As landing time approached, Dominic eased open the bedroom door and glanced in on his temporary employee, modern Joan of Arc. She was rolled up in the quilt, only her wild copper curls and a portion of her face visible above the swaddling silk. Her skin was slightly flushed in sleep, her angelic profile incredibly childlike.

Christ, he’d be ten kinds of stupid to mess with her.

Softly shutting the door, he slowly exhaled. He shouldn’t even be thinking about dragging her into his wayward world of carnal games. He should give her a free pass. Or maybe just give her the illusion of a free pass. Cold-blooded manipulation or decency? What would it be?

It was only a debate in the abstract.

He wanted her and nothing in his life had ever seemed so simple.

‘Don’t,’ a voice behind him warned.

‘I’m still thinking about it,’ Dominic said, perjuring himself without a qualm as he turned to face Max.

‘Stop thinking about it. Let her go home after Singapore.’

Dominic’s face went blank. ‘Thanks for the advice. What time’s our appointment at the bank?’

CHAPTER 6

The plane landed on an airfield that largely serviced private planes. Closer to the city in terms of drive time than the commercial hub, it saved twenty minutes of commuting for busy executives.

At five-thirty a.m. the temperature was already twenty-eight degrees, the humid air stifling as they exited the plane. A faint pink glow low on the horizon signalled sunrise and another day of sweltering heat.

Still half asleep, Kate followed the men down the ramp to the tarmac where another sleek, black Mercedes awaited them. Public transportation wasn’t a consideration for people like Dominic Knight, she grumpily thought, lack of sleep adding to her resentment, or perhaps pique, at her employer’s casual acceptance of his exalted lifestyle. On the other hand, she decided with a yawn, she wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Climbing into the back seat of the air-conditioned car while the men talked to some uniformed official, she curled up in a corner and promptly went back to sleep.

When Dominic entered the car, he took one look at Kate and cautioned the driver, ‘No race driving today, Chu. The lady’s sleeping.’

‘No problem, boss. You won’t even know we’re moving.’

The driver was as good as his word, smoothly navigating the early morning traffic like a jockey guiding his mount through a jostling pack in the home stretch. While Chu and Max exchanged local gossip, Dominic had an undisturbed opportunity to study his sleeping passenger. She looked young, or younger than she was, he corrected himself; at twenty-two her age wasn’t an issue as much as her innocence. Although she was neither young nor completely innocent, according to Max.

But Miss Hart was so far outside his sophisticated world and his usual taste in women, that he felt as though patterns he’d followed his entire life were being rewired in his brain.

Or maybe he was just willing to suspend disbelief.

Or he was being rash.

Or stupid.

Whatever. It didn’t matter. She pleased him.

It was as simple as that.

He found her delicacy a serious turn-on, her fine-boned slenderness perversely virginal. As were her discreet curves that you didn’t notice at first and when you did you couldn’t stop looking.

He tried not to stare. He tried not to think of how soft her skin would feel if he touched her. He tried not to imagine her sleeping in his bed, or not sleeping, doing other things to him, for him, accommodating him with her delectable body and defiant mind because he could make her do anything he wanted.

He even briefly considered taking Max’s advice, being virtuous and sending her home. But even before the idea had fully formed he’d dismissed it because she stirred some raw emotion in him, unleashed a sense of feeling again that took him by surprise.

She stirred something in him that was over and above lust, something that distinguished her from other women – like an explosion of colour in a brown and grey world caught your attention. That captivated the hell out of him. Jesus – captivated? What the fuck?

He grimaced, looked away, felt a sudden guilt as though he were cheating on Julia. He softly swore, called himself every kind of fool, then deliberately asked Max a question and ignored Miss Hart for the remainder of the drive. Fun and games were fine. Anything else wasn’t.

When they reached the house, Dominic jumped from the car, then waited for Max to step out. ‘I’d appreciate it if you’ll see Miss Hart to her room. Tell her someone will wake her at twelve thirty. Breakfast is at one. We leave at one forty-five.’ A quick glance to see that Kate still slept. ‘Also, if you could talk her into wearing something of Greta’s for the meeting at the bank, I’d be grateful enough to order wheels up for Hong Kong as soon as we’re done at the bank.’

‘Deal.’

Dominic grinned. ‘I wish I had your charm.’

‘You’ve got charm enough if you’re in the mood, but what can I say?’ Max quipped. ‘She likes me.’

Dominic’s eyelids dropped a fraction. ‘Just so long as she doesn’t like you too much.’

A flash of a grin. ‘What would you do if she did?’

‘The polite answer or the truth?’

‘Don’t bother,’ Max drawled. ‘I’m years past intimidation.’

‘I’m serious.’

‘Good. Glad to hear it. That means you give a damn. It’s been a while since you have.’