Yikes.
She pulled her hand back.
His gaze remained on hers. “Are you coming with me to get out of reading all those reports on your desk?”
“Absolutely.”
Again his lips quirked. He was going to have to stop doing that, because watching them move like that made her wonder what else his lips did well.
Oh boy. Time to go.
“Fine,” he said. “We’ll go together.”
“Fine.”
“In the name of orientation.”
Whatever he wanted to call it, as long as she got her way.
WES NODDED to employees here and there, as he and Kenna made their way to security, but, despite all the distractions, he found himself watching Kenna walk.
And it was quite a walk. Every step of the way, down the long hallway, then out into the reception area, down the elevator, over priceless carpets and past impressive paintings, through the huge glass doors into the early dazzling San Diego summer sun and onto the patio decking, he watched.
While telling himself he shouldn’t.
“Beautiful day,” she said when they went through a courtyard, beyond which came the scent of chlorine. The security rooms were just beyond the pool area. “I’d still prefer the beach, though. Give me the hot sand and pounding surf any day over the scent of pool.”
He lifted his eyes off her legs, which were revealed by the long slit in the skirt with every step she took. Did she know her hips swung to and fro in the most hypnotic way? That she was highly entertaining in a way he couldn’t explain, and he didn’t want to miss anything? He shook his head to clear it. “The beach. Yeah, I was there at the crack of dawn, and it was something.”
“What were you doing? Running?”
“Surfing.”
She glanced at him over her shoulder. “
“Is that so strange?”
She laughed. “I’m just trying to picture you without the tie.”
“Who says I surf without it?”
She stared at him, then laughed again. “You’re very different than I thought you’d be, Weston Roth.”
And so was she. They moved close together to make their way through a narrow walkway. Strands of her long blond hair seemed to catch him, tug at him. Annoying as hell.
Worse, she’d dressed like some movie star out of the 1930s. Who could have guessed a long-sleeved blouse and long, long skirt could be so sexy? It might have been the fact that the blouse was sheer, showing a peek-a-boo hint of something lacy beneath.
They came to the pool. Because it was early yet, no one was in the water. Two little girls, wearing matching pink polka-dot bathing suits and inflatable arm rings stood near the edge, screeching at each other.
“Mom said!”
“No, she didn’t!” The left one added a shove to the screech.
Her sister shoved back.
Kenna stepped forward. “Hey, there’s no lifeguard on duty. Where’s your mother?”
The girls paid her no attention. Wes watched them screeching and shoving, and wondered if all little children were devils incarnate. These two especially, as with each push, they brought each other closer to the edge of the pool.
His fearless new partner stepped close, right on the very edge of the tile herself.
He stepped close, too, and tried to warn her. “Uh…Kenna? Bad idea-”
“Where are the pool employees? These girls can’t be out here alone.” Stepping between the kids, she bent down to their level. “Where’s your mom?” she repeated.
“Mom said!” the one on the right said again at an incredible decibel level.
“No, she didn’t!” The one on the left reached around Kenna and added another push.
Wes winced. “Kenna-”
With absolute irritation, she whirled on him. “I just need a minute, Wes. Can you give me that?”
He looked down at the edge of the pool, almost directly beneath her feet, and then into her fierce eyes.
Swallowing the dire warning he’d been about to offer, he stood back, calculated the splash level, and then stepped back another few feet. “You know what?” he said. “Take all the minutes you want.”
“Thank you.” Kenna turned back to the children. “Now,” she said, with the patience of a harassed teacher on a Friday afternoon. “I want the two of you to-
One of the little girls stopped pushing her sister and pushed Kenna.
“Stop that,” she said sternly.
The other sister apparently liked this new target, too, and joined in the action, adding her weight to the pushing match.
And that’s when it all went bad.
Arms flailing, Kenna flew backward.
Right into the pool.
9
SURFACING, Kenna blew her soggy hair out of her face. Furious, and more than a little embarrassed, she glared at her target. Not the two horrified children, but Weston Roth. “Don’t even think about laughing.”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
The two girls, crying now, ran for their mother, who’d just come onto the deck with an armful of towels.
Nice of her to show up.
Kenna’s teeth started to chatter, because the contrast between the air temperature and the water temperature was so great and she swam for the side of the pool. That’s when it hit her that Wes stood a good ten feet back.
Of course he did, the jerk.
“I could be drowning, you know.” She shoved more of her soggy hair from her face. She really was going to have to go with waterproof mascara.
The irritating man merely smiled, though he did step a bit closer. “Are you?”
He laughed, and the low rough sound of his good humor really fried her. She knew damn well he wouldn’t be laughing if it was
“You’re talking too much to be drowning,” he said, then hunkered down at the edge of the pool, careful to keep his shoes dry. “You’re a mess.”
“It’s very sweet of you to point that out.” She lifted a hand, too irritated to swim to the shallow end or toward the ladder. “Pull me out.”
Mockingly apologetic, he shook his head. “You said you were going to handle this.” His smile was slow, sympathetic and utterly, infuriatingly sexy. “You said-”
“Oh, shut up.” She held on to the side of the pool, the water dragging her clothes down while she plotted her revenge, never mind that it was her own stupidity that had landed her in the pool in the first place. Somehow this was his fault, she just knew it. “Give me a h-hand.”
She hadn’t faked the shiver at the end, but she realized when he frowned in concern that it was a nice touch
