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'This isn't some trip down memory lane. This is business.'
His glance strayed to her lips, lush and pouting, before sweeping back to her eyes, registering the shock of arousal that made a mockery of their business.
'So you keep saying. Business. Right.'
To his surprise, she laughed. 'You haven't changed a bit. Still the charmer.'
She was wrong, dead wrong. He'd changed and, come five o'clock, she'd discover exactly how much.
Propping on the bonnet, he crossed his ankles. 'Is it working?'
'No. I'm immune to rebel charmers these days.'
'Pity.' His glance slid over her, taking in every delicious curve, earning another blush. 'How long are you in town for?'
'For as long as it takes.'
She tilted her chin up, retreating behind haughtiness, and he looked away, focussing on the distant cane fields he loved so much. The sugar cane was as much a part of him as his Italian heritage, and he wondered what she'd think once she discovered his real business these days.
Would she be impressed? Probably, though in all fairness what he did or where he came from had never been an issue with her. They'd been friends before lovers in the old days, travelling on the same bus to school every day, even though she'd attended the private grammar school and he'd gone to the local high school.
She'd pretended to ignore him at first so he'd done his best to rile her with constant taunts about everything, from her shiny shoes to her long red pigtails. And when her fiery temper sparked her into retaliating by ramming her bike into his one day in town, their friendship had been cemented.
She'd never given a damn about the gap between their social circles: the richest girl in the district hooking up with the Italian working-class farm boy. But other people had. He'd heard the whispers and innuendos about her slumming it with him before she got married to a suitable man.
He'd let it taint what they had, and had ended it before things got out of control. But he'd never forgotten how dating Britt had made him feel.
Like he wanted to be a better man for her.
Ancient history, and as he refocused he knew that impulsive kiss was a stupid move. He didn't do impulsive any more. Every decision he made was carefully weighed, evaluated and executed with the utmost precision. He wasn't at the top of his game these days for nothing.
Pushing off the car, he tapped the bonnet. 'You better get going. Give me a chance to finish up here and meet you later.'
'Fine.'
He opened the driver’s door for her and watched as she buckled in. Déjà vu hit and an irresistible impulse came over him in spite of all the resolutions he'd just made.
He leaned in through the open window. 'Hey, Red?'
'Yeah?'
He grinned and tweaked her nose just as he used to. 'You kiss even better than I remember.'
Before she could respond, he straightened, chuckling at the indignation sparking her beautiful eyes as he strode toward the farmhouse.
Chapter Three
Britt pressed her hands to her flushed cheeks as Nick strode away.
The man was a menace.
In less than ten minutes he'd managed to unbalance her, unhinge her, and undermine her.
As for that kiss…she thunked her head on the steering wheel, twice, for good measure. Not only had she stood there and let him do it, she responded like a woman who hadn't been kissed in a long time. True, considering she'd been so focused on the managing director position coming up for grabs at work she hadn't dated in months.
But that didn't excuse her eager response, or explain the meltdown she'd experienced the second his lips touched hers.
'Ice Princess my butt,' she muttered, releasing the brake and sending gravel flying before heading down the driveway.
