Page 33 of Turning Up the Heat

He cupped the back of his neck and rubbed. “Yeah, I think I might have pulled something.”

“You definitely exerted yourself. Let’s get in the hot tub, you relax, and then I’ll take you back upstairs.”

They both stepped into the water. It was just shy of scorching, perfect for her, but made Tom hiss. “Too hot?” she asked, settling into of the seats.

“No, I’m a manly man. I can handle it.”

She laughed, resting against the jets. “God, I know we’re only here for a couple of days, but this has been an amazing little getaway,” she said, letting the jet soothe the muscles in her neck and shoulders. She could use a massage, too. Even though she’d been having the best sex of her life and felt perfectly relaxed every moment she spent with Tom, her secret relationship with her family’s biggest rival was taking not only an emotional, but a physical toll on her. She realized that she was more tense than she’d realized. “Thanks for coming with me.”

“Thank you for inviting me.”

“Between Jamaica, New York and now, I need to stop taking so many vacations,” she said. “I haven’t had much of a chance to focus on work.”

“What are you working on now?”

“Just some new flavors for our summer line,” she said, keeping her eyes closed. “You know, keeping it young, hip, sexy.” After she said the words, she knew that she probably shouldn’t have said anything. He did work for their competition. And with how tightly she and her brothers held their secrets, she really should have known better.

“Oh really? What sorts of flavors?”

She straightened in her seat. “Why do you ask?”

He shrugged casually. “No reason,” he told her. “I’m just making conversation because I’m interested in you.”

She didn’t respond, but she eyed him warily. Was he just making conversation like he claimed? Or was there something else to his questions? She couldn’t be sure. She thought of him in her distillery, studying her equipment, cell phone in hand. Gemma wanted nothing more than to trust him.

Tom’s hand rested on her thigh. She looked over at him to see his eyes were closed as he leaned against the back of the hot tub. She loved his touch, had begun to crave his hands on her body, but she couldn’t ignore the fingers of doubt that crawled up her spine.

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