Connor fed her the address slowly.
“Do I need to bring anything besides a bathing suit and sunscreen?”
“Nope. I have everything else you’ll need.”
“I’ll leave as soon as I clean up the kitchen. I fixed Bernie and Sheryl breakfast before they left for Charleston.”
“They left?”
“Yes. Bernie’s husband wanted her to come home so he and the children could pamper her. Sheryl already planned to leave on Tuesday, so she’s driving her home today.”
“You’re not nervous about staying at the condo alone?”
“No. I’m used to being alone. And I’m careful.”
“Okay. Well, come whenever you’re ready. I’m going to help Dad with some things until you get here.”
“Okay, see you soon.”
After she closed out the call, she stood for a long moment, just staring at the phone. She needed the attention of a handsome, sexy man to soothe her damaged sense of self-worth and her bruised heart.
But her physical reaction to him was so strong, and she really liked him. He was charming and sexy, and what wasn’t to like? But what if she started to have strong feelings for him?
Better to have your heart broken because you care for someone than to trick them into thinking you do and destroying them before you walk away.
With that inner argument settled, she went into the kitchen to clean up.
Standing in the shadow of the house, Connor watched the sun play on the crystal clear surface of the water while he waited for Sloane to come out. He narrowed his eyes against the glare and studied the new landscaping he and his father installed along the pebbled concrete boarder behind the diving board. The row of hibiscus in full bloom added a pop of color and camouflaged the chain link fence that acted as a safety barrier around the kidney-shaped pool. Two lounges stretched on the left, their cushion fabric mirroring the freshly-installed plants, while two white tables with solid green umbrellas stood on the right, surrounded by four chairs each.
His mother had picked out every cushion, table, and chair. But his father had maintained the landscaping and the pool. They’d been a team their entire married life. Forty-three years.
One of the French doors opened behind him, and he turned. Her modest black one-piece didn’t look modest at all on her lush figure. Her breasts were perfectly shaped and full, her hips the same. Her waist by comparison seemed tiny, a hand’s breadth, and her skin, golden from the sun, provided the perfect contrast to her dark hair. He barely controlled the need to reach for her.
Ah, to hell with it. He slipped an arm around her and drew her in close enough that their bare skin touched. “If ever you give up the law, you could model for Victoria’s Secret.”
When soft color touched her cheeks he was surprised. Even without makeup, her skin was clear and her dark lashes and brows defined. He brushed the backs of his fingers against her cheek.
Her southern accent exaggerated, she said, “You sweet-talker, you.” She ran her fingertips over the front of his T-shirt, right over his nipple, triggering a spike of lust. Following through with that would have to come later, he reminded himself.
Still smiling, he said, “You’re not nervous about any of this?”
“I don’t know how I’ll feel once I get the tanks on and am underwater, but the snorkeling doesn’t worry me.”
“Good. How good a swimmer are you?”
“I can do freestyle and backstroke, and get from one end of the pool to the other. But I don’t swim regularly. And I can’t dive at all. Too much of a floatation device.” She patted her behind. “I kept trying to reach bottom and never could.”
Connor grinned, though he was tempted to pat said behind and change her perspective about that. “While we’re diving, you’ll have a weight belt that will help pull you down, and a buoyancy compensator that will help you float back up. You’ll be fine.”
He thought of something else. “Do you have any trouble when you fly, compensating for the change in altitude? The change in pressure underwater can sometimes cause issues with your inner ear if you tend to have difficulties.”
“No.”
“Have you ever been snorkeling before?”
“Nope.”
“It’ll be good experience to get used to using a mouthpiece and keeping your breathing regular and even.”
Entering the water, he demonstrated the way to clear the snorkel and had her practice it several times. Her eyes looked clear and bright through the glass of her diving mask.
He watched her until he was comfortable with her kicking back and forth across the pool in her flippers, which took some time to get used to. When he joined her, he matched his pace with hers.
When she reached the shallow end of the pool, she stood up and pulled the half mask off.
She was a little out of breath, and the beading of her nipples beneath her wet bathing suit proved a nearly irresistible distraction as she said, “You’re like a dolphin swimming next to me. It’s so effortless for you.”
He kept his eyes on her face but, damn, it was tough. “I’ve been at it regularly for years, Sloane. As a kid, a teenager, then as a SEAL. You’re doing just fine. This isn’t a competition or the qualifying round at the Olympics. This is for fun and entertainment. Now let me show you how to sink beneath the water so you can touch bottom.”
An hour later, he went inside to fix them each a glass of sweet tea while she stretched out on one of the lounges in the shade, sunglasses covering her eyes. When he returned, he could tell by her complete relaxation that she’d drifted off to sleep. When his eyes wanted to linger on her, he forced himself to move away. He wasn’t a stalker.
He placed her glass on the small table beside her in case she awoke, raised the umbrella at one of the tables, and settled there to look over the paperwork he received from the Naval Support Center about separating from the Navy.
He’d be a regular citizen. He’d have insurance through the military, but would be too young to collect retirement. He’d still be able to go on post when he needed to, go to the PX. Utilize the Naval hospitals or VA hospitals. He could possibly use the GI bill for money for school if he decided to finish his degree. And he’d be on retainer for four years after retirement, still receiving pay, in case they needed to call him back into active duty. That would help. But he’d need a job.
He couldn’t picture himself in an office. Right now he couldn’t picture himself anywhere but on a chopper or in an aircraft racing to someone’s defense at hundred forty knots.
Sloane’s phone vibrated on the table, and he glanced at the screen. It was Bernie, and he debated whether he should wake Sloane or let it go to voice mail. He reached for it and punched the icon.
“Hello. This is Sloane Bianchi’s phone.”
After a moment’s hesitation Bernie said, “Hello, Connor.”
“Hey. How’d the trip go?”
“Just fine. I thought I’d check in with Sloane.”
“We’ve been in the pool for nearly two hours, and she’s fallen asleep in one of the lounges. I can have her return your call as soon as she wakes up.”
“That would be good. And it’s good she’s resting. She’s been putting in eighty-hour weeks at the firm, and it’s been very stressful on top of that for a couple of reasons. If you could get her to relax some while she’s there by herself, it’d be great.”
“Is she up for partner?”
“No. It’s a long story, and she needs to be the one to tell you. Just tell her I made it home and took a nap.”
His eyes lingered on Sloane while she slept, her dark lashes like crescents against her cheeks. Her hair lay in heavy waves against her cheek and shoulder. She was flat-out gorgeous.
And Bernie’s comments had triggered his curiosity.
Maybe he could coax her into opening up to him.
CHAPTER 6
Sloane surfaced from sleep, stretched, opened her eyes, and studied the pale blue sky overhead.
&n
bsp; The sound of rustling papers drew her attention, and she turned her head to see the light reflected on Connor’s hair, giving it a russet sheen. His eyes, so dark, were focused on some papers.
The air felt heavy and hot, and was scented with flowers and chlorine. She rolled off the lounge, reached for her wrap, and tied it around her waist. Walking over to the pool, she dipped the corner of the cover-up in the pool and gave her face and the back of her neck a cooling wipe.
He looked up as she approached. She slid a hand along his shoulders and felt the firm muscle beneath his T-shirt. He was quick to hold on to her hand and tilted his head back to look up at her.
“I’m sorry. I fell asleep.”
“No, worries. Naps are part of vacation. Two hours in the pool earned you a nap. And from what Bernie said about you working eighty-hour weeks, you probably need all the rest you can get.”
She frowned. “When did she say that?”
“She called a half hour ago. I told her I’d tell you to call her back ASAP, and she asked me to tell you she made it home and took a nap.” He slipped an arm around her waist to hold her there.
“What are you working on?” she asked.
“This is the paperwork I need to fill out if I decide to separate from the Navy.”
“I’m good with paperwork. My job is mostly paperwork…and being an immovable barrier when someone is trying get around us.”
“Immovable?” His brows went up.
“Yeah, when I have to be.”
“Do you like what you do?”
“Most of the time. These last twelve months have been a little difficult because one of the airlines brought suit against one of our companies and I handed the case.”
“Which you won.”
“Yes.”
“What would you do if you had to change careers in four months?”
She thought about it for a moment while smoothing his hair back from his forehead, and was rewarded with one of those looks that made her legs weak and lit a tingling heat in intimate places.
She dragged her thoughts back to his question. “I’d become a dog-walker.”
“Why would you want to be a dog-walker?”
“I’d get to spend the whole day in the park wearing shorts or jeans and playing with creatures who’d show me unconditional love. I wouldn’t have to prove myself to them, because they’d accept me just as I am.” It took some effort to disguise her bitter feelings.
“Care to expand on that?”
“Most people are two different people. One at home and the other at work. You aren’t the same man with me that you are with your teammates.”
“No, I’m not. But I’m not dating any of them, either. They don’t have what I’m looking for, and it’s not just the beards.”
She laughed. Though he had to deal with much more dangerous situations, he was insulated from the real world here at home. He probably didn’t realize what the work environment was like for the average woman, especially ones who were bumping up against the glass ceiling. “This work thing is just the way of the world.”
“Did something happen at work that preceded your need to be a hard case?”
She sat in the chair on his right. “Why do you ask?”
“The eighty hours a week thing.”
She remained silent for a moment. If she avoided telling him and then told him later, he’d think she was hedging. It was time she put it behind her.
“A year ago, I was engaged to a fellow attorney. His name is Reed Alexander.” She moistened her bottom lip, though her mouth and throat seemed to have dried up, and she wished for the glass of watery iced tea she left next to her chair. “Two weeks before the wedding, our relationship imploded.”
His face settled into solemn lines. “Son of a bitch.”
“It gets even worse.”
His brows rose.
“Reed decided I should move on to another firm, even though I was hired a year before he was. He is a golfing buddy of the boss’s son, and he and Marshal, the boss’s son, encouraged Clay, my boss, to make things difficult for me to drive me out. So I filed a lawsuit for hostile working conditions and sexual discrimination.”
“That couldn’t have been easy.”
“No, it wasn’t. In fact, it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But I had the proof that I was there longer, had a history of more billable hours, and brought in more business than Reed did, and I presented as evidence the sexist emails sent to me by one of the heads of the company.”
“And?”
“The court agreed with me. The firm terminated Reed. But now the partners are putting more and more pressure on me to leave. I’m looking for another job, but until I find the right fit for Bernie and me—because I refuse to leave her behind—I’m not letting them drive me out. I’ll leave such a work product history that they’ll wish I’d never left. I’m documenting everything, and getting letters of recommendation from all the clients I work for so they can’t screw me when I do leave.”
“Sounds like you have a handle on things.”
“Not really.” She brushed a hand over her hair and tucked the long strands on either side of her face behind her ears. “I’m in survival mode all the time. Checking and double-checking my work to make certain I haven’t made a mistake they can use to fire me.
“And lately I’ve been making extra copies of my paperwork, just in case someone tries to mess with any of it.”
She rested her elbows on the table and linked her fingers. “I know how it sounds. Like I’m a crazy, paranoid bitch. But it’s true. Bernie watches my back. I can’t leave her behind, because they’d demote her or fire her outright for being loyal to me.”
“Could you start your own firm?”
“With the weight of a big firm against me, I’d never make it. They’ll put out the word that I’m a troublemaker, not a team player, or some other kind of bullshit. In order to have some insulation against that, I’ll have to move on to a firm comparable to them, or move to a different city.”
“Damn.” He leaned back in his chair. “What happened to the asshole who started the whole thing? This Reed guy?”
“They asked him to leave to avoid the adverse publicity, and I dropped the suit. But it came out after he left that he’d been screwing at least one secretary and one of the interns while we were engaged.”
Going into her doctor to be tested for STDs was as humiliating as everything else he dished out. One more betrayal on top of everything else.
“He, of course, got a glowing recommendation from the boss and landed on his feet with a big firm.”
“I’m sorry, Sloane.”
She glanced away. “Thanks, but I’m over it. It’s been more than a year now. He wasn’t the man I thought he was. But I keep wondering why he asked me to marry him to begin with.” Had he been that desperate for a place to live? He’d taken advantage of her for that too, which was just as humiliating as the rest.
He reached for her hand. “You’re a beautiful woman. Smart, funny. Strong. Isn’t that reason enough?”
“Probably more like he thought that by stirring all this up he’d be able to step into my job and take my accounts once I was gone.”
“Shit! That’s cold.”
His masculine face, even crimped in a fierce frown, seemed irresistible. She covered his hand with her own and gave it a squeeze. “You are so good for my ego. I’m really not a psycho bitch.”
He leaned forward, a quick smile quirking his mouth. “You don’t come across as a psycho bitch.”
She didn’t want to be an object of pity either. “Now you’ve heard all about my work issues, we need to concentrate on what it is you want to do once you’re out of the Navy. You’ve got valuable skills and training to offer.”
“I don’t want to go into security or work for one of the private corporations that ship out to support military units. I might as well stay in if I do that.”
“You could be a police officer, a paramedic, or a fireman.
You’d probably skate through the training and the physical. And it would give you that buzz you’ll miss when you’re no longer going into action.”
His eyes cut to her and he raised a brow. “Buzz huh?”
“Not my choice of words. I’ve had several clients who are retired military who now work for businesses I represent or have started their own. I help them get all their paperwork in order. No SEALs, but others. You just have to pour all that energy you used in other ways into what you’re building and develop a passion for it.”
“I like to be active and outside. I’m good with my hands.”
“Massage therapist?” she asked with a teasing smile.
“I’ll share my technique with you later,” he grinned. “I meant building things and working on engines, boat engines, car engines other engines.”
“You could start your own boat business. Working on them and selling them.”
He lifted his hand, palm down, and rocked it back and forth. “It would be seasonal, feast or famine.”
“Not in California.”
“I’m not sure I want to stay on the West Coast. To be there and not be in touch with my guys, not be a part of what we do…” He shook his head. “Dad is getting older. I’d like to settle nearby. He’s the only close family I have.”
“He’ll probably love having you close.”
His silence at the comment had her studying him.
“There’s been some tension between us. He has a girlfriend. Has had for over a year. I just found out when I got here.”
He told her his mother had died two years ago. How would she feel if her father took up with another woman less than a year later? She couldn’t go there. Her mom and pop were a unit. They did everything together. “I’m sorry you’re having to deal with that.”
“I’m a grown man, I haven’t lived at home in years, but it just feels—wrong.”
“I’d feel the same way in your shoes.”
Time to change the subject. “You haven’t ruled out going back to school and finishing your degree?”
“No. I’ve already been working toward a degree in business administration. A little tame compared to what I do for a living, but I thought it might come in handy.”
Hot SEAL, Rusty Nail (SEALs In Paradise) Page 5
