In Bed with the Boss

Chapter Eight

She sipped. ‘It’s delicious.’ Since they would have to find a new customer for their coffee if her business closed, perhaps the fazenda owners would add their plea to hers."I'm excited about my visit," you say.

‘Good.’

We seem to have spent the entire evening talking about me, which is quite dull, she said as she set the cup back on the table. What about you? Were you born and bred in Brazil?’

He added gently, his accent oddly thickening, "I don't understand what possible relevance my heritage can have on the survival of your business."‘Take my advice and concentrate on the things that matter.’

‘I just wondered about you, that’s all.’

‘I never talk about myself. Remember that.’ His quick rise to his feet gave Maria Blake the idea that her straightforward inquiry had troubled and alarmed him.

‘Why? Since you'd have to kill me and then eat me if I found out, She cracked the joke in a feeble attempt to get him to grin, but there was nothing but gloom on his face; John was cynical, and Maria allowed her smile to fade."Mr. Corduroy, I'm not a journalist or a gossip."Additionally, I don't believe any of the tabloid newspapers would be intrigued by my visit to your lodge.

She appeared to be stepping on a topic that he detested as his muscular body was tense."Be prepared early, and wear clothing that is easy to dry because this is a rainforest and you may get wet."Extremely wet.’

‘No four-inch heels, then.’ She groaned as she observed the threatening, stiff lines of his mouth.

Despite having spent an evening together, his body language made it clear that nothing had changed between them. There was no softening and no reassurance.

She may have been given an extra 10 minutes, but it was obvious that she wasn't supposed to take the gesture as encouragement.

But why would he take her to the Fazenda if he wasn't going to extend her loan?

She felt her insides tremble as she stared at the harsh set of his slim, attractive face. Although she had no idea what was going through his mind, she was willing to bet that it wasn't anything kind or constructive.

Maria struggled to sleep after the conversation because she felt upset, and the jungle intruded all around her. Squawks, screams, chirps, and the occasional growl filled the air, making her wish there was glass between her and the treetops. When she did fall asleep, she did so lightly, her mind racing with visions of a haughty Brazilian billionaire with a troubled past and a domineering demeanour.

She eventually gave up trying to sleep and stumbled up to the window, where she saw that it looked out onto the smooth glass dome that was his office. And he was there. Even in the dead of the night, he was sitting at his computer with his eyes glued to the screen and his phone wedged in between his cheek and shoulder. He was stretched out in the chair, the sleeves of his now-rumpled shirt pushed up over his elbows, and his jaw was covered in the beard.

So being in the rainforest didn’t stop him from working, then? didn't stop him from guiding his polished, outstanding company to even more soaring heights.

Even though he was tucked away in the woods, he was still in close contact with civilization.

Why couldn’t he sleep?

What was the cause of the hardness she saw in his eyes?

She watched as the inquiries grew and eventually withdrew since she felt as if she was peeping into a private aspect of his life. After all, it wasn't her concern if he didn't want to retire to bed and rest.

He wasn't exactly the kind of man who would appreciate being offered a listening ear.

She dismissed memories of shiny black hair and a haughty male profile as she slid back into bed.

It was raining when she eventually awoke from the sporadic sleep that had taken its place. The trees outside her window were wet by a constant downpour, which also muffled noises, but the air was still humid and unbearably hot.

She put on her lightweight combat pants, a plain white shirt, and her hiking boots, and tied her hair back while she wondered if one could ever get used to the oppressive heat.

She pondered what he would say if he knew that she felt far more at ease in the boots and trousers than she had in the suit and heels.

He probably wouldn’t believe her. He harboured severe prejudices towards women. Where had they come from? And how would his disapproval of her sexuality affect her?

She gave herself a pep talk as she gazed into the mirror, determined to think positively.

It was a new day. Since yesterday had already passed, she only had today to convince him to extend her loan.

One more day to convince him that continuing his investment in her company was beneficial to everyone. She didn't understand why he was so anxious over what must have been a very small sum of money for him.

Was it all about money for him? Or could there be anything else hiding in those John, menacing shadows? Something that he kept private from strangers.

Something that kept him awake deep into the night.

When Maria brought her into his office, he was already on the phone with someone else. She stood there in anxious, salient anticipation as he wrapped up what was a business conversation. He used brief, clipped tones to give directions in an authoritative manner that made her feel bad for the person on the other end of the line.

Did anyone like working with him? Or did everyone live in a constant state of anxiety?

When she attended meetings with her staff, they took off their shoes and sat on sofas with mugs of tea. Everyone spoke up and shouted their disagreements out.

She gave a wry smile.

But her business wasn’t exactly thriving, was it? She should possibly practise creating a more autocratic approach in her room.

He ended the call and looked at her. ‘What—no suit? No heels?’

Her guess that he was probably accustomed to ladies who constantly shopped and never dropped anything was verified by his reply that he believed she was some sort of fashion clothes-horse. She decided to keep the dialogue professional.‘You told me to dress for the jungle. When will the chopper arrive?

‘We’re not using the helicopter, Maria.’ His voice was silky smooth. ‘We’re walking. You're about to be put to the test, so I hope those boots of yours aren't just for show.

Was that supposed to frighten her? She almost laughed. He was unaware that her entire life had been a series of trials. She questioned why everyone in the world constantly assumed she would fail. She lifted her chin, making a mental note not to say a single word of criticism. ‘Fine. Test away. You're going to have to wait a while if you're expecting me to pass out.

Good, because I don't want to drag you from an anaconda's coils or scrape you off the jungle floor.

‘What is your problem?’ She looked at him in genuine bewilderment. ‘You want me to fail, don’t you? You want me to make a fool of myself. Why? Just because my company hasn’t made you enough money? Is it so crucial?

After giving her a brief period of attention, he bent down and picked up two rucksacks off the floor. If the trail is not covered by the rain, the distance is two hours. He thrust a rucksack into her hands. ‘Let’s go.

We’ll eat breakfast on the way.’

Although he had not responded to her question, she had a terrible, sinking feeling that she would soon learn the answer.