Ian's Ultimate Gamble - Brenda Jackson [18]
He suddenly felt goose bumps cover his body at the thought of seeing her again and of the afternoon he had planned. A hint of a smile tugged at his lips. She might be one resistant female now, but once he got her on his sailboat and made her remember all the stimulating things she was trying to forget, their day would end the way they both wanted it to.
His pulse began beating wildly an hour later as the status meeting ended. He quickly headed toward his penthouse to change into more comfortable clothes.
"Mr. Westmoreland?"
He turned before stepping into his private elevator. "Yes?" he asked Cassie, a young woman who worked in the resort's business center.
"This message was left for you this morning."
He took the sealed envelope she handed him. "Thank you." He tore it open and read the note.
I've changed my mind about going sailing with you, Brooke.
Ian frowned. If Brooke thought she could dismiss him just like that, she had another thought coming.
"Is there anything you need me to do, sir'?"
It was then that Ian realized Cassie was still standing there. He lifted his head and met her gaze. This wasn't the first time he'd seen the heated look of lust in the depths of her dark eyes, and he could recognize a flirtatious comment when he heard one. He recalled what he knew about her. She was a recent college graduate with a degree in hotel management. He had decided long ago, after operating his riverboat, that he would never become sexually involved with his employees. And even though, due to his busy schedule, it had been almost a year since he'd slept with anyone, the only woman his body craved had just canceled their lunch date.
Brooke propped a hand on her hip and stared at the outfits she had placed on the bed. Both were suitable for an afternoon of shopping, but which one should she wear?
The capri pant set was what she would have worn had she gone sailing with Ian. It had a bit more style than the cotton shorts set, and was a designer outfit she'd purchased while in San Francisco last month. The shorts set would provide better comfort of movement as she walked from store to store making purchases. She was about to hang the capri set back in her closet when she heard a knock on her door.
Leaving her bedroom, she wondered if it was housekeeping. The lady had come earlier, but since Brooke had ordered room service for breakfast she had asked the woman to come back later.
Brooke didn't want to think of herself as a coward, but she had dined in her room this morning because she hadn't wanted to run into Ian. They needed at least a couple of days of distance for him to rethink that preposterous suggestion he'd made. In the meantime she would avoid him by taking advantage of all the amenities the resort had to offer. He needed time to cool off. And the interlude would give her the opportunity to asses his operation.
She glanced out the peephole and her heart slammed against her ribs the moment she did so. It was Ian. Did he not get her message canceling their date to go sailing?
When she opened the door, she wasn’t quite ready for the fluttering sensation she felt in her chest. He stood in the doorway casually dressed in a pair of khakis and a blue polo shirt and holding a picnic basket. She'd forgotten how good he looked in everyday clothes. He looked sexy in a suit, but in casual wear he was drop-dead gorgeous.
"You ready?" he asked, cutting into her thoughts.
She raised a brow and pulled her robe tighter around her. "Didn't you get my message?"
He smiled as he walked around her, entering the room without an imitation. "Yes, I got it. but I assumed there must have been a mistake."
She glared at him, wondering why he would think that. "Well, you assumed wrong. There is no mistake. I'm not going sailing with