Free Tango in Paradise by Donna Kauffman Page A

swirl of hair peeking from the opened buttons at his neck, but the feel of his heart pounding under her fingers proved a greater distraction.
    Jack watched her pupils dilate even further as she caressed the fabric stretched over his heart. Sweet mercy, she was going to kill him right here.
    “April,
mi corazón
, you can study the fine Korean craftsmanship of my shirt later.” She looked up at him, confusion clearly written on her face. “Is it my turn yet?” he asked.
    April had no idea how he managed to blend fierce protectiveness, intense desire, and a trace of raw vulnerability in that one look. She barely managed to nod yes.

FIVE
    April held her breath as Jack lowered his head, her eyes slowly closing. A second later she opened them again. “Jack?”
    He studied her in silence for another second, then said, “Not here.” He gently lifted her arms from his neck, but captured one of her hands as he turned to leave their shaded hideaway. He guided her onto the path, then loosened his grip but didn’t drop her hand completely. “Meet me at my bungalow in about ten minutes, okay?”
    April knew she looked as confused as she felt. “What? Why?” Her brows furrowed in the beginnings of anger. “I thought the game playing was over. If this is your idea of a jo—”
    Jack gently squeezed her hand, then droppedit. “What this is, is my idea of protecting your reputation as boss of this joint.”
    “You didn’t seem too concerned about that when you dragged me across the lawn,” she shot back, partly angry, but mostly frustrated. She didn’t have to admit that the frustration was mostly sexual in nature; she could hardly deny it. “I’m not just boss here, I own ‘this joint,’ as you so quaintly refer to it. And if I want to be seen holding hands or doing anything else with a guest then it’s nobody’s business but my own.”
    Jack looked surprised, then a wide smile split his tanned features. “So, you make a habit of this, then?” He ducked her halfhearted punch, but caught her fist, his big hand completely encompassing hers. He didn’t pull her closer, but the intimacy reflected in his eyes effectively erased the distance. “I still want you to give me a few minutes’ head start.”
    “If you’re worried about your housekeeping, I’ve seen it, remember?” she said dryly.
    Jack actually groaned, and groaned again when she arched that brow at him. “I’m trying to be a gentleman here, but you’re making it hard.” He gave a short laugh at his unintentional double entendre and turned her hand so he could lace his fingers with hers. “Which is precisely why I want a few minutes alone.”
    “Why now? A second ago I could have sworn—”
    His voice quieted to a whisper. “Do you haveany idea what I wanted to do to you under that tree? What I would have done if I’d started kissing you?”
    April felt a surge of heat and something like pride course through her. She’d put that look of wanting, of desire, on his face. It shocked her. It also thrilled her. “Probably the exact same thing I was hoping you’d do.”
    Jack swore and dropped her hand like he’d been burned. “Fifteen minutes, April.” His voice was strained. “I swear, lunch was my original intention, my only intention. But if I see you any earlier, we go straight to dessert. Understand?”
    Empowered by his reaction to her, April merely smiled. Forcing back the grin that teased the corners of her mouth, she nodded, then watched him retreat down the path, his long-legged, smooth stride covering the ground quickly.
    April turned around and faced the lodge, blotting the image of those intense green eyes from her mind, trying to focus on what had really just happened. She should probably be embarrassed by her behavior, she belatedly realized. But she wasn’t. Being aggressive was nothing new to her—building this resort had made that trait a necessity. But then this wasn’t business, she argued with herself. This was