Cracking the Dating Code Read Free

with Tomas, whom she’d worked with for over two years now, she kept her distance.
    Sebastian Reyne took one last step towards her; Poppy’s instinctive step back should have been well and truly activated by now.
    But it didn’t come.
    Poppy took a deep breath, restricted her gaze to anything from the neck up and held out her hand for him to shake.
    ‘Mr Reyne, shall we try again?’ she said as quietly and evenly as she could. ‘I’m Poppy West. I believe you’re expecting me.’
    Beside her, Mal snorted.
    Before her, Seb Reyne looked down at herhand and then back at her, his gaze faintly incredulous. ‘I’m wet,’ he said.
    She’d noticed. And she’d been right about his eyes being green. A deep, forest green ringed with grey. ‘So you are.’
    She made sure there was no judgement in her voice. She wanted that handshake. Reassurance of their business footing, perhaps. A gentle reminder that a man was only as good as his word and that she was here because he’d agreed she could come.
    Plus, she had a powerful urge to experience his touch.
    His skin was wet. His hand was warm and big, and calloused. One shake and they were done, except for the heat that had travelled like lightning up her arm and through her body and just didn’t seem to want to go away.
    ‘How long’s this going to take?’ he muttered.
    ‘I don’t know,’ she offered truthfully. ‘Anywhere between a couple of days and a couple of weeks. Any longer than that and I’m liable to go bonkers.’
    ‘Aren’t we all.’ Seb’s gaze cut to Mal. ‘You’re not staying?’
    ‘Can’t. Got a charter booked in for tomorrow.’
    ‘Cancel it.’
    ‘Can’t. She’s all yours, pal.’
    ‘Not quite the wording I’d have used,’ offered Poppy mildly. ‘However, I am aware that I’ll be impinging on you for the duration and that Tomas may not have been fully aware of certain…developments when he offered his hospitality, and yours. Is my staying here going to be a problem for you, Mr Reyne? I was under the impression that it wouldn’t be, but if it is…’ Poppy shrugged and tried hard not to telegraph dismay. ‘Well, it’s your island. I can head back to the mainland with Mal.’
    Sebastian Reyne ran his hand through his hair and stared out to sea as if in search of a lifeline. Poppy could have told him that lifelines were few and far between out there but she held her tongue and waited for his reply and tried not to let anxiousness overwhelm her.
    Mal eyed him steadily—some silent judgement going on there. Poppy tried not to eye Seb at all, which was easier said than done given how much room he seemed to take up.
    ‘I really won’t be any trouble,’ she said when the silence threatened to snap her nerves completely. ‘I just need to work. You’ll hardly even see me. That’s a promise.’
    ‘If Tom said you can stay, you can stay,’said Seb Reyne finally. ‘That all the luggage you’ve got?’ He nodded towards her carryall.
    ‘That’s it.’
    ‘Can you drive a quad?’
    ‘I can drive a beach trike.’
    ‘Can you pilot a boat?’
    ‘No. Frankly, Mr Reyne, if it floats you can rest assured I’ll hate it.’
    ‘Can you swim?’
    ‘After a fashion,’ she offered and glanced towards the ocean horizon. ‘But how far and for how long is always the real question, isn’t it?’
    ‘She likes baths,’ offered Mal laconically, and Poppy smiled, and Seb stared, first at Mal, then at her—as if she’d somehow managed to seduce Mal in the Jacuzzi on the way over in the boat.
    No need for Seb to know that no one had
ever
bestowed a femme fatale badge on her before. Or how much she enjoyed the wearing of it, however briefly.
    ‘I need food,’ he said.
    ‘Yeah, and I’m on the turnaround,’ said Mal. ‘You want anything brought back from the mainland when I come to pick her up?’
    Seb and Mal headed off down the pier towards Mal’s boat. Poppy stayed right where she was. It seemed only polite to afford thema bit of