Page 26 of All Night with the Cowboy
Lauren laughed. “Don’t be silly. You know how I am with my work. I haven’t slept with him and I have no intentions of going there.” If only saying it was as easy as doing it—ornotdoing it.
“I know, I know. You’re possibly the only woman on the planet who refuses to date hot, single ballplayers.”
“Hey, if you were trying to get the respect of their wivesandyour bosses, you’d do the same.”
“Sweetheart, after all the time you’ve been working there, I think it would be okay to date justoneof the single guys. You know, no one will ask you out again if you keep on turning them down.”
Lauren stood again, finding it hard to settle. “How are the kids?”
“Great. They’re messy and loud and fun, same as always. But it’s you I want to hear about!”
Lauren could hear them in the background, but Hannah was in the kitchen so the kids weren’t in sight. She stood at the door again, watching the water ripple andsmiled when Tanner rose out of the water. He saw her there but didn’t smile or hold up his hand. He just shook the water off, droplets falling from every part of him. He was so gorgeous. He might be arrogant and he might still hate her for what she did, but right now she was certain she’d never wanted something, or someone, so badly in her whole life.
She filled her sister in on Vomo, telling her more about the island, the gorgeous food, and everything else—except getting up close and personal with Tanner.
“Bula!”
Lauren put her finger to her lips and listened. Tanner had obviously come inside, because he was talking to a man and she couldn’t make out what they were saying. She opened the door.
“What’s going on?” her sister muttered.
“Sorry, I just heard someone arrive.” Lauren’s eyebrows shot up when she realized what was going on. “It seems we have a butler and he’s just arrived with champagne.”
Her sister burst out laughing. “Shoot me now! You’re on a luxury island and you have a freaking butler, too?”
“Seems like it,” Lauren said, gratefully holding out her hand as Tanner came toward her with the champagne, shrugging his shoulders as if to say “Well, why the hell wouldn’t we?”
“I’ll call you another day,” Lauren said. “Miss you.”
“Go drink champagne and have fun,” Hannah replied with a laugh. “Bye!”
***
Tanner passed Lauren the glass of champagne and wondered what she was thinking. She’d become very goodat guarding her expression, and that wasn’t something he was used to, not from her. When they’d been younger, it had seemed like every thought that had passed through her head he’d been able to read on her face.
“He’s left us some canapés too,” Tanner said. “The only thing he forgot to leave was the bottle.”
He sipped the champagne. Not usually his drink of choice, but he wasn’t going to complain.
“Cheers,” Lauren said, holding up her glass and clinking it to his before taking a sip. He watched as she swallowed it down.
“You know,” Lauren said, “I was going to tell you tonight that we should skip the alcohol while we’re here, to help with your recovery, but I’m thinking that maybe my rules were a little strict.”
Tanner grinned. “Yeah, I think we should focus on the whole relaxation part of the trip.” He could think of some other great ways to relax too, but given her reaction after the kiss, he was going to keep those thoughts to himself. For now.
“Want to go sit outside?” he asked. “Seems a shame not to soak up the last rays of sunshine.”
She moved in front of him and he followed her out, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the change in light.
“Who were you talking to before?” he asked, before realizing his question hadn’t come out quite right. “I mean, you sounded like you were having a laugh. I don’t actually need to know if—”
“Cue the jealous ex-boyfriend?” she asked, before laughing and shaking her head. “It’s fine. It was Hannah actually. She was just recounting some things from the past that Mom and Dad used to say about you.”
He cringed. “Do I even want to know? Damn, yourdad used to give me this look, like he’d pull out a shotgun and shoot me right there on the spot if he could.”
Lauren’s grimace matched his. “Yeah, I remember.”
“And your mom?” He downed some more champagne. “Lord, did she want me dead! I could tell from the way she looked at me, like she wished she could just scream at me not to put my filthy paws on her baby girl.”
