“I hate airports,” said Georgina suddenly. “We’d have to do hotels instead.”
Now why did that make him think of tantalising sexual encounters in exotic places around the globe? As if reading his mind she said suggestively, “Who knows where we could end up?”
He gazed at the length of her, from her glossy red hair to her sensibly booted feet. She was utterly gorgeous. He didn’t normally go for redheads but hers was such a riot of colour that it made her pale skin seem almost translucent in comparison. His photographer’s eye noticed every tiny detail about her. There were gentle shadows under her clear blue eyes that confirmed she was tired. Thankfully they were no longer covered with all that make-up. In his opinion she was lovelier without it. The slender sweep of her neck and shoulders and the way she held herself portrayed a natural elegance that he loved, plus she had curves in all the right places. He could barely keep his desire under control as it was, but when she spoke to him in that smoky voice he was pretty much done for.
“My thoughts exactly,” he said softly, taking her into his arms. “But I don’t think I can wait until then,” and he bent his head and kissed her. She slid her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer until all he could feel was her warm, pliable body dissolving against his. He wrapped his arms around her waist and when she sighed and leaned into him, slipped his hands under her jersey, feeling her warm back. Her skin was so soft and smooth, he found he couldn’t get enough of her. His hands slid round her waist and down to her hips, holding her tightly as he gave in to his own emotions and kissed her so deeply that she would have no doubt as to the intensity of his feelings. He felt her shiver in response and kiss him back with a passion that matched his own. Her kiss was innocent, tentatively exploring with a desire that left him breathless.
When they finally came up for air he stared in wonder at the woman he wanted more than life itself. Her hair was mussed and sexy, her eyes feverish with passion and the way she was looking at him nearly sent him over the edge. He knew then, in that moment, that he was falling for her in a way that would normally have scared him if he’d had any time to think about it. But he was so lost in the moment that he couldn’t string a coherent thought together. Did she have any idea at all what she was making him feel?
“You’re driving me wild,” he whispered erotically into her ear, then proceeded to cover her face with kisses. She smiled but didn’t answer because he moved on to her neck, and soon she was moaning with ecstasy instead.
“You’re giving me goose bumps,” she whispered to which he replied, “I haven’t even started.”
“I think I’m going to fall down if you don’t get me to that bed,” she told him weakly. “You’ve made my legs go wobbly.”
“That makes two of us,” he murmured as he picked her up and lay her gently on the hard, single bed, which like all ship beds was nailed to the floor. His heart was thundering so loudly in his chest he was convinced she could hear it. He stood next to the bed drinking in the sight of her. She sat up and silently, not taking her eyes off him, lifted her sweater over her head, taking with it her thin T-shirt, so she was left only in her bra.
He drew a sharp intake of breath. “You’re so beautiful, I’m almost afraid to touch you,” he whispered in awe, kneeling down next to her on the bed. He stared at her, feeling like a schoolboy again, nervous and uncertain. She raised her hand and placed it tenderly on his cheek.
“Now who’s driving who crazy?” she smiled softly, her eyes filled with an unspoken invitation. Then she reached under his top and tugged it gently upwards, a gentle reminder that she was ready. Suddenly his nervousness disappeared. If he was honest with himself, he’d craved this moment since he’d opened his eyes and found her straddling him on the plane. Even though she’d annoyed the hell out of him then, there was no denying his attraction.
With her help he pulled off his sweatshirt and groaned out loud as her hands stroked his chest. He looked into her eyes and saw a mixture of desire and fascination. “I never thought this moment would come,” she told him sincerely. “I hoped, but…” her voice trailed off.
“You need to learn to be more optimistic,” he said, gathering her in his arms and feeling her unbelievably soft skin against his chest. She snuggled into him, her arms wrapping around his shoulders. With an innocent smile that spoke volumes, she pulled him down on top of her.
“How’s this?” she teased.
“Mm…” he found her sweet lips again and in between hot, languishing kisses, murmured, “now you’re getting the idea.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Georgina woke up to find Taj lying next to her, his legs still intertwined with hers, leafing through the documents Max had given her. She instinctively moved closer to him and rested her head on his beautiful, strong shoulder. She wondered if this was how Juliet felt when she woke up the morning after with Romeo in her bed. Relaxed, happy, sensual. She stretched luxuriously then realised that Max had told her not to show anyone the documents. “That’s confidential, by the way,” she hurriedly pointed out. “I forgot to tell you last night because, well, I was a bit distracted.”
“Don’t worry.” He threw the papers on the floor and bent forward to kiss her naked shoulder. “I won’t tell anyone, I promise. All I can say is Pacific North Productions must have one hell of a budget. I would give my eye teeth to visit even half of those places.” Now there was an interesting point to note.
Even more interesting, however, was the sight of Taj’s naked body as he slid out of the bed and stalked across her room to the en suite. She was amazed at
His total lack of self-consciousness, but then she supposed with a body like that he had nothing to be self-concious about.
“You relax,” he told her. “I think I’ll take a shower.”
“Last night was incredible,” she called out after him. “I had no idea making love could be like that.” She heard the shower come on and said more softly, “Once again you’ve opened my eyes to something wonderful and new.”
The shower suddenly stopped and Taj reappeared, a towel around his waist. Georgina found she couldn’t keep her eyes away from his tanned torso, complete with toned abs and a sexy scattering of golden hair on his chest. She vividly remembered exploring his glorious body last night when it was dark and they had to rely on touch and feel, but it was quite something to see it in full daylight. She couldn’t actually believe this gorgeous man who had taught her so much without even trying, was standing in her bedroom wrapped only in a towel, looking at her as if she was the most desired creature in the world.
“Do you think anyone will notice if we’re late for breakfast?” he asked rather gruffly. Speechless, she shook her head.
“Good,” he said, “Because I’ve got a sudden desire to worship you with my body until the sun can’t get any higher in the sky and the rest of the gang send out a search party to look for us.
Taj was true to his word, it was about midday when a loud knocking at the door roused them both from an exhausted slumber.
“Hey George? Are you okay?” a voice called out worriedly.
“It’s Don,” she whispered in horror. “I don’t think we locked the door last night.”
“I’ll handle it,” said Taj, hopping over her and pulling on his jeans which lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. He went to the door and instead of opening it, locked it firmly.
“Glad to see you’re as concerned about me,” complained Taj loudly to his friend. There was a low chuckle.
“I’m guessing George is just fine then,” called Don.
“She’s fine.” Taj’s tone implied no more questions.
“Okay, I get the message,” laughed Don, “Just wanted to let you know we’re six hours ahead of schedule and currently waiting for the harbour pilot to guide us into Ushuaia.”
Georgina felt like she’d been hit by a bolt of lightening. What? They were already only an hour from docking? She glanced at Taj in a panic, his face was equally pale but he kept his emo
tions in check. After the intensity of this morning’s love-making, Georgina knew she was completely and utterly head over heals in love with Taj. She’d given herself to him over and over again and he in turn had been gentle and playful, and passionate to the point where they had both been completely overwhelmed. Now faced with the cold reality that they would soon be docking, she didn’t know how to handle the situation.
“I’d better jump in the shower,” she stammered, pulling the sheet around her and shuffling to the bathroom. She couldn’t look Taj in the eye for fear she might give in to the abject misery she was feeling and cling to him in desperation. That would certainly not go down well. She’d never been clingy and she wasn’t about to start now. She turned on the shower.
“I’ll see you later,” Taj called from the bedroom. “I’ve got to get ready and pack up my equipment.”
She poked her head around the door and somehow managed a weak smile, “Okay, see you later then.”
They gazed at each other helplessly, knowing that time had run out and the real world was waiting to be faced. Taj, his arms filled with clothes, strode over and kissed her hard on the lips. Then he turned and left the room. He was gone so fast he didn’t see Georgina’s eyes fill with tears. Steam was billowing out of the shower. Georgina undressed and climbed in, letting it engulf her in its hot, misty folds. Perhaps I’ll disappear in a puff like a character in a magic show, she thought irrationally, then I won’t have to say goodbye to Taj. Despite the mind-blowing last eighteen hours, Georgina was under no illusion about the difficulty of their situation. She was well aware of Taj’s take on relationships – he’d made that abundantly clear. With the life he led and her based in London, they didn’t stand even the slightest chance.
If, and it was a gargantuan ‘if’, she decided to move to California and take Max up on his offer, there was still be no guarantee that a relationship between them would work out. Admittedly the odds were higher with her being in the same state, at least. Did she love him enough to take that chance? She knew she did. Perhaps the Pacific North job was a sign, she thought hopefully, rubbing shampoo viciously into her hair. Maybe it was the Universe trying to tell her something, like:
Move to America, take a chance with Taj, you may never see him and it may all fade away, but you’ll never know unless you try.
What had Taj said that night in the bar? ‘Here’s to a life less ordinary’ and she had raised her glass and drunk, so now she was obligated to uphold her end of the deal. She knew what she was doing. She was psyching herself up to accept the offer, and it was working. Quite honestly, could she really go back to her life in London now, to interview celebs with glamorous, exciting lives, knowing she could have had one too, if only she hadn’t passed up the opportunity?
She could almost hear Taj whispering, ‘You have to learn to be more optimistic,’ well, now she would be. She owed it to herself to do this.
Feeling somewhat calmer she smoothed conditioner onto her hair, only to discover it was actually ‘foaming face wash’ and she wasn’t calm at all. Did that mean she’d decided to accept Max’s offer? She stood under the now lukewarm water staring at the wall in front of her. After about five minutes a voice inside her head yelled, you have to get out now, you can’t stay hiding in here forever! She knew the voice was right and still feeling bewildered at her sudden decision she forced herself to step out of the shower and get dressed.
Just breath, she told herself firmly. Everything will be all right. You’ll go back to London, resign, work out the month and then pack up and move to California. At least the weather was better there.
Immediately after packing she went searching for Max Copeland. She found him lounging in a deck chair on the upper deck, watching as the harbour pilot guided them into the historical sea port.
“Max, I’ve decided to accept your offer,” said Georgina immediately, before she had a chance to change her mind.
He jumped up with the all the speed and aptitude of a gazelle and engulfed her in an bone-crushing bear hug.
“Fantastic news!” he cried. “You won’t regret it, darlin’, I promise you.”
Georgina smiled at his enthusiasm. “I still have to go back and talk to my editor,” she told him, “So I can only start in April.”
“Absolutely! No problem,” gushed Max delightedly. “I’m over the moon at having you on board. I must go and call my partner to tell him the good news. Oh, and I need to ring the lawyers to draw up the contract. Don’t think I’m letting you go back to that rainy ol’ island without signing on the dotted line, girly!”
Georgina laughed, she couldn’t help it. “Okay Max, whatever you say. You’re the boss.”
“Damn right I am, honey,” he chuckled. “Didn’t I tell you Max always gets his way?”
“Yes you did, Max. Yes you did.”
Leaving him to sort out the paperwork, Georgina set off in search of Amy and Claude. She wanted to say goodbye and exchange numbers. Now that she was moving, she’d be able to see them more regularly too. The thought cheered her immensely.
Taj finally appeared on deck just before the ship docked. He was surrounded by camera equipment and epitomised cool in a grey sweatshirt, worn under a trendy black jacket, with the hood hanging over the top. His thick ‘David’ curls were still damp from his shower and dark Ray-bans covered his eyes. He looked like a cross between a fighter pilot and a Michelangelo. Remembering how she’d had him all to herself only hours before, Georgina went weak with longing. The frenetic activity on board prevented her from talking to him privately, and all too soon it was time to disembark. Everyone was hugging each other and shaking hands. Don kissed her on the cheek and said, “I have a funny feeling I’m going to be seeing a lot more of you.”
“I hope so,” replied Georgina giving him a hug. He looked pleased.
“Take care of yourself,” he told her fondly.
She nodded and watched as clipboard in hand, he left the ship.
“You ready, George?” she turned to find Amy waiting for her. She looked at Taj, who was shaking hands with the captain and co-pilot about ten metres away. Their eyes met and he smiled. Her heart soared.
“Wait for me at the yacht club,” he shouted, above the commotion. She nodded, and turned back to Amy, “I’m ready. Let’s go.”
Claude helped her with her heavy case and soon she was bidding them goodbye, as a taxi waited to drive them to their hotel. They were staying another night in Ushuaia before they flew out to Los Angeles the next morning.
“Promise to keep in touch,” cried Amy, throwing her arms around Georgina’s neck. Georgina hugged her new friend back and promised she would. Then they were gone.
Suddenly she heard a familiar voice behind her and froze. It couldn’t be… She turned and felt the icy tentacles of fear wrap themselves around her neck.
“Caro! I have missed you so much!”
She caught a glimpse of Taj’s shocked face as a chic and sexy Miss Armani through herself into his arms purring with pleasure. She watched horrified as his arms went around her and he hugged her back. Even Georgina could smell the sweet fragrance of Gucci Rush that surrounded her. It made her want to gag. Those are my arms, they should be around me, she thought absurdly. The woman was all over him, kissing his face, running her hands through his hair. It was all too much for Georgina. How could he just stand there and let her claim him in front of everybody, especially her. Anger replaced the icy fear and she marched toward them.
“Excuse me, Caro,” she said icily to Taj, “I didn’t think you had a girlfriend anymore?”
“Taj, who is this?” asked the brunette, Taj’s name running off her lips like honey. Damn that Italian accent.
Taj had gone pale beneath his glasses, “Christina, this is Georgina. Georgina, Christina.” Neither woman made an attempt to greet one another.
“Oh, so its Georgina now is it?” She shook her head in disbelief. How quickly things changed. Christina, obviously realising this was the competition, eyed
Georgina up and down haughtily. Georgina could almost see her sneer as she observed the mud-encrusted hiking boots, her un-made-up face and of course the hastily scraped back, scraggly hair, which hadn’t recovered from the foaming face wash incident. Never in her life had she felt so frumpy and unsophisticated – and it was all his fault.
She glared at Taj, waiting for him to say something. Instead Christina said in her husky, accented voice, “Taj, darling, we need to talk. I’ve booked a room for us at the Posada Costa Serena.” She arched her back seductively as she bent towards him, and whispered loud enough for Georgina to hear, “The honeymoon suite.”
Taj seemed to come to his senses and pushed Christina roughly away from him. She didn’t look impressed.
“Please, Christina. I have no idea what you’re doing here, but I need to talk to George. Could you give us a moment?” When she looked like she might argue, he added, “Alone.” Then he took Georgina’s arm and frog-marched towards the yacht club. Christina threw her hands in the air and said something uncomplimentary in Italian.
“It took you long enough,” hissed Georgina, hating herself for acting like a jealous brat.
As soon as they got inside the building Taj turned her towards him. He saw the unshed tears in her eyes, the expectation and the love and went cold. It was happening all over again. He couldn’t promise her a thing. There was no point. She was leaving tonight, flying back to London and out of his life. He had a book to put together and then National Geographic was sending him off to the Amazon and after that it would be somewhere else. Even if they tried to keep in touch, it would be impossible.
“George, what are we trying to do here?” he asked seriously. “You’re leaving for England tonight, which means I will probably never see you again.”
“Does that mean you’re swopping me for Christina, because she’s available?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he said. “Christina has got nothing to do with this. This is about you and me.”
When she didn’t immediately say anything he sighed, “How do you expect us to stay together when we’re continents apart?”
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