syllables, her southern drawl dripping with honey, her heavy perfume clouding the air between them.
Tyler wanted to gag.
“Um, yeah. You, too.” His eyes flashed about, searching.
Barry? Where are you, Barry?
Bambi took a deep breath, expanding her chest. He prayed to God she wouldn’t pop out of her top, and focused on her head to keep his gaze from falling into the silicon-valley framed by the spandex pink polka dots below.
“I, ah, see you cut your hair,” he offered conversationally, and felt really stupid saying it.
Barry, get your ass over here, damn it. I need you!
“Why, how sweet of you to notice.” She ruffled the short fluff framing her face and pursed pink-glossed lips into a perfect Cupid’s bow pucker of a pout. “You don’t think it’s too short, do you? Too boyish?”
“Bam-Bam, I don’t think you have to worry about anyone ever mistaking you for a boy,” a new voice assured her.
Finally. Tyler heaved a silent sigh of relief at the sound of rescue.
Barry winked at him over Bambi’s shoulder and added into her ear. “Hey, hon, the Myna bird has been calling for you. You’d better see what he wants.”
“Really?” Her eyes widened. “And he only just met me, too. That bird is absolutely amazing!”
She fluttered her lashes at Tyler. “You and me need to talk, sugah. I’ll see you later, ’kay?”
Without waiting for an answer, she swiveled about and trotted off, her thonged bottom jiggling like Jell-O.
“Not if I see you first,” Tyler muttered. He turned an evil eye on Barry. “The bird is calling her? That was the best you could do?”
“It worked, didn’t it?” Barry shrugged. “Anyway, it’s true. He’s been singing ‘June Is Busting Out All Over.’ I figured he meant her.”
Tyler resisted the urge to throttle him. “Where the hell have you been?” He blinked as his gaze raked down the lanky form before him. “And why are you wet?”
“To answer both questions, at the far side of the pool, refereeing a water-basketball match. Tough job, but someone had to do it.” Barry paused to pull off his sopping polo shirt and kick out of squeaking shoes. “Man, I never realized what a vicious sport that is. Some of those girls can really slam-dunk.”
“I should slam-dunk you. Why didn’t you tell me Carlotta was coming for a fashion shoot?”
“I did. During our little discussion here earlier. But perhaps your mind was elsewhere at the time? Huh?” Barry waggled his brows up and down.
Tyler hated it when he did that, but not as much as he hated the knowing look that went with the gesture. Sometimes he felt Beanpole could read his mind.
He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and beamed a warning look back. “Okay, forget it. And, no, I’m not going to tell you what I’ve been doing.”
“Hey, did I ask?”
“No, but you were going to.”
Breaking the eye-lock, Tyler scanned the busy beach, feeling something tense, something uncomfortable gnawing him inside. Something he might have called guilt if he didn’t know he was doing the right thing. Molly wanted him, damn it. Wanted him as much as he wanted her. If he had to use a…um, slightly questionable tactic to make her understand that, it was for her benefit as much as his. The end justified the means.
She didn’t have the experience he did. Maybe she thought sex felt that good with anyone. But Tyler knew it didn’t, and she damn well better take his word on that, because he wasn’t giving her the chance to try any other man for comparison. What they had together was as good as it got. If she didn’t realize that now, she would eventually.
Besides, there were the kids to consider. He wanted them. Molly wanted them. What better arrangement than to marry and raise them together? Surely she could see that.
The big question now was why couldn’t he see? The kids, that was.
Sudden fear knifed down his spine. There were too many people milling around, not just the models having their
Tyler wanted to gag.
“Um, yeah. You, too.” His eyes flashed about, searching.
Barry? Where are you, Barry?
Bambi took a deep breath, expanding her chest. He prayed to God she wouldn’t pop out of her top, and focused on her head to keep his gaze from falling into the silicon-valley framed by the spandex pink polka dots below.
“I, ah, see you cut your hair,” he offered conversationally, and felt really stupid saying it.
Barry, get your ass over here, damn it. I need you!
“Why, how sweet of you to notice.” She ruffled the short fluff framing her face and pursed pink-glossed lips into a perfect Cupid’s bow pucker of a pout. “You don’t think it’s too short, do you? Too boyish?”
“Bam-Bam, I don’t think you have to worry about anyone ever mistaking you for a boy,” a new voice assured her.
Finally. Tyler heaved a silent sigh of relief at the sound of rescue.
Barry winked at him over Bambi’s shoulder and added into her ear. “Hey, hon, the Myna bird has been calling for you. You’d better see what he wants.”
“Really?” Her eyes widened. “And he only just met me, too. That bird is absolutely amazing!”
She fluttered her lashes at Tyler. “You and me need to talk, sugah. I’ll see you later, ’kay?”
Without waiting for an answer, she swiveled about and trotted off, her thonged bottom jiggling like Jell-O.
“Not if I see you first,” Tyler muttered. He turned an evil eye on Barry. “The bird is calling her? That was the best you could do?”
“It worked, didn’t it?” Barry shrugged. “Anyway, it’s true. He’s been singing ‘June Is Busting Out All Over.’ I figured he meant her.”
Tyler resisted the urge to throttle him. “Where the hell have you been?” He blinked as his gaze raked down the lanky form before him. “And why are you wet?”
“To answer both questions, at the far side of the pool, refereeing a water-basketball match. Tough job, but someone had to do it.” Barry paused to pull off his sopping polo shirt and kick out of squeaking shoes. “Man, I never realized what a vicious sport that is. Some of those girls can really slam-dunk.”
“I should slam-dunk you. Why didn’t you tell me Carlotta was coming for a fashion shoot?”
“I did. During our little discussion here earlier. But perhaps your mind was elsewhere at the time? Huh?” Barry waggled his brows up and down.
Tyler hated it when he did that, but not as much as he hated the knowing look that went with the gesture. Sometimes he felt Beanpole could read his mind.
He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and beamed a warning look back. “Okay, forget it. And, no, I’m not going to tell you what I’ve been doing.”
“Hey, did I ask?”
“No, but you were going to.”
Breaking the eye-lock, Tyler scanned the busy beach, feeling something tense, something uncomfortable gnawing him inside. Something he might have called guilt if he didn’t know he was doing the right thing. Molly wanted him, damn it. Wanted him as much as he wanted her. If he had to use a…um, slightly questionable tactic to make her understand that, it was for her benefit as much as his. The end justified the means.
She didn’t have the experience he did. Maybe she thought sex felt that good with anyone. But Tyler knew it didn’t, and she damn well better take his word on that, because he wasn’t giving her the chance to try any other man for comparison. What they had together was as good as it got. If she didn’t realize that now, she would eventually.
Besides, there were the kids to consider. He wanted them. Molly wanted them. What better arrangement than to marry and raise them together? Surely she could see that.
The big question now was why couldn’t he see? The kids, that was.
Sudden fear knifed down his spine. There were too many people milling around, not just the models having their
Similar Books
