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Sorry. I want to& kiss you. But I m married.
Hearing those words come out of her mouth sent an irrational spurt of
jealousy coursing through his veins. Semantics, he said. You won t be soon,
and considering the circumstances, surely you don t feel like you re bound to
those promises.
I don t know how I feel. She bit her lip and slowly shook her head.
Yesterday morning I was a newlywed. Today I m a separated, soon-to-be
divorcée, and I m not really sure how to be that.
You need to learn to live for you and do what you want to do. He brushed
the hair from her face. We re here together now. In thirteen days, it s back to
life. I, for one, would love to spend those thirteen days with you. Touching you.
Kissing you. Showing you all the things Marty couldn t.
Her face crumpled, and he swore under his breath. He d pushed too hard.
Just because it was obvious to him that she didn t owe Marty a damned thing
didn t mean it was obvious to her. If and when she realized that, and
recognized that she wasn t suffering from a broken heart, but from a bruised
ego, he d be there, ready to blow her mind. The thought of teaching her about
the pleasure her body was capable of made him ache. He pulled away. You re
right. Let s take a step back here. I want you to know that I m here. For
whatever you need.
Thanks, she said softly.
Hello-o-o? Nikki yelled.
He took her hand and they jogged toward the other couple. Sorry, we re
right behind you, he called.
A little ways farther down the beach, Cyrus stopped in front of a sprawling
villa made of white sandstone.
This is you? Lacey asked with a nod to the house.
This is us. Nikki grinned. Pretty nice, right? Cyrus s boss owns it and
offered it up for the whole month after Cyrus closed a huge deal for them.
Nice, Lacey agreed.
Cyrus unlocked a whitewashed wooden gate and they stepped into what
looked like a miniature rain forest. Calling this setup a patio was the
understatement of the millennium. It was an oasis. A slice straight out of The
Blue Lagoon. The pool, which was illuminated from within by ethereal lights,
was the irregular shape of a natural spring, encased in ochre-colored stone. A
waterfall flanked by towering palms flowed over a shelf of heather gray
boulders.
Wow. Lacey gasped. Our villa has a little pool, but nothing like this. It s
breathtaking.
I know, right? Nikki chuckled. It ll be hard going back home after this. You
guys can get in or hang while Cy and I make some drinks.
The couple went into the house, leaving him alone with Lacey.
She shook her head in amazement. This place is ridiculous. I ve never seen
anything like it.
Let s go in then, he said.
I don t have a suit on under this, and I don t want to borrow one from Nikki.
I already shared lip gloss with her, she confided. It was in a little pot and I
used my finger, though. You think that s okay? she whispered, shooting a
glance to the patio doors to make sure their hosts didn t hear.
What do you mean, okay? he whispered back, trying not to grin.
I mean, I m not going to get mono or something, am I? All this spontaneity
is a little scary, if you ask me.
I m thinking you re probably okay on the mono thing. As for a swimsuit, a
bra and underwear is no more revealing than a bikini, Galen reasoned. And
we ve already established that you ve gone skinny-dipping, not to mention you
flashing half of San Juan this morning. This should be a cinch.
She groaned and covered her cheeks with her hands. What are the odds of
my living that down anytime soon?
Very slim. Now come on. We ll hop in before they come out and they won t
see. I ll even turn my back. He did so and waited. A long, silent moment
passed. Well?
I m scared, she mumbled.
We re never going to be in this spot again. I don t want to leave and for you
to have regrets about the things you didn t do while we were here. Besides,
there s nothing to be afraid of. I would never let anything happen to you. If I
did, Cat would kill me, he added hastily in case she confused his declaration of
loyalty with something more.
She blew out a sigh. You re right. The determination in her voice gave him
hope and he waited. His patience was rewarded as the sound of rustling
clothes came from behind him. He unbuttoned his own shirt and tossed it onto
a lounge chair.
Ready?
I m getting in first, so don t turn around yet.
A light splash of water, a sharp hiss of breath. The instinct to turn around
was so strong he fisted his hands at his sides and silently counted in Spanish.
It took concentration, since his Spanish was only slightly better than his
needlepoint, and he d only gotten to seis when she called to him.
Okay, ready.
When he turned, Lacey waded toward him in the lagoon-like pool, long wet
hair spread around her bare shoulders, looking like a water nymph from a fairy
tale.
Come on, it s nice and warm.
Oh, man, he bet it was. She dove to the side, breaking through the water
with a splash. If an iridescent scaled tail had trailed behind her, it wouldn t
have seemed out of place.
She s a stone cold fox, Cyrus said as he stepped onto the porch with a tray
of drinks in hand.
You re not kidding. Nikki stopped short behind her fiancé and added a low
whistle for good measure.
Thanks, he said, not really sure how else to respond. It was a weird spot to
be in because she wasn t his girlfriend, but they didn t know that. And, judging
by the way they were both looking at her, it seemed prudent to keep it that
way.
Cyrus handed him a drink. You can take it in. There s a bar in the center of
the water about halfway down, past the waterfall, where you can set it before
the water gets too deep to stand. You go ahead. Nikki and I are going to get
some towels and put on some music.
Thanks. He took a sip of the tart drink and padded to the water s edge. It
didn t drop off like a regular backyard swimming pool. Rather, it sloped
downward like a beach. He walked down the gentle incline until he was up to
his waist.
Are you in yet? Lacey called. You have to see this!
Her voice seemed to echo from an outcropping of rocks she had disappeared
around. Maybe nymph was the wrong mythical creature. Siren was more like it.
He made his way toward the sound of her delighted voice, his pulse gunning
like an outboard motor.
The waterfall s applause must have drowned out his arrival because she
startled when he came around the corner. Then she saw him, and her face
stretched into a smile.
Look.
She led him toward what looked like a tiny pond inside the pool, set apart by
a tidy row of stones. In the incandescent light, boldly colored fish swam around
in lazy circles, gold, orange, and red. When he moved closer, a few darted
away, taking cover under the creamy water lilies that dotted the surface.
When he turned to Lacey, he recognized her expression. She wanted to
gauge his reaction. He knew the need to be the person who introduced
someone else to something amazing. The phenomenon was one reserved for
people whose opinions really mattered. The idea that Lacey wanted to impress
him gave him a bone-deep satisfaction, because he sure as shit wanted to
impress her. Show her new things. Blow her mind.
His cock twitched, and he struggled to keep his eyes on the fish. No way he
wanted to backslide again like they had on the beach, not when they were just
gaining ground.
Cool, right? Lacey pressed.
Very. I ve always wanted a koi pond, but this is over the top.
It s the most amazing thing I ve ever seen. I don t care what I have to do,
but some day I m getting one of these.
She looked so happy, so fucking hopeful at that moment, he wished he had a
camera. Something about a happy, hopeful Lacey made him feel damned good
inside.
He handed her the drink. Want some?
Yeah. She turned full around to face him. Her nude bra was plastered to
her like a second skin, but it had stayed fairly opaque. He must have made a
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