at anything else on his taut and enticing body she would start drooling.
‘You’re not swimming?’ he asked after a moment, forcing Meg to meet his eyes. She couldn’t help the furtive tour she took of his body on the way up. The flash of dark swimming trunks she saw before he wrapped a towel around his hips, the dark hair plastered in a thin line to his flat stomach, the expanse of firm, lightly haired chest. And those magnificently wide shoulders. He was, quite simply, breathtaking.
It was all Meg could do to stop herself from reaching out to touch that tempting expanse of damp, cool skin. Formulating a sentence was out of the question. She looked into his face, squinting against the sun’s brightness. ‘Ah…I…huh?’
His lips twitched. ‘I was wondering why you’re not swimming. The pool’s heated, so feel free.’ His eyes brushed over her shirt and jeans. His glance snapped back to her face with embarrassing rapidity, given the detailed perusal she had just afforded his body.
Meg fought to control a blush. She glanced down at the book in her hand. ‘I was just looking for somewhere to read. The house is a little noisy at the moment.’
‘I felt the need to escape during Phillipa’s violin lesson myself. I think Mrs Henderson earns her money.’
The underscore of good humour to his words gave Meg the temerity to say, ‘She really is terrible, isn’t she? It makes me wonder why you wouldn’t let her give up the lessons. I mean,’ Meg rushed on when his brows drew downward, ‘if she’s really not enjoying herself.’
‘Of course she’s not enjoying herself. Violin is a difficult instrument that takes time and effort to learn. But it was the instrument she insisted on taking up. She begged me for lessons relentlessly for weeks and I agreed on the proviso she stuck with it for a reasonable length of time. I am simply ensuring she lives up to her end of the bargain.’
‘You make it sound like she entered into a contract with you or something.’ Meg’s temper rose at his imperious tone. ‘She’s not a business associate. She’s your daughter.’
‘And she’s also her mother’s daughter. Isabelle is neither willing nor able to honour her commitments, so it falls on me to teach Phillipa how to do so. If she learns nothing else from me, she will learn that.’
‘To a fault? Shouldn’t a child be allowed to try a few things before they land on something they’re required to stick to for life?’ Meg challenged, one hand resting on her hip while she now used the book to shade her face, all the better to stare down Bryce. Or should that be, stare up? ‘Crikey, I tried three different musical instruments and I had no aptitude for a one of them, then I played four different sports before I found one I liked enough to stick with. Why don’t you give Phillipa a break?’
‘You want me to measure Phillipa’s behaviour against yours? The woman who jumps into taxis with strangers and takes the first job offered on a whim?’
Meg narrowed her eyes, trying not to let him see how much his account of her stung. ‘Do I have to point out that you were the one who offered me that job? If you thought I was such a lunatic why did you do it?’
His reply seemed dragged out of him. ‘I don’t know.’
The silence stretched out between them and Meg felt her heart sinking. ‘Are you having regrets?’
His stare was hard on her face as he considered his response. The delay and his expression was enough answer for Meg. ‘I see.’ She took a step backward, away from the warmth of his body. Evidently he didn’t like the way she couldn’t seem to keep from saying what she thought all the time. Bryce Carlton preferred his employees to be seen and not heard.
‘Meg, wait. I didn’t mean it the way you think.’ He sighed, a frustrated sound, and brought his hand up to drag it through his hair. Droplets of water flung from the ends of his fingers and landed on Meg’s sleeve.
‘It’s all right
‘You’re not swimming?’ he asked after a moment, forcing Meg to meet his eyes. She couldn’t help the furtive tour she took of his body on the way up. The flash of dark swimming trunks she saw before he wrapped a towel around his hips, the dark hair plastered in a thin line to his flat stomach, the expanse of firm, lightly haired chest. And those magnificently wide shoulders. He was, quite simply, breathtaking.
It was all Meg could do to stop herself from reaching out to touch that tempting expanse of damp, cool skin. Formulating a sentence was out of the question. She looked into his face, squinting against the sun’s brightness. ‘Ah…I…huh?’
His lips twitched. ‘I was wondering why you’re not swimming. The pool’s heated, so feel free.’ His eyes brushed over her shirt and jeans. His glance snapped back to her face with embarrassing rapidity, given the detailed perusal she had just afforded his body.
Meg fought to control a blush. She glanced down at the book in her hand. ‘I was just looking for somewhere to read. The house is a little noisy at the moment.’
‘I felt the need to escape during Phillipa’s violin lesson myself. I think Mrs Henderson earns her money.’
The underscore of good humour to his words gave Meg the temerity to say, ‘She really is terrible, isn’t she? It makes me wonder why you wouldn’t let her give up the lessons. I mean,’ Meg rushed on when his brows drew downward, ‘if she’s really not enjoying herself.’
‘Of course she’s not enjoying herself. Violin is a difficult instrument that takes time and effort to learn. But it was the instrument she insisted on taking up. She begged me for lessons relentlessly for weeks and I agreed on the proviso she stuck with it for a reasonable length of time. I am simply ensuring she lives up to her end of the bargain.’
‘You make it sound like she entered into a contract with you or something.’ Meg’s temper rose at his imperious tone. ‘She’s not a business associate. She’s your daughter.’
‘And she’s also her mother’s daughter. Isabelle is neither willing nor able to honour her commitments, so it falls on me to teach Phillipa how to do so. If she learns nothing else from me, she will learn that.’
‘To a fault? Shouldn’t a child be allowed to try a few things before they land on something they’re required to stick to for life?’ Meg challenged, one hand resting on her hip while she now used the book to shade her face, all the better to stare down Bryce. Or should that be, stare up? ‘Crikey, I tried three different musical instruments and I had no aptitude for a one of them, then I played four different sports before I found one I liked enough to stick with. Why don’t you give Phillipa a break?’
‘You want me to measure Phillipa’s behaviour against yours? The woman who jumps into taxis with strangers and takes the first job offered on a whim?’
Meg narrowed her eyes, trying not to let him see how much his account of her stung. ‘Do I have to point out that you were the one who offered me that job? If you thought I was such a lunatic why did you do it?’
His reply seemed dragged out of him. ‘I don’t know.’
The silence stretched out between them and Meg felt her heart sinking. ‘Are you having regrets?’
His stare was hard on her face as he considered his response. The delay and his expression was enough answer for Meg. ‘I see.’ She took a step backward, away from the warmth of his body. Evidently he didn’t like the way she couldn’t seem to keep from saying what she thought all the time. Bryce Carlton preferred his employees to be seen and not heard.
‘Meg, wait. I didn’t mean it the way you think.’ He sighed, a frustrated sound, and brought his hand up to drag it through his hair. Droplets of water flung from the ends of his fingers and landed on Meg’s sleeve.
‘It’s all right
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