When in Rio Read Online Free PDF Page B

in public.
    “I say it looks great, and it’s more than appropriate for this particular function, but of course it’s really up to you,” he said at last, turning back toward the door as if to go. “Is that enough reassurance for you?”
    “Not really,” I said, laughing. “Although you are the boss, Sir.” Oops again.
    Jack turned with his hand on the door handle, raising one eyebrow and giving me a look . If I’d thought he was a bit intense before, I’d been sorely mistaken. But there was humor there too, which somehow made it even more devastating. He seemed to be debating something with himself, and losing. When he spoke, it was in that low, low voice again, thrilling me down to my toes.
    “I may really regret asking this. I didn’t come here planning to ask this. But out of curiosity, little Katie, what would you do if I just said, ‘You will be wearing the suit, so get out in that hallway, now ’?”
    Did he mean aside from letting my jaw drop like an inebriated codfish and blinking at him like I was slightly deranged? Because I know that was my first reaction. My second—because I figured I had been thinking about how much I disliked my new job anyway, so I might as well just go out with a bang, not a whimper—was to stammer out, “I would…I would say ‘Yes Sir’ and go out in the hallway, right now.”
    “I see. Good to know.” Our eyes met in a moment of complete understanding, and if he had held my gaze much longer I would’ve been on my knees. Instead, he opened the door and held it for me, giving a slight wave down the hall to who I assumed were some of the others standing by the elevator. “It’s really up to you,” he repeated with a thoughtful, slightly distracted expression.
    But of course it no longer was really up to me. The damage was done. I had to stop myself from asking permission to put the robe back on before following him out into the hall like an obedient pup. And then his hand was at my back again, a searing pressure even through the heavy terrycloth, and we headed downstairs for what seemed like the longest moonlight swim of my life. Well, true, it was the only moonlight swim of my life thus far. But still, it seemed very long.
    I considered sneaking away after about forty-five minutes, but Jack noticed and called to me to wait for him. When he hauled himself from the pool, dripping and glorious in the combined gleam of the moon and the poolside lights, I busied myself with my towel and robe, retying the sash a little tighter around me and carefully folding the towel lengthwise before draping it over my arm just so.
    The top half of Jack was even more distracting than his legs had been earlier. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on him, but he looked more like an athlete than a gym rat. His muscles didn’t look so much large as authentic . As though he just had very vigorous hobbies—another thought I tried to squash firmly.
    “Do you want to see some Atlantic rainforest tomorrow, by the way?” he asked as he pulled his t-shirt back on, much to my mingled relief and dismay, and we set off for the elevators.
    “Tomorrow? Really?”
    “Yeah. I meant to tell you sooner, but I forgot when the swimming thing came up. Someone from the parks department was there tonight, and we knew some people in common. Anyway, he offered to take anyone who’s interested from the conference on a private hike up the Pico de Tijuca . It’s over two thousand feet up, in the middle of the national forest. You have your jungle stuff, right? Hiking shoes and all that?”
    “Of course,” I said immediately—then realized it was all in the missing bags. “Assuming a miracle occurs and our luggage gets here,” I added. I didn’t really care about the shoes. The enormous Tijuca National Forest, which abutted the city, was another of those sights I considered compensation for having to spend a week at the beach. If I had to, I’d hike there in my loafers.
    “It’s already here. Mine is,