Page 34 of Paradise in Progress
The sound of his throat clearing has my eyes snapping open. “Can you please stop moaning?”
“What’s the matter, Golden Boy? Can’t handle the noise?”
“As a matter of fact, I can’t. And I’m wondering what else I could put in that mouth of yours to get you to moan.”
My jaw drops open. It’s wide enough that one of those tropical birds I was enjoying listening to could fly in. “Jesus.”
“Yeah,” he replies before taking a long pull of his beer. “And it’s not helping when you’re practically naked across from me.”
Eyes widening, I remember that I’m dressed in very little clothes. “Let me go throw something on.”
His hand immediately goes up to stop me. “Please don’t get out of the pool. Just stay there, in your corner, underneath the water, so that I can forget what your tiny turtle tattoo looks like.”
“Ahh. You spotted Donatello.”
“You named your tattoo after one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?”
“Don’t sound so surprised.” Wrapping my lips around the bottle, I use my tongue to lick out some of the lime pulp that stuck to the inside. The action causes another groan to escape my nemesis, and I chuckle. It was an innocent move, but apparently not to him. “You know, you’re cute when you’re flustered.”
The hand holding his beer points to his chest as he mocks a gasp. “Did the oh-so-serious Kennedy Reed just call me cute?”
I groan. “The heat has gone to my head. I must have sweat out all my brain cells in that stupid administration building.”
“Uh huh, sure, that’s what it is.” He winks before stretching his arms against the ledge and taps his finger against the glass. “Speaking of the administration building, how did the meeting go? I figured you’d have sent out an update by now.”
Shaking my head, I feel moisture gathering in my eyes, and I will myself not to cry in front of him. I’m not typically a crier, but the stress, heat exhaustion, and lack of food have me wanting to break down right here on the balcony overlooking paradise.
“It was an absolute flop.” His eyebrow quirks, as if telling me to continue. “First of all, the place is extremely hot. Their air conditioning couldn’t keep up with the heat. I sat in the waiting room all afternoon because he refused to meet with me, even though we had a time scheduled and I arrived twenty minutes early. Then, about thirty minutes before they closed, my phone died. It was a complete waste of time.”
“Do you need me to go back tomorrow for you?”
“No!” I practically shout. “I’m sorry, I just mean no, I can handle it. I’ll go back every single day until he allows me to speak to him. Jayden had a few ideas as to how to even get him to open the door for me. So I’m going to try that tomorrow.”
“All things legal, right?”
Rolling my eyes, I give him a deadpan look. “Of course, all things legal. I know this is your family’s business and that this project isimportant, but I have no desire to whore myself out for the company, if that was what you were implying.”
He choked on the sip of beer he was in the process of drinking. “Jesus, Kennedy. That’s not what I meant at all. I just don’t want to have to bail your ass out of jail by bribing a government official, is all I mean.”
Heat creeps across my skin. “Oh.”
He laughs, robust and so full of warmth. It’s a sound I’m starting to crave, especially on hard days. Although I would never tell him that. He needs to know he strictly stands in the competitive pool. Speaking of warmth, my body is feeling cooled down, and as much as I’m not hating this interaction, I’m starving.
“Close your eyes, Golden Boy.”
Instead of shutting them, they widen at my tone, which came out husky. “Shit, Firecracker, now I’m nervous.”
“Ha. ha. I just meant I’m about to get out of this pool so close your eyes. I wouldn’t want to cause any more”—I gesture to his crotch—“reactions.”
“Funny girl,” he muses. “Why are you in such a hurry to get out?”
“Not that I don’t find your presence riveting, but I’m starving. I only planned on being in here long enough to cool off.”
“Let’s order something. We can have it sent up and put a movie on.”
I pause, nibbling on my lower lip as I think it over.
“C’mon. You know you want to find out how comfortable that giant sectional is.”
