less...rigid.’
Those ivory cheeks flushed. ‘Like I said, that’s for friends and family.’
Ben smiled, enjoying her discomfiture more than he should. ‘I think we’re definitely more than friends now, Lia. I don’t know what you’re used to, but in my world friends don’t kiss the way we did earlier. Lovers...now, that’s a different matter.’
Lia darted a glance behind her, to where the discreet staff were, and then hissed across the aisle, ‘We will never be lovers, Mr Carter.’
Ben ignored that and sat back, extending his legs, making himself comfortable even though the last thing he was feeling was relaxed. ‘There’s a bedroom at the back of the cabin. You should slip into something more comfortable and get some rest. We’ll be in the air for another seven hours at least.’
‘You’re still insisting on not telling me where we’re going?’
Ben glanced at her with mock innocence. ‘And ruin the surprise?’
Her jaw clenched. ‘I don’t like surprises, Mr Carter.’
‘Please, Lia,’ he purred, enjoying himself immensely, ‘call me Ben.’
After a long moment, when she looked as if she was seriously tempted to do him some physical violence, she undid her seat belt and stood up, saying, ‘You’re impossible. This is impossible.’
She took her bag from an overhead locker and the wrap over her dress fell to the floor. Ben let his gaze roam freely over her curves, in particular her pert behind.
She whirled around and he looked up. She grabbed the wrap from him as he picked it up and held it out to her, and said tersely, ‘I’m going to get some sleep. And I don’t want to be disturbed.’
Ben smiled. ‘Please, be my guest.’
Lia walked to the back of the plane, her red dress swirling about her body and those long slim legs. She went into the bedroom and the door was shut forcefully enough behind her to make Ben wince slightly. Then he heard the distinct click of the lock being turned.
His smile slipped from his face as he had to shift his body to accommodate his erection. He felt feral enough to be tempted to go and kick open the door and prove to Lia right now that they were more than friends. But he reminded himself that he was civilised.
After all, he had to acknowledge bitterly, for the first twelve years of his life Ben had been exceedingly civilised. Until everything had changed and the real world had been revealed, like in The Wizard of Oz, when the curtain had been pulled back to expose the truth.
Just then Ben’s phone vibrated and he welcomed the distraction. He took it out of his pocket to see a name flashing on the screen. He smiled mirthlessly and answered, ‘Trakas. Are you missing me and our new friends already?’
‘Hardly,’ came the dry response. ‘The internet is buzzing about you making some outrageous bid at a charity auction and absconding with a British society princess for the weekend. I thought we were trying to improve our reputations, not make them worse.’
Ben looked pointedly at the closed door of the bedroom and said through a tight jaw, ‘Don’t worry, it’s all part of the plan. Elizabeth Young set us up on a date. Was there something in particular you wanted or did you just call to gossip?’
Xander Trakas was silent for a moment, and then he said, ‘And...? How was she?’
Ben frowned. ‘Who? The matchmaker?’
Trakas sounded impatient. ‘Of course.’
Ben felt another pang of his conscience when he thought of what she’d think of his pursuing Lia in spite of her warning. ‘She was fine. Why the hell do you care anyway?’
‘No reason,’ came the swift response, and then the other man said, ‘Later, Carter,’ and hung up.
Ben shook his head and put his phone down, glancing at the shut door again and scowling. He had no idea what was going on between Xander Trakas and the Leviathan Solutions director, but if it was anything close to what he was currently engaged in, then he wished the man luck. From what he’d seen of Elizabeth Young, and her quiet but steely self-possession, he’d need it.
* * *
‘Let me show you around.’
Lia looked suspiciously at Benjamin Carter, who had no right to look so fresh and gorgeous after sleeping in his seat on the plane. He’d changed out of his tuxedo into dark trousers and a black short-sleeved polo shirt, and she was acutely aware of the bunching of his biceps where his arms were folded. He was even more powerful than she’d thought.
Stalling for time, to let her disorientated brain catch up with events, she said, ‘Where exactly are we?’
They’d landed at Salvador International Airport in Bahia, Brazil, about an hour before, and to find out how far they’d come had blown her mind. Then Carter had collected an open-top Jeep and driven them out of the city and along the coast for about thirty minutes. Lia didn’t like to admit that she’d been captivated by the Atlantic sea frothing against miles and miles of pristine beaches.
‘We’re at my private villa, north of Salvador.’
His blue gaze dropped momentarily down her body and Lia regretted not changing when she’d had the chance on the plane. But after pacing in the spacious bedroom for long minutes she’d given in to fatigue and had lain down on the bed, still in the dress. Then, when a peremptory knock on the door had woken her, and a too-familiar deep voice had told her they’d be landing soon, something petty in her had refused to make him feel more comfortable about what he’d done, so she’d emerged still wearing the dress.
But now she felt silly. And self-conscious. It made her say defiantly, ‘What’s to stop me from taking that Jeep and driving back down to Salvador to take the next flight home?’
Her host didn’t look remotely perturbed. ‘Well, I’d have to report it as stolen, and the policia here are very efficient. So there’s really no point.’
The same sense of futility she’d felt in New York sank into Lia’s bones as she had to come to terms with the truth smacking her in the face—she was here for the weekend.
As if reading her mind, her host unfolded his arms and held a hand out, gesturing eloquently for her to take his invitation to look around.
Capitulation wasn’t easy, but after a few seconds of inner struggle she bent down to slip off her shoes—which were now officially killing her. When she straightened, holding the shoes in her hand, she said tightly, ‘As it appears that I have no choice, lead the way.’
Ignoring the fact that she felt a lot more fragile without the added height of her shoes, she followed him deeper into the villa and tried to avert her gaze from that broad back, tapering down to lean hips and tight buttocks.
It was almost a relief to focus on the furnishings, and with some surprise she took in polished wooden floors and open white shutters allowing the warm breeze to circulate. The rooms flowed into each other, the spaces generous and open.
It was casual, yet elegant without being ostentatious. She noted valuable works of art dotted around the rooms and on the walls. Everything complemented each other. The décor was very much to her own pared-down tastes, which was something she had not expected.
A spacious den was comfortable and inviting, with low coffee tables and a media centre. Huge art and photography books looked well-thumbed, and one wall was shelved and full of books. Her hands itched to explore what was there.
‘Your interior designer is very talented,’ Lia remarked.
A dry-sounding, ‘Thank you,’ made her look at Carter, who had a small smile playing around his mouth. She saw the glint in his eye and then said disbelievingly, ‘No... You designed this?’
‘It’s amazing the amount of taste money can buy.’
His