“This is like a dream.” I sigh, leaning back on my hands and closing my eyes.
“Breath-taking, isn’t it?”
What the…?
My hand flies to my chest where my heart has just leaped into my throat, and I gasp, snapping my eyes open.
I lean forward around the dividing bamboo screen, peering to the deck of the next-door villa. I don’t have to look to confirm it, though.
I would know that voice anywhere.
“Quickly turning into a nightmare!” I huff as I stare into crystal-blue eyes. They’re even bluer here, inviting like cool pools of water on a sweltering day. Maybe it’s a trick of the light, and it’s the ocean reflecting off them or something.
“How was your flight?” Griffin asks from his position on the next-door deck before he looks away, making the mesmerizing blue pools disappear from my sight.
I can’t answer him. I stare out at the ocean and force myself to take deep breaths, trying to pull my body temperature down to an acceptable level now that my blood has been set boiling.
How does he do it?
Manage to be the most irritating, pig-headed, self-assured, egotistical bastard I’ve ever met? All without a hair out of place. It comes so naturally to him. It is him.
I was even starting to think he wasn’t that bad. The way he lightened up when he made the joke about me calling Reed a baboon in his office. Sending the luxury car to take me to the airport this morning. Insisting I don’t pay for company lunches myself. I was beginning to see a likeable, charming side of Griffin Parker, which everyone else seems to benefit from, except for me.
But it was merely a fleeting figment of an idealistic imagination.
I study him from the corner of my eye. He’s standing, looking out toward the ocean, hands resting on his hips. He’s still in a full, light gray suit. He must be baking. It’s still early, but the humidity is unmistakable in the surrounding air.
“What are you doing here?” I stop paddling my feet in the pool and stand up, walking to the edge of my deck closest to his.
“I heard Todd couldn’t make it.” His eyes stay trained on the ocean, his dark hair shining in the sunlight.
“Family emergency,” I reply.
“That’s unfortunate.” His lips stay pressed into a firm line.
“You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?” I fight to keep my voice even as my body tenses. I’ll be damned if I give the smug asshole the satisfaction of knowing he’s affecting me.
This is another power play. One further example of what a control freak he is.
At first, I wondered if it was me. If I gave him any reason to doubt my ability to do the job. Gave him cause for concern, somehow. But now I know it is just Griffin. Griffin control-freak Parker. Because heaven forbid anyone can do something as well as him.
He turns to me, his eyes landing straight on mine. Butterflies set loose in my stomach, swirling and dancing with sudden vigor. God, it must be the plane food, or the champagne from this morning disagreeing with me.
“I have some personal business to attend to here. It made sense to move my trip to today so I can accompany you to the meeting—make sure you don’t miss Todd.” He juts his chin forward as he says ‘Todd,’ his eyes darkening as he watches me, as if waiting for a reaction.
I swallow down the butterflies which are now attempting to shoot up into my throat.
“Well, you are certainly not him. But we’ll manage.”
A muscle in his jaw ticks as he looks at me, pinning me to the spot with his blue gaze.
“Why don’t you order some breakfast, Maria? I have calls to make. We leave in two hours.” He turns, effectively dismissing me.
“Fine,” I snap at his back.
He goes inside his room, then I head inside mine.
I stomp over to the bed, flopping down and grabbing a cushion.
Then I scream into it.
