Page 2 of Charm

Like a moth to a flame, I’m drawn to the wall of windows that beckon from across the expansive space. I dart around the large, comfy-looking furniture and a tall lamp set up next to a chair. I’ll put that to good use later when I sit down to open a thriller novel for the first time in years.

I notice something isn’t right as soon as I reach the windows.

The ocean is visible in the distance, but that’s not the view that demands my attention.

I can’t take my eyes off what is in the pool…or, rather,who.

I’m not sharing this house with anyone this weekend, so the man standing in the waist-deep water with his back to me is trespassing.

This wasn’t how I thought my weekend getaway would kick off, but I’m an expert at solving problems, and that’s all this guy is.

It’s time for me to get rid of him.

CHAPTER TWO

Greer

I’m temptedto call the local police, but I know I can handle this, or at least I think I can, unless the trespasser proves to be dangerous. I glance around the room and stop when I notice a black umbrella leaning against a wall not more than a foot from where I’m standing.

I have no idea why it’s there and not in the umbrella stand by the front door, but who am I to question a gift when it presents itself to me?

I grab the handle before I flip open the lock on one of the sliding glass doors and step outside.

The man in the pool is still oblivious to the fact that he has an audience, so I clear my throat and take a deep breath. “Who the hell are you?”

My voice doesn’t sound nearly as menacing as I want it to, and the fact that I’m wearing a pink tank top and denim cut-offs doesn’t help with theI’m-a-total-bad-assvibe I’m going for.

The flip-flops on my feet aren’t doing me any favors, either. Still, I try to own it because the umbrella in my hand can easily transform into a pokey weapon in a pinch.

He glances over his shoulder at me before his left hand darts in the air in greeting. “Hey!”

Hey?

That’s it? He’s a trespasser, and his response to getting caught is a nonchalanthey?

“Who the hell are you?” I repeat my question, backing it up with a jab of the umbrella’s tip in the air.

“Who are you?” He chuckles. “And what’s with the umbrella?”

“I’m the one asking the questions,” I say. “You’re in my pool.”

He turns to face me, and it’s an instant feast of visual delights. His wet, dark hair is pushed back from his forehead, revealing a face that is a treat to behold. A square jawline covered with a late-day shadow, chiseled features, and a smile that weakens my knees aren’t all there is to savor.

My gaze drifts to his broad shoulders, muscular arms, and bare chest before it drops to his abs. The water laps around his waist, so that’s where the free show ends.

I shake my head to get back into the moment. I shouldn’t be ogling the trespasser. I need him out of the pool now, so I step closer, holding the umbrella handle tightly in my fist.

“I’m in my neighbor’s pool,” he comments before he stretches. His arms rise in the air, proving just how fit this guy is.

Is he for real?

I don’t just mean the whole Adonis thing he has going on. His answer seems super suspicious, given that the woman who owns the house I’m staying in specifically told me that all of her neighbors have pools. That came up during one of our many text exchanges on the vacation home rental app that I used to find this place. After she initially asked how many people would bestaying the weekend, and I responded that it would just be me, she seemed intent on setting me up with someone during my stay.

I brushed off her suggestion that I seek out a chef who owns a bistro nearby, so she brought up ‘the pool man,’ as she referred to him.

Apparently, every homeowner on this stretch of the beach employs him for pool maintenance and repairs. She even gave me his phone number in case I have a pool emergency. I responded that I’d contact her directly if that happens, but she replied that the pool guy is good-looking and single, so I should feel free to reach out to him if need be.

Is that who this guy is? Is he taking a dip on the job and trying to cover it up?

---