"Not with the actual work, no. However, we'll go to his office, pay our respectsand invite him to dinner if he doesn't have other plans. We'll get started on theinstallation first thing tomorrow morning. It won't take more than a couple of daysif everything goes according to plan."

The flight attendant announced that it was time to board and they stood. Jodie hadnoticed that once again they were flying first-class.

As soon as she'd found out she'd be making this trip, she'd visited her doctor andasked for something to help her deal with her anxiety about flying. He'd given hera prescription for a mild anti-anxiety drug and told her to take it a half hourbefore flying. She'd taken it with breakfast and was already feeling calmer.

Dean escorted her to their seats. "Would you prefer to sit on the aisle?" heasked.

"Yes, please."

She reached for the airline magazine in the pocket in front of her and began toread.

"Are you okay about flying?" he asked.

"I think so. Yes."

She could tell that he didn't believe her. It didn't matter. She needed to getused to flying now that she was a representative of the company.

By the time they took off, she was getting sleepy. She'd had a restless night,dreading spending time with Dean again. Lack of sleep, together with theprescription drug, had her yawning by the time they leveled off.

Jodie leaned her seat back and went to sleep.

Dean took the opportunity to study her-the way her mouth was shaped, her thicklashes, the slight tilt of her nose. He'd missed seeing her each day. When he foundhimself going to her department in hopes of seeing her, he knew he had it bad.

His dreams were filled with her...talking with her, making love to her, riding inthe car with her. He was never alone in his dreams now, which was tough when hewoke up each morning to discover hewas alone and none of it was real.

Dean couldn't figure out what was going on with him. Was it because he hadn't beenwith a woman since the first trip to Hawaii? He hadn't been interested enough inRachel to respond to her sexual overtures, which was the major reason she knewtheir relationship had come to an end.

They'd spent a weekend together, a last-ditch effort on her part to provesomething to him-or herself. Despite all her attempts at seducing him-provocativenight wear, a full-body massage-nothing had worked.

He figured he'd been too tired that weekend. His dreams of Jodie were moresatisfying than the reality of being with Rachel.

This trip was to prove something to himself-to prove that his fantasies of Jodiewere absurd. Candace had booked a suite so that each of them had a bedroom. Theywouldn't be spending much time there.

This was strictly a business trip.

He was not lusting after her.

What he needed to do was find someone nice to date-someone with blond hair andblue eyes, someone who looked trim and fit, someone who was fun to talk to, to bewith, someone who could make him laugh.

Someone like Jodie.

Dean had awakened her as they'd approached Los Angeles. There had been little timefor them to find their gate for the next leg of the journey and neither one of themhad said very much.

Once they'd been back on the plane, Jodie had read a little but fallen asleepwithin the first hour. Consequently she felt rested and ready to go to work whenthey landed in Honolulu.

They checked in to their hotel and she discovered that they had a gorgeous viewfrom the balcony off the main room. Their bedrooms were located on opposite sidesof this room.

They met Steve Furukawa at his office and showed him the schematics for the job.

Dean answered his questions at length, and when Steve was fully satisfied, they setup a time to begin the next morning.

Steve agreed to have dinner with them, but Jodie begged off. Once Dean left theirhotel room, she changed into more casual clothes and took a long, contemplativewalk along the beach.

She had to face a difficult fact: she was in love with Dean Logan. She wasn'tcertain when it had happened, but there was no doubt about it. Being with him againhad taught her that she'd been kidding herself when she'd decided she was over herinfatuation with him. Of course, she had no intention of acting on her desire forhim. She wasn't that stupid or self-destructive.

She wondered if there was a group somewhere she could attend to learn how to getover him. If so, she would definitely join.

By the time she returned to the hotel, the exercise had worked its charm. She waspleasantly tired, tired enough-she hoped-to be able to sleep, since tomorrow wouldbe a long day.

When Jodie opened the door to the suite, she was surprised to see that Dean wasthere. He was on the balcony, sitting on one chair, his feet propped on another,sipping a drink.

"How was dinner?" she asked, walking over to him.

He moved his feet and motioned for her to sit down. "The food was good and Ienjoyed getting to know Steve a little better. He gave me a brief family history.He told me how his family came to Hawaii from Japan many years ago. He's aninteresting man."

She sat down and propped her bare feet on the railing. "There's something aboutthis place that seems almost magical. The scent of flowers, the soft breeze. It'seasy to forget there's another world out there."

"I watched you walk along the edge of the water. I was relieved to spot you. I wasworried when I discovered you weren't here when I got back."

"I had no idea you would return so soon."

"Steve wanted to get home to his family. I enjoyed listening to his stories abouthis sons and daughters. He's very proud of them."

"You constantly surprise me," she replied.

"In what way?"

"Somehow I can't picture you listening to stories about children."

"Why not?"

She shrugged. "I can't see you as a family man." When he didn't reply, she added,"I didn't mean to offend you."

"I'm not offended. I never thought of myself in that light, so I suppose you'reright."

They stayed on the balcony enjoying the night air for a while. Then Dean said,"I'm going to bed. See you in the morning." He stood and stretched, and Jodiestraightened and got up, as well.

Once inside, Dean switched off the lamp, leaving the room bathed in moonlight.

"Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Dean."

"No problem. I seem to get some masochistic pleasure whenever I'm around you."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't pretend you don't know, Jodie. I want to make love to you so badly Iconstantly ache with it. And that's when you're not around."

She hoped the darkness hid her flushed face and the trembling of her body. "Ididn't know," she said faintly.

"Do you want a demonstration?" he asked. He walked over to her and drew her intohis arms. His kiss was gentle at first. If he'd grabbed her, she could have easilypushed away from him. It was his gentleness that undid her.

The kiss quickly heated up and Jodie felt him pressed against her, his arousalvery evident.

Alarms went off in her head...or were they bells? She couldn't tell and at themoment did not care. She slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him back withall the pent-up love and passion she had for him.

Dean was the one who broke away. "I'm sorry. That was inexcusable." He turned andstrode toward his bedroom. "Good night."

Good night?

He had kissed the living daylights out of her and all he could say was good night?

Every nerve in her body tingled with anticipation. She took deep, steadyingbreaths, shaking so hard she could barely stand there. How dare he start somethinghe didn't intend to finish.

She should be grateful.

She should be thankful for his restraint.

She turned away and started to her bedroom and then wheeled around and marchedacross the room to his closed door. Without knocking, she shoved the door open. Shedidn't see him but she knew he was there.

"That was a rotten trick, Dean Logan! How dare you start something and then walkaway as though nothing had happened!"

She slammed the door and marched back to her room, slamming that door for goodmeasure.

The nerve of the man. Just because she refused to date him. Just because she knewthat making love to him would be the worst possible thing she could do to herselfdidn't mean that she could just walk away after the passionate kiss they'd justshared.

So maybe she did want a fling after all! That was all that Dean would ever havewith her.

She went into the bathroom and took off her clothes. She'd take a shower until shewas calmer.

She turned on the shower and, without waiting for it to warm up, stepped inside,needing the shock of cold water on her heated body. She stood with the sprayhitting her face, forcing herself to let go of her frustration and get a hold onher emotions.

Which was why she didn't hear Dean enter the room until the shower door openedbehind her and Dean stepped inside wearing nothing but a smile.

Thirteen.

Too bad he didn't have a camera to catch the expression on Jodie's face when shesaw him.

"You're right, as usual," he said smoothly. "A gentleman should never, ever startsomething he doesn't intend to finish." He took the washcloth out of her nervelessfingers and said, "Turn around and I'll scrub your back for you."

She looked down at him and blinked. If she thought he hadn't been affected by thatkiss-which he felt certain was quite apparent at the time-she could have no doubtabout his condition now.

"Dean?" Her voice sounded strangled as he gently turned her away from him. Hetraced her spine with his finger from the nape of her neck down to her lusciousderriere.

"Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious? Scrubbing your back." He took his time sliding the cloth up and down her spine, pausing at her hips to place his hands on either side.