Page 25 of Operation Heartbeat

Before she could catch her breath, he stepped out of his boxer briefs, picked her up and jumped into the pool with her in his arms.

She sputtered at the shock of water, though it was warm from the sun. Con pinned her to the side of the pool and claimed her mouth once more.

She looped her arms around his neck and levered her body into his hard erection, wishing she’d had a chance to remove her panties before he threw her into the pool.

Suddenly, the kiss slowed. He lifted his head and looked at her.

Some of the sexual haze in his eyes flowed away. “What’s different about you?”

She blinked. Her academic mind cast around for answers to his question. What was different about her now that she was wet besides her hair hanging around her face in thick, soaking wet locks?

All at once, it struck her. The perfume she’d spritzed on in the airplane bathroom.

She’d thrown it in her bag as a last-minute impulse. Then applied it on the plane because she felt tired and grubby and thought it may energize her.

“Oh god.”

His gaze locked on her. “Sophie.”

“It’s…I mean… It’s a natural mistake.”

“What is a natural mistake?” He bit off the words through his teeth. Water beaded on his neck and shoulders, reminding her all too well of what they’d been so close to doing.

When she didn’t answer, he growled, “Sophie.”

In a rush, she explained. “It must be my perfume. It’s a pheromone perfume.”

“What does that mean?”

“I bought it because I was thinking about going on one of those dating sites. You know, getting out there again. I thought the pheromone perfume might make things easier, give me a little jump on dating.”

“What is it supposed to do?”

She peeked up at him. “Simulate human pheromones that attract a person to another person.”

“I see.” His jaw flexed so hard she waited for a popping sound as it snapped.

“I’m sorry, Con. I didn’t actually think it would work.” But of course it had. A beautiful god of a man like Ryan Constantine couldn’t possibly want a mousy bookworm like her otherwise.Her ex had pounded that into her brain time and again with his cheating.

He drifted toward the steps and hauled himself out of the water, leaving her to stare at the perfect planes of his backside she would never get a chance to grip in the throes of bliss.

There went her chance.

It was probably for the better.

SIX

Sophie’s eyes burned from exhaustion and overuse. It didn’t help that she’d been staring at a computer screen for most of the night—or was it day? She didn’t know anymore.

Jet lag had left her restless in that big king-sized bed. The fact that she was forced to share with a man she’d practically jumped for sex didn’t leave her feeling comfortable either.

Along with the sting in her eyes, her cheeks heated at the memory of the swimming pool. Could she be any more embarrassed? That perfume was one of the worst ideas she’d ever had, and she could name a lot revolving around her ex.

Now she could add giving in to her crazy desire and kissing Con to the list.

Even with a wall of pillows between them, lying in bed beside him was not happening. They could sleep in shifts.

Right now, she had a cryptogram to work on.

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