Page 35 of Risk Assessment
She rolled back over. “An iced tea would be great, but no rush.”
He wanted to let his gaze roam over her body but he somehow managed to keep his eyes on her face. “Okay, I’ll be back in a bit with your iced tea.”
“Great. Thanks.” She smiled up at him as she got comfortable on the lounger.
He walked to the bar, cursing under his breath. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to ask for two ice waters. One to drink and one to pour over his head, or another body part, to help him snap out of it.
The bar was at the far end of the pool area, giving him an ideal vantage point. But he didn’t have much time to peruse the other guests before a small group of people approached him—whether they were interested in him, or the bar, he wasn’t sure. Calvin Clark and his assistant, Josh, along with Bill Harris and Daniel Jenkins.
“Dylan,” Bill said, “how are you today?”
“Bill, doing fine.”
“I heard you chatted a bit with Andrew at breakfast. He appreciated the gesture.”
“Andrew is a good guy. We were just catching up. I thought he said you were all going off to play golf.”
Harris smiled. “Yes, well, I was told I’m on call today. You just never know what my wife and daughter might need. I want to be able to help out any way I can. Golf will have to wait for another day.”
In all the time he’d known Jenn, Bill Harris never put her or her mother first. Not once. He played golf no matter what, so either he’d changed dramatically in the last six months, or something was up. Dylan’s money was on the latter.
Interesting.
“What about you Calvin, Mr. Jenkins? Not up for a round of golf?”
“Not today,” Clark responded. “Have a bit of work to do.” He adjusted the collar of his white polo shirt. “I haven’t been getting out much lately.” His deep tan said otherwise but Dylan let it go.
“I am not a huge golf fan.” Jenkins sniffed. “It seems like such a waste of time.” He watched two young girls in bikinis walk by. “There are so many better pursuits to occupy my time.”
Which means you suck at golf and you’re a sleazeball.Dylan kept that thought to himself and took a sip of his ice water.
“I see Raleigh over there.” Jenkins gestured toward the pool. “She looksamazingin that swimsuit.” He winked at Dylan. “You’re one lucky man.” Then he took the last sip of whatever he was drinking and set the empty glass on the bar. “I think I’ll go check out the spa. I’m feeling tense. A massage is in order.” The way he said it, he had a different sort of massage in mind, one he could do himself with his hand and a little lotion.
Jenkins winked once more at Dylan and strode off in the direction of the spa.
Unease flowed through Dylan’s guy. The way Jenkins kept leering at Raleigh made him queasy. Could he be the stalker? He was certainly enough of a dickhead to do it. He was going to have to keep an eye on Jenkins.
Clark snorted derisively. “Unlike Jenkins, no time for rest. Josh, I need to go back to the room and review the contracts. Give me a half hour and then meet me there, and we can go over them.”
Josh bobbed his head in agreement, and Clark walked off toward the dining area.
Dylan watched him go. Clark stopped to say hi to a few people on the way across the pool area. He was a toucher. He managed to lay his hand on every single female within arm’s reach. Clark was just as sleazy as Jenkins; he just did it more covertly. Definitely needed to look into him as well.
Josh leaned forward and caught the bartender’s attention. “A bottle of water, please.” The bartender grabbed a bottle out of the fridge behind him and placed it in front of Josh. Josh nodded his thanks and left a few dollars on the bar.
“Have to stay hydrated in this heat,” he mumbled as he took a sip. He was wearing Dockers with a razor-sharp crease and a crisp white button-down shirt. The only concession to the heat was his rolled-up sleeves. Dylan got the impression that Josh wanted to exude an air of confidence but all that came across was that maybe Josh was a touch insecure about himself. Who wears pants and a long sleeve shirt in this heat?
Bill glanced at Josh and frowned. He’d never been a man to waste time talking to ‘the help’. It was one of the many things Dylan hated about the Harris family.
Josh must have known this, or sensed it at least, because he glanced at Dylan and then mumbled “See you,” as he moved away from the bar.
“How are you enjoying your new assignment?” Bill asked with a slight sneer.
Was that glee in Bill’s voice, or was Dylan just being paranoid. Bill and Lydia Harris had never really liked him. He sure didn’t have their social standing, and they’d always let him know it. It had never mattered to him. He’d quit worrying what people thought of him a long time ago. A thick skin had been a necessary survival technique growing up.
“It’s not so bad, I guess.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew it was true. It surprised him, but it was a good feeling. He hadn’t let himself think about it much. The breakup with Jenn and being removed from the ESU team had changed his life. In response, he’d sort of shut down and never really let himself mull it over. Desk duty wasn’t so bad when he thought about it. His new job had brought a level of clarity, and a sort of calm that he hadn’t felt in a while.
Was breaking up with Jenn the right thing? Yes, he was pretty sure it was. What about SWAT? If he didn’t go back to ESU, would that be the worst thing? What then? What was the next step in his career? He was more uneasy about that uncertainty, but he wasn’t in a blind panic like he thought he might be.
