harsh laugh. “Oh, only my whole life. Dancing was uncivilized, so I stopped the lessons. Everything has to be just so. Color is vulgar, so I stopped wearing bright colors.”
“Tell me something.”
She looked up from her drink. “Yeah?”
“If you can't make him happy, and you're making yourself miserable, why not do what you want to do?”
He had a point. But she wouldn’t tell him that. Instead, she followed him out to the pool area and noticed the signs that said no swimming unless there was a lifeguard on duty. “What are we doing up here?”
He stripped off his shirt, nearly causing her to swallow her tongue. She might have already seen all he had to offer, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t nice to look at. “If I’m lucky, helping you cross off something else on your thirty list.”
How in the world did he—
He smirked. “A woman as controlled as you are would have on her Thirty list things she sees at challenges. Probably working her way up to the most challenging. The most basic ones would have to include public nudity. So what do you say, Jai? You up for a little skinny dipping?”
Chapter Eleven
There was a God. At least, Alec hoped there was one who would give Jaya the nudge to go skinny-dipping. He tossed his shirt onto one of the lounge chairs. Watching Jaya carefully, he prayed she’d join him. Not because he wanted her to break her rules, though that was a part of it, but because he wanted her to loosen up. Yesterday she’d been fun and vibrant and flirtatious. Today she was like a whole different person. This person was cute and he enjoyed teasing her, especially when she jotted something on that ‘to do’ list of hers. But if she were more carefree he could absolve himself of any guilt about getting too close to her. It was the guilt that always killed him. That always reminded him he was just like his father.
“Can I take some guesses as to what’s on this Thirty list of yours?” He winked at her and she rewarded him with another flush. “I’ve already guessed one thing. Skinny dipping.” God, he prayed he was right about that one. He’d only caught a quick glimpse when it fell out of her purse. Getting to see that expanse of pretty brown skin would be heaven sent.
She shook her head, her thick dark hair falling over the shoulder. “No. Don’t bother. You’ll never get it right. You don’t know me well enough.”
Man, he loved a challenge. “Oh, don’t I? I know what makes you smile when you’re not thinking so hard about being serious. I know your father makes you crazy and I know that even though your sister hurt you, you’re willing to try to be there for her. And—” He exhaled. “—I know what makes you come.”
Her pretty lips parted as if she were going to say something, then she pressed them together again tightly.
“Fine. I’ll go on. I know you’ve got a steel strength that people probably under estimate. I know that it jazzes you up to make a list. You’re hyper-organized but you love super-heroes. I know that even when your world is going to shit, you suck it up and get on with it. I might have only met you earlier this week, but I know a whole lot about you, Jaya Trudeaux. I’ve been paying attention.”
She blew out a breath as she nibbled her lip. “Fine. Skinny-dipping is on the list.” She rushed to add, “But just because we’re up here at a pool and you’ve taken off your shirt, which is very distracting by the way, I am not jumping in the pool with you.”
“Why not? It’s not like I haven’t already seen you naked.”
She rolled her eyes as she looked around. “You’re not seriously going to go in, are you? I don’t think we’re supposed to be up here.” Sniffing, she added, “I’d have to build up a lot of nerve for it, and the point is to sort of have no one around.”
“C’mon now. Half the fun is the thought that you’ll get caught.” He stalked towards her, stopping short of brushing her body with
“Tell me something.”
She looked up from her drink. “Yeah?”
“If you can't make him happy, and you're making yourself miserable, why not do what you want to do?”
He had a point. But she wouldn’t tell him that. Instead, she followed him out to the pool area and noticed the signs that said no swimming unless there was a lifeguard on duty. “What are we doing up here?”
He stripped off his shirt, nearly causing her to swallow her tongue. She might have already seen all he had to offer, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t nice to look at. “If I’m lucky, helping you cross off something else on your thirty list.”
How in the world did he—
He smirked. “A woman as controlled as you are would have on her Thirty list things she sees at challenges. Probably working her way up to the most challenging. The most basic ones would have to include public nudity. So what do you say, Jai? You up for a little skinny dipping?”
Chapter Eleven
There was a God. At least, Alec hoped there was one who would give Jaya the nudge to go skinny-dipping. He tossed his shirt onto one of the lounge chairs. Watching Jaya carefully, he prayed she’d join him. Not because he wanted her to break her rules, though that was a part of it, but because he wanted her to loosen up. Yesterday she’d been fun and vibrant and flirtatious. Today she was like a whole different person. This person was cute and he enjoyed teasing her, especially when she jotted something on that ‘to do’ list of hers. But if she were more carefree he could absolve himself of any guilt about getting too close to her. It was the guilt that always killed him. That always reminded him he was just like his father.
“Can I take some guesses as to what’s on this Thirty list of yours?” He winked at her and she rewarded him with another flush. “I’ve already guessed one thing. Skinny dipping.” God, he prayed he was right about that one. He’d only caught a quick glimpse when it fell out of her purse. Getting to see that expanse of pretty brown skin would be heaven sent.
She shook her head, her thick dark hair falling over the shoulder. “No. Don’t bother. You’ll never get it right. You don’t know me well enough.”
Man, he loved a challenge. “Oh, don’t I? I know what makes you smile when you’re not thinking so hard about being serious. I know your father makes you crazy and I know that even though your sister hurt you, you’re willing to try to be there for her. And—” He exhaled. “—I know what makes you come.”
Her pretty lips parted as if she were going to say something, then she pressed them together again tightly.
“Fine. I’ll go on. I know you’ve got a steel strength that people probably under estimate. I know that it jazzes you up to make a list. You’re hyper-organized but you love super-heroes. I know that even when your world is going to shit, you suck it up and get on with it. I might have only met you earlier this week, but I know a whole lot about you, Jaya Trudeaux. I’ve been paying attention.”
She blew out a breath as she nibbled her lip. “Fine. Skinny-dipping is on the list.” She rushed to add, “But just because we’re up here at a pool and you’ve taken off your shirt, which is very distracting by the way, I am not jumping in the pool with you.”
“Why not? It’s not like I haven’t already seen you naked.”
She rolled her eyes as she looked around. “You’re not seriously going to go in, are you? I don’t think we’re supposed to be up here.” Sniffing, she added, “I’d have to build up a lot of nerve for it, and the point is to sort of have no one around.”
“C’mon now. Half the fun is the thought that you’ll get caught.” He stalked towards her, stopping short of brushing her body with
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