by Nina Singh
Tori reflexively tugged the sheet up higher over her breasts, suddenly feeling exposed.
“I’ve got something of a busy day,” he told her, buttoning up.
Family events. And she certainly wasn’t family. In fact, she wouldn’t even know what to call herself as it pertained to Clay. She certainly wasn’t his girlfriend.
She baked cakes for him.
“But I’ll call you later,” he said. “Maybe come by if you’re up for it. No pressure, of course.”
She could only nod, her tongue didn’t seem to want to work. Just as well. Nothing she could have said would fit the current scenario.
He didn’t want to be seen leaving her room. Plus, he wasn’t even interested in seeing her again until later tonight. Why was she so unprepared for this? How had she not seen it coming? There was no excuse for such naïveté. Clay had felt vulnerable yesterday after their heartfelt conversation in the pub. He’d taken her up on her offer of a night of comfort. That’s all their intimacy amounted to. Nothing more.
He couldn’t have been more clear last night. And he couldn’t be clearer now. To him, this was all nothing more than a meaningless fling.
Well, if that thought left a lump of disappointment lodged in her throat, she had no one but herself to blame.
He had been up-front with her, after all.
* * *
His sister looked beat.
Clay supposed that wasn’t surprising given that she was the mom of a very energetic toddler. Still, Adria appeared as if she wanted to go to sleep right there on her lounge chair by the pool.
By contrast, her daughter didn’t seem even remotely interested in napping. In fact, Lilly looked to be on the verge of a toddler tantrum. Growing impatient with having sunblock applied, she kept trying to slip out of her mother’s arms.
He walked over to where they sat and crouched to his niece’s level. “Hey, squirt, what seems to be the matter here?”
“No hat!” she yelled, and tried to yank her sunbonnet off her head. Apparently, her headwear was an issue as well as the dreaded sunscreen lotion.
“She’s been in a mood all morning,” Adria told him. “She’s got me at my wit’s end.”
“Want Daddy!” Lilly demanded.
Uh-oh, Lilly’s voice had risen a notch. The tantrum was looking inevitable.
“Daddy’s on an important phone call, love,” Adria told her daughter in a most soothing and calming voice. “Contract negotiations,” she added for Clay’s benefit.
He’d been out walking the resort to get some air, anything to try to clear his head, when Lilly’s voice had carried across the patio. Not that his walk had been doing him any good anyway.
The way he’d left things with Tori this morning wasn’t sitting well with him. She’d refused to meet his eyes as he’d walked out the door, had just clutched her toy rabbit tightly in her arms.
She’d looked so vulnerable, so damn hurt, that he’d almost turned around and crawled back under the covers with her. He’d so badly wanted to. But in the end, doing so would have only served as a temporary salve. Eventually, he would have to leave her bed, and leave her room. Just as, eventually, he would have to walk out of her life. For he would never be able to fit in to it. Tori’s life was full of the love of a strong family and the challenge of a successful business. She didn’t have room in it for a man like him. A man with a past that haunted him.
“Wanna swim!” Lilly shouted, breaking into his thoughts. She thrust a pudgy hand toward the pool “Wid Daddy.”
Clay lifted the little girl in his arms and held her close to his face, her feet dangling playfully. His efforts got him a few solid kicks to the stomach. “Listen, squirt, your momma says Daddy’s busy. How about if I take you in the pool instead?”
Her angry grimace immediately transformed into a wide grin. She clasped her hands on his cheeks. Clay decided he’d take that as a yes.
“Oh, Clay. Would you really do that?” Adria asked in a hopeful voice. “I could really use a break here.”
He set his niece down on the concrete patio and fixed her bonnet.
“Sure. I’m not really doing anything right now.”
As far as olive branches went, he figured it was a start. After the conversation at the pub yesterday, Tori’s words about Adria in particular had rumbled around in his head. Tori was right. He should have probably listened better when Adria had first raised the subject of their mother. He was a mature, professional adult. The mere mention of his mother shouldn’t have him seeing red and refusing to even hear his sister out. Ultimately, nothing Adria could say would ever change his mind about the family matriarch, but listening was free.
Tori. So much for clearing his head. Thoughts of her had nagged at him all morning. He couldn’t seem to get her out of his mind. Nor what they’d shared last night.
He had to come to terms with what had happened between them. He couldn’t recall the last time a woman had gotten so deep under his skin.
“And where did you just drift off to?” Adria asked, pulling him back to the present.
“Just planning all the water games this little one and I are about the play,” he lied. “Why don’t you lay back and close your eyes for a bit?” She really did look tired. A bout of brotherly sympathy and concern settled in his chest.
They’d been through a lot together, the three of them. He couldn’t ever forget that. He’d always feel responsible for her and Gemma on some deep level, no matter how old they got. Ingrained habits were hard to break.
His two sisters were the only family he really had. Plus the little one currently tugging at his hand, trying to drag him to the water. But she was a fairly new addition to the mix. And he would have yet another brother-in-law soon. Thankfully, they were both good men. But Clay wasn’t at the point yet where he viewed either one as family. More like good friends or poker buddies, perhaps.
He was happy his sisters had found love and wanted to marry. He really was. The chances of him doing the same were slim to none. He’d already spent years feeling responsible for others, had finally reached a point in his life where he could focus on himself and his career goals.
It would be selfish of him to pull anyone else into his orbit when he had so little to offer. That’s why he’d been absolutely straight with Tori last night. He could only hope she’d understood like she said she did.
A small hand smacked him on his knee. “Swim!”
Man, females could be so impatient.
Clay shrugged off his shirt, glad he’d thrown on nylon sports shorts this morning. He walked his niece to the edge of the pool and helped her navigate the steps.
Lilly held her arms up and pumped her legs.
“You want to be tossed, huh?”
“Up!”
And so began a marathon game of toss and catch until his upper arms started to ache. At least it looked like his sister was getting some R and R.
* * *
Tori’s breath caught when she saw him.
Some unexplainable instinct had made her take the long way to her room after finishing the day’s baking. She’d figured she’d take the scenic route that ran along the path leading to the infinity pool that served as the central landmark of the resort.
Clearly, said instinct wasn’t of the self-preserving variety.
She couldn’t help but stand and stare at the sight of Clay in the pool. Even the risk of being caught wasn’t enough to make her turn around. She was mesmerized by the image he posed.
There he was, shirtless and tanned, playing with his niece. Something about seeing Clay swimming with the little girl, watching how affectionate and playful he was with her, had Tori’s heart pounding in her chest. Pictures from the previous night flooded her mind. Her cheeks started to flame as a welcome warmth curled through her midsection.
Finally, she tore her gaze away an
d forced her jaw closed. It wasn’t easy.
She’d almost made her getaway sight unseen when a familiar female voice called out her name. “Tori. Is that you?”
Clay’s head snapped in her direction and a bolt of electricity shook her entire body when their eyes met. He almost missed catching his niece as she came down from the last toss, but managed to snatch her just in time. Tori uttered a mild curse. If she’d only stepped away a second sooner.
Maybe she could pretend she hadn’t heard her name. But that was fruitless. Clay had locked eyes with her. In fact, he was staring at her now.
Adria sat up in her lounger and patted the chair next to her. “Come sit with us a bit. I just ordered a pitcher of lemonade.”
Not exactly having a choice, Tori slowly made her way over.
“Again, Unca’ Cway.” Lilly’s joyous shout echoed through the air.
“How are you feeling?” Tori asked, keeping her voice low, not that she could have been heard over toddler laughter and splashing water.
“More and more tired every day.”
“Sorry to hear that. How about the nausea?”
“That can be kept at bay as long as I stay out of the heat.” She pointed to the beach umbrella above her. “And if I make sure to eat.”
“Is there anything I can bake for you?” Tori didn’t envy the woman. A sweltering tropical island could only be so much fun while expecting. “Any cravings yet?”
Adria rested her hand on her middle. “Too many to mention, unfortunately.”
“Please let me know if there’s anything I can prepare for you.”
Adria tilted her head, examining her. “Thank you. You really are a kind soul, aren’t you?”
Tori shrugged. “I just happen to have an entire kitchen at my disposal.”
Adria patted her knee. “I just may take you up on that. With Lilly, I only wanted savory dishes.” She gave her belly a small affectionate rub. Tori didn’t think Adria was even conscious of how often she touched her middle. “This one seems to have burdened me with a raving sweet tooth.”
“It’s a good thing your brother hired a baker then, I guess.”
The woman chuckled melodically. “Good thing, indeed.”
Adria was easy to talk to. Despite the disconcerting fact that Clay was so close and half undressed, chatting with his sister was starting to put Tori at ease. Heaven knew she could use it.
Judging by her next statement, Adria seemed to feel the same way. “You know, it’s nice to be able to finally talk to somebody about all this. Besides Enrique.”
“It must be hard to keep it completely close to your chest.”
Adria shaded her eyes with the back of her hand. “Harder than I would have thought, to be honest.” She sighed deeply. “You’re wondering why I won’t tell anyone.”
The question had crossed her mind.
“It’s simple, really,” Adria continued. “This is Gemma’s time. I don’t want anything overshadowing her special day.”
It was such a selfless motive. Tori’s impression of the woman went up several pegs from an already pretty esteemed level. But her reasoning still didn’t explain why she hadn’t told those closest to her. Including her brother. Clay seemed like the type who could hold a secret.
“Do you mind if I’m honest about something else?” Adria asked.
“Of course. Please go ahead.”
“I have to say, I had my suspicions, but there’s really no doubt watching the two of you up close.”
Tori gave her head a shake. “I don’t understand.”
“You’ve really got it bad.” She motioned toward her brother. “The way you keep looking at him but pretend that you’re not.”
Tori felt heat rush into her face. “Oh no. It’s not like that.” Had Clay noticed her staring at him, too? She probably looked like a love-struck teenager gaping at the homecoming king.
Adria patted her knee again. “Of course it is.”
Tori didn’t bother to deny it. There’d be no point. She certainly didn’t seem to be fooling the woman. Obviously, Tori wore her heart on her sleeve and her emotions on her face. “Is it that obvious?” she asked on a defeated sigh.
Adria’s small laugh wasn’t unkind. “Yes. For what it’s worth, he keeps looking over here at you, too.”
Probably just curious as to what she was talking to his sister about.
Tori ducked her head. How had she even gotten here? When had she fallen so hard? She could blame Eloise. All her talk about taking chances, how she would give Tori the wedding dress she’d be married in when it was her turn. Her sister had put dreamy ideas into her head, and look where she found herself. Hopelessly in love with a man she had no chance of a future with.
Adria gave her a conspiratorial wink. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep your secret just as well as you’re keeping mine.”
CHAPTER NINE
HOW DID A man look so sexy and tempting carrying a squirming, soaking wet toddler?
Tori’s eyes were starting to ache from forcing them to look in any direction but where he stood. Clay hoisted his niece over his shoulder and climbed the steps out of the pool. Water gleamed like spun gold over his tanned skin. His hair was wet and fell in haphazard curls over his forehead.
She had to suck in a gasp of longing. Adria must have heard, as she could have sworn the woman chuckled under her breath.
“Hey,” he said by way of greeting as he reached their side.
“Hey, yourself.” Tori nearly groaned out loud. Way to come back with a witty response.
He flashed her that smile with a head tilt that always brought a flush to her skin. He slid on a pair of stylish sunglasses that made it difficult to gauge his expression. By contrast, he could no doubt read all the desire and longing swimming in her own eyes.
“Want to hand me that?” he said, pointing to something behind her.
For a second, Tori had no clue what he may be referring to. She glanced around. Did he want the lemonade pitcher?
Why was she suddenly such a frazzled mess around him?
The answer was obvious, of course. She’d spent the night in his arms, enjoying fully every pleasurable moment he gave her. Now, she couldn’t deny just how much she wanted him to touch her that way again.
“The towel,” he clarified.
“Oh! Of course. Here.”
He had to be silently laughing at her. She didn’t dare look in Adria’s direction as she tossed him the towel. He expertly wrapped it around Lilly and began drying her off.
For a single bachelor who led a pretty busy life, he certainly seemed to know how to handle a toddler. Especially impressive considering he’d only been an uncle for under three years. And look how well he’d taken care of his sisters at such a high cost to himself. He’d essentially put himself in the line of fire to keep them safe.
She had no doubt in her mind, despite his nightmare of a childhood, that Clay would make an excellent father someday. Caring and attentive, he was beyond patient with Lilly.
Stop right this minute.
Thoughts like that were not going to lead anywhere good. The last thing she needed was to picture Clay as a father. To imagine dark-haired, olive-skinned little tykes who had their father’s deep chocolate-brown eyes and perhaps her angular, dimpled chin.
Heavens. What in the world was wrong with her?
He’d offered her nothing more than a temporary physical fling. And here she was, fantasizing about having his babies. It was so uncharacteristic of her, it was totally disconcerting.
She looked up to find Adria studying her. “Are you all right, Tori? You’ve suddenly gone rather red.”
“It is rather hot,” Tori hedged. She wasn’t overheated. She was blushing at the direction her wayward mind had just taken her.
Tori gave her head a shake to clear the useless imag
es.
She could use a good dip in the pool herself. Though it probably wouldn’t do much to cool her off.
* * *
She looked so cute when she was frazzled. Then again, Clay couldn’t recall a time when she didn’t look adorable. Even those times he’d seen her covered in sugar and flour, her apron stained.
Now, Tori seemed to be doing everything she could to avoid making eye contact with him. Was she thinking of all the ways he’d touched her last night? And all the ways she’d touched him? He, for one, hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it.
She leaned over to address Lilly. “How was your swim?”
“Good,” Lilly answered then stuck two fingers into her mouth.
“It wasn’t so much a swim as an upper arm workout for her uncle,” Adria quipped, handing her daughter a sippy cup full of lemonade.
Clay used the towel to try to dry himself off. It was hardly worth the effort, already soaked from Lilly’s splashing. What he wanted to do, what he wouldn’t have hesitated to do if his sister and niece weren’t present, was to wrap the towel around Tori and use it to pull her to him. Then he would take her lips with his own...
But they weren’t alone. Not to mention they were at the resort pool with several guests and workers meandering around.
“Cu’cake waydee!” Lilly announced, pointing to Tori with a toothless smile.
Tori’s smile in return was brilliant and genuine. “That’s right. I’m the cupcake lady.”
Lilly nestled closer to her and tried to climb onto her lap. Tori didn’t hesitate. Gently lifting the girl, she set her on her lap with an amused laugh. “I guess that makes me okay in your book, huh?”
Clay could hardly wait to take her into his own lap. She was pretty okay in his book, too. He sat next to them on the lounger. The smell of her coconut lotion and rose shampoo tickled his nostrils. He’d absorbed those scents so deeply last night.
Adria handed him a sweaty glass of lemonade and he took it gratefully, briefly considering dumping it over his head rather than drinking it. Lilly would sure get a kick out of it if he did that. But then he’d have to explain that he felt hot and bothered by the woman next to him—the cupcake lady herself. If he was smart, he would just get up and leave. He’d done his good deed by his sister. He could reward himself with a cold shower in his room.
