“Of course. Shall we start in the heads?”
“Only if you have particularly noteworthy toilet facilities. I’d be more interested in the staff quarters.”
“How did you know?”
“Marine biologist, remember. I’ve been on my fair share of ships.”
She should have thought of that. And she should stop taking cheap digs at him. That was hardly professional.
“Of course. I’m sorry.”
She took him around the staff quarters, showed him the lifeboats, and the well deck. They ended up in the control room where Olivia let Khaled interview one of the engineers about the various safety procedures they implemented. Olivia leaned back against a steel pillar and watched. She didn’t need to listen to guess what questions Khaled would ask—she knew his priorities and concerns well enough by now—which meant she was free to indulge herself by studying Khaled as closely as she wanted.
His hands, as always, caught her attention first, with their decisive gestures and latent strength. He was pointing out something on the computer screen, looking across at the engineer for confirmation, then smiling broadly.
Olivia’s heart jumped a little when he smiled. Warm, open, and honest, he managed to convey an infectious sense of happiness with the world. Strange how that particular combination of white teeth, sensuous lips, and deeply carved creases around his mouth and eyes could create such a magnetic field of joy. It was working now, not only on Olivia, but on the engineer, too. He responded to Khaled’s smile with his own, making a small joke, laughing slightly.
They moved on to the next machine, turning their backs to Olivia. For a brief moment, Khaled looked back over his shoulder. She thought he was going to wink at her, but instead his gaze held hers so strongly she couldn’t breathe. Like an iron filing drawn to its magnet, Olivia began to move in his direction, but Khaled shook his head and turned away to listen to the engineer.
She was breathing fast, as though she had been running. Under her fingers the pulse in her wrist was racing. How did he do that to her? One look—two seconds, maximum—and she had melted into a spineless pool of desire. He continued to listen politely to the engineer, and even managed to ask an intelligent question or two about the rig. Yet Olivia could see the tension in his spine and the sharp grip of his hand around the rail that showed just how hard he was working to keep control of himself. She affected him as strongly as he did her.
Olivia could bear it no longer. She couldn’t be in the same room as him and not touch him. She excused herself, made a brief trip to the loo, and then climbed the stairs back up to the flight deck. She gulped at the fresh air, heading toward the railing at the edge of the deck to look out over the sea. It was freezing as always out on the North Sea, but the day was clear, and the gray waters were visible for miles.
“It’s cold up here.”
She shivered involuntarily at the sound of Khaled’s incongruously warm, honeyed voice. He came up behind her and placed his jacket around her shoulders. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of him.
“I’ve ordered the pilot to be ready in ten minutes.” He moved even closer behind her and reached out to grasp the rail, one hand on either side of her, trapping her. There was an inch, maybe two, between her back and his chest. It took every ounce of her willpower not to lean back into him and let him hold her.
“So soon? But you’ve only seen half the rig.” Olivia’s protest was half-hearted at best.
“I’ve seen enough. And you’re cold.”
“No,” she said, though it wasn’t true. She was cold, even with his warmth surrounding her. “I don’t mind that.”
“I do. It makes me want to warm you.”
“Khaled,” she began, not knowing how to finish her sentence.
“Well?”
She turned around inside the circle of his arms and tilted her head back to look at him. His eyes, dark and fiercely tender, confirmed his words, spoken and unspoken.
He wanted her. And she wanted him. Desperately.
Chapter Three
“I didn’t think you were allowed out without your bodyguards.”
He’d persuaded her to take another day out of the office. He said he wanted to see Straer Island for himself and suggested that she might learn something from it as well. Khaled had arranged to hire a small motorboat, and Olivia was surprised to find it was only the two of them on board.
He grimaced and jerked his head over his shoulder. “Following at a distance.” She looked back where he indicated and saw another boat being made ready to take the guards on board.