Страница 4 из 62
“I said a few things about her, ah, career choice,” he explained, selectively choosing the words.
Tracy rolled her eyes and headed in Je
“What are you, a fucking idiot?”
“Acting,” Steve grunted.
“Dude, she’s a hell of an actress.” Bill shot a sideways glance in Steve’s direction.
Steve shrugged. He didn’t give a damn what Bill’s opinion of her skills were, he had his own thoughts on the subject. “She does have quite a temper.” Steve attempted to suppress his smile but didn’t succeed very well.
“Oh yeah,” Bill said, as the two of them watched the girls on the beach.
* * * *
“Jen, are you okay?” Tracy asked.
“That jerk had the nerve to laugh at me because I want to be an actress.” She glared at Tracy. “Nice! You said he was a nice guy. He’s an asshole!”
“Shush,” Tracy whispered looking over her shoulder.
“I don’t care if he hears me. You’re an asshole!” she yelled over her shoulder. She closed her eyes, calming herself.
“Sorry Jen, just forget it. Let’s go swimming.”
Je
Tracy laughed.
Steve took that as his cue and both he and Bill headed toward the water. Bill dove in and came up next to Tracy, wrapping his arms around her and whispering something in her ear. She smiled and nodded.
Je
“I’m sorry,” he said, sca
“Look at me when you apologize,” Je
Her sharp tone yanked his gaze back to her. “I, ah, I said I was sorry.”
“Fine.” She dove under the water.
Lines of aggravation etched into his handsome features and he stared at the smooth surface of the water where she disappeared.
Tracy and Bill retreated, leaving Je
Steve pressed his lips together in a thin line, watching Tracy and Bill disappear into the woods. When he was sure they were out of hearing range, he turned toward Je
Je
“I had to call you when Bill told me who he wanted to set me up with.”
“I’m so glad you did,” Je
“Well, we kind of lost touch there for a while,” he said, his intense gaze captivating her.
“Yeah, sorry about that.”
“I’m sorry about what happened to Tom.”
She nodded and dunked under the water. When she surfaced, she pressed her lips together and crossed her arms, sending a sideways glare his way.
Steve smiled with his back to the woods, assuming Tracy and Bill had reappeared. It amazed him how she could change her demeanor in a split second. He needed a little more time to get back into character, so he swam to the raft and hoisted himself up on the surface.
* * * *
“Would you mind going home with Steve?” Tracy eyed him on the raft. “We want to go to that new place down the road…unless you want to come dancing with us?”
“I’ll pass on dancing.”
“Then would you mind catching a ride back to the apartment with him?” She waved her hand toward the raft.
Je
“Please?”
Je
“I promise I’ll make it up to you.” Tracy dragged herself from the water and joined Bill on the beach. She waved just before she ducked into the passenger seat of the car.
Je
Steve rolled on his side, propping his head up on his hand.
“Why criminal law if you don’t want to be a lawyer?” she said, climbing the old iron ladder and folding herself Indian-style in the small space between Steve and the outer edge of the raft.
He shrugged, the setting sun reflected in his eyes and his lips curved into a smile.
“Stop gri
“Law enforcement.”
“That’s more believable than you being a lawyer.”
He pushed her off the raft.
“You bastard,” she said, breaking the surface. She skimmed her palm on the water, sending a wave over the raft, splashing him.
Steve gri
Seconds later, a tug on her ankle closed the water over her head, cutting off her sudden yelp.
Steve wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her against him and surfacing. His laughter rang out over the lake, creating a musical echo filling her ringing ears. He grabbed the side of the raft to stabilize them in the water and met her irate gaze.
The flash in his bright blue eyes made her heart skip a beat and his close proximity lit a fire in her that had been dormant for the past two years, silencing whatever scalding comments she intended when they surfaced. The urge to close the distance and taste his mouth took hold and Je
“I’m hungry,” he said releasing her and starting toward the shore.
The moment he pulled away, disappointment flooded her, weighing her down, and for a second she thought she’d be dragged under the surface again. She reached out, clinging to the side of the raft and watched him slice through the water, his strokes powerful and full of grace. Sighing, she followed the path he cut before her.
He walked up on the sand and shook his head, sending spray in every direction, glancing back at her with a playful smile.
Staring at his gorgeous profile, Je
* * * *
His smile faltered. Watching the water slip off her body stirred a long latent heat within him and his gaze lingered on her ample curves above and below her tiny waistline before taking in her shapely legs, the whole ensemble enough to make any man drool. “Ten years,” he whispered stepping closer. “God you grew up to be a beauty.” Gently, he wiped the wet hair away from her cheeks, his fingertips throbbing with the sensation of her skin. Steve squashed the urge to take her face in his hands and kiss her beautiful lips.
This can’t happen.
He retreated and looked out over the water, trying to put some distance between him and Je
* * * *
Je
“Are you okay?” she asked cautiously stepping closer.
He swung his baby blues in her direction. “Yeah, I’m fine. Where do you want to go?”
“I don’t think we’re exactly dressed for a sit down meal,” Je