Page 44 of The Billionaire's Special Relationship

“Did you hear me?” she asked.

“What’s that?”

Tabby just stood there staring at him. He was badly distracted. And had been for days. She sat on the edge of the lounger beside the one he occupied.

“What did you say?” he asked her. “I was . . .”

“You were in your own head,” Tabby said, “like you’ve been for days. I said I love swimming.”

“And you’re very good at it. Were you professionally trained?”

Tabby smiled as if she knew he knew better than that. When he smiled, too, she took her towel and hit him with it. “Boy bye!” she said.

But he grabbed that towel, which pulled her to him, and then he grabbed her. She was laughing as he pulled her on top of his lap. He began tickling her, which made her laugh even harder.

“I was only asking you a question,” he said when their playfulness died down.

“But it was a stupid question.”

“Well excuse me!”

“But come on now, Stuart. You know good-and-doggone-well I’m no professionally-trained swimmer.”

“Then how did you learn to swim that well?”

“We used to dive in the creek when I was little.”

“In a filthy, snake-infected creek?”

“Exactly,” said Tabby.

Which made Stuart smile again.

“What’s so funny?”

“Tabby, those in my circle would never have agreed that their childhood creek was anything less than crystal clear and gorgeous. They would have . . . How do I put it?”

“They would have camouflaged,” said Tabby. “That’s how we put it where I come from. They would act like they were born with silver spoons in their mouths when they were as dirt poor as we were.”

Stuart laughed and nodded. “You are so right.”

Then the laughter died out. And his look turned serious. “Stay just the way you are, Tabitha. Don’t ever try to be like us.”

“Don’t worry. If your circle is like that group you showed up at Argyles with two years ago, no way would I try to be like that. All y’all be doing? No way. Y’all be doing too much.”

Stuart laughed at that too. But even Tabby could see the strain in his eyes. Which made her go there. “Stu?”

He looked at her. “Yes?”

“What’s taking so long?” She looked at him. “It’s been six days since your lawyers took that tape to the District Attorney. What’s she waiting for? She’s got all the evidence she needs to drop those charges.”

“She’s new. She’s ambitious. We didn’t take that into account.”

“But what does that mean?”

“It means she’s not about to give up a big fish too soon.”

If Tabby didn’t know that Stuart was a big fish before she got to New York, she knew it once she got there.