Poppy's Caribbean Adventure

Part Eight

"Please secure your seats in the upright positions and stow away the trays. Cabin crew to prepare the cabins for landing."

Poppy kept her gaze firmly on her Kindle, as she had from the moment the flight attendant had cleared away the detritus of their breakfast.

An hour earlier, she'd woken from the best sleep she'd ever had on a plane, wondering if she'd dreamt what had happened. She was pretty sure she hadn't. Well mostly sure.

If Gage had even as much as smiled at her, she might have believed it.

But instead, he'd behaved as if nothing had happened. He was already awake, working on his laptop, and he'd said a polite 'good morning' and 'did you sleep okay?' before focussing back on his screen.

Which only served to reinforce that, erotic fantasies aside, he was still her boss and she had to have bed hair, and her teeth were unbrushed. She'd sneaked away to the toilet as quickly as she could to make herself presentable, and returned to find breakfast being served.

She managed to avoid looking at him all through the landing and disembarkation, though as they left the plane, she was sure the blonde flight attendant pressed something into Gage's hand. Poppy worked very hard not to roll her eyes. If the woman hoped for an assignation during her lay-over, she was going to be seriously disappointed. In less than two hours they'd be at the conference hotel, and there'd be no time for play. Gage would make sure of that.

The heat hit them the moment they stepped from the plane. Thick and muggy after the cool, damp weather they'd left behind in London, carrying the rich scent of the tropics. Poppy had never been to the Caribbean before. She tried to look like a world-weary traveller even as she craned to see past the terminal buildings to what lay beyond.

They walked across the runway from the plane to the terminal, with Poppy hurrying to keep up with Gage's long strides. At baggage claim he fetched a trolley and she grabbed a premium spot beside the conveyor belt. Then they waited.

She fidgeted. Gage cleared his throat.

And then she made the mistake of actually looking at him.

He was watching her. His green eyes bright and amused, and looking straight into her. The edge of his mouth curled up in a complicit smile and her heart stood still.

Oh, God, she hadn't dreamed it. He really had fingered her to an orgasm last night. And he was remembering.

The Caribbean heat had nothing on the heat in her face, in her body, as his smile deepened.

"Isn't that your bag?" he said, though he hadn't even turned his head.

She dropped her gaze and looked at the belt, and there was her bag indeed, about to sweep past them. How did he do that – notice everything without even seeming to?

She grabbed for her bag and Gage took it from her, his fingers brushing hers on the handle. She pulled away quickly.

Soon his bag emerged from the chute and Gage stowed it on the trolley next to hers, and they headed for the arrivals hall where the hotel driver she'd booked awaited them.

In the car, as they jolted over the rutted road towards their resort, Poppy pulled her folder of notes out of her shoulder bag and began to run through the lists of things they needed to accomplish today, before the rest of the delegates arrived and the conference began in earnest. She tried to focus on her checklists, asking Gage questions and making notes as she moved down the list, but her throbbing awareness of him made her clumsy and less attentive.

His thigh lay barely inches from her own. Here in the back seat of the hotel's luxury sedan, they were even closer than they'd been on the plane. His hand spread out on his knee, the same long, strong tapered fingers that had stroked her and been inside her last night. She squirmed and pressed her legs together, but it didn't help. God, but she wanted those fingers back inside her. Better yet, she wanted his cock inside her.

Then she looked up and caught Gage's gaze on her. She could read nothing from his expression. The breeze from the open car window ruffled his dark hair. He arched an eyebrow and she realised with a start she'd asked him the same question twice already - and still couldn't remember his answer.

She gave up any attempt at work and turned to look out her window instead. Giant-leafed banana trees flew past the car, and between them she glimpsed white beach sand and azure water rising up to meet an equally blue sky. Would she manage a free moment during this trip to take a stroll on the beach?

The moment the careered to a stop before the grand, white-columned portico of the resort hotel,the manager already awaited them, and they hit the ground running. Siteinspections, staff de-briefings, rooming lists, final checks of the AVequipment, and Poppy personally oversaw the packing of the delegates' goodiebags. She was so busy she barely even saw Gage, let alone had a moment alonewith him. For which she was very, very grateful. Because every time she lookedat him she couldn't help but picture him naked.

Her infatuation was worse thanever. In fact, it was rapidly turning into an obsession.