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Withdrawing her hand from beneath Conner’s, she stood tall and tossed the damp rag she’d been using for cleaning into the sink basin. “I’ll go get dressed and we can head out.”
Conner appeared like a man who’d just won a battle. A brilliant smile rose into place and he nodded, stepping back from the counter. “I’ll be in the living room waiting.”
“With bells on, I hope.” Sabrina winked and got moving, eager to see where this new day would lead her.
***
The beach was amazing this time of year. As it was always a good ten degrees colder by the water, she didn’t feel the heat of the day so much as she felt the chill of the coming fall, which was still a couple of months away. Cinching closer to Conner, she soaked up as much of his natural body heat as she could manage.
“Cold?” He chuckled, as if finding it amusing that she was freezing her butt off.
“Nope. Just looking for an excuse to get closer to you,” she commented offhandedly. Although it wasn’t untrue. Sabrina did want to get closer to the Hargreaves. The more time she spent with them, with her guard—mostly—down, the more she wanted to glean every ounce of information she could about them. She was like a starving person, needing to learn more and more, soaking it up like a sponge and finding herself still hungry.
“Oh, my sweet, you don’t ever need an excuse.”
His soft words were just what she needed to hear. Sabrina couldn’t get enough of this side of Conner. In this moment, he was nearly perfect. Her dream man brought to life.
After their brunch/lunch in a little restaurant overlooking the boardwalk, they’d decided to take a walk along the beach. As she sank her toes into the sand, Sabrina could think of no better way to spend the day than this. Conner hadn’t used his wealth or influence to wine and dine her. He didn’t seem to feel the need to go above and beyond to impress either. Instead, whether he knew it or not, he’d appealed to Sabrina’s down-to-earth side, the one that she retreated to each day after work.
This was Sabrina’s true idea of bliss. A simple walk on the beach, the sun in her hair and on her skin, the breeze cool and crisp and bringing with it an earthy scent that made her feel at peace down to her marrow.
And a man on her arm that was at once strong and foreboding and sweet and gentle and kind. Was it possible that he was her perfect match, in and of himself? Had she judged wrong in thinking that the Hargreaves brothers had to be a package deal in order to fulfill her needs?
She looked up at Conner through the bright sunlight and sighed inside. She didn’t know what the right answer was.
“What are you thinking about?” Conner’s question caught her by surprise. How did he seem to always know that she was in the midst of internal struggle?
Deciding to be honest, she said, “About us. All of us.” Sabrina cast her gaze ahead of them as the stepped up onto the long and winding walkway paved in concrete and surrounded by fine sand on the left and green, neatly cut grass on the right. “I just keep wondering if I’m making the right decision pursuing this thing with the three of you, or if I should be choosing just one. I can’t help thinking it’s going to get messy down the road.”
Even now, William and Oliver were back at her place, cast onto the sidelines yet again, in favor of her spending one-on-one time with Conner. There had to be some resentments brewing over their older brother always getting first dibs, right?
“You think too much,” Conner accused. “Although I see your point, I have to say again that we know exactly what we’re getting ourselves into. There are no jealousies or hurt feelings. Nothing that is going to get, as you say, ‘messy.’ Unless you let it.”
“Well, I don’t want to let it,” Sabrina defended, her voice rising. “I just don’t see how it couldn’t.”
“It won’t.” He sounded so sure, his words final. It was clear Conner was confident that he and his brothers had this handled, and that she was the only one complicating things, seeing problems where they didn’t currently exist or need to.
Sabrina had no desire to continue this line of conversation, knowing it would eventually lead to an argument that would breathe life into exactly what she’d been voicing concerns over.
“All right, if you say that it’ll be fine, then I’ll believe you.” She sighed and pasted on a smile. “So, what do you want to do with the rest of the day?” She hoped it involved his brothers, because the longer they spent out together alone, the guiltier she felt for leaving them behind.
Conner looked up toward the sky, using his arm around her shoulders to prop him up while she led the way so he could ponder the question. “Well…how about we head back home after we leave here, get our bathing suits, and go swimming.”
The apartment building housed an Olympic-sized pool on its first floor near the gym. She’d only used it a few times since she’d moved in, never enjoying being there alone. Now, it looked like she’d have the opportunity to try again. Maybe this time, she’d have more fun too!
“That sounds like a great idea.” After all, it was too chilly to get into the lake water, but the alternative would be just as enjoyable.
“Good, because I saw that tiny thing you call a bikini in your dresser drawer and I can’t wait to see you in it,” Conner purred, lowering his mouth to hers. They didn’t miss a step as they continued walking and he kissed her soundly on the mouth, even slipping her a bit of tongue in the process and sparking Sabrina’s imagination.
Her mind spun as they headed back to the car. He was right, the bikini was pretty skimpy. She’d been in a daring mood when she’d bought it, and now she was a little shy thinking of wearing it for her guys. Knowing them, though, she wouldn’t be wearing it for long. The question was, would she make it to the pool, or would they spend another day in the bedroom?
Chapter Twenty-One
Pool hours were strict, which was probably why, at this late hour, no one was around. Sabrina and the guys had decided on a late dinner before heading down for a swim, wanting to have some privacy. She could just imagine their reasoning, and she was in total agreement.
Sabrina didn’t want to share, even if it was something as simple as space, when it came to the brothers. She wanted all the time she could get alone with them, and if that meant pushing the limits of the management’s rules, then so be it.
Her guys were all dressed similarly: in boxers and nothing else. They hadn’t had the foresight to bring swim trunks, and why would they? It wasn’t their apartment building. Despite her protest and suggestion they go out and purchase a pair, they’d cited—logically—that boxers provided the same coverage of swim trunks as a pair of panties and a bra did her bikini. When put that way, she wondered why in the world she ever felt the need to invest fifty dollars per half of the overpriced outfit that could be lost with the simple tug of a string.
