One Foolish Night (Eternal Bachelors Club #4)

“And what do you like to do in your free time, Paul?”


He noticed that she’d started to interview him, and he let it happen. After all, she needed to find out about his life, his likes and dislikes, and his quirks, so that their charade would be realistic.

“I like to try out good food, hang out with my buddies, or go to off-off-Broadway shows.”

“Theater?” she asked.

“Yes, particularly the small stages. You can find real gems there. Up-and-coming actors and great playwriting. It can teach you a lot about people and what drives them.”

“I hadn’t pegged you for a theater buff. I did a little theater in high school. I loved it, but I hated being typecast.”

Paul laughed. “Let me guess—the ditzy blonde.”

She stuck her tongue out at him, laughing. “No wonder I quit.” Then she settled back into the corner of the sofa. “Okay, back to you. What else do you like doing? Any sports?”

Was she trying to assess whether he was fit? Surely, she must remember his toned physique. After all, she’d seen him naked. “I lift weights, and when I’m in the Hamptons I run on the beach every morning. Other than that, I love sailing.”

“Do you have a boat?”

“My parents do. And they rarely ever use it, so there’s never been any need for me to buy my own. When I’m in the Hamptons, I take theirs out. Have you ever sailed?”

“Once or twice. But often it’s too cold on the San Francisco Bay to really enjoy it.”

“Well, when it’s windy, it gets cold on the Atlantic too, but when it’s hot everywhere, you’ll appreciate cooling down on a boat. Besides, you could get a great overall tan.”

Holly’s lids lifted when she seemed to figure out the meaning of his last words. He could vividly imagine Holly lying on the deck of his parents’ boat with only suntan lotion covering her body. The thought made him rock-hard, and he shifted in his armchair, crossing one leg over the other to hide his bulge.

Holly looked past him. “Tell me about your family. Do you have any siblings?”

He took her change of subject in stride. It was better to concentrate on something other than Holly’s luscious body. “One sister, Olivia. She’s married and has a three-year-old boy, and another one on the way.”

“Oh? How far along is she?”

“I think seven months. You’ll meet her. She and Quentin will be there for the anniversary party. As well as their little brat.”

“Brat?”

“Jonathan. He’s a handful.” A cute handful, though.

“You don’t like kids?”

She looked as though she was disappointed, but he could be wrong.

Paul shrugged. “Let’s just say, I’m indifferent to kids. And I’m certainly not keen when they behave like Jonathan.” Not because he didn’t love the child, but because he didn’t know what to do with him. He just didn’t have the kinds of skills that would get Jonathan to stop crying when he was upset about something. And it frustrated him to see his nephew upset all the time. A child should be happy.

“What do you mean?”

“He screams, he runs around like a maniac, he throws temper tantrums. His parents can’t or don’t want to control him.” Or they didn’t care enough to notice.

“There’s always a reason for a child to behave like that. Maybe his parents aren’t giving him enough attention.”

Funny, Paul’s mother had said the same. And Paul himself was suspecting it too. “So, do you like kids?”

A warm smile spread on Holly’s face. “Yes. They are tiny little wonders.”

He felt himself return her smile. Then his gaze locked with hers, and he couldn’t remember what they’d been talking about. All he saw was the woman who’d turned his world upside down that night in the Hamptons.

And all he wanted was for her to do it again.





11


Over dinner at a small French neighborhood bistro, Paul had told her more about himself—practical things, like how he liked his coffee, what foods he liked and didn’t like, the clothes he felt comfortable in, where he went to school, what university he attended, and much more.

Holly had tried to commit every word to memory, and having to concentrate so hard had at least distracted her from how good Paul looked and how charming he could be when he wasn’t throwing her out of his house.