Page 74 of Naughty or Nice

I sip at my drink, my eyes devouring the whole spectacle, my body alive with his proximity. I’d love to spend more time here—taking in the sights, being a tourist... There’s a vibe that I just love. I want to ‘do’ Chinatown, explore the famous Botanic Gardens, enjoy a Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel, relax...with him.

‘I’d love to do the tourist thing.’

I feel his eyes on me. ‘Next time we come we’ll do just that.’

Next time we come...

I turn to him. Those words are there again but they catch in my throat. I wet my lips. ‘Is that a promise, Lucas?’

He curves his hand around the back of my neck, stirring every excited nerve-ending.

‘Yes.’

And then he kisses me and the world falls away.

Next time... There’s going to be a next time... Oh, yes.

* * *

I’ve always loved this pad. The view, the location, the buzz. But lying here with Eva curled into my side, with the view outstretched before us, it truly is heaven on earth. As good as any paradise island or secluded hideaway.

‘I wish we didn’t have to leave in the morning.’

She toys with the buttons on my shirt as she says it, her contented sigh warming me through.

I trace circles over her bare shoulder and press a kiss to her head. ‘Me too.’

‘Thank you for all this.’

She looks up at me, her eyes dark in the soft white glow that comes from the decorative lighting cubes that line the terrace.

‘What? For putting so much work into convincing you to go into business with me?’ I grin. ‘It seems a pretty selfish move, if you ask me.’

She digs me in the ribs and rolls on top of me. ‘You know full well you didn’t need to do all this.’

‘Do I?’

‘Yes, you could have documented all of it—in fact, if I dug a bit, I bet I’d find article after article about the fabulous Waring Holdings and its equally fabulous owner.’

‘Fabulous, am I?’

Her smile turns shy and my heart blooms in my chest at her silent answer. She drops a kiss to my lips and folds her arms over my chest, her chin coming to rest upon them as she looks at me.

‘Does that mean I have the job?’ I ask.

I’m half joking, half serious. But she’s all serious now, quiet, her eyes wavering over my face.

‘I have people I’ve yet to see... It doesn’t feel right, cancelling on them.’

‘But why waste their time if you’ve decided?’

‘Because they still deserve to be listened to and considered.’

‘Are you saying that because you mean it or because you’re worried about how your family will react?’

She presses herself off me and rolls onto her back, her eyes looking skyward. ‘I’m not scared of them.’

She says the words, but there’s an edge that I don’t like.