nuptials coming on,” Eric said.
“Maybe. Anyway, he wants to come see the horse swim this morning.”
Eric pitched an uncompromising gaze at Mike. “It’s time to send Miss Beardmore packing. Do it before Tom gets here. We don’t need anymore mishaps.”
“Seriously, it would be nice to send Mr. Mason home with his vehicle in one piece,” Kate said.
“Don’t worry,” Mike assured them. “She’s as good as gone.”
Sunshine glinted off the water through the arched windows that lined the perimeter of the equine swimming area. The pump hummed, and the water lapped against the sides of the pool like a gentle lullaby.
Tom Mason took his sunglasses from his tanned face and placed them on his head while being careful not to mess his smooth, slicked-back, dark hair. He squinted to allow his dark brown eyes to acclimate to the inside.
“Eric ... Eric ... is anyone here?” He made his way to the edge of the pool. He picked up a guide staff and examined it with great interest. “Hello, anyone here?” he called out again while looking around.
The door jerked open to slice bright sunshine into the room.
He turned.
Smiling at the stranger, Coco peered into the room. While stepping through the door, her heel caught on the threshold and broke off.
With a squeal, she leaned against the door jamb to survey the damage in disgust. “Oh, poo, I just bought these.”
Tom’s eyes brightened at the sight of the busty blonde’s lush figure. He turned his attention to her broken heel. “Can I help you?” he asked with a cool, gallant voice.
She glanced up at the handsome, tanned, older man. Instantly, she sported her coquettish schoolgirl smile. “I thought I heard someone in here. You wouldn’t happen to have an extra pair of Jimmy Choo’s on you?”
He smiled. “I’m afraid not. Here. Let me take a look. Perhaps I can fix it for you.” He knelt down to slip the pump from her foot.
Her heart skipped a beat when his hand swept over her heel, across her arch, and through her toes. His hands weren’t callused like Mike’s, or twisted and wrinkled like that mean old Doug O’Conner. He wore a gold ring on his right pinky. She noticed the small gold cross on a chain around his neck.
Just a touch of bling. Sweet.
Tom inspected the shoe, her foot, the delicate curve of her calf, and her slender tight thighs. Trying to collect his thoughts, he cleared his throat and averted his eyes to glance around the room.
Spotting tools on a shelving unit, he retrieved a hammer, placed the heel on the shoe, and tapped it once, during which he smacked his thumb. Wincing, he stuffed the corner of his thumb in his mouth to suck away a bead of blood.
“Are you okay?” Tenderly, she pulled his hand away from his mouth to massage his thumb. Her lips curled while her eyes searched his.
Feeling the electricity in their touch, he didn’t pull his hand away. His wince softened. His eyes met hers. “I’ll be fine. That should hold long enough for you to return them anyway.”
“Thank you.” She planted her hand on his shoulder to slip the shoe onto her foot.
He took in her crystal blue eyes, and the splay of blonde hair that had fallen across her soft blushed cheek. She was young, lovely, sultry, and oh-so-entrancing.
“You must be Kate,” he said.
“Oh, goodness no, my name is Coco, Coco Beardmore.”
Tom’s smile turned into a wide grin. “You don’t mean, Colette Beardmore? Stan’s little girl?”
Her blue eyes twinkled. “Uh-huh. Do you know Daddy?”
“Doesn’t everybody? I’m Tom Mason.” He took her hand and kissed it gently. “Are you free for lunch, Colette?”
She breathed in. She needed to face Mike in order to release him from any more responsibilities for her horses . I owe him that. It’s the right thing to do after last night. But she felt quite stimulated by this man who called her Colette. No one ever called me that. Not Henry, not Daddy, no one ... until now. Perfect.
“Tom Mason,
“Maybe. Anyway, he wants to come see the horse swim this morning.”
Eric pitched an uncompromising gaze at Mike. “It’s time to send Miss Beardmore packing. Do it before Tom gets here. We don’t need anymore mishaps.”
“Seriously, it would be nice to send Mr. Mason home with his vehicle in one piece,” Kate said.
“Don’t worry,” Mike assured them. “She’s as good as gone.”
Sunshine glinted off the water through the arched windows that lined the perimeter of the equine swimming area. The pump hummed, and the water lapped against the sides of the pool like a gentle lullaby.
Tom Mason took his sunglasses from his tanned face and placed them on his head while being careful not to mess his smooth, slicked-back, dark hair. He squinted to allow his dark brown eyes to acclimate to the inside.
“Eric ... Eric ... is anyone here?” He made his way to the edge of the pool. He picked up a guide staff and examined it with great interest. “Hello, anyone here?” he called out again while looking around.
The door jerked open to slice bright sunshine into the room.
He turned.
Smiling at the stranger, Coco peered into the room. While stepping through the door, her heel caught on the threshold and broke off.
With a squeal, she leaned against the door jamb to survey the damage in disgust. “Oh, poo, I just bought these.”
Tom’s eyes brightened at the sight of the busty blonde’s lush figure. He turned his attention to her broken heel. “Can I help you?” he asked with a cool, gallant voice.
She glanced up at the handsome, tanned, older man. Instantly, she sported her coquettish schoolgirl smile. “I thought I heard someone in here. You wouldn’t happen to have an extra pair of Jimmy Choo’s on you?”
He smiled. “I’m afraid not. Here. Let me take a look. Perhaps I can fix it for you.” He knelt down to slip the pump from her foot.
Her heart skipped a beat when his hand swept over her heel, across her arch, and through her toes. His hands weren’t callused like Mike’s, or twisted and wrinkled like that mean old Doug O’Conner. He wore a gold ring on his right pinky. She noticed the small gold cross on a chain around his neck.
Just a touch of bling. Sweet.
Tom inspected the shoe, her foot, the delicate curve of her calf, and her slender tight thighs. Trying to collect his thoughts, he cleared his throat and averted his eyes to glance around the room.
Spotting tools on a shelving unit, he retrieved a hammer, placed the heel on the shoe, and tapped it once, during which he smacked his thumb. Wincing, he stuffed the corner of his thumb in his mouth to suck away a bead of blood.
“Are you okay?” Tenderly, she pulled his hand away from his mouth to massage his thumb. Her lips curled while her eyes searched his.
Feeling the electricity in their touch, he didn’t pull his hand away. His wince softened. His eyes met hers. “I’ll be fine. That should hold long enough for you to return them anyway.”
“Thank you.” She planted her hand on his shoulder to slip the shoe onto her foot.
He took in her crystal blue eyes, and the splay of blonde hair that had fallen across her soft blushed cheek. She was young, lovely, sultry, and oh-so-entrancing.
“You must be Kate,” he said.
“Oh, goodness no, my name is Coco, Coco Beardmore.”
Tom’s smile turned into a wide grin. “You don’t mean, Colette Beardmore? Stan’s little girl?”
Her blue eyes twinkled. “Uh-huh. Do you know Daddy?”
“Doesn’t everybody? I’m Tom Mason.” He took her hand and kissed it gently. “Are you free for lunch, Colette?”
She breathed in. She needed to face Mike in order to release him from any more responsibilities for her horses . I owe him that. It’s the right thing to do after last night. But she felt quite stimulated by this man who called her Colette. No one ever called me that. Not Henry, not Daddy, no one ... until now. Perfect.
“Tom Mason,
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