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Without a word, he climbed in beside her. His shoulder brushed up against hers, sending a wave of nervous energy racing through her body. It settled in her chest. As she breathed in his spicy aftershave, the heat in her chest gravitated southward to her core. Her back teeth ground together, refusing to give in to her body’s desires. That boat had sailed. It was out of the docks, out of the harbor, and was headed into open seas.
CHAPTER THREE
HIS QUIETNESS WAS UNNERVING.
Lea sent Xander a sideways glance. The set of his jaw and the twitch in his cheek let her know that he was angry. Sitting so close to him, she could feel the agitation radiating off him.
She didn’t know what gave him the right to be so upset. It wasn’t like she’d ended up in this condition by herself. It definitely took two to tango. If she’d hidden the baby from him, it would be different. But that hadn’t happened. And lastly, she didn’t expect or request a thing from him. So if he wanted to be mad at her, he could just sit there and stew. She had work to do.
Lea slowed the golf cart to a stop outside the honeymoon bungalow. Without a word, she got out. She grabbed her toolbox with a replacement rubber washer in it and headed up the four wooden steps to the front door.
The guests were supposed to have checked out by now, but as was standard procedure on the island, Lea rapped her knuckles soundly on the door. “Hello. Maintenance.”
A moment passed with no response.
She lifted her hand to insert her passkey but missed. If only Xander would go away, the slight tremble in her hands would stop. Lea inhaled a deep breath and tried again. This time she got it.
Footsteps sounded behind her. She didn’t have to turn to know it was Xander. She could smell the faint whiff of his cologne mingled with his male scent. It was an intoxicating combination.
Ignoring Xander, Lea opened the door slowly so as not to startle anyone that may be lingering on the inside. “Hello. Anyone here?” She glanced around for any sign of guests. “Maintenance coming in.”
With the door wide open, she stepped inside. No people. No luggage. No discarded dishes or drinks in the living room area or the kitchenette. They were alone—
Alone with Xander in a honeymoon bungalow. What made her think bringing him along was a good idea? Oh, yeah, he hadn’t given her a choice.
Then the door snicked shut behind her. She glanced over her shoulder, her gaze verifying that the door was indeed closed and then registering that Xander was standing very close to her. So close she could reach back and place her hand upon his chest. She swallowed hard and resisted the temptation.
So as not to give into her impulse, she faced forward, as though by turning away she’d be able to forget just how sexy he looked. In her mind, she pictured him clearly in that navy blue suit, sans tie and with the top buttons of his light blue dress shirt undone, giving a hint of the few dark curls on his chest. Lea stifled a moan.
On stilted legs, she headed toward the master suite. Her heart was racing. Her palms were damp. How was she ever going to be able to work with him lurking over her shoulder?
She stopped before reaching the bedroom. “You can take the golf cart and head back to the offices.” She was getting desperate for some space—a chance to think clearly. “I can walk. It’ll be good for the baby.”
“Why would I do that?”
Because you’re making me a nervous wreck.
Lea moistened her dry lips. “I didn’t think you’d want to stick around and watch me fix a leaky faucet.”
“Why are you doing maintenance work? Don’t you have people to do those sorts of things? I mean in your condition, should you be doing manual labor?”
She turned a narrow gaze on him. “I’m pregnant, not dying. And now that the morning sickness has passed, I have a lot of energy.” She tilted up her chin. “Trust me, I won’t do anything that would endanger the baby.”
He nodded in understanding. “I still don’t understand why you’re doing this.”
She didn’t want to tell him just how bad off the island was these days. With more and more accommodations shut down because of needed repairs, the fewer weddings she could book. The fewer weddings booked, the less income for repairs. It was one big downward spiral and she had yet to find a way to stop it. If only she could find an investor who didn’t want to change the island or the way the business was run. But so far, she hadn’t found that right person. And it certainly wasn’t Xander, who wanted to rip down everything her ancestors had built and loved.
