never mentioned your family,” she intervened, hoping he might hint at his past. So far she knew absolutely zilch.
"My family is a confused affair,” he said, not offering anything more. “Eat your breakfast, cara mia , we have a busy day."
"Sounds promising."
Framed by the door, he turned to her. “Was yesterday so terrible? Do you need to bury yourself in the sand with your laptop?"
"No ... I,” she stuttered. “Once I'd gotten over the shock of being alone with a virtual stranger—correction complete stranger,” she said, giving him a tentative smile only to have her pulse lurch when his brows rose in tandem and he winked at her. She coughed and cleared her throat. “Actually, it turned out to be a rather nice day,” she agreed.
"Nice?"
"Yes, nice. Is there something wrong with nice?"
Marco laughed and gave her a teasing smile. “We fly on my magic carpet to an island paradise, I indulge your fantasies, and you call it nice ."
Fantasy — if only he knew.
"Once I decided to give in, rather than fight it, I did begin to enjoy myself."
"That's a relief to this genie's ears. To think it was only nice , would destroy the myth of this genie,” he chuckled, slapping a hand across his heart in mock horror.
"Well we can't have that.” Carly tossed the bed covers back, forgetting her barely there nightdress until it was too late, but when she caught the momentary flicker of boldly assessing awareness in his gaze before he looked away, she faltered, then decided to brazen it out. “So what have you planned?"
"Eat, put some clothes on,” he instructed. “Then see what the day holds."
"Great.” She shot him a smile. “Now get out of here. Can't have a genie in the boudoir too long. I need to dress."
Placing her palms firmly on his shoulders she turned him around and gave him a playful pat on the derrière.
He left pronto, and her gaze followed him out of her bedroom, focusing on that way too cute butt of his.
Oh boy, big mistake.
Heat scalded every inch of Carly's body and when she glanced down to her open hand, she was surprised there wasn't a burn mark on it where her fingers had touched his taut jean-clad derrière.
"Don't touch what you can't afford,” she muttered to herself.
This was bad. Very bad.
She slammed the bedroom door shut and retreated to dress. She had better get her head around this before day two began.
* * * *
"Pure bliss,” Carly drooled as she took the last step onto the patio.
"You deserved a good day."
And it had been. Her genie had seen to that. Relaxing by the shore, swimming. Marco peeling the exotic fruit, feeding her. All the things a genie should do. The weather had been perfect, the day perfect. Which surprised her. Carly hadn't expected to enjoy her time here. She was focused. Centered. But somehow, Marco had wiped the slate clean and she hadn't thought about work all day.
She turned to face her genie. “It has been a lovely day. Thank you."
Marco bowed low. “My pleasure."
Pleasure. Pure pleasure. Suddenly, her tongue thickened and she struggled to speak. “You're good company,” she finally managed to say.
He leaned against the railing, eyes narrowed, shading from the glaring late afternoon sun. “You sound as if you're surprised."
"No. It's just...” Carly sucked in a lung full of air, exhaling with a loud sigh. “Let's face it, we didn't exactly know each other before this, um..."
"Experiment,” he suggested.
Embarrassed, she looked away.
"The trouble is no one is going to know about it, and more importantly, your friends won't even know the mystery man turned up."
"No. I was thinking about that. I thought maybe I could say Mr. Invisible and I had a row."
"A row?"
"We'll have a blazing argument and I'll tell my friends Mr. Invisible was really a big jerk and I tossed him."
"A jerk? You're going to dump me?” Marco's voice held a hint of astonishment.
Surprised at his reaction, Carly took a sideways glance at his inscrutable face and
"My family is a confused affair,” he said, not offering anything more. “Eat your breakfast, cara mia , we have a busy day."
"Sounds promising."
Framed by the door, he turned to her. “Was yesterday so terrible? Do you need to bury yourself in the sand with your laptop?"
"No ... I,” she stuttered. “Once I'd gotten over the shock of being alone with a virtual stranger—correction complete stranger,” she said, giving him a tentative smile only to have her pulse lurch when his brows rose in tandem and he winked at her. She coughed and cleared her throat. “Actually, it turned out to be a rather nice day,” she agreed.
"Nice?"
"Yes, nice. Is there something wrong with nice?"
Marco laughed and gave her a teasing smile. “We fly on my magic carpet to an island paradise, I indulge your fantasies, and you call it nice ."
Fantasy — if only he knew.
"Once I decided to give in, rather than fight it, I did begin to enjoy myself."
"That's a relief to this genie's ears. To think it was only nice , would destroy the myth of this genie,” he chuckled, slapping a hand across his heart in mock horror.
"Well we can't have that.” Carly tossed the bed covers back, forgetting her barely there nightdress until it was too late, but when she caught the momentary flicker of boldly assessing awareness in his gaze before he looked away, she faltered, then decided to brazen it out. “So what have you planned?"
"Eat, put some clothes on,” he instructed. “Then see what the day holds."
"Great.” She shot him a smile. “Now get out of here. Can't have a genie in the boudoir too long. I need to dress."
Placing her palms firmly on his shoulders she turned him around and gave him a playful pat on the derrière.
He left pronto, and her gaze followed him out of her bedroom, focusing on that way too cute butt of his.
Oh boy, big mistake.
Heat scalded every inch of Carly's body and when she glanced down to her open hand, she was surprised there wasn't a burn mark on it where her fingers had touched his taut jean-clad derrière.
"Don't touch what you can't afford,” she muttered to herself.
This was bad. Very bad.
She slammed the bedroom door shut and retreated to dress. She had better get her head around this before day two began.
* * * *
"Pure bliss,” Carly drooled as she took the last step onto the patio.
"You deserved a good day."
And it had been. Her genie had seen to that. Relaxing by the shore, swimming. Marco peeling the exotic fruit, feeding her. All the things a genie should do. The weather had been perfect, the day perfect. Which surprised her. Carly hadn't expected to enjoy her time here. She was focused. Centered. But somehow, Marco had wiped the slate clean and she hadn't thought about work all day.
She turned to face her genie. “It has been a lovely day. Thank you."
Marco bowed low. “My pleasure."
Pleasure. Pure pleasure. Suddenly, her tongue thickened and she struggled to speak. “You're good company,” she finally managed to say.
He leaned against the railing, eyes narrowed, shading from the glaring late afternoon sun. “You sound as if you're surprised."
"No. It's just...” Carly sucked in a lung full of air, exhaling with a loud sigh. “Let's face it, we didn't exactly know each other before this, um..."
"Experiment,” he suggested.
Embarrassed, she looked away.
"The trouble is no one is going to know about it, and more importantly, your friends won't even know the mystery man turned up."
"No. I was thinking about that. I thought maybe I could say Mr. Invisible and I had a row."
"A row?"
"We'll have a blazing argument and I'll tell my friends Mr. Invisible was really a big jerk and I tossed him."
"A jerk? You're going to dump me?” Marco's voice held a hint of astonishment.
Surprised at his reaction, Carly took a sideways glance at his inscrutable face and
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