patted her mouth with her napkin. "Yes, I'm ready." With a murmured, "Excuse us," and a parting smile for the others, she rose and linked her arm through Tony's.
Broodingly, his eyes glittering slits of obsidian, Sean watched them walk away.
He was oblivious to the chatter going on around him until Gloria drew his attention with a playful rake of her long nails across the back of his hand. Stifling the unaccountable irritation that roiled through him, Sean turned his head and met her coy smile.
"Personally, I think they have an excellent idea." Gloria purred in response to his questioning look. "Why don't you and I pair off and go for a swim? I have a new bikini I'm just dying to try."
Sean stared at her, absorbing her ripe beauty, arid wondered why the idea didn't hold more appeal. After a moment he impatiently thrust the thought aside and with one of his lazy smiles, drawled, "Sure. Why not?"
* * *
Suntan lotion, towel, sunglasses, paperback novel. Satisfied she had everything, Joanna added her room key to the contents of the canvas bag, pulled the door shut behind her and headed for the pool.
Her thong sandals slapped against her heels as she ran up the stairs. Rounding the landing on the next deck, she nearly bumped into Susan and Bill.
"Hi." Susan hitched Lori higher on her hip and eyed Joanna's white lace beach robe. It barely reached the tops of her thighs, and the fragile lace gave tantalizing glimpses of the cinnamon maillot beneath. "Going swimming, huh? We were just heading for the pool ourselves."
"Yeah," Bill chimed in. "It's one of the few activities that we can take Lori to. She's been swimming since she was five months old." He smiled proudly and tweaked his daughter's tiny nose. "She's a regular little water baby."
"Really?" Joanna smiled at the staring infant. "I'd really like to see that. Mind if I join you?"
"Of course not. Come on."
As they climbed the final flight of stairs together Susan slanted her a curious look. "I saw you playing shuffleboard with Tony this morning. He seemed... well...very interested. I'm surprised he's not with you."
"He's playing in a backgammon tournament," Joanna replied, biting back a smile at Susan's gentle probing. "He said he'd meet me at the pool when it was over."
"You didn't want to watch?"
"No. I'm afraid I find the game extremely boring."
Actually, Joanna had thought it wise to spend some time away from Tony. He was a nice man and pleasant company, but she didn't want to encourage him too much. There was no explaining it: he was attractive, in a smooth sophisticated way, eligible, and so far, had behaved as a perfect gentleman. But there was no spark between them—at least, not from her side.
The moment they came in sight of the pool Lori let loose with a string of ecstatic jabber, her arms outstretched toward the water, opening and closing her chubby little fists in a classic "gimmee" gesture as she bounced up and down in her mother's arms. Laughing and watching the baby's uninhibited excitement, Joanna didn't see Sean at first. When she did she stopped short.
He was sitting on a poolside lounge beside Gloria, who was stretched out on her stomach with her head pillowed on her crossed arms. The top of her bikini was unfastened, and Sean was methodically applying tanning lotion to her bare back. And if the expression on his face was any indication, he was enjoying the task immensely.
Joanna was appalled by her reaction. Pain sliced through her like a sharp knife at the sight of those tanned fingers smoothing over the woman's skin. For an instant she almost gave into the urge to turn and run back to her room. But then, as she studied the look of male satisfaction on Sean's face, her jaw tightened and she stiffened her spine. No. She wasn't going anywhere. She had told Tony she'd meet him here, and here was where she was going to stay.
Gloria's back glistened in the sun. The mingled scents of heavy perfume, coconut oil and heated flesh drifted upward
Broodingly, his eyes glittering slits of obsidian, Sean watched them walk away.
He was oblivious to the chatter going on around him until Gloria drew his attention with a playful rake of her long nails across the back of his hand. Stifling the unaccountable irritation that roiled through him, Sean turned his head and met her coy smile.
"Personally, I think they have an excellent idea." Gloria purred in response to his questioning look. "Why don't you and I pair off and go for a swim? I have a new bikini I'm just dying to try."
Sean stared at her, absorbing her ripe beauty, arid wondered why the idea didn't hold more appeal. After a moment he impatiently thrust the thought aside and with one of his lazy smiles, drawled, "Sure. Why not?"
* * *
Suntan lotion, towel, sunglasses, paperback novel. Satisfied she had everything, Joanna added her room key to the contents of the canvas bag, pulled the door shut behind her and headed for the pool.
Her thong sandals slapped against her heels as she ran up the stairs. Rounding the landing on the next deck, she nearly bumped into Susan and Bill.
"Hi." Susan hitched Lori higher on her hip and eyed Joanna's white lace beach robe. It barely reached the tops of her thighs, and the fragile lace gave tantalizing glimpses of the cinnamon maillot beneath. "Going swimming, huh? We were just heading for the pool ourselves."
"Yeah," Bill chimed in. "It's one of the few activities that we can take Lori to. She's been swimming since she was five months old." He smiled proudly and tweaked his daughter's tiny nose. "She's a regular little water baby."
"Really?" Joanna smiled at the staring infant. "I'd really like to see that. Mind if I join you?"
"Of course not. Come on."
As they climbed the final flight of stairs together Susan slanted her a curious look. "I saw you playing shuffleboard with Tony this morning. He seemed... well...very interested. I'm surprised he's not with you."
"He's playing in a backgammon tournament," Joanna replied, biting back a smile at Susan's gentle probing. "He said he'd meet me at the pool when it was over."
"You didn't want to watch?"
"No. I'm afraid I find the game extremely boring."
Actually, Joanna had thought it wise to spend some time away from Tony. He was a nice man and pleasant company, but she didn't want to encourage him too much. There was no explaining it: he was attractive, in a smooth sophisticated way, eligible, and so far, had behaved as a perfect gentleman. But there was no spark between them—at least, not from her side.
The moment they came in sight of the pool Lori let loose with a string of ecstatic jabber, her arms outstretched toward the water, opening and closing her chubby little fists in a classic "gimmee" gesture as she bounced up and down in her mother's arms. Laughing and watching the baby's uninhibited excitement, Joanna didn't see Sean at first. When she did she stopped short.
He was sitting on a poolside lounge beside Gloria, who was stretched out on her stomach with her head pillowed on her crossed arms. The top of her bikini was unfastened, and Sean was methodically applying tanning lotion to her bare back. And if the expression on his face was any indication, he was enjoying the task immensely.
Joanna was appalled by her reaction. Pain sliced through her like a sharp knife at the sight of those tanned fingers smoothing over the woman's skin. For an instant she almost gave into the urge to turn and run back to her room. But then, as she studied the look of male satisfaction on Sean's face, her jaw tightened and she stiffened her spine. No. She wasn't going anywhere. She had told Tony she'd meet him here, and here was where she was going to stay.
Gloria's back glistened in the sun. The mingled scents of heavy perfume, coconut oil and heated flesh drifted upward
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