The breast he’d uncovered was full and round, with a carmel-colored nipple. He wondered if it would taste as sweet. He pulled the thin cup of her suit up to cover it, settled her strap over her shoulder, then reached for her iced tea and handed it to her.
Her cheeks were a little flushed beneath the golden tone of her skin, as though she’d just come in out of the sun.
His father paused in the doorway. “Hey. How did the snorkeling go today?”
“Good. Sloane’s a natural. We’re going to try the tanks tomorrow.” He ran a hand down her back, the cold turkey withdrawal from her hard to take. “Sloane, this is my father, Toby. Dad, this is Sloane Bianchi.”
Toby stepped forward to offer her his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Sloane.”
Her narrow hand looked fragile enveloped in his dad’s larger one. “You, too.”
“I’m going to take a shower and change clothes. Then we’ll throw some steaks on the grill. I’ve had them marinating since early this morning. You’ll stay for dinner, won’t you?”
“Sure. Thank you for inviting me.”
“You’re welcome. Why don’t you warm up the grill, Connor?”
“Will do.”
When Toby disappeared down the hall, Sloane’s attention swung to Connor.
His lips twitched. “I feel like I’m in high school again, and I’m sneaking around to make out with my girl.”
The color on her cheeks deepened, and she buried her nose in her glass for a moment as she took a sip, then set the glass aside. “Thank you for…”
He stepped close again and cupped her chin to raise her face to him. He kissed her softly. “You’re safe with me, Sloane. Whatever this is we have between us, it’s ours.” He kissed her again, then dropped his hands. “If you want to take a shower and change, you can use my bathroom while I go light the grill. It’s down the hall, second door on the right.”
“I’m going to do that.” She paused by the door to look over her shoulder at him and offered him a smile both vulnerable and sweet.
Need coiled tight inside him. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that if his father hadn’t shown up, they’d be making love right now. He’d never experienced anything close to this intensity of attraction.
Connor could grill. The steaks were tender and done to a turn with just a little pink in the middle. The salad with freshly made dressing, delicious. The zucchini was cooked perfectly, still firm and succulent. The twice-baked potatoes were smothered in sour cream, cheese, and bacon.
Sloane felt the tension between the two men the moment they sat down. But they both made an effort to entertain her. After dinner they moved to the patio out by the pool, and Toby offered her a cocktail, but she declined. She had to drive back to the condo.
Though Connor was taller, Toby Evans had a similarly muscular build. Their skin tones were close, but Toby’s hazel eyes seemed less intense than his son’s dark brown ones. His hair, liberally sprinkled with gray at the temples, waved back from his forehead.
Connor would look just like him in another twenty years or so. The way they stood and their mannerisms were similar, but Connor’s voice was like the rusty nail cocktail he was sipping, deep, smoky, and warm.
“Beaufort’s downtown area needs some work. We’re getting more tourism traffic than we used to,” Toby said as he sipped his Scotch on the rocks.
“Everywhere seems to be,” Sloane agreed. “The traffic in Charleston is terrible. If I could order my groceries and have them delivered, I’d never leave the house.”
“What’s a little traffic to the woman who accepted a two-week-long challenge?” Connor scoffed.
“What kind of challenge?” Toby asked.
The sweet fragrance of the Carolina jasmine climbing the fence reached her, and she breathed it in. “Connor has challenged me to spend this week and next doing things I’ve never tried before. Thus the snorkeling lessons and the scuba instruction tomorrow.”
“What comes after that?”
“Horseback riding,” Connor answered.
“After that?”
Sloane jumped in. If she survived the scuba thing and the horseback ride, she’d need a break. “I’ve never been to hear a jazz band.”
Connor’s brows rose. “I haven’t either. We’ll have to hit the Jazz Corner. I heard they have guest musicians performing all summer.”
“You’ll have to call and make reservations a week ahead. The place fills up pretty quickly,” Toby said, and when Connor turned to look at him he added, “Your mother and I used to go.”
Connor took a sip of his cocktail. “I didn’t know she was a jazz fan.”
“She liked all kinds of music. I took her because it pleased her, and I got points for being a good husband.” Toby winked at Sloane, and she smiled.
“I was gone so much when Connor was growing up, I felt like I needed to go the distance to make up for all the time we missed together.” He fell silent for a moment. “I’ve been to some wonderful performances at various venues, and some not so wonderful ones. Even went to a few plays and a ballet or two. We could always depend on the Jazz Corner for a quality show. They’re usually on Tuesday night.”
Sloane looked to Connor. “What do you think?”
He raised his glass to her. “I’ll call tomorrow and make reservations for next Tuesday.”
She flashed him a smile.
“Connor says you’re a lawyer.”
“Yes. I work mostly for corporations and a few smaller businesses for Hadley, Childers, and Johnson.”
“They’re pretty big stuff in Charleston. I see their advertisements all the time.”
“Yeah, they are.”
Toby leaned forward in his seat. “You have to have a passion for your work to enjoy it. I guess the law for you is the same as me running my nursery.”
“Sometimes it is. I help people to establish their companies and help them expand or merge with others. Mostly I create contracts for their employees and generally all the paperwork that goes into starting and keeping a company going.”
“Sounds like a lot of responsibility.”
“It is. Some are family-run businesses with a small number of workers. Others are large corporations with hundreds of employees, depending on their goals and success.”
“I understand the pressure. I have twelve employees including me, and I sign their paychecks every week. You become an ecosystem all your own.”
“Yes, you do.”
“So you keep everyone working,” Connor said.
“Actually, the people who run the businesses do,” she replied. “I just try to keep everything legal so they can continue to do it.”
The conversation moved to something more general, and after another half hour she rose to leave.
“You sure you’ll be okay alone?” Connor asked as she met him at the foyer carrying the tote with her bathing suit, cover-up, sunscreen, and a few towels.
His hand caught hers as they wandered down the steps to her car. “You’re welcome to stay here with us.”
“I appreciate the offer, but we both know what a temptation that would be. I’ll be fine at the condo.”
She tossed the tote behind the driver’s seat and turned to face him. “Dinner was delicious. You’ve got some killer grilling skills.”
He shrugged one muscular shoulder. “Women cook, men grill.” When he offered her a teasing grin, she shook her head.
“You could say you’re nervous about staying alone and I could join you,” he offered.
She studied the width of his chest because she was afraid he’d read how much she wanted to do just that. “Think your father would buy into that?”
“Not a chance.” He leaned back against the car and drew her between his feet, urging her to lean into him with a hand splayed against the small of her back.
“I wouldn’t want him to think I’m a loose woman.” She swallowed against the ragged beat of her heart and rested her head against his chest. “I’m tempted more than you can imagine.”
“I’m counting on it.”
She smiled and leaned back to look up at him. “Do I need to bring anything tomorrow?”
“Just you.” He tucked her hair behind her ear. “Thank you for being a sounding board.”
“You have a lot to think about.” And so did she. She cupped his face in her hands and got up on tiptoe to touch her lips to his. He slanted his mouth across hers with a hot enthusiasm that left her wet with need and her legs weak.
“You are so good at that,” she murmured when he finally raised his head.
“That ain’t all.”
She laughed, then shook her head as she dragged herself away from his arms to get into the car. She rolled down the window. “And you’re so humble, too.”