Moonflower Read Online Free PDF Page B

best not to draw attention to herself, so she
straightened her suit, settled back in her seat and crossed her
arms in front of her chest as they left the freeway and turned in
at the airport.
    Once
inside, she got to experience for the first time in her life the
kind of treatment doled out to tycoons and other privileged
passengers. Doors were held open for them and their bags left in
someone else’s capable hands as they were whisked into an executive
lounge. Then, with behinds resting on plush couches, they were
offered coffee by a pretty young woman in a beige suit.
    ‘ The real thing!’ Sophie said joyfully, as she took a sip of
the steaming brew.
    Reuben’s
head snapped in her direction. He was frowning at her
again.
    ‘ Not instant,’ Sophie said, holding her cup up to
him.
    Reuben
glanced around, as if checking that no one else had been privy to
Sophie’s latest bout of exuberance. Turning his deep blue orbs on
her, he said, ‘I take it you’ve never flown first
class.’
    Sophie
chose to ignore the drollness in his voice. ‘Of course not. You
know how expensive it is?’
    ‘ No,’ Reuben said, looking down at the papers he’d just pulled
from his briefcase.
    ‘ Well, take my word for it. It’s expensive.’
    Reuben
glared at her. ‘Tell you what, Sophie. Why don’t you go over your
purchase figures or your costings, then you might not find all this
so distracting.’
    ‘ No need,’ Sophie said. ‘They’ve been checked and double
checked.’
    ‘ Well, then. Do you think you could be quiet for just a minute
so I can get some work done before we board?’
    Damn, the man’s got a near-terminal case of
grumpiness . And she could be quiet. He made her out to be
a chatterbox, which she most certainly was not. In short, the man
made her feel like a complete klutz, which again just wasn’t her.
She was used to spending long hours in the bush, often alone,
without talking and without mishap.
    How dull
life must be if you had all this money, so many wonderful
experiences, but couldn’t feel the joy in it.
    The
thought dissolved her anger and Sophie suddenly felt sorry for the
man. Responsibility obviously weighed heavily on him.
     
    Reuben
was finding Sophie’s naiveté a little annoying, even embarrassing
at times, he thought as he settled into his plane seat. But another
part of him had to admit that he found her fresh and enchanting. No
prizes for guessing which part of him that was. But even her
girlish behaviour and complete lack of finesse did nothing to
detract from her beauty. If anything, her unaffected behaviour and
that severe, body-hugging business suit had sent him into
overdrive. It was just as well he’d learned in the boardroom the
value of a poker face. He was having a hard time stopping himself
from staring at her like a wide-eyed schoolboy.
    Reuben glanced sideways; watched her wriggle slightly into the
plush seat; run her hands over the armrests, back and forth, back
and forth, long fingers splayed. He could see them against his
chest, fingers moving across his belly, his hips… Now that’s done it! It was
his turn to squirm.
    Just then
Sophie looked up at him; smiled. Her arm brushed his. But Reuben’s
brain was fried; he found it impossible to return her smile. He was
trying too hard to hold onto his sanity.
    When
their plane landed two hours later, he’d failed miserably to get
any work done. Sophie was just too distracting with her fidgeting
and her questions. The woman was going to drive him mad.
    They were
met by a chauffeur service at the airport and whisked away to Brits
to attend the game sale.
    Enter Sophie’s world , Reuben thought.
She was right at home there. All traces of gawkiness were gone. She
strode around, inspecting animals in pens, discussing the health,
history and status of herds. And there were khaki-clad, tanned
people everywhere. Many of whom stopped to greet Sophie by name. It
wasn’t lost on Reuben that all the accompanying bear hugs were
carried