“Are you actively looking?”
He waits for the waiter to place our drinks before us and retreat, then he says, “Not sure what you mean by that.”
“You, Hal, Albie, Stefan, and Fitz used to go out all the time when I first started at the Ark, but you don’t seem to do that now.”
“Once Hal started seeing Rosie it fizzled out. We’re all getting too old for the nightclub scene.”
“When was your last serious girlfriend?” I ask.
He tears the top off a pack of sugar and tips it into his Americano. “A while ago.”
“What was her name?”
He stirs the sugar in, then leans on the table and looks at me. “I’d rather not talk about it.”
“Why? Were you in love with her? Did she break your heart?”
“I suppose I should be flattered you think I have one.”
“Don’t change the subject.”
He sighs. “I’ve dated exactly three women over the past two years, and I haven’t been in love with any of them.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I’m not capable of it.”
I blow a raspberry. “That’s what men say when they’ve never been in love. You’re a warm, passionate man, Leon. Why on earth do you think you’re not capable of love?”
There’s a seduction going on here, only I’m not sure who’s doing the seducing and who’s the one being seduced. It’s so easy to flatter this gorgeous man, and to encourage him to flirt. It’s easy to look into his blue eyes and fantasize about him sweeping me up in his arms and kissing me senseless.
He’s my boss, and I’m his employee. Nothing has changed. But we’re not in the office now. There’s nobody here who can take offence, no one to tell us we’re overstepping the mark.
It doesn’t matter. I know it doesn’t. Leon’s the one who sets the boundaries, and he’s made it clear a relationship is out of order.
But his eyes are warm, and when I call him passionate, they take on an added heat that gives me goose bumps all over.
I know it’s unprofessional. I know it’s wicked and I deserve to be fired. But I want him, and I’m pretty sure he wants me.
And it is my birthday. Don’t I deserve a special present?
Chapter Ten
Leon
Nicola chooses two mini desserts—a chocolate mousse and a chocolate fudge brownie ice cream thing, served in shot glasses. As she eats them, she closes her eyes and gives a gorgeous little sigh that makes me wonder what she sounds like when she comes.
Oh man, this is hard. This is really, really hard. She’s testing even my steely control. The only way I’ve been able to cope with working so close to her over the past two years is to keep my distance and look the other way, and that’s impossible today.
I feel a growing sense of despair alongside the pleasure of being with her. This was all a huge mistake, bringing her with me, the shopping, the lunch, and definitely the trip I’ve organized for this evening. But it’s too late now. I can’t turn around and tell her I’ve changed my mind, because that would be cruel.
Besides which, I don’t want to. Coulda, woulda, shoulda, Leon. I’ve spent nine years being careful. I’m tired of being good.
After she finishes her desserts, we go to the nearest taxi rank and head back to the airport. We collect our night bags, and then she turns to me with expectant eyes and asks, “Back to the taxi rank?”
I shake my head. “Back to the plane.”
“The plane? Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” I smirk at her glare and lead her out onto the tarmac and over to the plane. Rob welcomes us back on board, and before long we’re buckling up and getting ready to take off again.
“Come on,” she begs, “you’ve got to tell me where we’re going. Anticipation is part of the enjoyment.”
I smile. “Is it, now?” I can’t help it; I’m reading everything she says sexually.
She sucks her bottom lip and studies me with her eyelids half-lowered. “What’s got into you?”
I glance out of the window as the plane taxies down the runway, the late-afternoon sun flooding the tarmac with orange. “I don’t know what you mean. Anyway, we’re going to Lake Tekapo.”
I look back at her and see her eyes widen. “In the Southern Alps?” she asks, jaw dropping.
“Yeah. Have you been before?”
“No. Are we going skiing?”
“No.”
“Hiking?”
“In the dark?”
“Leon…”
I feel the familiar lurch in my stomach as the plane takes off—or am I nervous about her reaction to what I’ve planned?
“It’s in the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve,” I tell her.
“Oh yes,” she says, “that’s right. It’s the only Dark Sky Reserve in the southern hemisphere.”
“Yes.”
“It’s the largest in the world.”
“I know. First of all, we’re going to have dinner at a special place called The Milky Way. It’s part restaurant, part observatory—the ceiling and walls are all transparent, and while you eat, experts give a talk about astronomy and the stars you’ll be able to see.”
She stares at me but doesn’t say anything.
“After dinner,” I continue, “you’ll be able to look through their telescope and, if you want, take pictures of the night sky. Then we’re going to stay in a Dark Sky Pod. They’re cottages fifteen minutes’ walk from the town with great views of the sky. You’ll be able to look at the stars while you’re lying in bed.” I smile.
She’s still staring at me.
“The best bit,” I tell her, “is that the conditions are perfect for viewing the Aurora Australis.” The Southern Lights. “The guy I spoke to said they’ll almost certainly be visible tonight.”
I wait for a reaction. When none comes, I feel the first flickering of unease. Have I done the right thing? I wonder whether she’s concerned about the sleeping arrangements. “There are two bedrooms in the cottage,” I point out.
She still doesn’t speak. “Nicola,” I plead, “for Christ’s sake, say something. Do you want me to turn the plane around?”
She blinks a few times, and a frown flickers on her brow. “You’ve done all this for me?”
“Well, it is your birthday. And my dog nearly killed you. I feel as if I owe you a treat.”
Her frown disappears and a beautiful smile takes its place. “You are really something, Leon King.”
I shift uncomfortably. “I’m really not.”
“Oh, you are. You pretend you’re all ‘grrr’ and that you don’t care about people, but you have a heart of gold, and it’s all mushy.”
I roll my eyes.
“Mushy heart,” she says. “I’m going to call you that from now on.”
I give her a wry smile. “So I did the right thing?”
Her expression softens. “It’s a wonderful present, Leon, thank you. I’m very excited about it. I love astronomy.”
“I know. Why didn’t you finish your degree?”
She looks out of the window. “A variety of reasons.” She doesn’t elaborate.
I decide not to push it. She has her secrets and so do I, and I don’t want to spoil her birthday.
“Tell me about the Southern Lights,” I say. “What are they, exactly?”
Her gaze comes back to mine, her eyes telling me she understands I’m changing the subject, and she’s grateful for it.
“They’re formed when solar wind reacts with natural gases,” she says. “They’re harder to catch than the Northern Lights. Luckily tonight the skies are clear and there’s no moon, which is why they told you we should be able to see them.”
“How do you know there’s no moon?”
“I always know the phase of the moon,” she says. “I can feel it.” She smiles.
I know she’s kidding, but goose bumps pop out on the skin of my arms. Why does this girl fascinate me so much?
; I wish we were a couple, and that I could reach across the table now and hold her hand. I wish she felt comfortable telling me about her past, and why she had to leave uni.
I wish she was mine.
She’s talking now about what stars we should be able to see tonight, and I listen to her voice, loving her enthusiasm, and daydream about what would happen if she were my girl.
*
By the time we land at Tekapo Aerodrome, the sun has set, and we have an amazing view of the lake, the water turned blood red from the sun’s last rays. Behind it, to the northwest, lie the snow-topped Southern Alps that form the backbone of the South Island, with Aoraki Mount Cook marking the highest point in the country.
The town lies at the southern foot of the lake, but instead of taking us east into it, the chauffeur-driven car I’ve booked takes us north, along a winding road that climbs slowly to a peak overlooking the lake.
We get out, stunned at the view across the mountain lake, and walk up to The Milky Way.
As soon as we walk in, I know I’ve done the right thing in booking here. The restaurant is small and exclusive, and I can see from the amount of people present that it’s nearly fully booked, so I was lucky there was space. At the moment there are shutters over the ceiling, but the view of the sky is going to be amazing when they open. Several powerful telescopes sit at the back of the room, ready for when night falls.
We’re able to leave our bags behind the desk, and the waiter takes us to our table. I’ve paid extra for one overlooking the lake, and I can see by the dazzled look in Nicola’s eyes as we take our seats that she’s impressed.
“Wow,” she says, confirming it, as the waiter shakes out her serviette and lays it across her legs. “Am I going to have to do the dishes to pay for this table?”
The waiter grins and hands her a menu, and I smile and take the other from him. “Only the best for my PA,” I tell her.
She rolls her eyes as if saying All right, you don’t have to remind me this is all professional, but that wasn’t why I said it. I do want to reward her. I feel a tad guilty about her comment of there being too much month left at the end of her money. I thought her wage as a PA was competitive for the industry. I know how much she gets paid a month, and I know Albie doesn’t charge her an extortionate rent. When I add up how much she would probably spend on food and other sundries, there should be a decent amount left over, but maybe she has loans I don’t know about.
It’s nearly six p.m., and it’s getting dark outside, the lake turning purple as the sun sinks below the horizon. We place our order—Nicola wants slow-roast pork with jasmine rice, and I order the lamb with sautéed potatoes, roast beetroot, and salsa verde. Across the restaurant, everyone else places their orders, and then a guy walks into the center of the room, introduces himself as Professor Michael Brown, and says he’s going to begin the talk.
I don’t know a huge amount about astronomy, and I find the presentation fascinating. He splits it into several sections, talking for twenty minutes about the observatory and what we can expect to see in the night sky tonight while the food is prepared, leaving us to eat for a while, and then returning to continue with a more detailed explanation of the stars and constellations.
The food is magnificent, and the company is exquisite. Nicola watches the professor talk with wide eyes, and when dinner’s over and the waiters have cleared the dishes away, they dim the lights and finally draw back the shutters from the ceiling, and her expression is a joy to behold.
It’s dark now, and because there’s so little light pollution, the sky is filled with stars. The professor tells us about five thousand are visible with the naked eye and we can only see about half of those at any one time because of the curvature of the earth, but I’m sure more than that are visible tonight.
When it’s our turn, we make our way over to the telescopes. The guides show us the Crux—the Southern Cross that’s on our national flag with its star cluster called the Jewel Box, and I look in awe at the collection of brightly-colored gem-like stars. We look at the brightest star, Sirius, and the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds—two faraway galaxies. The Milky Way itself is clearly visible as a large, bright band across the sky.
At the moment we can’t see the Southern Lights, but apparently they’re more likely to be visible nearer midnight, so I’m still hopeful we’ll get to see them.
When we’re done, we return to our table, where Nicola’s cheesecake dessert and our coffees are waiting for us.
“That was absolutely amazing,” she says, looking up through the glass ceiling at the array of stars.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” I tell her with a smile. “I learned a lot.”
“It was fantastic, Leon. The best birthday present I’ve ever had.” She scoops up a spoonful of the dessert and offers it to me. “Want to try some?”
I hesitate. I don’t think she meant it to be, but it’s an intimate gesture, and despite the fact that I’m enjoying her company, the wariness that has lain dormant in my stomach all evening flares up.
I can’t do this. I can’t seduce her; I can’t take her to bed. I want to—of course I want to. And I know it would be amazing if I did. But what would happen when we got back to the Ark? Would we go back to a working relationship? Or would we try to date with the knowledge that if it didn’t work out it would ruin everything?
“No thanks,” I tell her.
She blinks, then eats the spoonful distractedly, turning her gaze out to the dark lake.
It’s the right thing to do, but now I feel like a heel. She wasn’t exactly propositioning me, but I feel as if she has, and I’ve turned her down.
She finishes the dessert, and we drink our coffee. “I’m going to have one last look through the telescope,” she says.
“Sure.” I smile as she walks off, but my smile fades slowly. It’s been a lovely evening, but it’s time to bring it to an end and get back to the real world.
I make my way over to the desk and pay, then explain that I’ve hired one of the Dark Sky Pods for the night. The manager retrieves the key and two torches, and takes me outside to explain how we now have to walk for fifteen minutes to the cottage up the hill. The path is lit by solar lights with a cover, so they only shine down onto the path and don’t add to the light pollution.
He goes inside, and Nicola comes out to join me, hunching her shoulders against the cold night. “Wow, that’s bitter, and it’s only May.”
“I know. Imagine what it’s like here in winter.”
“Have you paid? Do you want me to go halves?”
I just roll my eyes.
“Where are we going?” she asks.
I gesture up the pathway to where the cottage sits facing south. “Are you okay with this?”
“With what?”
“With staying at the Pod? I admit I didn’t realize it would be quite so isolated. I’ll happily book us a room each in a hotel in the town if you’d rather.”
She looks at the cottage for a long moment. “It’s going to have an amazing view.”
“True.”
She turns and looks up at me. “Are you worried about staying the night alone with me?”
“I was thinking more the other way around.”
Her gaze tells me she knows it’s a partial lie. “Leon, I’m sorry if I was a bit flirty earlier.”
I sigh and look at the ground. “Don’t say that.”
“Well I am. I know you’re finding this difficult, and I didn’t mean to make it worse. I know you don’t want anything to happen between us, and it’s not going to if we both keep our distance. We can be professional, can’t we? Come on, we’re grown-ups.” She bumps my arm with hers. “Let’s go to the pod and do some stargazing, then get some sleep and before you know it, we’ll be going home.”
I look into her eyes. I do want something to happen between us. I want to yell the words. But I keep my lips pressed together, and just nod.
“Come on then,” she says. “Let’s get our war
m clothes on. This is going to be fun!”
Chapter Eleven
Nix
I collect my night bag and go off to the bathroom to get changed. I take off my suit and pull on jeans, a sweater, and my new jacket and boots.
Then I look at myself in the mirror.
It’s been a wonderful evening. I can’t believe he went to all this effort for me.
I know he likes me, but I have to stop flirting with him. I’m being a prick-tease, and I’m ashamed of myself. It’s not fair. He’s trying hard to remain professional, and I’m making things worse. We both know that in different circumstances we’d probably go out together, but for whatever reason, he can’t or won’t, and I’m just torturing the poor guy. I’m not doing it on purpose—I wasn’t trying to get him into bed. I just like him, that’s all, and I like teasing him and seeing him smile. But I have to stop.
My eyes sting with tears, but I blink them away angrily. I’m having a great day, and I’m not going to spoil it by stamping my feet because I can’t get what I want. Grow up, Nix.
I return to where he’s waiting outside. He’s also changed into jeans and a thick jacket. He takes my bag from me and puts the strap over his shoulder.
“I can manage,” I protest.
“I know, but it’s your birthday. Take a torch.”
“All right,” I concede. “Thank you.” I pull my hood up to cover my ears and flick the torch on, and we begin walking.
It’s freezing cold, but it’s a magical journey up the path to where the cottage sits on the hill. Apart from the solar lights, it’s completely dark, and we’re surrounded by a sea of stars. I feel as if I’m in fairyland, following the solar lights to a grotto, walking next to a handsome prince. He’s quiet, and I know he’s having second thoughts about taking me somewhere as isolated as this, but I’m not going to cause trouble for him. Instead, I decide to make the most of just being with him. I ask him if he enjoyed his meal, and we talk about the food and the ambience of the place, and he asks me questions about the telescopes and the stars while I point out a few of the constellations.
It takes us about fifteen minutes to get to the cottage, and by then I think he’s relaxed a little, and we’re talking and laughing when we open the gate and walk up the path.
My Boss, the Billionaire (The Billionaire Kings Book 2) Page 8