what was she expecting? Roses the morning after? “No thanks.” She settled back on the chair. “I’ve got to head down that way later anyway. Got a call for a photo shoot today.”
“Really.” He challenged. “With who?”
Eryn frowned, peering at him through her lashes. It sounded like he didn’t believe her. “Troy. You know, Carl’s nephew,” she said matter-of-factly. “He wants some shots for his portfolio.”
The tension shooting off Bryce was palpable.
“Wow,” said Brandi. “Innocent, huh?”
Eryn shot her a look that had Brandi back-peddling. “Sorry.”
“You think that’s what he really wants?” Bryce gritted.
“Careful, Bryce, I might think you’re actually jealous,” Eryn dared to peek at him, hoping he was smiling, but his jaw only tightened. “Oh, come on! Is it so hard to believe that the man actually might want a good photographer? Isn’t that what these parties are all about? Networking?”
“She’s got a point there.” Brandi piped in.
Bryce ignored her as he continued to stare at Eryn. “At least tell me where you’ll be.”
She shielded her eyes and looked at him again. His eyes challenged her, serious and penetrating. His face was like a fortress. She couldn’t tell what was going on behind it, but the way he stood over her was protective and possessive. It was sexy and yet at the same time extremely annoying. Maybe he did care after all, she thought, but he had a hell of a way of showing it.
Eryn finally answered him. “I’m meeting him over by the tide pools at four o’clock.” She could almost hear the mental math playing out in his head, calculating how far along in his game he would be by the time four o’clock rolled around.
“Just be careful.” He stopped himself just as he was turning. “Oh yeah.” He tossed a small manila envelope onto her chair. “This came for you.”
“What is it?” Eryn picked up the envelope and shielded her eyes as she read the handwriting on the front.
Not bothering to answer, Bryce turned and walked away.
Eryn forgot the envelope for a moment as she watched him walk back to the house. She wanted to crawl into his head and poke around in there. What was it that kept him so far away from her? Last night his hands roamed her body as if making sure she was still all there, that his property was still intact, and when he drove himself into her, his eyes were closed, lost in his thoughts, a place she could never follow.
“That is one good looking man,” Brandi said under her breath.
Eryn shot her a sidelong stare.
“What?” Brandi shot back. “Well, it’s true! God, I remember in high school how every girl just flocked to him.” She closed her eyes and lay back. “They all had crushes on him, but you were the only one he would look at. Now here you are, married to him, with a house, career. Like a damn fairy tale.”
It was true. Almost. “Not quite like a fairy tale,” Eryn muttered.
“More trouble in paradise?”
Eryn thought about it for a moment. “I don’t know. It always seem like he’s blaming me for something. He kind of keeps his distance, but never completely pushes me away.” She sat up straighter in her chair and stared at the sun bouncing on the surface of the pool.
“Well, it can’t be that bad. I mean, look at all the shit he buys you. You gotta love that,” said Brandi.
“Maybe that’s part of the problem. He confuses all that stuff with affection.”
“Well, I’ll be more than happy to take some of it off your hands if you don’t appreciate it,” Brandi said, putting out her hand.
Eryn laughed and slapped her friend’s outstretched palm. “I might just do that.” She picked up the envelope again and recognized her brother’s rushed handwriting. She flipped it over, looking for a return address. “Typical,” she
“Really.” He challenged. “With who?”
Eryn frowned, peering at him through her lashes. It sounded like he didn’t believe her. “Troy. You know, Carl’s nephew,” she said matter-of-factly. “He wants some shots for his portfolio.”
The tension shooting off Bryce was palpable.
“Wow,” said Brandi. “Innocent, huh?”
Eryn shot her a look that had Brandi back-peddling. “Sorry.”
“You think that’s what he really wants?” Bryce gritted.
“Careful, Bryce, I might think you’re actually jealous,” Eryn dared to peek at him, hoping he was smiling, but his jaw only tightened. “Oh, come on! Is it so hard to believe that the man actually might want a good photographer? Isn’t that what these parties are all about? Networking?”
“She’s got a point there.” Brandi piped in.
Bryce ignored her as he continued to stare at Eryn. “At least tell me where you’ll be.”
She shielded her eyes and looked at him again. His eyes challenged her, serious and penetrating. His face was like a fortress. She couldn’t tell what was going on behind it, but the way he stood over her was protective and possessive. It was sexy and yet at the same time extremely annoying. Maybe he did care after all, she thought, but he had a hell of a way of showing it.
Eryn finally answered him. “I’m meeting him over by the tide pools at four o’clock.” She could almost hear the mental math playing out in his head, calculating how far along in his game he would be by the time four o’clock rolled around.
“Just be careful.” He stopped himself just as he was turning. “Oh yeah.” He tossed a small manila envelope onto her chair. “This came for you.”
“What is it?” Eryn picked up the envelope and shielded her eyes as she read the handwriting on the front.
Not bothering to answer, Bryce turned and walked away.
Eryn forgot the envelope for a moment as she watched him walk back to the house. She wanted to crawl into his head and poke around in there. What was it that kept him so far away from her? Last night his hands roamed her body as if making sure she was still all there, that his property was still intact, and when he drove himself into her, his eyes were closed, lost in his thoughts, a place she could never follow.
“That is one good looking man,” Brandi said under her breath.
Eryn shot her a sidelong stare.
“What?” Brandi shot back. “Well, it’s true! God, I remember in high school how every girl just flocked to him.” She closed her eyes and lay back. “They all had crushes on him, but you were the only one he would look at. Now here you are, married to him, with a house, career. Like a damn fairy tale.”
It was true. Almost. “Not quite like a fairy tale,” Eryn muttered.
“More trouble in paradise?”
Eryn thought about it for a moment. “I don’t know. It always seem like he’s blaming me for something. He kind of keeps his distance, but never completely pushes me away.” She sat up straighter in her chair and stared at the sun bouncing on the surface of the pool.
“Well, it can’t be that bad. I mean, look at all the shit he buys you. You gotta love that,” said Brandi.
“Maybe that’s part of the problem. He confuses all that stuff with affection.”
“Well, I’ll be more than happy to take some of it off your hands if you don’t appreciate it,” Brandi said, putting out her hand.
Eryn laughed and slapped her friend’s outstretched palm. “I might just do that.” She picked up the envelope again and recognized her brother’s rushed handwriting. She flipped it over, looking for a return address. “Typical,” she
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