professional.

“I’m
picturing you leaning over the railing, Aolani, your elbows resting gently on
the wood as you look out to sea. Can you try that for me now?”

She
nodded and leaned over, clasping her hands together as she gazed out. I
assessed her posture, trying to keep my breathing steady as my gaze slid over
her tiny waist and flat belly to the rounded swell of her full hips... and that
arse that made my cock stir in my trousers every time I saw it...

“Roll
your hips back a little and arch your back, lass,” I said. “It will show you
off more.”

She
looked at me, her brow furrowing. “Are you sure you want that?”

She
looked down, and I could see her cheeks coloring. I wanted to reach out and stroke
her cheek, to tell her she had nothing to be afraid of, but I didn’t know how
she’d react. I settled for brushing her hair off her shoulder, and noticed her
sharp intake of breath when my fingers grazed her skin.

“Absolutely,”
I said. “I want to capture those beautiful curves of yours. Soften your gaze as
you look out, like you’re seeing everything that you dream of, just over the
horizon... Do you know how I mean?”

She
chewed her lip and glanced down at my hand, still resting on her shoulder, but
didn’t pull back.

“I
think so,” she said. “I’ll give it a try.”

She
pushed her hips back ever-so-slightly and opened her shoulders, arching her
back. I sucked in a breath, and motioned for Martin to come over quickly. The
lighting crew followed, hastily setting up their gear.

“Now,
Aolani,” I said. “Gaze toward the horizon.”

The
wind kicked up, whipping her hair back behind her. Her expression took on the
quality of a dreamer, her face relaxed and serene as she looked out over the
harbor waves. In that moment, I would have given anything to know what she
dreamed about--what kind of vision for her future made her look so peaceful, so
hopeful... and so utterly beautiful.

Martin’s
camera snapped away, and he started his spiel, telling her to adjust slightly
this way and that until he had every angle he wanted captured. But I knew we’d
gotten what we needed with that first shot.

Aolani
Kahale was a natural.

***

She
had a thin cotton robe on over her bikini when I sought her out below deck. She
was sitting on the sofa in my study, her laptop poised on her lap as she
clacked away on the keys. Her hair had fallen over her face, obscuring her
expression.

“Am
I interrupting?”

She
jumped, and pressed a hand to her chest. “You startled me.” She looked up from
her work and grinned. “And I hardly think you’re interrupting, since it’s your
boat, and your study I’m invading.”

I
leaned in the doorway and smirked at her, loving the way she looked when she
smiled.

“Well,
that’s all very true, lass. But I don’t mind you invading my space one bit.”

I
cocked an eyebrow at her, and she pursed her lips, trying to hide a smile.

“I
was just going through my work email. I can’t believe I’ve wasted this whole
day. I feel like I’m so behind...”

“Well,”
I said, running a hand through my hair. “What if I told you I have project for
you that involves you wasting a whole lot more time, as you put it?”

She
closed her laptop and met my gaze. “I didn’t mean to say... What I meant
was...” She wrinkled her nose. “Sorry about that. What’s the project?”

I
laughed, and she seemed to relax a little. “I understand what you meant. But
modeling like you did is harder than it looks. I certainly couldn’t do as well
as you did in front of a camera on your first day.”

She
raised an eyebrow. “I doubt that. You look like you fell out of a GQ catalog.”

I
ran my hand over my jawline, grinning at her again.
Did she really just say what I thought she said?

Her
eyes went wide, and I felt the embarrassment pouring off her in waves. Maybe
this attraction I felt was mutual after all. Maybe this professional woman was
having the same very unprofessional thoughts I was...

The
very idea of it made my temperature rise. The idea of her wanting me, of
wanting to take me to bed with her, or even just press those sensual lips of
hers against mine, was almost too much.

I
cleared my throat and chuckled softly. “Yes, well, the project I mentioned. I’d
love it if you’d join my team full time. I want you to be the face of this
campaign, Aolani.”

She
stared at me, her lips parting in a way that made me want to run my thumb over
them. For a moment, she just stared at me, speechless.

“I...
I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” she said. “I have no experience.”

“I
saw you out there today, lass. You were a natural. You absolutely killed it.” I
moved closer, and held out my hand to her. “I need you, Aolani. Only you can
made this campaign what it should be. Plus, I’ll double whatever your marketing
firm is paying you.”

She
looked down at her hands, now toying with the edge of her laptop. “Double?”

I
kept my hand out, urging her to take it. “And there will be travel. We’ll take
my yacht through the Caribbean to get some shots, then back to Scotland where
we’ll begin a tour of the major cities of the UK, drumming up business before
the big launch.”

She
licked her lips, and I felt my member stir again, imagining what she might be
able to do with them. I tugged my sweater down, praying she didn’t notice the
effect she had on me.

“The
Caribbean and the... the UK?”

“Absolutely.
It will be just you, me, and a small crew to set up lights and do the
photographing. My own crew. Martin stays behind with the rest of your people.
You’ll be on my payroll, working for my company. What do you say?”

Her
eyes lit up at the mention of ditching that cranky old bastard, and I knew I
had her.

“Please,
Aolani. Don’t leave me high and dry here.”

She
laughed then, the sound making my heart constrict in my chest. She set the
laptop aside and stood, then slid her hand into mine, the feel of her soft skin
electric against my own rough palm.

“I’m
definitely in,” she said. “Although I still think you’re crazy for not hiring a
real model.”

“Brilliant,”
I said. “And who needs other models when I have a one of a kind?”

I
winked at her, still enjoying the feeling of her hand cradled in mine. Her
smile faded as her gaze moved from my eyes down to my mouth. Her pupils
dilated, her lips parting as she gazed at me. I caressed her hand with my
thumb, unable to stop myself. With her this close, all good sense fled my mind,
the intoxicating scent of coconut and jasmine wafting from her, tempting.

But
before I could do anything stupid, like lean down and capture her full lips
with mine, she pulled back, her hand left mine, and the cold air between us
filled the space like nothing had happened.

“Thanks,
boss,” she muttered, and I knew, for now, the spell was broken.

***

Aolani

What the hell was that?

I
watched Gavin Fletcher, my new employer, walk away, but instead of the
opportunity he’d just given me, all I could think about was the moment that
just passed between us.