Part 12 (2/2)

”You really think so?”

”Of course.”

”Have you told him?”

Frankie looked up. ”Sorry?”

”Nate. In case you haven't noticed, he doesn't look real happy. Have you told him how much you appreciate his work?”

”I've tried. But I'll give it another shot.”

”Good. I'm heading up.” Joy lifted her hand and disappeared.

Frankie shuffled papers for a few minutes and then decided to grab the bull by the horns and go talk to him.

But the kitchen was empty. Everything was in its place, the dishwasher was churning over a load, the stainless steel counters were wiped clean.

She headed upstairs. His door was open, his light was off, his bed empty.

Where was he?

Frankie went back down to the kitchen. The house was quiet, the guests having gone to bed early to sleep off their sunburns and swim-sore muscles. She went outside through the back door, hoping to find him on one of the porches.

The night was a tender one, the breeze off the lake gentle, the moon glowing overhead. But he wasn't in any of the wicker chairs and she was about to turn around when she saw him, twenty yards away, standing on the dock. He had his hands on his hips and was looking down into the water. She started across the lawn.

And stopped when he took off his s.h.i.+rt. He tossed it behind him carelessly. Then shed his pants, too. There were no boxers or briefs for him to remove.

Good G.o.d, his backside was fantastic.

She put her hand over her mouth, thinking she really shouldn't wonder what the front of him looked like. But, oh, man, she could just imagine.

What a beautiful, powerful, naked man. He was like something out of a fantasy, drenched in moonlight, the lake sparkling around him.

Nate glanced over his shoulder.

And caught her red-handed. Her heart rate spiked even more, if that was possible, and she wondered how she was going to explain herself. Yeah, see, I was just out for a little stroll and, ah, d.a.m.n, you're built like a Greek statue, did you know that?

But he showed no interest in her at all. Just turned back around and dove into the lake with a clean slice.

Frankie frowned, and as tempting as it was to race back to the house, she decided to be a grown-up. She went down to the dock, as if seeing a man who looked as good as he did in his birthday suit happened to her every night.

He stroked out some distance and then rolled over on his back. If he was surprised that she'd taken a seat on the dock, he didn't show it.

”Something wrong?” he drawled. As if that would be the only reason she'd seek him out.

Nothing's wrong, she thought. Other than the fact that the image of his b.u.t.t was now tattooed onto the backs of her eyelids. Every time she blinked, she kept seeing that tight- ”In a manner of speaking,” she said huskily.

Yup, tonight was going to be such fun. Laying in the dark. Seeing his bare a.s.s on her ceiling.

”Let's hear it then.” He swam to the dock and hefted his upper body out of the water. His forearms supported his weight while the bottom half of him stayed in the lake.

This she could deal with. All she had to do was forget he didn't have a bathing suit on. It wasn't like she could see anything.

Although, jeez, his shoulders were magnificent, the muscles straining under his skin. His hair was slicked back from his face, making his eyes seem fierce and his jaw especially hard. Or maybe that was all because of his mood.

She cleared her throat. ”I want to thank you for all your hard work. I can't believe how business has picked up.”

”You're welcome.”

There was a long silence. She glanced down at her hands. ”And I want to apologize for how defensive I got up on the mountain. Even though we have to keep things professional, you really were just trying to be nice and I basically bit your head off.”

”No problem.” His tone was bored.

”I should have handled that better.”

”Forget it. I have.”

He dropped back into the water, pushed off the dock and floated backwards.

Now why did that have to sting, she thought.

”Yeah. Well.” She pulled the scrunchie out of her hair and played with it.

”There anything else you have to say?”

”Ah, no.”

”Then you better head up to the house. I'm about to get out of this water and I can't imagine you're going to want to be sitting there when I do.”

She closed her eyes, picturing him emerging from the lake, water droplets clinging to his skin. He would come over to her and urge her down onto the dock, getting her clothes wet as he laid on top of her and kissed her- ”Good night, Frankie,” he muttered.

She nodded, stood up and walked back to the house. Looking at the sky, she thought the night didn't feel the same. She wrapped her arms around herself. It wasn't quite so warm anymore.

Chapter Nine.

W hen Nate went down to the kitchen at five o'clock the next morning, he was thinking about whipping up some mousseline sauce. He wanted to cook something tricky. He wanted to get caught up in deftly manipulating temperature, in coaxing egg yolks and b.u.t.ter and flour into a sublime accompaniment for veal.

Because in the last couple of days, he'd lost his sense of humor, his ability to sleep through the night, and any semblance of equilibrium.d.a.m.n it, but he couldn't get that woman out of his head. He vacillated between wanting to yell at her, needing to beg, or thanking the Lord she had the sense to put a wall up between them. And her little visit last night when he'd been skinny-dipping had been the kicker.

Because water, when running over naked skin, felt a lot like a woman's hands. Especially when the female you wanted was sitting on the dock in front of you.

As if he needed the flipping reminder that he was desperate for her. Even though she was resolute about keeping them apart, he just couldn't seem to let the attraction go. First of all, he saw her every day. And even though he pretended to be busy as h.e.l.l whenever she pa.s.sed through the kitchen, he always watched her out of the corner of his eye. Talk about a recipe for disaster. He'd almost cut off his pinkie last night with a butcher's knife. And making things worse, he was sharing a bathroom with her. So every time he went in to take a shower, he thought about her naked, soaping herself down with the same bar he was using on his own body.

Man, if he didn't snap out of it, he was going to cut something off that wouldn't grow back. And have to start bathing in the lake.

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