Tre watched her move. He knew from standing next to her that she was an inch or two shy of six foot. And he was sure most of that was muscle. She wore a modest two piece in shimmering shades of deep red with the longest legs he’d ever seen.
“If we were on the court right now, you could knock him out with the ball,” Mac remarked, leaning on his pool cue.
“Shut up. You’re losing,” Tre returned without taking his eyes off the woman who had run back through the house and out into the sunlight.
“If you’re going to take advantage of him, I’d do it now,” Donovan said with a laugh, leaning on a bar stool and sipping from the beer in his hand.
“I know what they’ve been practicing,” Jack remarked, sighing and shaking his head. “He needs a shot of pure grain before he sees this.”
“Sees what?” Tre looked momentarily from the three woman standing on the flat stones around the end of the pool.
“They’re practicing for international week at the resort,” Mac began cautiously, leaning to the side and hearing the music cue up. “Just watch.”
“What’s the music?” Tre asked, his jaw dropping when Frannie, Emily and Natalie stood in a wide triangle when the music began. “Jesus H. Christ.”
“Shakira,” Mac said reverently. “The woman can move. They’ve been studying her videos for weeks.”
“Damn,” Jack sighed and took a long drink of his cold beer. “Now and then I forget how Emily can move...and she does throw herself into her hobby.”
“They mix belly dancing moves with salsa and god knows what else,” Donovan tipped his glass of juice over and drained it.
“The costumes make it even more evil looking,” Jack crossed his arms over his chest as the second song began, Tre’s body leaning heavily on the pool table. Mac pushed the bottle of imported beer into his hand and he drank it without looking.
“Costumes?” Tre knew his voice was deeper than it came out.
“Another male to the slaughter,” Mac chuckled. “It’s your break, Tre.”
“They do that in public?”
“You want a woman you can order around? Trust me, this ain’t the group to be hanging with and you know that,” Jack slapped him on the back. “Enjoy the rewards and the view. And break. You’re holding up the game,” he laughed at the low growl he got in response, wincing when Tre stepped up to the front of the table, positioned his cue and sent the balls screaming around the table.
“When does International Week begin?” Natalie had dived straight into the pool, surfacing on the edge and leaning her arms along the tiles.
“A week from now,” Emily stretched out, breathing heavily.
“That is the best cardio workout imaginable,” Frannie flopped into a recliner, feet up on the wrong end. “I love her music.”
“Just make sure I’m scheduled in the evening display,” Natalie dipped her head back, letting the cool water flow through her braid.
“We got it down,” Emily assured her. “Anya is so good at the choreography. Between her and Diana, they’ve got some killer displays.”
“So you still mad at being set up?” Faith asked, striding casually down the stone stairs and sinking on the side of the pool, feet in the water.
“I knew it was you,” Natalie said without opening her eyes.
“You know we’d never hook you up with a…” Faith stopped, wincing.
“A liar or thief,” Frannie finished for her, scooping the long blond hair back behind her.
“I was thinking jerk,” Cassidy murmured.
“It’s been a few years,” Faith continued with a little scowl at Frannie. “Not that time makes a difference.”
“And you really think my brothers are going to just let me date someone they don’t know? They’ve been setting me up with the…god, they’re idiots,” Natalie dropped beneath the surface and surged upward, jumping to the side of the pool and laying back on the tiles. “They have the most moronic single friends. And what’s worse, they don’t get that these guys behave one way around them and are complete and total pigs when no one is watching. Just because they wear a suit doesn’t mean they have…culture or…or manners…and they most definitely do not treat you like you have half a brain let alone the ability to converse…” she stopped and closed her eyes.
“Wow…been holding that in a while?” Cassidy looked from one to the other and then at the slight snarl that came from Natalie.
“It’s not good to keep it locked inside,” Frannie advised casually.
“That’s why I work out in the gym,” Natalie responded tiredly. “I know you guys mean well. I honestly do.”
“Then stop being so hard on yourself. Have a little fun and forget your family. If they cause trouble, we’ll handle it,” Faith assured her, meeting the wide violet eyes that blinked at her.
“Your brothers are afraid of her,” Emily confided with a chuckle.
“Grown men need to find some other activity than monitoring their grown sister’s activities,” Faith declared firmly. “And I don’t like them.”
“Even smart, street wise girls fall for fools now and then,” Cassidy rolled to her stomach, her hand swirling in the water. “Then you meet a guy who knows how to play, and makes you laugh and pisses you off, sometimes in the same breath…then you can relax enough to trust again.”
“I hear the sounds of a pool match ending,” Emily watched Jack come down the stairs, winking at her as he peeled the flowered short off his shoulders and draped it on the chair behind her before he dove into the deep water.
Cassidy looked up to see Mac slamming his t-shirt on the table and glaring at Natalie. “It’s your fault I lost.” And then he jumped into the water, striking out across the pool.
“I’m afraid to ask,” Natalie looked at the others, confused.
“You had to practice those moves in the middle of the match?” Donovan asked, glaring from Natalie to Frannie before he followed the others into the water, dropping his shirt on a chair.
“Moves?” Natalie watched Tre come down the stone stairs, counting the money in his hand before folding it and sliding it into the pocket on his shirt. “I’m sure there wasn’t gambling going on in the house.”
“Never,” he chuckled, draping a wildly flowered shirt over a chair before heading for the diving board at the far end of the pool.
“Why does he seem like a kid?” Natalie said, keeping her voice low as an in-water game of dodge ball began among the males.
“Good genetics,” Frannie answered simply. “Somewhere from Northern Europe, I’d think.”
“Just an FYI kind of thing,” Cassidy looked at Tre do a double flip into the water. “You know Anna and Aaron,” she looked over at Natalie and saw her nod. “Combine their IQ’s and you have Tre. Mac’s known him since they were about nineteen, I think.”
Natalie relaxed in the sun, moistening her skin with the fragrant oil and watched her friends. Whatever Tre was thinking, he kept a decent distance, talking with everyone about almost anything as they all gathered more casually for another round of food and conversation. It was almost nine when people began helping with the clean-up and heading to their cars.
She had changed into her street clothes and was comfortably fed and at ease when he came up to her outside.
“Stay after the others leave, please. Just to talk, Natalie,” Tre asked easily, watching the mixed bag of answers flying in her eyes. She’d worn sunglasses most of the time she was outside, but he knew from reading that the paler the eye color, the more difficult harsh sunlight made it for people to see well.
She started to speak when he lifted his palm, fingers gentle on her arm as he peeled back the protective piece of plastic. She’s been having such a good time she completely forgot about it.
“Alright.”