Seduced At Sea. Andrea Laurence

unsettled by his nettling. Especially when she conceded that maybe he had a point. If she wouldn’t answer his questions, why should he answer hers? ‘And of course he wasn’t happy, but he understood.’

      It was one of the qualities that had initially drawn her to Simon. Calm, methodical, rational, dependable.

      ‘Understood what?’ Leo’s dark voice broke into her thoughts. ‘That he came second to me?’

      Oh, what an ego!

      ‘That isn’t what happened at all,’ Lexi countered, uncomfortably aware that Simon would always come second to him if a woman had a choice.

      ‘No?’ He gave a wolfish smile.

      ‘No.’

      ‘So you told him what happened in my bed last night then?’ he asked silkily.

      Lexi’s breath lodged in her throat. Damn it, he had remembered what had happened and had only been toying with her. How had she thought even for a second that a man like him would be interested in her as a woman?

      ‘Your list just got longer,’ she said smartly.

      He disconcerted her by laughing. ‘Admit it, angel, you’re attracted to me.’

      ‘You’re wrong about that.’ She cleared her throat and nearly spilt her cup of tea.. ‘I would never be attracted to a man like you.’ It was a lie, but oh, she wished it wasn’t.

      ‘Trying to insult me to deflect how you feel isn’t very original,’ he said softly.

      ‘Neither is the size of your ego.’

      Rather than be insulted, he laughed again. ‘I liked you in my bed,’ he said softly.

      His lips curved into a lazy grin that made her stomach flip.

      ‘I was not in your bed,’ she insisted sharply, frustrated by her body’s automatic reaction to his suggestive tone. She had yet to find anything positive about this man and yet her body responded to his every move as if he was master of it. How could that happen when she didn’t even like him?

      ‘No?’ He scratched the sexy stubble on his jaw with well-shaped, capable fingers. ‘Then my imagination is very vivid because I can still taste your sweet mouth under mine.’

      Lexi stifled a gasp. ‘You were having a nightmare.’

      ‘Those kinds of dreams are never nightmares, angel.’

      She forced herself to hold his sensual gaze and decided the best thing she could do was to ignore his sexual banter. ‘Do you have them often?’ she asked, trying to redirect the conversation.

      ‘Erotic dreams? Not since I was a youth.’

      ‘Nightmares.’

      His eyes turned flinty. ‘You were mistaken if you thought I was having a nightmare. Perhaps you’re just looking for an excuse as to why you kissed me last night.’

      ‘You kissed me.’

      ‘That’s not how I remember it.’ He gazed at her through sleepy eyes.

      It wasn’t exactly how she remembered it either.

      ‘You were asleep. I was … We were both half asleep,’ she babbled stupidly.

      ‘And it was a lovely way to be woken up. I won’t be at all upset if you do it again.’

      ‘I would never go into your room voluntarily. You called out in your sleep. Someone named Sasha.’

      ‘You must have been mistaken. But now I’m going to bed.’ He stood up abruptly and towered over her. ‘Care to give me a goodnight kiss, angel?’

      Lexi stiffened at the audacious invitation and the instaneous ‘yes’ that leapt into her mind.

      ‘Just in case you’re labouring under the misapprehension that I find you funny, Mr Aleksandrov, I don’t.’

      She held her breath as his smouldering gaze lingered on her mouth. ‘Now there’s a pity. We might have had some fun together if you should ever lighten up.’

      If she …? Lexi’s face paled as his offhanded comment bit deep and shattered her confidence.

      Arrogant, stupid ass!

Chapter Six

      THE next morning Lexi didn’t see Leo at all, which was a good thing, she told herself.

      She was still frustrated at their conversation last night, realising too late that he’d used sexual innuendo to avoid talking about Ty and then had inadvertently hit on the same complaint Brandon had had with her. And if at times she appeared uptight it was because she’d learned to guard her feelings from a young age, her father’s betrayal having sapped all the happiness from her home for a long time after he’d left.

      She frowned. Maybe she should just give up on her goal to reunite father and son. Maybe it would be better if she avoided Leo at all costs. Ty wasn’t her child and she knew better than to become too attached to a child who was in her temporary care. And maybe Ty was better off with Amanda. It certainly seemed that way with the little interest Leo continued to display towards his son.

      Yes, she’d stop playing some modern version of Mary Poppins and keep well away from Leo Aleksandrov. Right after she spoke to him this morning about the young Greek girl, Carolina, he had apparently assigned to assist her. As if she needed an assistant!

      She rounded a corner of the yacht and smiled politely as yet another group of uber-trendy individuals passed her in the corridor.

      Leo’s weekend guests had arrived throughout the morning, some joining her and Ty by the pool and slipping into holiday mode as if they’d been born to it. One woman in particular, the supermodel Katya—no last name required, which was so yesterday, Lexi thought churlishly—had immediately rubbed her up the wrong way. Though whether that was because she had clung to Leo like the last autumn leaf on a tree or because she had that air of practised superiority about her Lexi wasn’t sure.

      Oh, who was she kidding? She’d been put out because of the way Leo had looked at her. A woman who was tall, stunning and exactly his type. Lexi wondered if she was his current mistress and felt her mouth pinch together. If she was, he was more of a cad than she had given him credit for. Flirting outrageously with her—kissing her and touching her—while his girlfriend was in transit from America.

      Lexi wandered from deck to deck and had no idea what level she was now on. She was almost out of breath and finally understood that the central glass elevator, beautifully inlaid with designer plants and flowers, was not just a showpiece for guests to appreciate as they wandered past!

      This ship, which Leo called a yacht, had so many rooms it was more like a floating castle. A very sleek and richly furnished castle with more natural stone and marble than a Renaissance church.

      She stopped in the doorway of an elegant sitting room and noticed the supermodel, Katya, at the far end, shaking her finger at a young staff member, who looked as if she was about to collapse.

      Used to sorting out all kinds of problems Lexi didn’t think twice before approaching to offer her assistance. The younger girl, whom she had met downstairs earlier, looked at her with open relief.

      ‘Hi there; what seems to be the problem?’ she asked pleasantly.

      The supermodel swung around sharply at the sound of her voice. She looked Lexi up and down as if she was considering whether or not she was worthy of an answer, and then waved her hand dismissively at the other girl.

      ‘The problem is that laundry staff are not supposed to occupy the same room as a guest.’

      ‘I was delivering t-t-towels to the second pool area,’ the young girl