Page 16 of The Problem with Playboys

“I absolutely am.”

She pressed her lips together and the most beautiful blush colored her cheeks. It seemed to light a fire in her eyes. It made parts of Parker’s body run hot. “You are so smooth, aren’t you? Is your dad this smooth? Is that why my mom fell so hard for him?”

Parker didn’t want to talk about his father, but he did feel as though he owed her an answer. “Different kind of smooth. I might go so far as to say my dad can be slippery. I’m not like that. I simply don’t want to let a great job go unnoticed. It has nothing to do with you being a woman. Or you being beautiful. Which I’m guessing was a big part of my dad’s motivation with your mom.”

She shook her head, and a lock of her hair fell across her face. “Something tells me I need to watch out for men with the last name Sullivan.”

The doorbell rang, and Parker was off to collect their meal. “Nah. Only one of them.”

Parker, Marcus and Chloe sat out on Marcus’s magnificent patio for dinner, soaking up the setting sun, ocean breezes and the unbelievable view of Biscayne Bay. They enjoyed red curry with chicken, green curry with shrimp and summer rolls with rice noodles and fresh mint. Marcus was noticeably more at ease now, no longer worried about the idea that he’d ruined his career with his one misstep. Parker was sure that the Bratt family would be pleased.

All in all, it was the perfect meal on the perfect day and Parker felt a wave of relief wash over him that wasn’t the norm. He tried hard to not get upset about anything, but he also was rarely fully relaxed. There was always some crisis sitting in the back of his mind or a worry about one of his clients. Today it was his dad who threatened to make his day less than great. But none of that mattered for now. Parker wouldn’t let it.

He and Chloe said their goodbyes to Marcus and made their way back to the guesthouse. The sun had fully set, the night sky deep and dark overhead. Once they stepped into the courtyard, the pool was right before them, looking like sheer heaven. He could imagine how good it would feel to take a dip, the cool water against his skin. Could he convince Chloe to join him? He’d been thinking about it all day. He was willing to risk a no, simply for the chance at a yes.

“Want to go for a swim?” he asked.

“You know I don’t have a bathing suit.”

“I promise not to look.” He knew that was a promise he couldn’t really keep, but it at least sounded chivalrous.

“Yeah, right.”

“I’ll get in naked, too.” He swallowed hard, not knowing how she would react to the thing he had not planned on saying. “So neither of us will be at a disadvantage.”

“I don’t know...”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I can’t not get in, Chloe. I’ll regret it forever.”

“The water does look nice.”

“And we’ve both worked incredibly hard today.”

She slid him a look that he couldn’t quite decipher. It was part questioning, part mischief. He really hoped she was leaning toward the second. After such a long day, he only wanted to get into that pool with Chloe and see where things went.

This is crazy. Certifiably grade-A nuts.Was she seriously considering getting into the pool with Parker? Naked?

Why yes. Yes, she was.

Because the truth was that she kicked some serious ass today. She’d prepared Marcus perfectly. The interviews she’d arranged for him were right on the money. And he rose to the challenge, just as Parker had said he would. The pool looked unbelievably inviting—a ribbon of calm blue water set against the backdrop of an even deeper blue night sky. Breezes rustled the palm trees. This was exactly what she needed right now—beauty and relaxation. She deserved a dip in that tempting water. And she wouldn’t be skinny dipping merely for fun. It was a necessity.

But first she needed a drink. “Can we toast to our successful day first?”

He blew out a short breath of exasperation. “That sounds great. I’ll go change into my swimsuit first, though. Just in case you change your mind.”

Chloe wondered if he was trying to back out of his promise from moments earlier, but she wasn’t going to stress too much about it. “Sounds like a plan.” She kicked off her shoes and padded barefoot into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of white wine from the fridge, a bucket of ice and two stainless steel tumblers. She returned to the pool and sat on the edge, lowering her feet and ankles into the water. The sensation was warm and soft against her skin, made all the more lovely when that heavenly Miami breeze brushed against her face. She finally felt herself uncoil, her breaths became longer and deeper. She didn’t want to leave this place. Not anytime soon.

“You aren’t going to swim in a skirt and blouse, are you?” Parker’s low rumble of a voice came from behind her.

She turned, confronted with the vision of him in his swim trunks, a pair of midnight blue board shorts that hung low around his waist. Now those long easy breaths were short and hard. Every contour of his chest and abs was on full display and Chloe tried not to look, but the truth was that it was impossible. A full day with Parker and she didn’t have the energy to keep avoiding the sight of him. She didn’t have enough determination to continue squashing down her attraction to him. And here she was giving in to it, looking and drinking him in, but it wasn’t like it quenched the thirst. Looking and touching were two distinctly different things. But Parker was not a guy she was supposed to touch. Right?

The injustice ate at her. Why did he have to be a client? Why did they have to have other, messier entanglements, like their family ties? It didn’t seem fair. She liked Parker. Even with his arrogant air, his unbridled confidence was contagious. She was drawn to it. Why couldn’t they have met in a bar or at a party? He could’ve been a very fun fling.

“We need to toast.” He bent over, picked up the wine bottle and poured himself a glass. “To a job incredibly well done.”

“To a job well done.” She clinked her glass with his then took a long sip, savoring the cool complexity of the wine as their gazes connected. She endured the rush of attraction between them, the one that seemed to be there every time they made eye contact. It was undeniable for her. Did he feel it, too? Or was that just the way he was? Endlessly magnetic?

He traipsed along the edge of the pool, and Chloe stole her chance to watch him as he walked away, to study the carved contours of his shoulders, the channel of his spine, the hard lines of his waist as it narrowed. When he reached the far end, he dived in, streamlining the entire length under the glassy surface. When he came up for air at the shallow end, his back was to her, water rippling down his skin. He ran his hands through his hair, slicking it back from his face, then turned to her, his eyes bright and full of life.