Melissa entered the room and put a file in Sabrina’s in-box, the disbelief written all over her face. “Don’t believe her, sir. She’s been a grump all week.” Her ever efficient assistance was respectful but wouldn’t let Sabrina get away with her comment.
Sabrina wanted to yell at her assistant but bit her tongue. It was true. She was a grump. She’d been snapping at everyone and everything lately and the more she tried to be calm and patient, the more she started to lose it. She looked up at Sid to see what his reaction to Melissa’s comment was. He didn’t seem angry, but she didn’t know him well enough to be able to gauge his reactions yet.
Sid raised one eyebrow and came in to sit down in the empty chair in front of her desk. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
Sabrina covered her face with her hands, wishing she were anywhere else but here. “Nothing I can’t fix with a good run,” she said and sighed. She dropped her hands and looked across the small office at him. “I’m sorry. I’ve been snapping at everyone but the guests and I guess my staff is starting to snap back.”
“Tell me what’s wrong and I’ll fix it for you,” he repeated. He wanted to take her into his arms and feel her body against his but he forced his mind to concentrate on what was bothering her. It had been three days since she’d had dinner with him and he wanted to touch her, to feel her against him once again. But he knew he needed to go slowly. His future wife was cautious and concerned but eventually she would understand and would agree with his plans. It would just take time, he told himself. Patience and strategy had been how he’d built his empire. It would also be how he won this incredible beauty sitting in front of him trying desperately hard not to blush.
Sabrina leaned back in her chair and shook her head, wishing she could get rid of some of this frustration. The tension had been building up over the past several days and she felt as if she were at a breaking point. Sid wasn’t helping either. Three days ago when she’d been finalizing the details of the car show, he’d been respectful, but always there. He wasn’t pushy about seeing her but turned up in various places, touching her arm, her shoulder, leaning too closely when she discussed a file. All of the touches were innocent, she knew. It was just her own imagination and body that she couldn’t get under control.
Watching him now, looking smooth and debonair while she felt as if her hair were standing out in all directions, she felt her frustration build even more. How could he be so casual and in control of all situations when she wanted to scream? She contemplated him curiously. “Is there anything you can’t fix?” she asked.
“Nope,” he said without hesitation.
She had to smile at that answer. No one could possibly be that sure of themselves, could they? “How do you know?”
He shrugged, the epitome of confidence. “So far, I haven’t encountered anything that wasn’t fixable. Which brings me back to my original question which you seem intent on trying to avoid. Tell me the problem and let me fix it for you.”
Sabrina laughed. “I need to run.”
He blinked quickly, then waited for her to continue. When she only smiled at him, he gave in to the confusion. “I’m sorry?” he replied, hiding the surprise on his face. “Are you saying you need to run away from me? Or the resort? Life in general?”
She laughed and shook her head. “Nothing that dramatic actually. I need to go for a run. I’ve been trying to get in here early each day to make sure everything is going as planned. So I haven’t been able to get out and run.”
“So why don’t you go run?” he asked.
“Because we live in a desert and right now its about one hundred degrees outside. it’s way too hot to do anything that strenuous in the middle of the day. I’d die of heat exhaustion.”
“Do you have your gym clothes here?”
She sighed and looked longingly at the bag sitting in the corner, unused. “Yes, I was hoping to get out a little earlier, before the real heat of the day started. But now it’s too late.”
He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out something, then tossed a keycard onto her desk. “Go upstairs and use my gym. There’s a treadmill, stair stepper, weights and a private shower – everything you might need to get in a good workout.”
Sabrina looked at the keycard, then back up at his face. Work out in his gym? Alone in his penthouse where he lived? A shiver of excitement raced up her spine and she trembled. Sure, he probably had a treadmill, and everything else any exclusive gym might have but she couldn’t possibly work out in his penthouse. “No thanks,” she said and slid the card back across the desk toward him.
“Why not?” he asked, ignoring the card as he watched her intently.
Sabrina shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Because it was where he lived and slept and was way too intimate for her peace of mind, she thought. Instead of admitting something like that to him, she said, “Because there are too many security cameras inside this place. I don’t like people seeing me without me being able to see who is staring.”
Sid smiled and nodded his head. “You’re right. I see you on the monitors all the time,” he winked at her. “But as for my private quarters, I promise no one will watch you on the security cameras except me,” he said.
Sabrina laughed, enthralled with his smile. “That’s not very comforting,” she said.
“Well, then let me come up and watch you in person,” he teased, his eyes gleaming and showing her that he wasn’t completely joking.
“No way,” she chuckled.
“Why not?”
She looked at him and saw the desire hidden in his dark blue eyes. Danger bells immediately went off and she said the first thing that came to mind. “Because I know you and you’d try to entice me to stop so you can kiss me.” She couldn’t believe she’d said that! Who was this daring, sassy woman who could flirt with a gorgeous man? Surely it wasn’t the shy woman who hadn’t dated since coming to this desert.
“Among other things,” he said softly.
“Well, that settles it,” she said emphatically but still laughed, encouraged that he was still interested in her despite no encouragement from her end. “I’ll just make sure to get out tomorrow morning and run with my normal group of friends.”