aside, then hooked his thumbs into the elastic waistband of his underwear. Instinctively Marnie extended her hand to deter his. When she made contact with warm skin, she snatched it back.
"I cannot let David find me swimming naked in your pool, Law," she said. This is a ridiculous, childish game. Stop it."
"Then stop being such a spoilsport and go get into a suit."
Blue eyes challenged gray. Gray might have held out longer if blue hadn't raised his brows inquiringly and hooked his thumbs back into his briefs. Blue won.
Marnie turned and marched stiffly to the door of the cabana and soundly closed it behind her. Three swimsuits and ten minutes later she emerged wearing a black maillot.
The material was stretchy enough to conform to her slight figure, even though the suit was a size too large.
Confidently she walked to the board bounced up and down to test its spring then executed a fine dive. When she surfaced, he was applauding as he floated on his back toward the side of the pool, kicking his feet to keep himself afloat.
"Very good."
"Thanks."
She swam toward the ladder and was halfway up it when his hand closed around her ankle. Tugging on it, he pulled her back into the water and pressed her backward against the tile wall.
When his legs drifted against hers, she sucked in a sharp breath. "Law, you're—"
"Um-huh. I like swimming naked. It feels good."
"And that's the creed you abide by isn't it? If it feels good, do it."
"And your creed is if it feels good, it must be sinful." He sipped a drop of water off her earlobe and glanced her neck with his lips. "For once Miss Goody-Two-Shoes, why don't you just relax and go with the flow? Take a chance. Do something daring, something—"
She gave both his shoulders a shove that pushed him away and created a huge splash.
"That's why you're doing this, isn't it?" she demanded angrily. "Because it's exciting, challenging, daring . Having a teenage boy walk in on his mother and a naked man in a swimming pool must be a thrill you haven't experienced yet."
She reached for the guard rail of the ladder and once again was almost up before he hauled her back into the water, but not as gently as before.
This time his hands slipped into the notches of her armpits. The heels of his palms pressed against the sides of her breasts, making them swell above the top of her suit. He noticed. And noticed, too, the enticing thrust of her nipples against the wet fabric plastered to them. He held her close enough to insure that she felt him, hard and ready against her middle.
"The only reason I'm doing this," he said through clenched teeth, "is because I got my hands on you once today. All I've thought about since then is getting them on you again."
He lowered his eyes to her lips. They were wet with swimming pool water and the nervous, reflexive action of her own tongue. Her lipstick had worn off. Marnie couldn't know how sexy that looked to him.
"If I'd had as much sense seventeen years ago as I do now," he added on a growl, "I'd have ripped off your suit and dragged you into the surf with me that night on the beach.
Maybe if I had helped you to overcome your inhibitions, if I'd acquainted you with a male body, you would have become a sensuous woman instead of the dried-up, uptight prude you are!"
* * *
Marnie stared at her face in the mirror over her dressing table. It had recently marked its thirtieth year but was still as smooth and wrinkle-free as a teenager's. The only feature that lent it maturity were the eyes. From the day she was born they had viewed the world solemnly.
Or so it seemed.
That's why Law thought she was a prude. She'd always had that effect on people.
Through childhood and young adulthood she'd been ridiculed for being so straight, so dull, so serious.
Did anyone actually think she liked having an overactive conscience? She didn't. It was boring. She hadn't enjoyed being the party pooper all her life. But someone had had to be.
And since Sharon was the
"I cannot let David find me swimming naked in your pool, Law," she said. This is a ridiculous, childish game. Stop it."
"Then stop being such a spoilsport and go get into a suit."
Blue eyes challenged gray. Gray might have held out longer if blue hadn't raised his brows inquiringly and hooked his thumbs back into his briefs. Blue won.
Marnie turned and marched stiffly to the door of the cabana and soundly closed it behind her. Three swimsuits and ten minutes later she emerged wearing a black maillot.
The material was stretchy enough to conform to her slight figure, even though the suit was a size too large.
Confidently she walked to the board bounced up and down to test its spring then executed a fine dive. When she surfaced, he was applauding as he floated on his back toward the side of the pool, kicking his feet to keep himself afloat.
"Very good."
"Thanks."
She swam toward the ladder and was halfway up it when his hand closed around her ankle. Tugging on it, he pulled her back into the water and pressed her backward against the tile wall.
When his legs drifted against hers, she sucked in a sharp breath. "Law, you're—"
"Um-huh. I like swimming naked. It feels good."
"And that's the creed you abide by isn't it? If it feels good, do it."
"And your creed is if it feels good, it must be sinful." He sipped a drop of water off her earlobe and glanced her neck with his lips. "For once Miss Goody-Two-Shoes, why don't you just relax and go with the flow? Take a chance. Do something daring, something—"
She gave both his shoulders a shove that pushed him away and created a huge splash.
"That's why you're doing this, isn't it?" she demanded angrily. "Because it's exciting, challenging, daring . Having a teenage boy walk in on his mother and a naked man in a swimming pool must be a thrill you haven't experienced yet."
She reached for the guard rail of the ladder and once again was almost up before he hauled her back into the water, but not as gently as before.
This time his hands slipped into the notches of her armpits. The heels of his palms pressed against the sides of her breasts, making them swell above the top of her suit. He noticed. And noticed, too, the enticing thrust of her nipples against the wet fabric plastered to them. He held her close enough to insure that she felt him, hard and ready against her middle.
"The only reason I'm doing this," he said through clenched teeth, "is because I got my hands on you once today. All I've thought about since then is getting them on you again."
He lowered his eyes to her lips. They were wet with swimming pool water and the nervous, reflexive action of her own tongue. Her lipstick had worn off. Marnie couldn't know how sexy that looked to him.
"If I'd had as much sense seventeen years ago as I do now," he added on a growl, "I'd have ripped off your suit and dragged you into the surf with me that night on the beach.
Maybe if I had helped you to overcome your inhibitions, if I'd acquainted you with a male body, you would have become a sensuous woman instead of the dried-up, uptight prude you are!"
* * *
Marnie stared at her face in the mirror over her dressing table. It had recently marked its thirtieth year but was still as smooth and wrinkle-free as a teenager's. The only feature that lent it maturity were the eyes. From the day she was born they had viewed the world solemnly.
Or so it seemed.
That's why Law thought she was a prude. She'd always had that effect on people.
Through childhood and young adulthood she'd been ridiculed for being so straight, so dull, so serious.
Did anyone actually think she liked having an overactive conscience? She didn't. It was boring. She hadn't enjoyed being the party pooper all her life. But someone had had to be.
And since Sharon was the
Similar Books
