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So why didn’t it feel as perfect as it sounded? He stretched out his arms, then lapped to the other side of his pool in backstrokes, making it there much faster than before.
Still, the boredom annoyed him.
When he heard the faintest sound of footsteps on the hardwood floor of the living room, his heartrate accelerated and he reached for the edge of the pool. The fact she had arrived made him terribly, dangerously excited.
She walked onto the terrace. Today, she wore cargo shorts and a forest green sleeveless shirt with the logo of her company embroidered on her chest. Her hair was disheveled, and sweat coated her arms and legs. There was something incredibly sexy about her. She didn’t try to impress him as she arrived after a day’s work. “Hey,” she said.
“What did you do today?”
“Oh. An employee got sick, so I had to fill in for him.”
“You actually filled in and did manual labor?” he said, unable to hide the note of fascination in his voice. The women he usually dated would never volunteer for this kind of work, whether they owned the company or not. Yet Lara acted like it was no big deal—she was successful in her own right but didn’t mind getting her hands dirty.
Did she also enjoy getting dirty in a different way? The thought popped in his head. She’d said her ex hadn’t appreciated her, which spoke more of him than her. Having bad luck with former partners didn’t mean she wasn’t a vibrant, giving, outstanding lover.
Lust stirred inside him, heating his blood. How easy was it to get off track where she was concerned—and how very dangerous…
“Yeah.” She shrugged. “Couldn’t find anyone to replace him and I want to deliver that project in time.”
He bit back a smile. “Good.”
“What are you doing in the pool anyway? Remember I told you we’re meeting my friends tonight?”
“Oh. Sure.” He had totally forgotten. But he imagined if she was nice enough to endure a night at his parents’, the least he could do was meet her friends for dinner. Usually, when he socialized with his dates that involved the same circle of acquaintances, many of them business related.
“Have you done anything about my brother?”
“I’ll meet Conor in a couple of days,” he said under his breath. Not a meeting he looked forward to. He’d been able to keep this hiccup with Miguel from his father, as no one was supervising him in Tulip. But if he didn’t make Conor O’Donnell happy, or at least somewhat content, the heir could talk to his father, who in turn would give Troy’s father a call. And not only his marriage to Lara would be questioned, but how he took care of business, putting him several steps away from his goal. “Conor is out of town, so I have to wait until he’s back.”
“All right.”
He propped himself on his arms and jumped out of the pool. Drops of water glided down his body as he reached for the towel on the patio chair. He dried himself, and when he turned to her, he caught her watching him, her gaze traveling down his body.
His eyes flew to hers, and she looked away. “I’ll go to my room, shower, then change. You do the same. I don’t want to be late.”
Without waiting for his response, she dashed out of there.
Hmm… she was attracted to him. And spending time with her had obviously shown him he could only go so long without sex. He hadn’t been with a woman for over two months, and the withdrawal symptoms began to annoy him.
But… sleeping with Lara wasn’t just scratching an itch. It could lead to unforeseen consequences. They shared a home, and even though both of them kept to themselves, sex would completely change the dynamic. What if she fell in love with him? A wave of apprehension swept through him. What if I fall for her?
No. It wouldn’t happen. He’d never fallen for someone before. Smartly, he kept his feelings at bay and never let himself nurture deep emotions for anyone. He knew if he did, he would end up hurting that person—whether he wanted to or not, that was what he did.
Lara seemed stronger than most people. Would she agree to a no-strings affair? Excitement stirred inside him, and he raced to his room to get changed. Tonight, he’d ask her.
6
“Hey man, how about another?” Cole asked, lifting his nearly empty tumbler of scotch.
“Sure, why not?” Troy said.
They’d arrived at Splurge, the restaurant where Lara usually met her friends for happy hour. Tonight, he met real estate developer Cole and his wife Nikki, make-up artist Brit and her husband Damian, and Violet and chef Theo. He’d also learned Violet used to be married to Damian, the plastic surgeon, who now was married to her best friend. They all got along and teased each other, and he enjoyed the comradery. Made him wonder if he’d ever laugh about sleeping with Michelle with his brother. His heart shrank in his chest. That would never happen. Nor should it. His mistake had been anything but funny.
“It’s nice to be out without the kids,” Cole said. “You don’t have any, right?”
“Right.”
Cole nodded. “Nikki had twin boys before I met her, and we now have a daughter.”
