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“Zoe, most beautiful woman in Vegas, whose name doesn’t mean awesome but should.” He winked at her and she couldn’t help but giggle. “This most humble of servants asks, nay, begs you to come play with him in the pool. Grace us—me with your presence.” He kissed her hand.
She melted into another puddle of Zoe goo.
Chapter Eight
Christian nearly fist pumped the air when she agreed. It had been pure torture respecting Zoe’s request to leave her alone. He had remained entirely aware of her every move, her every frown and expression as she typed and texted. As she spoke to the twins and laughed at whatever they’d been discussing. As she did anything and everything to keep his attention riveted on her. Extraordinary things like breathing.
She pulled off her cover-up, revealing what he’d been missing as much as her wit. She kicked off her shoes, one narrowly missing his nose.
Dangerous woman.
She shook her head. Her cheeks were stained a light pink. He didn’t think it was from the sun. Her next words confirmed it. “You know, I’m really not this clumsy back home.”
He winked. “I feel honored.”
She walked toward the pool, hips swaying enticingly. Hypnotizing him with her gait, with her perfect ass that jiggled in all the right places. He swallowed a groan of appreciation.
The women he usually dated were made of sharp planes and angles that photographed well. Some men, like Wade, preferred a lean body, but Christian loved to be with women who looked and felt like Zoe. Soft and welcoming…damn near impossible to find in Los Angeles.
“I’ll be right back.” She turned, walking in the direction of the entrance to the hotel. “I have to use the ladies’ room.”
“There’s one at the back of the cabana; it’s connected to a suite,” Brennen called out, a shit-eating grin on his face.
“I thought there wasn’t any other place to change but in the hotel.” She looked at Christian, her mouth forming a perfect O as understanding dawned.
Oh, hell. He was in trouble now. “What?”
She shook her finger at him. “You’re on my bad list. Way up there. All circled and starred. Maybe even underlined in red permanent marker.”
“You can’t blame a bloke for trying.”
She shoved past him, giving him an extra bump with her hip. He lost his footing on the slippery surface and went over the edge of the pool. Cold water rushed up his nose and in his mouth.
Breaking through the water’s surface, he shook his head like a dog. In the background he could hear Wade and Brennen laughing their asses off at him.
“That’s what you get for not telling the truth.” Zoe teetered at the edge of the pool. Her purple painted toenails had little yellow flowers in the center of each. They were cute. Sexy even. They were making him reconsider that feet weren’t his particular thing.
Finally, he gave up and grinned. “I might have deserved that.” He grabbed her ankle and tugged. She fell into the pool and his arms with a squeal. She was only under the water for a split second before he hauled her up against his chest.
Her black lashes were spiked. Eyes the color of the forest in summer sparkled with humor when she opened them. “Pulling me into the pool doesn’t help.”
“Don’t even think I’ll get in there,” Vanessa growled.
“She’ll melt if she gets wet,” Christian whispered. “Don’t tell.”
Zoe laughed.
“Honestly, I shouldn’t be so hard on her.” Yeah, Vanessa was ambitious but she wasn’t any different from anyone else trying to make it in Hollywood.
Zoe raised her brows. “Kylie and Megan seem nice. They came over and talked with me while you and Brennen were signing autographs. Turns out they’re international business majors at NYU with a minor in French.” she said, a knowing smile appearing on her face. “They didn’t want to hurt your feelings. And they don’t like Vanessa, but they’re on Spring Break and meeting celebrities sounded fun. She was the one to tell them to act idiotic.”
“Maybe next time they’ll be a bit smarter about whose advice they choose to follow.”
“I hope so.” Zoe slid down his body and into the water. “Don’t you want to hang out with your friends?”
He searched for Wade and found him in a lounger in front of their cabana while Brennen chatted up a woman with light brown skin and hot pink hair. “No.” Zoe brushed against him as she walked up the tiled incline. “You’re shorter than I thought,” he said. The top of her head came to the base of his neck.
“I’ve been wearing heels.”
“The ones from the airport are my favorite. Wear them for me again?”
“Haven’t I done enough for you?”A beach ball whizzed by, smacking her on the side of the face. “Arg!”
What the hell? He turned around as fast as the water would let him, only to see Brennen smiling innocently at them.
“Anonymous drive-by throwing meant for you,” Brennen said.
“You.” Christian pointed at him.“Wait until I get my hands around your neck.”
Brennen shook his head. “Do you really think telling me what you’re going to do if I wait will make me stick around?”
Christian swam for him, but Brennen managed to get past him. He had almost made it out of the pool when a volleyball from out of nowhere smashed him in the side of the head.
Brennen fell back, sinking to the bottom of the pool. Christian looked around to see who had knocked the prankster flat.
Zoe smiled and wiggled her eyebrows.
“You did that?” He really shouldn’t be surprised. The woman had stabbed him at dinner.
Brennen surfaced behind him, laughing and coughing.
“I know how to fight dirty when I need to,” Zoe said before thanking some bloke standing by the pool. She turned back to Christian. “Or employ others as my minions.” Her hands twisted together in parody of an evil villain.
“I get the distinct feeling there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to you.”
“Transformers.”.
“Would you please stop movie dialogue checking me?”
“Only when you stop using them as a pick-up device.”
“Tell me about your family. How’s that for a pick-up line?”
“Come sit with me and I will.” She swam away from him. Or rather she treaded water and kicked her legs. The woman wasn’t remotely athletic and he found that he didn’t care.
