tendril of her dark hair. "It's a simple act of self-preservation. If you were to tell me why you were crying, you might start again. Then I'd put my arms around you and—" he fixed his gaze on her, hard "—we both know where that would lead."
She stared at him, eyes wide, leaving the silence of their heartbeats between them.
A night wind disturbed the surface of the pool, causing shadow and light to flicker across her smooth skin. She didn't move, didn't speak, but her eyes, darkened now in the dim light of the pool area, said it all.
Sex. Yes. Definitely sex. His groin throbbed and tightened.
But there was more, something shadowy and undefined. The air between them was alive with possibilities.
She'd tilted her head, narrowed those tell-all eyes, still shiny from crying. "And going where that would lead? That would be a bad thing?" she asked, the question a challenge.
"It would be a waste of time." He dropped the towel on a lounge. "Particularly yours."
She chewed on her lower lip, played with Millie's ear with one hand and held Licks' leash in the other.
"It's decided then." She met his gaze. "We're not going to get up close and personal."
"It's decided."
"You're definitely not going to make love to me, no matter what?"
His breath snagged in his throat. This was one plainspoken lady. "No."
For the first time since he'd found her at poolside, she smiled, a small smile, more wistful than challenging. "I might take that as a dare, you know."
Rand had never seen himself as weak-willed before this moment, but he barely stopped himself from reaching for her. She'd made it plain she'd give him what he wanted in a heartbeat, and he was rock-hard. And needing to the point of pain.
Think of Ned. Think of anything... but her.
Before Rand embarrassed himself, he dove into the pool. He swam a few strokes and came back to rest his forearms on the edge of the pool. "Take your dare, the dogs, and get the hell out of here, Tessa." He tried to harden the line of his mouth, probably failed. "Believe me, this is no place for a lady."
"I guess I don't feel much like a lady tonight." She gave him the barest of shrugs and picked up Licks, who was fast growing past the portable stage. "Come on, Millie." She looked down at Rand, her expression for once unreadable."The man's afraid I'll bite him."
He watched her walk away, open the French doors to the library, and step in. He dragged in a long breath. "It's not your bite I'm afraid of, Tessa. And if it weren't for Ned—" He pushed away from the side of the pool.
He swam hard for over an hour.
And he planned to work sixteen-hour days until Ned got back from California. Only a fool would put himself in temptation's way... especially when temptation's bedroom was only a few feet down the hall.
* * *
"What in hell do you mean, you're married?" Rand said, struggling to keep his voice down, even though, thank God, Ned had closed his office door behind them.
Ned, half-sitting, half-leaning against Rand's desk, appeared unaffected by his outburst. "What getting married usually means. Tylla and I tied the proverbial knot."
"Who's Tylla, for God's sake?" Rand figured when it came to Ned, nothing would surprise him. But his coming back from a business trip married was definitely a jolt.
Ned smiled. Smugly, Rand thought.
"Tylla Taylor. The model?" he added. "Vogue? Elle?"
Rand drew a blank.
Ned rolled his eyes. "Last year? Mexico. She came with us on the communications deal."
Ah, yes, Tylla, nearly six feet tall, with blond hair and endless legs. The affair had been hot and short, ending with the woman leaving in a rage when Ned insisted she turn down a modeling assignment in London to stay with him in Mexico.
Rand, who had been standing near the window, strode back to his desk and sat down. Some of the surprise drained out of him, because he also remembered loading a drunken, angry Ned into his suite the night after she left and watched his social life rev even higher since.
She stared at him, eyes wide, leaving the silence of their heartbeats between them.
A night wind disturbed the surface of the pool, causing shadow and light to flicker across her smooth skin. She didn't move, didn't speak, but her eyes, darkened now in the dim light of the pool area, said it all.
Sex. Yes. Definitely sex. His groin throbbed and tightened.
But there was more, something shadowy and undefined. The air between them was alive with possibilities.
She'd tilted her head, narrowed those tell-all eyes, still shiny from crying. "And going where that would lead? That would be a bad thing?" she asked, the question a challenge.
"It would be a waste of time." He dropped the towel on a lounge. "Particularly yours."
She chewed on her lower lip, played with Millie's ear with one hand and held Licks' leash in the other.
"It's decided then." She met his gaze. "We're not going to get up close and personal."
"It's decided."
"You're definitely not going to make love to me, no matter what?"
His breath snagged in his throat. This was one plainspoken lady. "No."
For the first time since he'd found her at poolside, she smiled, a small smile, more wistful than challenging. "I might take that as a dare, you know."
Rand had never seen himself as weak-willed before this moment, but he barely stopped himself from reaching for her. She'd made it plain she'd give him what he wanted in a heartbeat, and he was rock-hard. And needing to the point of pain.
Think of Ned. Think of anything... but her.
Before Rand embarrassed himself, he dove into the pool. He swam a few strokes and came back to rest his forearms on the edge of the pool. "Take your dare, the dogs, and get the hell out of here, Tessa." He tried to harden the line of his mouth, probably failed. "Believe me, this is no place for a lady."
"I guess I don't feel much like a lady tonight." She gave him the barest of shrugs and picked up Licks, who was fast growing past the portable stage. "Come on, Millie." She looked down at Rand, her expression for once unreadable."The man's afraid I'll bite him."
He watched her walk away, open the French doors to the library, and step in. He dragged in a long breath. "It's not your bite I'm afraid of, Tessa. And if it weren't for Ned—" He pushed away from the side of the pool.
He swam hard for over an hour.
And he planned to work sixteen-hour days until Ned got back from California. Only a fool would put himself in temptation's way... especially when temptation's bedroom was only a few feet down the hall.
* * *
"What in hell do you mean, you're married?" Rand said, struggling to keep his voice down, even though, thank God, Ned had closed his office door behind them.
Ned, half-sitting, half-leaning against Rand's desk, appeared unaffected by his outburst. "What getting married usually means. Tylla and I tied the proverbial knot."
"Who's Tylla, for God's sake?" Rand figured when it came to Ned, nothing would surprise him. But his coming back from a business trip married was definitely a jolt.
Ned smiled. Smugly, Rand thought.
"Tylla Taylor. The model?" he added. "Vogue? Elle?"
Rand drew a blank.
Ned rolled his eyes. "Last year? Mexico. She came with us on the communications deal."
Ah, yes, Tylla, nearly six feet tall, with blond hair and endless legs. The affair had been hot and short, ending with the woman leaving in a rage when Ned insisted she turn down a modeling assignment in London to stay with him in Mexico.
Rand, who had been standing near the window, strode back to his desk and sat down. Some of the surprise drained out of him, because he also remembered loading a drunken, angry Ned into his suite the night after she left and watched his social life rev even higher since.
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