Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
I perched on the edge of a chaise lounge that he indicated. He dragged another one over and sat next to me. The other two men were still in the pool. One hugged the wall, close enough to be in the conversation, while the one who’d invited me for a swim was doing laps. It seemed strange that such a large body could glide so smoothly through the water, but he made it look easy.
The sun felt good on my face and arms. I had on a short-sleeved blouse, a skirt, and sandals. When I’d left Illinois, I’d felt appropriately dressed for a work-related trip. But here, out by the pool, I felt ridiculously overdressed. Maybe it was because there were three gorgeous men wearing very little. Then again, I saw that every day for my work.
Except that most of my clients didn’t look like these guys.
Dominic gestured at the man with the sun-streaked, tousled brown hair. “That’s Tyler.”
“Tye,” the man said.
“Hi,” I said right back before I realized that he’d said ‘Tye’ not ‘hi.’ Oops.
Dominic chuckled but Tye didn’t. “And the guy pretending to be Michael Phelps over there is Justin.”
My gaze automatically returned to the swimmer, and I realized he kind of did look like Michael Phelps, the champion Olympic swimmer. He had the dark hair, broad shoulders, and mega-muscular chest. As I watched, he reached the wall of the pool, did a flip, and swam underwater, emerging next to his friend.
“Hey there, I’m Justin,” he said easily.
“I just told her that,” Dominic said.
Justin winked at me. “Well, now she’s got confirmation.”
I wasn’t quite sure what to say to that, so I gave him a small smile.
In the short silence that followed, I became aware of the sound of the waves pounding against the shore again.
Dominic followed my gaze. “It’s a nice view, isn’t it?”
“Oh, yes.” It wasn’t the cleverest response, but it was heartfelt, and Dominic seemed to approve.
Then Tye spoke. “Just out of curiosity, why did you run screaming from the house?”
Justin elbowed him, but I couldn’t blame him for being curious.
“It was that statue up on the terrace.”
Justin cocked his head at me. “Roman figures terrify you?”
“No, they—” I paused, realizing that he was teasing. What was with me today? You’d think that the sight of three handsome men had made my brain cells flee my head. “There was something on it that moved, and it startled me.”
“Probably a lizard,” Justin said. “They’re all over the place here.”
“Or a skink,” Dominic added. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what that was.
“We don’t have many of those in Illinois,” I said. “Anyway, it startled me, and then something—I think it was one of those billowy curtains—touched my leg and I just about jumped out of my skin.”
Dominic looked sympathetic. “Not the most calming introduction to the house.”
Justin folded his long arms on the edge of the pool. “But then you came out here and got to see this magnificent view.”
I nodded, my cheeks heating a little. He meant the ocean view, right?
His eyes swept briefly down to my legs, which were crossed at the ankle as I perched on the edge of my seat. “I’ve never seen someone look less relaxed on a lounge chair. Did no one ever teach you how to lounge?”
Tyler’s blue eyes flicked past us. “Here’s a start.”
I followed his gaze and saw a man in a chef’s coat making his way toward us. He held a tray full of drinks aloft.
Justin got out of the pool and to his feet faster than I probably could from my seated position. Water dripped all over as he grabbed a towel. All he did was to wipe the water from his face before tossing it back on a lounge chair. Then he lifted a little side table with one hand and set it between Dominic and me. Water droplets flew from his toned skin with every movement. The ones that landed on my arm felt cool and refreshing.
The new man, who looked to be in his late forties or early fifties, didn’t look in my direction as he expertly set the tray down on the little table. There were four tall drinks, each with some kind of amber liquid and a skewer of fruit. They looked delicious.
“Rocco, this is Naomi, a friend of my Aunt Evelyn,” Dominic said.
Now the chef did look at me. His eyebrow arched. “Ah, yes. The masseuse.” His tone implied he didn’t think much of my profession.
“I’m a massage therapist, yes. It’s nice to meet you.”
He looked as if he couldn’t honestly say the same, so he just nodded haughtily. Then he turned to Dominic. “Can I get you and your friends anything else?” Even though he’d brought four glasses, it sounded like he wasn’t including me in the question.