Free His Millionaire Maid by Coleen Kwan Page B

paused, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “There’s only so much temptation a man can take, you know.”
    “Well, I only did that because you were being so annoying.”
    He raised his eyebrows. “Is that how you normally deal with annoying men?”
    “You’re a special case.”
    “I’m glad I’m special.”
    Her stomach tingled again. Uh-oh. The buzz Joe was giving her was bad news. Just moments ago they’d agreed not to act on the attraction between them, but then immediately she couldn’t help flirting with him. And he was flirting with her, too, no mistaking that.
    “I’m going to bed,” she said, backing away from him.
    Joe nodded. “Good night, then. You should have an easier day tomorrow. Mondays the restaurant and bar are closed, and we don’t have any guests booked for the night. After you’ve cleaned the rooms, you can take the rest of the day off and relax.”
    I definitely need a break , Nina thought as she made her way back to her bedroom. But if Joe was going to be around, she doubted she’d be able to relax.
    …
    Heat flushed through Joe, raising a light sweat on the back of his neck. His heart rate quickened as if he were jogging, but all he’d done was catch sight of Nina sunbathing in the courtyard next to the bar. The weather was unexpectedly warm, and she wore a loose orange T-shirt and tight black leggings. Stretched out on a wooden bench, she exuded a feline grace that had Joe’s attention shackled.
    Earlier, he’d tried to do some paperwork in his office, but his concentration had evaporated as soon as he’d sat at his desk and been reminded in vivid detail what he and Nina had done on that slab of wood. His memories had refused to subside, along with the bulge in his groin that throbbed insistently as he remembered the hot, silky feel of Nina’s body writhing beneath him. Distracted and frustrated, he’d gone to the bar to get himself a can of Coke, but only succeeded in fanning the fire when he spotted Nina outside.
    As he watched, Nina arched her toes. The curve of her bare feet transfixed him; he wanted to run his fingers over her delicate ankles, then wrap her legs around his hips before burying… His palm burned against the cool Coke can. Before he could reconsider, he grabbed a second soda can from behind the bar and walked out into the courtyard.
    Nina sat up, her expression edgy as he approached.
    “Want a soda?” He offered one of the cans to her.
    “Uh, sure.” She took it gingerly, as if afraid to make physical contact with him.
    The kinetic buzz between them clearly wasn’t one-sided. Maybe she also couldn’t stop thinking about last night. Drawing her knees up, she motioned to him to sit beside her. He perched on the edge of the bench and popped the tab of his drink, not able to relax with her slender, Lycra-clad legs so close to him.
    Tension hummed from Nina as she circled the top of her soda can with her fingertip. She darted a glance at him, opened her mouth as if about to say something, then closed it.
    The inn was deserted, and a vine-covered trellis screened the courtyard from the street. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves.
    Joe cleared his throat. “Nice weather we’re having.”
    She nodded. “Yeah, it’s beautiful today.”
    Christ. They’d been reduced to discussing the weather, and all because of what had happened. He turned to face her.
    “Look, about last night. We have to put it behind us. We both did some stupid things—you dropping your towel, and me reacting like a…” He groped for the right description of the tremendous force that had gripped him last night, which was still heaving just beneath the surface. “A caveman.”
    Yeah, as soon as he’d clapped eyes on Nina’s naked body, a primitive urge to ravish her had all but overpowered him. Only by stomping out of the room had he managed to control himself, but when she’d followed him to his office, he hadn’t been able to help himself kissing her, caressing her,