Page 4 of Brodie

“So, I’ll meet you in New York in two weeks for the shoot.If you need, I can find you a date for the fundraiser.”

“I don’t need you to do that,” I grumble. He sighs, probablybecause he knows I’ll show up solo. I have zero desire to date right now. I’mnot even interested in having a woman on my arm for a night.

“Brodie.” He exhales an annoyed breath.

“Doug.” I smile.

“Fine. If you need me, you have my cell.”

“Yeah, talk with you later.” I end the call and then glanceto my left when I see movement out of the corner of my eye.

With my sunglasses on, I watch the cute little brunette Iclocked when I came out to hang by the pool get up from her lounger next tomine. I didn’t notice her because she’s the most stunning woman out here—notthat she’s not beautiful. She is. I noticed her because she was reading a bookwith a strange-looking fish on the cover, unlike the twelve I’d seen withflowers and a few with couples or single men. I also noticed her because she’sthe only woman under the age of forty not wearing a bikini. After placing herbook on her chair, she adjusts her swimsuit, which looks like something PamelaAnderson wore during the height of Baywatch. Biting her bottom lip,she looks around and then peers at her stuff. I can almost hear her silentlydebating with herself, wondering if she should leave her things. This pool andthe connected bar are private to the building, but that doesn’t mean everyonehere lives here full time. People rent out their homes or have family who usethe facilities. She likely knows that.

“I’ll watch them.” Startled, her sunglass-covered gaze fliesto mine. “If you want to go to the bar or restroom, I’m here and will watchyour stuff while you’re gone.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I got you.”

“Thanks. I’ll be right back.” She starts to walk off butstops and spins back to face me, jerking her thumb over her shoulder. “Do youwant a water or something?”

“I’m good.” I smile, caught off guard by the offer.

With a nod, she walks toward the bar at the edge of thepool. I watch her noticing a group of guys who have been drinking since Iarrived an hour ago—and probably long before that—take notice of her. Three inthe group start egging one of them on while pointing in her direction. I can’thear what they’re saying, but they’re obviously trying to get their friend togo over and talk to her. Not that it looks like he needs the encouragement.

With a cocky smirk, he gets out of the pool with hisfriends, laughing and acting like a bunch of drunk idiots, then starts hisapproach after a douchey grin over his shoulder to the guys.

My gaze goes to where she is now standing at the bar. Themoment he’s close to her, he reaches for her, placing his hand on her lowerback. Jumping in surprise, she looks up at him and then takes a step away,dislodging his touch. When he says something, she shakes her head with a politesmile. He must say something else because she shakes her head again. With afrown, he glances toward his friends, shouting from the pool, then grins andcloses the space between them once more. She takes a step back when he reachesout to touch her arm.

Annoyed because it’s obvious she doesn’t want his attention,and he’s not backing down, I set aside my cell and get up. The closer I get,the clearer I hear him trying to coerce her into letting him buy her a drink.With her sunglasses now on the top of her head, I can see that she is startingto panic because he’s not giving up.

I walk up to her and get in her space, shoving my sunglassesup, too. “Hey, baby.” I look down at her, wrapping my arm around her waist andignoring the shock etched into her pretty features. Jesus, she’s cute. Andwithout her sunglasses, I can see that her eyes are an unusual brown with goldnear the center. “Did you already order your drink?”

“Umm,” she whispers, looking adorably confused.

I can’t help but grin. “I changed my mind about the water.”

“Hey, man.”

My smile slides away as I turn my head, leveling my gaze onthe guy behind me. He visibly swallows. “Can I help you?”

“I…” He blinks, and then his brows come together like he’strying to figure something out.

If he wasn’t wasted, he might say he recognizes me. But inthe state he’s in, and with the stench of alcohol coming off him, I doubt he’drecognize his own mother if she was standing right in front of him.

I don’t pull my gaze off his as I order. “Get our drinks,babe, so we can get back to our chairs.”

She steps away from me, sliding out of my hold, and I listento her order two bottles of water.

The guy glances back at his friends, who are now watchingthe two of us. Then his eyes meet mine. “Do I know you?”

“I doubt it.”

He shakes his head like the action will clear some of thefog. “You look familiar.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot.” I turn my back on him and get inher space again. Once she has the two bottles of water, I walk her back aroundthe pool to our loungers, hovering my hand over her lower back but not touchingher.

“You okay?” I ask softly when we reach our chairs. She letsout a long breath.

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