done.
“I’m not having this conversation with you,” he said.
“Wanna bet?”
She probably thought she looked tough, but she was small and girlie and he could take her in half a second. Or a nanosecond, to talk like her.
“Get out of my way,” he growled.
She raised her chin. “Make me.”
She was like a kitten spitting at a wolf. Entertaining and with no idea of the danger she was in.
“You don’t scare me,” he told her.
“Right back at you.” Then she smiled. “But you probably want to kiss me now, huh?”
She was impossible. And, damn her, he did want to kiss her. He wanted to do a lot of things to her, some of which, if they stayed out here on the balcony, would violate the town’s decency code.
So instead of acting, he went for the distraction. “Andrew seems nice.”
“Oh, please. You hate him.”
“Hate would require me thinking about him. I don’t.”
“So macho. What was up with the I-know-Meri-better game?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said, even though he did. Establishing dominance early on was the best way to win.
“And they say women are complicated,” she murmured.
Eight
M eri came downstairs and found Andrew waiting for her in the living room and her team hard at work in the dining room. The choice should be simple. Work or the man who had traveled so far to see her.
She debated, then ducked into the kitchen, found the phone book in the pantry and made a couple of quick calls.
“We’re taking the afternoon off,” she announced as she walked in on her team.
“Oh, good,” Andrew said, coming up behind her and putting his hand on her shoulder. “Alone at last.”
“Not exactly,” she said with a grin. “Everyone, the shuttle will be here shortly to take you back to your hotel. I want you to put on bathing suits and beach clothes. Plenty of sunscreen.”
Donny grimaced. “You’re going to make us be outdoors again, aren’t you?”
“Uh-huh.”
There was a collection of grumbles, but everyone knew better than to argue.
“At least we’ll get it over with,” someone said. “Then we can work.”
“You’re taking them to the lake?” Andrew asked when the team had left. “Are you sure about this?”
“They can swim,” she told him. “They might not be great at it, but they can. It’s not healthy for us to sit in this room day after day. Being outside clears the mind. Physical activity is good for them.”
He pulled her close. “You’re good for me. Haven’t you missed me, Meredith?”
“Yes, but maybe not as much as I should have,” she told him honestly.
His blue gaze never wavered. “So I left you alone for too long. I knew I shouldn’t have listened to you when you said you wanted to take a break.”
“I had some things I had to do.” Things she wasn’t comfortable thinking about with an actual boyfriend in the wings.
She braced herself for his temper or at least a serious hissy fit. Instead he touched her cheek. “I guess I’m going to have to win you back.”
Words that should have melted her heart—emotionally if not physically. Because the temperature required to melt a body part would cook it first, and that was gross, even for her twisted mind. So what was wrong with her? Why wasn’t Andrew getting to her?
A question that seriously needed an answer.
An hour later they were down at the edge of the lake. Meri counted heads to make sure no one had ducked out of what she had planned and was surprised to see Jack had joined them.
“Colin told me I wouldn’t want to miss it,” he said when she approached.
“He’s right.” She had a little trouble speaking, which was weird but possibly explained by how great Jack looked in swim trunks and a T-shirt. He was tanned—mostly all over, she remembered from the previous night.
Bad memory, she told herself. Don’t think about making love with Jack. Think about Andrew and how sweet he is. Although sweet Andrew had chosen not to show up for her
“I’m not having this conversation with you,” he said.
“Wanna bet?”
She probably thought she looked tough, but she was small and girlie and he could take her in half a second. Or a nanosecond, to talk like her.
“Get out of my way,” he growled.
She raised her chin. “Make me.”
She was like a kitten spitting at a wolf. Entertaining and with no idea of the danger she was in.
“You don’t scare me,” he told her.
“Right back at you.” Then she smiled. “But you probably want to kiss me now, huh?”
She was impossible. And, damn her, he did want to kiss her. He wanted to do a lot of things to her, some of which, if they stayed out here on the balcony, would violate the town’s decency code.
So instead of acting, he went for the distraction. “Andrew seems nice.”
“Oh, please. You hate him.”
“Hate would require me thinking about him. I don’t.”
“So macho. What was up with the I-know-Meri-better game?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said, even though he did. Establishing dominance early on was the best way to win.
“And they say women are complicated,” she murmured.
Eight
M eri came downstairs and found Andrew waiting for her in the living room and her team hard at work in the dining room. The choice should be simple. Work or the man who had traveled so far to see her.
She debated, then ducked into the kitchen, found the phone book in the pantry and made a couple of quick calls.
“We’re taking the afternoon off,” she announced as she walked in on her team.
“Oh, good,” Andrew said, coming up behind her and putting his hand on her shoulder. “Alone at last.”
“Not exactly,” she said with a grin. “Everyone, the shuttle will be here shortly to take you back to your hotel. I want you to put on bathing suits and beach clothes. Plenty of sunscreen.”
Donny grimaced. “You’re going to make us be outdoors again, aren’t you?”
“Uh-huh.”
There was a collection of grumbles, but everyone knew better than to argue.
“At least we’ll get it over with,” someone said. “Then we can work.”
“You’re taking them to the lake?” Andrew asked when the team had left. “Are you sure about this?”
“They can swim,” she told him. “They might not be great at it, but they can. It’s not healthy for us to sit in this room day after day. Being outside clears the mind. Physical activity is good for them.”
He pulled her close. “You’re good for me. Haven’t you missed me, Meredith?”
“Yes, but maybe not as much as I should have,” she told him honestly.
His blue gaze never wavered. “So I left you alone for too long. I knew I shouldn’t have listened to you when you said you wanted to take a break.”
“I had some things I had to do.” Things she wasn’t comfortable thinking about with an actual boyfriend in the wings.
She braced herself for his temper or at least a serious hissy fit. Instead he touched her cheek. “I guess I’m going to have to win you back.”
Words that should have melted her heart—emotionally if not physically. Because the temperature required to melt a body part would cook it first, and that was gross, even for her twisted mind. So what was wrong with her? Why wasn’t Andrew getting to her?
A question that seriously needed an answer.
An hour later they were down at the edge of the lake. Meri counted heads to make sure no one had ducked out of what she had planned and was surprised to see Jack had joined them.
“Colin told me I wouldn’t want to miss it,” he said when she approached.
“He’s right.” She had a little trouble speaking, which was weird but possibly explained by how great Jack looked in swim trunks and a T-shirt. He was tanned—mostly all over, she remembered from the previous night.
Bad memory, she told herself. Don’t think about making love with Jack. Think about Andrew and how sweet he is. Although sweet Andrew had chosen not to show up for her
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