THE DEAL by Marsh, Nicola (electronic reader txt) 📕

“Yes, it is.”

Those three little syllables hurt. Short, sharp, deep. She sure didn’t mince words and he was having a hard time accepting them. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

“I need to cool off.” He stripped quickly and dove into the water, embracing the icy chill and striking out for the shore.

Kara watched Matt free-styling away from the boat. She wished she hadn’t started questioning him. What a mess. Today had been a revelation. After the kiss on their first ‘date’ witnessed by Steve, Matt hadn’t come near her. Sure, he gave her an affectionate peck in front of colleagues and at the end of their dates, but that was it.

Not that she hadn’t practically begged for it today. It must be the sun. Yeah, she had heat stroke. Her excuse, she was sticking to it.

Leaning against the rail and watching him swim away, she knew the only heat stroke she had was fired by Matt. Even now, warmth seeped through her body at the memory of his lips, his hands. She’d been alight, wanting him with a passion that frightened her in its intensity.

Then why resist? Fear, pure and simple. At least she’d been partly honest with him. She didn’t want to become yet another woman he bedded. She wanted more. Heck, she wanted it all. She wanted to hear him say the deal was over, that he loved her so much he wanted her to be his girlfriend for real, that she wasn’t another acquisition to him.

However, he hadn’t said any of those things. She knew he loved women and that was all she was to him, a woman who had made it more than clear she fancied him. Why wouldn’t he take advantage of an opportunity like that? Thank goodness she’d come to her senses and brought up the deal.

Once again, she’d used payment as a tangible barrier against heartache. As long as he thought she was only doing this for the money, she’d be safe. Having Matt as a friend she could handle. Having Matt as a lover, as someone she loved, was too much.

It would be a long four months until their deal was done.

* * *

Okay, the sailing date hadn’t been one of Matt’s better ideas. He didn’t know what devil had possessed him to invite the sexiest woman alive to spend the day with him on his yacht. Funny, ever since their first dinner engagement he’d wanted her alone with him on his yacht. He’d even asked her to go sailing that first night, though she’d thankfully reneged on it.

Now, several months later, he’d done it again. He’d known he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off her yet he’d asked her anyway. It had been hard enough to act the gentleman over their last few dinner dates. If they hadn’t been surrounded by his colleagues he’d have jumped her over the table a long time ago. So what hope did he have against his rising libido when confined aboard his yacht with a stunner like Kara?

Zilch. He’d replayed that sizzling look she’d given him over and over in his mind, the one that had practically begged him to kiss her. It had been heaven, feeling her soft and pliant beneath him, returning his passion. He’d imagined it so many times, fantasising what it would be like to have her ready for him, moaning his name...

He thumped his desk in frustration. Damn this stupid deal. If it wasn’t for the money he could’ve developed feelings for Kara. However, one gold-digger in the family at a time was more than enough. Lorna, his latest stepmother, was a real piece of work and Lord help him if Kara was anything like her.

He needed to get a grip. Unfortunately, the only person he wanted to grip at this moment was his dad, right around his neck. If it wasn’t for his father’s ridiculous stipulations regarding being made a partner he wouldn’t have concocted this stupid deal in the first place. Yet he wouldn’t have run into Kara again.

He sighed, shuffling contracts on his desk. Always a double-edged sword. His business dealings were full of them. It was his job to clarify deals for his clients. Why couldn’t he apply the same rules to his personal life?

A knock on the door interrupted his musings.

“Come in.”

“Wondering if you had a minute, Matt?”

His father strode into his office. Matt hoped he looked as good as Jeff Byrne at fifty-eight: thick, peppery hair, unlined skin and a vitality that glowed from his blue eyes. No wonder women found him attractive. He wondered if his mum had seen their covetous looks. Was that one of the reasons that had driven her away?

“Sure. What can I do for you?” He hated the fact he couldn’t call his father ‘dad’ in the office. He also wished that just once, he would call him ‘son’ rather than Matt.

“The firm is holding a corporate weekend away. It’s in a couple of weeks, so you can give Kara plenty of notice.”

Uh-oh. Matt cleared his throat. “I’ll see what I can do, though Kara is a busy woman. She has a business of her own. She mightn’t be free.”

His father waved his hand in the air like a magician. “Nonsense. Lovely woman, Kara. You’ve done well there, Son. I’m sure she’d love to come away with us. I hear her business isn’t doing so great, so she’ll probably have the time. Perhaps you can give her some advice?”

He was speechless. His father had actually