LITMIR.BIZ

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shock that he could believe she was still doing it. ‘No!’ she cried, forcing her feet forward to go to him, her eyes pleading forgiveness for her brutal lack of caring for his feelings. ‘I don’t even think of Michael anymore, not with any wanting in my mind or heart,’ she said vehemently. ‘I haven’t been using you, Harry. Even on Friday night I was confused about why I was doing what I did with you.’

      She reached him and laid her hands on his chest, meeting his scouring gaze with open honesty. ‘Since then, I swear I’ve enjoyed every minute with you, wanting to know the person you are, liking what I’m learning about you. Please don’t think any of it was related to your brother.’

      He frowned, not yet appeased by her outcry. ‘Then why not work for Mickey?’

      She grimaced at his persistence. ‘Maybe I just don’t want to be reminded of how silly I was. A break is better, Harry.’ She slid her hands up around his neck and pressed her body to his, craving the wild warmth and excitement of his desire again. ‘Can we forget about Michael now? Please?’

      His eyes still scoured hers for the truth. His hands gripped her waist hard as though he was in two minds whether to pull her closer or push her away. ‘He’s my brother,’ he said gruffly.

      And Lucy was her sister, whom Michael could hurt very badly.

      ‘Does that mean I have to work for him or I’ll lose any interest you have in me, Harry?’

      Again his brow beetled down. ‘That’s not the point.’

      ‘Good! Because as much as I want what you and I are having together, I won’t let any man dictate how I lead my life.’

      That was a core truth.

      She wanted a partner in life, not a lord and master.

      * * *

      Harry believed her. There was a strength in this woman that had always challenged him. As much as it had frustrated him in the past, he admired the way she made a decision and stuck to it. A warrior woman, he thought wryly, one who would fight tooth and nail for what she believed was right.

      Yet she was vulnerable to the womanly needs that he’d tapped into. The wanting for him was in the soft giving of her body appealing to his, the hand-lock at the back of his neck, the slight pouting of her mouth waiting for a kiss that would blow everything else away. The challenge in her eyes burned into his brain. She was his for the taking, not Mickey’s, and the compulsion to take her forced him to set all reservations aside.

      He kissed her.

      She kissed him back.

      And Harry revelled in the sense that this was a true beginning of a relationship that promised to be more right than any he had known.

       CHAPTER FIFTEEN

      ELIZABETH managed the administration office on her own throughout her second week on Finn Island. She didn’t feel lonely. There were daily meetings with Sarah and Jack Pickard and Daniel Marven. Apart from them, many of the guests dropped by to chat about what they’d done or what they planned to do while they were here. Quite a few were much-travelled tourists from other countries, who couldn’t resist comparing this place to other getaways they had enjoyed, always favourably, which Elizabeth thought was a feather in Harry’s cap.

      He’d carried through his vision for this resort with an attention to detail that was every bit as meticulous as Michael’s in his side of the business. In that respect he was just as solid as his brother. In fact, he really had none of the characteristics of a playboy who cared little for anything except indulging himself with passing pleasures.

      He called her each day to check on how she was doing and they had quite long conversations that always left her smiling. Contact with him didn’t make her tense anymore. They discussed many things with an ease that she thoroughly enjoyed. Even the flirtatious remarks that she’d once hated, once left her steaming with anger, now made her laugh and spread a delicious warmth through her body.

      It continually amazed her how much her life had changed in such a short amount of time. Giving up the Michael dream that had been gnawing at her for so long and giving in to the attraction Harry had always exerted on her...it was as though a whole lot of inner conflict had been lifted from her. She had set aside worries about the future, letting herself be a happy butterfly. When serious issues had to be faced, she would face them. But that wasn’t yet.

      Emails from Lucy were full of dizzy pleasure with her love affair with Michael. According to her sister, he was everything wonderful. Still early days, Elizabeth thought, but hoped the relationship would become what both of them were looking for to complement their lives. And who knew...maybe Harry might turn out to be the right partner for her?

      He returned to the island on Saturday morning, strolling into the office, a wide grin on his face, eyes sparkling with pleasure at seeing her again. Her heart jumped. Her feet jumped. She was out of her chair, wanting to skip around the desk and hurl herself at him, driven by a wild eagerness to revel in all the sexual excitement his physical presence instantly aroused in her. Only a sense of decorum held her back. Or rather a very basic female instinct to have him demonstrate his desire for her first.

      Her smile, however, was an open invitation to take up where he’d left off last weekend. ‘Hi!’ she said in a breathy rush.

      He strode forward, dumped the attaché case he was carrying on the desk and swept her into his embrace. ‘Can’t wait another minute,’ he said and kissed her with a hunger that ignited the same hunger in her.

      It was great to feel so wanted.

      What made the physical sizzle between them even better was the respect he subsequently showed for her opinion. He’d brought the résumés of the most likely prospects for the position of manager with him and wanted her input on them before deciding on interviews. This sharing on a business level made Elizabeth feel like a real partner, not just for sharing a bed.

      They talked about the possibilities for most of the day, weighing up the pros and cons, deciding on who would best deal with the situation. There seemed to be a wonderful, vibrant harmony flowing between them, making their lovemaking that night extra special. It wasn’t until Harry chose to query her choices that the pleasurable flow was broken.

      They were lying face to face, their legs still intimately locked together. Harry softly stroked the feathery bangs off her forehead, looking deeply into her eyes. ‘I’d really like you to stay on here, Ellie,’ he said. ‘It’s not too late to change your mind.’

      Her chest instantly grew tight. It was difficult to resist the seductive pressure of his words when she wanted to cling onto the sweet sense of everything being perfect. ‘I can’t, Harry,’ she blurted out.

      He frowned at her quick reply. ‘You’ve been happy here this past week. I’ve heard it in your voice every time I’ve called. And today you’ve been so relaxed, confident. Why not reconsider?’

      ‘It’s better that you get someone else,’ she argued.

      ‘But I like feeling you’re part of my world, Ellie. It’s been great this week, sharing it with you.’

      She sucked in a deep breath, needing to hold firm against the persuasive pull of a future that might mean sharing his world forever. It was too soon to know, her mind screamed, too soon to commit to the possibility. She reached up and stroked his cheek, her eyes pleading for understanding.

      ‘I’m not rejecting you, Harry. I just need to be where Lucy is. Being on this island in a permanent position is too far away.’

      He heaved a sigh, his mouth turning into a wry grimace. ‘You have to be there for her.’

      ‘Yes.’

      ‘Well, I guess I’ll just have to invade your world in Cairns.’

      She relaxed at his acceptance of her decision, smiling as she said, ‘I hope you do.’

      *

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