She wasn’t here to seduce her boss. She was here to plant a seed about a charity project close to her heart. If Luc thought he’d formulated the plan, then he’d be all for it, and she desperately wanted him to donate his time and efforts to an orphanage in the United States she’d been corresponding with on his behalf. For reasons he didn’t need to know about, the place held a special spot in her heart. She didn’t want him to go there out of pity. She wanted him to do so on his own, because he felt it was the right thing to do.
But Kate couldn’t get the twins who lived there, Carly and Thomas, out of her mind, and she was driving herself crazy with worry. For now, though, things were out of her control, so she had to focus on getting Luc on board with funding and volunteering. What would that little bit hurt him, anyway? In all reality, the visit and the monetary gift wouldn’t leave a dent in his time or finances, but both would mean the world to those children.
“Luc?” She headed toward the wide, curved staircase with its scrolled, wrought-iron railing. She rested her hand on the banister, only to have it wobble beneath her palm. Definitely another item for the list of renovations.
She didn’t even know what room he’d opted to use as the master suite, as there was one downstairs and one upstairs. “Are you up there?” she called, more loudly this time.
Within seconds, Luc stood at the top of the stairs, wearing only a tan and a towel. Kate had seen him in swimming trunks, knew full well just how impressive his body was. Yet standing here looking up at him, knowing there was only a piece of terry cloth and a few stairs between them, sent her hormones into overdrive. And she had to keep reminding herself she was only his assistant.
Still, that wouldn’t stop her from appreciating the fact her boss was one fine man. Her “office view” was hands down the best she could ever ask for.
“I’m sorry,” she said, forcing her gaze to stay on his face. If she looked away she’d appear weak, as if she couldn’t handle seeing a half-naked man. If her eyes lowered to the flawless chest on display, he’d know all her fantasies for sure. “I’ll just wait until you’re dressed.”
Before she made a fool of herself by staring, babbling or drooling, Kate turned and scurried back to the living area, where she sank onto the old sofa that had been draped with a pale yellow cover until the renovations were completed and new furniture arrived. Dropping her head against the saggy cushion, she let out a groan.
Lucas Silva was one atraente prince. Sexy prince. After living in Ilha Beleza for a full year now, she was growing more accustomed to thinking in Portuguese as opposed to English. Even thinking of Luc in another language only proved how pathetic she was.
Get a grip.
She should’ve waited in the living room, or just come back later after her walk. Then she wouldn’t have been tortured by seeing him wearing nothing but that towel and the water droplets that clung to those taut muscles. Had he been standing closer, the temptation to lick away all the moisture from his recent shower might have been too much to handle.
She’d held on to her self-control for a year and didn’t intend to let it snap now. A man like Luc would enjoy that too much, and Kate refused to be like all the other women who fawned over the playboy prince.
Smoothing her floral, halter-style sundress, she crossed her legs, hoping for a casual look instead of the assistant-hot-for-her-boss one. The second she heard his feet crossing the floor, she sat up straighter and silently scolded herself for allowing her thoughts and hormones to control her.
“Sorry I interrupted your shower,” she told him the second he stepped down into the sunken living area. “I was heading out for a walk, but I wanted to run something by you first.”
He’d thrown on black board shorts and a red T-shirt. Still, the image of him wearing next to nothing was burned into her mind, and that’s all she could focus on. Luc fully or even partially clothed was sexy, but Luc practically in his birthday suit was a much more dangerous thought.
“I’m not working, if that’s what you want to discuss.” He strode across the room and opened the patio doors, pushing them wide to allow the ocean breeze to stream in. Kate came to her feet, ready to be firm, but careful not to anger him, because this project was too important to her.
“It’s just something you need to think about,” she retorted as she went to stand near the open doors. “I know we’ve discussed charity work in the past—”
He turned, held up a hand to cut her off. “I’m not scheduling anything like that until I have the crown. I don’t want to even think beyond right now. I’ve got a big enough mess on my hands.”
Crossing her arms, Kate met his gaze...until that gaze dropped to her chest. Well, well, well. Looked as if maybe he wasn’t immune to the physical attraction between them, after all.
“I was working on your schedule for the next several months and you have a gap that I could squeeze something into, but you have to be in agreement.”
The muscles in his jaw clenched as Kate waited for a response. Whenever he stared at her with such intensity, she never knew what was going through his mind. If his thoughts had anything to do with the way he’d been staring at her moments ago, she was totally on board. Sign her up.
Before she realized what he was doing, Luc reached out and slid a fingertip across her bare shoulder. It took every bit of her willpower not to shiver beneath such a simple, yet intimate touch.
“Wh-what are you doing?” she asked, cursing the stammer.
When his finger trailed across her collarbone, then back to her shoulder, Kate continued to stare, unsure what he was doing. If he was trying to seduce her, he needn’t try any harder. With the way he kept looking at her, she was about to throw out the window all the reasons they shouldn’t be together. One jerk of the knot of fabric at her neck and that halter dress would slide to the floor.
She waited, more than ready for Luc to make her fantasy come true.
Luc fisted his hands at his sides. What the hell had he been thinking, reaching out and touching Kate like that? He was nothing but a tolo, a fool, even to allow himself the brief pleasure.
With all Kate’s creamy skin exposed, silently inviting his touch, his last thread of willpower had snapped. And as much as he hated to admit it, even to himself, he was too emotionally drained to think straight. Part of him just wanted someone as a sexual outlet, an escape, but he wouldn’t use his assistant...no matter how tempted he was.
Luc hadn’t tried hard enough to keep himself in check, which was the main problem. He was still reeling from the fact that Kate had stood at the base of the steps looking as if she might leap to the second floor and devour him if he even hinted he was ready. And misericórdia, mercy, he was ready for some no-strings affection. Still, not with his employee. How did this number-one rule keep slipping from his mind?
“You’re burned,” he replied, surprised when his tone came out stronger than he’d intended. “Looks like you should’ve taken your own advice about that sunscreen.”
With a defiant tilt of her chin, a familiar gesture he’d come to find amusing, she propped her hands on her hips, which did amazing things to the pull of the fabric across her chest. The woman was slowly killing him.
The no-dating-staff rule also covered no sleeping with staff. Damn it, he was a mess after Alana. More so than he feared if he was thinking even for a second of risking his family’s reputation, and his own reputation as a worthy king, by sleeping with Kate. Nothing good would come from his moment of weakness, and then he’d be out an amazing assistant, because he couldn’t allow her to work for him further. And she’d have a wealth of fodder for the press if she chose to turn against him.
That was precisely the reason he needed to keep his damn