Read Online Take It Down by Kira Sinclair - Free Book Online

sand, a drink in my hand and fuzzy thoughts running through my brain.”
    Marcy smiled. “You strike me as the kind of woman who finds sitting on her rear dull…and impossible.”
    An answering smile touched Elle’s own lips. “You know, I think you and I could be real good friends. If I wasn’t going to be leaving soon.”
    “Something tells me you’re right. I’ll see what I can do.”
    “Thanks.” She turned to leave, waiting until she was three steps away before turning back. “Oh, I noticed the artwork in several of the common rooms. I was wondering if maybe you had a tour of them. For guests?”
    Marcy straightened her spine and cocked her head to the side for a moment. “You know, no we don’t. But that’s a brilliant idea. I’m ashamed I never thought of it myself.” Grabbing a portfolio off of the front desk, she flipped it open and glanced at whatever was inside. “If you’re free this afternoon, I could have someone escort you around.”
    “That would be great.”
    “Around three o’clock? In the main salon?”
    Elle had easily agreed. Even if she’d had something else planned—and she didn’t—she’d have changed it.
    So, here she was, standing in the center of the silent main salon. Alone. Waiting for whoever would appear. She was restless, a mixture of anticipation and expectation bouncing through her body. She tried not to show it, but wasn’t sure she succeeded.
    Zane walked in, pushing an extra shot of energy into her already buzzing system. It was like giving espresso to someone who’d already been drinking coffee all day.
    Instantaneous overload.
    Her mouth went dry. Her sex grew wet. And an insistent ache began to throb between her thighs.
    Damn, she did not need this right now. She didn’t want it, this awareness and desire for the man.
    Zane moved farther into the room. Elle scooted behind one of the chairs, conveniently putting it and a brightly polished mahogany table between them.
    He hadn’t spoken, and she suddenly felt the need to fill the empty space. “I’m meeting Marcy. She’s going to show me the resort’s art collection.”
    “Wrong. I’m going to show you the art collection.”
    “You?” Elle tried not to let her surprise color her words. “Why you?”
    “Because she asked me to.”
    “Don’t you have better things to do? Other guests to accost?”
    He chuckled, the low rumbling sound rolling through her tummy and tickling her already sensitive nerves. “Probably. But I promised to keep an eye on you . In any case, aside from Simon, I know the collection best.”
    Now, that puzzled her. She wondered if Zane’s knowledge of the resort’s art collection had to do with personal preference or his job.
    “Why?”
    “I told you. Because Marcy asked me.”
    “No, why do you know the collection so well.”
    “I had to inventory it for insurance and security purposes. When I got here, Simon had works of art worth hundreds of thousands of dollars hanging in the front hallway. No alarms. No protective glass. Hell, he barely knew the real value of what he owned. He’d bought pieces when he liked them, caring little for their value.”
    Or their provenance apparently, but Elle wasn’t going to be the one to bring that up.
    “So you swooped in and saved the day?”
    He frowned. She didn’t care.
    “No. I did what he needed me to do. I identified the pieces that had greatest value and implemented a security protocol. Learned a few things while I was at it.”
    “Bully for you.”
    “I could do without the sarcasm.”
    “I could do without living inside a fishbowl.”
    All day, she’d felt his eyes on her. At the pool, she’d wondered if he could see her in her bikini. And whether he preferred that to the soaking-wet dress she’d worn last night. Or the casually comfortable shorts and shirt she’d thrown on this morning. As she’d chatted up a couple of women inside the restaurant at lunch, she’d wondered if he was listening to their