Page 37 of Marring an Athlete

Chapter Thirteen

Anna

By the third time they burned the hollandaise sauce, Pierre shooed them from his kitchen with a loud sigh and a permanent scowl. Anna pushed open the large metal door that led to the outside and giggled as Michael followed her.

She wanted to apologize to Pierre, but he was too preoccupied yelling at another employee to care. Why she thought she could cook such a complicated sauce was beyond her. It didn’t help that Michael seemed to think he would be of any help.

That man didn’t even know the difference between a ladle and a spatula.

The warm afternoon breeze surrounded them as she walked across the small platform to where the cement met the beach. She took off her sandals and wiggled her toes in the sand. The last thing she wanted to do right now was be stuck inside, pretending that she loved to cook.

Hopefully, this class would work on McKenna and Sam. They seemed to be enjoying it as they spoon fed each other their sauces, and for the first time this trip, acting like they actually liked the other person. They were still inside, getting a private lesson from Pierre.

The breeze picked up, surrounding Anna. She felt free, and from where she stood, the water looked amazing. It called to her, and she couldn’t ignore its siren any longer.

“Wanna go swimming?” she asked, glancing over at Michael who was studying her.

“I thought you’d never ask.” He slipped off his sandals and ran into the sand.

Within seconds, they were at the water’s edge. Michael was unbuttoning his shirt. Anna tried hard not to stare at his chest as it was slowly revealed. Once he was in the water and covered, she’d feel better.

Thankfully, she’d anticipated that they would go swimming, so she’d worn her suit under her maxi dress. She pulled up the hem and slipped it off. She folded it and set it on top of her sandals. When she turned back around, she caught Michael staring at her before he dropped his gaze.

Heat rushed over her skin. “What are you looking at?” she asked, grateful that her tone came across as playful and didn’t expose how nervous his gaze made her.

“Nothing,” he said, pulling off his shirt and dropping it next to his sandals. He gave her a smile as he took off toward the water.

She raced after him. There was no way she was going to let him off that easy. “Michael Jones, you come back here. That’s not a good enough answer,” she said, diving into the water after him.

When she broke the water’s surface, she glanced around. Michael was a few feet away, wiping his hand through his hair. Water droplets sprinkled around him. How did he look like a Greek God while she just looked like a drowning dog? Fate just wasn’t fair.

She marched over to him and placed her hands on her hips. “I asked you a question,” she said, glancing up at him.

Michael peered down at her. “Are you trying to intimidate me?” he asked. A smile hinted on his lips.

“Is it working?” she asked, dropping her arms.

He laughed. “No. But it’s cute that you think it might.”

“Cute?” She lunged toward him with her fists punching at him like an inexperienced boxer. He raised his hands and took her swings like they were a bug on a windshield. “Remember what happened last time you called me cute?”

He gave her a quizzical look before recognition passed over his face. “Halloween, right?”

She nodded. “I’d dressed up as Thelma from Scooby-Doo, and you called me cute.” She went back to striking his raised hands.

“Oh, but you were so cute. With your fake glasses and brown wig.”

“Thelma wasn’t the cute one, she was the smart one.” Anna shot him a look that she hoped would come across as angry, but Michael just smiled at her.

“Right. So, what do I say when I think you do something adorable?” He wrapped his fingers around her knuckles and held her still so he could look into her eyes.

Anna’s heart pounded in her chest as she felt the warmth of his palms rush across her skin. Why was she having this reaction to him? He wasn’t good for her. He was a playboy. She should run far away from him.

“Anna?”

She snapped her attention over to him. “I’m a woman. You can tell me I’m smokin’ hot, but not cute.” She’d meant it as a joke but from his raised eyebrows, he didn’t agree.

“But what if you do something sexy? Then what do I say?” He pulled her closer as if out of instinct. He hesitated before he met her gaze, and it made Anna’s stomach twist. Was he waiting for her to pull away? What if she didn’t? How far would he take this?

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