His Innocent Unwrapped in Iceland by Jackie Ashenden

Author:Jackie Ashenden
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-09-06T14:40:31+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

ISLA DIDN’T SLEEP WELL that night and by the time dawn crept around, she was still tossing and turning in her bed.

She couldn’t get the fierce gleam in Orion’s eyes when he’d looked down at her in the hallway the night before out of her head. She’d only wanted to make sure that her teasing comment in the helicopter hadn’t hurt him, which seemed ridiculous in retrospect since he seemed to be a man impervious to something as small as mere hurt.

The trip to the volcano had been a revelation, and she’d loved every second of it. The adrenaline rush of standing on the edge of a lava flow and listening to the geologist explain the workings of a volcano and how new rocks were made had been incredible. There had been so many things she’d wanted to know, so many colours to take in, the landscape around her in all its textures so fascinating.

It made such a change from the boardroom, and she’d got carried away in her excitement on the way back, thoughtlessly teasing Orion about his problems, because she’d never imagined a man like him would have any. Yet the sharpness of his response had brought her up short. She hadn’t wanted to ruin the day by saying something careless, so in the hallway she’d only wanted to apologise.

Then he’d looked down at her and the heat in his eyes had locked the breath in her throat. As had the anger.

She hadn’t realised he’d still wanted her, yet it was clear that he did. And badly. Except he wasn’t going to take her. This time he wanted her to give herself to him.

Some part of her was thrilled at being such a test for his control, while another part was amazed that he was holding himself back from taking what he wanted.

She sighed and rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. The ferocious heat in his gaze, yet the rigid way he’d held himself in check had been an intoxicating combination. And far from making her not want to touch him, it made her want to keep touching him more. To push him, see how far she could take things before he broke...

‘I want it to be a gift you give to me.’

Ah, but no, she couldn’t push him. It wouldn’t be right, not after he’d said that to her. Not now that he saw her as a gift to be given rather than a thing to take. It thrilled her down to the bone.

Twice she’d been chosen by people, and twice they’d regretted that choice. The first time she’d been returned like a pet no one had wanted and the second time, well... She hadn’t been returned by David yet, but she was still under review. Her performance had been lacking, she knew it.

You were stupid to expect more from him. You weren’t adopted, you were hired.

It was true. David had never acted as though he was her father. Right from the first day she’d come home with him, he’d been emotionally distant.

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