Page 22 of Playing with Seduction

Bree’s cheeks flamed and her heart beat so loudly Wes could probably hear it. Her hands tightened into fists at her side, itching with a desire to smack that self-satisfied grin off his handsome face. “I am not getting into that hot tub.”

“Then I guess we’ll talk about this when I return in a week.”

“Wesley Adams—”

He gestured that he couldn’t hear her, then slipped lower in the water.

Bree gritted her teeth, climbed back over the divider and headed up to her bedroom. If he thought he could drive her off that easily, he was in for a rude awakening.

* * *

Wes shut his eyes and allowed the heated water and full-blast jet streams to melt the tension. For as long as he could remember, any stress he was feeling had gone straight to his shoulders. He could still hear his teacher, Ms. Lively, scolding him for hunching his shoulders around his ears, like they were a pair of earrings.

He’d been a sensitive kid. Always in tune with the feelings of others. Particularly his mother and grandmother. His mother had always put on a brave face and tried to hide her anxiety. But she didn’t fool him. Not for a minute. Not even when he was twelve.

Over the years he’d learned to control it. To dial back his reaction to other people’s feelings. He reserved that kind of investment for the people who really mattered to him.

Lena Adams was at the top of that list.

Despite the brave face she’d put on, she was scared. Afraid of what the future held when her body no longer complied. The pain that simmered beneath her brave smile nestled in his gut like a five-hundred-pound boulder. He hadn’t been able to shake it.

The trip back to London hadn’t helped. His event manager, Nadia, wasn’t happy about his decision to make Pleasure Cove the new home base of the company. She was aware that he’d planned to expand to the US, but she’d expected him to continue living and working in London for the majority of the year. He had, too. His mother’s illness changed his plans.

He wouldn’t move to New Bern, where his mother lived. She’d feel he was encroaching on her independence. Instead, he’d make Pleasure Cove his home base, keeping him within an easy two-hour drive of his mother. Besides, with Pleasure Cove as his base he could easily work with Westbrook International Luxury Resorts on future projects, while slowly expanding his reach along the East Coast. It wasn’t the fancy, New York office he’d planned, but he’d make it work.

“Looks like you’re deep in thought. Hope you’re thinking about why my family-friendly tournament is the better option.”

His eyes fluttered open. Wes blinked. Twice.

Bree stepped down from the bench in a sexy, black one-piece swimsuit that caused all of the tension that had drained from his shoulders to settle below his waist. He swallowed hard as she walked toward him. The asymmetrical swimsuit had one strap, across her left shoulder. Just below her full breasts, a cut-out veered in, nearly to her navel, then dipped back out again at her waist, revealing the smooth, brown skin on the left side of her torso. Her hair was pulled up in a loose ponytail, high at the back of her head.

She was gorgeous. From the sway of her generous hips and the sly turn at the corners of her pouty lips, she damn well knew it.

The gloves were off, and Bree was prepared to play dirty. There was no way in hell he could concentrate on business while she was standing there in…that.

His appreciative assessment of the swim attire clinging for dear life to her undulating curves hadn’t gone unnoticed. Bree tried to swallow a grin as she inched closer, then slid out of her sandals.

Wes extended his hand to her, but didn’t stand. If he did, his appreciation for her choice of swimwear would become painfully obvious. “You took me up on the offer. Didn’t think you would.”

“Don’t underestimate me. I don’t give up so easily.” She settled into the seat across from his.

He nodded, his gaze settling on her fiercely determined one. Bree was ready for a battle. “I know. Watched you play for years. I’ve seen you dig out of some tough spots. Your refusal to concede, it’s what I admire most about you as a player.”

“But not as a colleague seated across the boardroom table, I take it.” She folded her arms beneath her breasts, inadvertently providing him with a spectacular view of her cleavage. His gaze dropped there momentarily and she immediately realized her mistake. Bree lowered her arms and narrowed her gaze at him, one eyebrow raised.

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