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Steam rose from the hot tub, which was tucked in the corner of the room and she cruised toward it, shedding her robe along the way.
A head stuck up above the edge, and she tripped to a stop. Awkward. She was hoping to have it to herself. Maybe he’d leave.
As she approached the enclosure, the person in the hot tub turned his head and she almost tripped again.
“Took you long enough.” Eric sat up straight and the hot water sluiced from his broad shoulders and steam rose from his back.
She had to snap her mouth shut and just hope no drool had made it to her chin. “You.”
He ran a hand across his hair, and his biceps bunched. “Sounded like a good idea. Hop in. It’s nice and hot.”
She had to peel her tongue from the roof of her mouth to speak and she still managed only a gurgle.
She entered the enclosure and dipped a toe into the bubbling water. “Yep, it’s hot.”
Eric lifted one corner of his mouth, and the heat spread to her cheeks. Idiot.
She stepped into the tub and sank onto the tile seat across from him. Her foot touched his and she jerked it back. His presence here did not bode well for a relaxing soak.
Sighing, she scooted farther into the water and rested the back of her head on the edge of the pool. She shifted so that the jets pounded between her shoulder blades. “Ahh.”
He lowered his body back beneath the surface of the frothing water. “Feels good. Thanks for the suggestion. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. It’s a good way to unwind after work. Beats booze.”
“Apparently not.” He pointed to the little bottle of wine perched on the deck with the plastic cup snug over the top.
“I—I...just a little nightcap.”
“Christina,” he said as he cupped some water in his hand and tipped it over, “you don’t have to pretend to be a teetotaler for me. I ordered two drinks at dinner, remember?”
“I know. It’s just that your mom...”
“Was an alcoholic and a prescription drug addict. That was my mom. I don’t put a black check mark next to someone’s name just because they like a social drink now and then.”
“I know. It’s silly.” To prove her point, she grabbed the bottle and twisted off the cap.
“A twist cap? Only the best, huh?”
She turned the bottle in her hand and studied the dark blue label. “It’s actually a decent chardonnay from a good little winery in Sonoma—not that I would know one from the other.”
“Of course not. Leave a little in the bottle for me. I’d like to try it.”
She poured most of the golden liquid into the plastic cup, leaving a gulp for Eric.
“Here you go.” She handed him the bottle through the steam, and it promptly beaded up with moisture.
He took it and tipped the neck toward her. “Here’s to finding our guy.”
“To finding our guy.” She tapped the rim of her cup with the bottle and took a sip. The cool liquid ran down her throat, contrasting with the heat on her skin, made hotter by the man lounging across from her. “There is one hot tub rule I have to ask you to follow.”
“What’s that? No nudity?”
His grin melted her insides even more, and she splashed him. “That goes without saying. Those are the hotel rules, anyway. This is my personal rule for hot tub time.”
“I’m listening.” He wrapped his lips around the bottle and tipped his head back.
“No shoptalk. This is time to relax, not rehash.”
“You got it.” He touched the bottle to his forehead, and then aimed it at her chest. “You used to favor bikinis. What happened?”
She smothered a cough and almost snorted wine out of her nose. “I always like a one-piece at the hotel pools. Stays on better when I want to do a little swimming.”
She’d just started feeling comfortable in a bikini after her pregnancy and giving birth to Kendall, but she couldn’t explain that to Eric. This craziness had to stop. She couldn’t continue to work with him and keep the most important part of her life a secret.
“Yeah, I guess I remember you always did wear a one-piece in the ocean.”
She took another sip of wine and cupped its sweetness on her tongue before swallowing it. Was it time to get personal? “So you never came back to the city after South America?”
“They sent me to D.C. I’ve been homebasing it there.”
“Do you miss the city? Your brothers?”
“Yes and sort of. I was kind of relieved when I found out Sean was on an extended vacation. He’s so damned controlling.”
“At least he’s not a witch.”
“Yeah, he’s got that going for him.” He made a cross over his heart and said, “Not to bring up work, but speaking of siblings, when is the last time you saw your sister Vivi?”
