“I have a busy day. Store visits. Our Fifth Avenue store is our largest. I’ll be there all afternoon.”
“Ah, Gloria. All work, no play. I’m going to change that.” He did the hair thing again—coiling my braid around his hand. “The hotel has a splendid pool on the top floor. Meet me there at six a.m. when it opens. No one will be there except us. We’ll have it all for ourselves…have a little fun and get in some exercise… maybe burn off this meal.”
He let me go. As my weak legs carried me to the door, he breathily said, “Don’t be late.”
“I never am.” I didn’t turn back to look at him but knew his glimmering eyes were lingering on me, his smile cocky from his little victory.
As I limped down the hallway to my suite, he called out to me. “Hey, Gloria. Happy Valentine’s Day.
A smile that he couldn’t see curled on my lips. Confession: It was the best Valentine’s Day I’d ever had.
Chapter 8
I thought for sure that I would meet him at the elevator, but he wasn’t there. I was wearing the plush white terry-cloth robe that came with the room over a Gloria’s Secret bright red bandeau bathing suit; it was cut in a way that made my long legs look even longer. I had also packed a bikini but decided on the one-piece because it was more comfortable and enabled me to swim fast without any worry of it falling off. Besides, no bikini could compete with the diamond-studded underwear I’d worn last night. Unable to force that memory away, I pressed the elevator button and, when the doors slid open, headed up to the pool. I stared down at sparkly flip-flops on my feet—one of our bestsellers last summer—trying impossibly hard not to concentrate on the throbbing that lingered between my thighs.
To my surprise, he was already doing laps up and down the Olympic-size pool when I showed up. His form was beautiful…long elegant strokes with his brawny arms and long tapered fingers and powerful kicks that spliced the water with little splashes. Upon catching sight of me on a breath, he finished his lap and lifted himself out of the pool. Dripping wet, his soaked hair slicked back, he broke into that dazzling smile. “Good morning, Gloria. I’m looking forward to our swim together and to seeing you all wet.”
My heart skipped a beat. This was the first time I’d seen him without his clothes on—well, almost without his clothes on. He was wearing one of those latex Speedos made for racing that exposed a body that could belong to an Olympic champion. His shoulders were broad; his chest chiseled, his arms sculpted, and his legs long and muscular. For sure, a body of steel. A fine layer of dark hair coated his limbs and, descended from his amazing pecs to the most fabulous V-section I’d ever seen on a man. The package between his toned thighs was sizeable—actually, make that, monstrous—and sent shudders through me. The throbbing between my legs intensified; I could actually hear the thrumming like a heartbeat.
“C’mon, I’ll race you for dinner. The winner of two out of three laps gets to pick a restaurant; the loser gets to pay.”
“What makes you think I want to have dinner with you, Mr. Zander?”
“Ms. Long, after last night, there’s no doubt in my mind.”
I bit my lower lip. Tongue-tied, I managed one word: “Fine.”
I shrugged off my robe. Jaime’s sparkling denim blue eyes ran down my body. “You are simply magnificent. A feast for the eyes. Maybe the winner’s prize should be ripping off the other’s bathing suit.”
I wrinkled my nose at him. “Forget it. A deal is a deal. Come on, let’s race.”
I was looking forward to the challenge. He had no idea who he was dealing with. Having lived in Brighton Beach, I had become a masterful swimmer thanks to the nearby ocean and large community pool. My long lean muscles and broad square shoulders reflected my passion. I still swam regularly in the heated pool at my condo complex. Ha! Little did he know, I was extremely competitive.
We lined up side by side at the edge of the pool’s deep end. His slick wet body deliberately brushed against mine, sending a chill up my spine. We wished each other good luck.
“Okay, on your mark, get set, go!” I called out and with that, we both dove into the water.
To my relief, the pool was heated. I wasted no time propelling myself ahead, stroking and kicking furiously. Damn it! Mr. Challenge was keeping up with me, even at the halfway mark. When I got to the other end a mere second before him, I quickly did a flip turn and headed back to where we had begun. On a breath, I stole a glance backward. Ha! My competitor was losing steam and was now several lengths behind me. Picking up speed, I raced ahead and reached the starting point way before he did. Breathing hard, I popped up from the water and, with a triumphant smile, watched him struggle to meet me. “Fuck!” he cursed under his labored breath.
“I’m thinking of a very expensive restaurant,” I taunted and flipped back my heavy wet braid.