“With a moving target between your sights, it’s hard to not take a shot.”
“Still...I won’t do it again. Next time she’s here, I’ll be especially gracious.”
Blake laughed. “Don’t hold your breath. She drops in about as often as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Occasionally the tooth fairy, as well.”
Cassie kept her opinion to herself. From the message that had flashed in Daphne’s eyes, she suspected that the other woman had decided it was time to move in for the kill. And, unprepared and unsuspecting, Blake was ripe for the taking.
Chapter Six
Cassie parked the sporty candy-apple-red Firebird in the garage, next to the other cars. Although she’d originally protested the practicality of the vehicle Blake had put at her disposal, she secretly loved the flashy, fast-moving car. It was easy to pretend that, behind the wheel, she shed a decade of both age and responsibility.
Although initially terrified of the crowded, bustling city, she was growing to like it. At first she’d felt as though she’d been dropped inside an anthill that had been stirred with a big stick. She’d seen more people the first week in L.A. than she had in her entire lifetime. But she was beginning to appreciate the city’s diversity, and its anonymity. Twin Corners hadn’t offered either.
Nor had her hometown possessed a fraction of the shopping L.A. did. Although her practical side wouldn’t allow her to waste money foolishly, she absorbed the sights and the nuances of the fashion-conscious. Along the way, she was developing an inner sense of style that was subtly changing her appearance, mannerisms, even her speech.
And the past month, while Blake remained in L.A. instead of leaving the country again, she’d also given a lot of thought to the ridiculous attraction she was developing for him. Telling herself in no uncertain terms that it was inappropriate, and that she was going to slam the door shut on those thoughts, she still found her gaze wandering toward him. And she’d taken far too much interest in his social life. She knew a handsome, sophisticated man like Blake must have women hanging all over him, yet she wondered. And Daphne hadn’t left her thoughts, especially since she’d had dinner with Blake twice in the past few weeks.
With an instinct that was purely feminine, Cassie knew the other woman resented her presence, especially since she’d discovered the proximity of Cassie’s and Blake’s bedrooms. Although she’d claimed to have wandered into Cassie’s bedroom by mistake, it was difficult to believe that Daphne’s every move wasn’t calculated. Especially when feline anger glowed in her gorgeous eyes.
Inordinately pleased to have unsettled such a formidable woman, Cassie couldn’t help wondering what it would take to completely intimidate her. She also couldn’t help wondering whether it bothered Blake to sleep in the bedroom across the hall from hers. Initially entranced by the beautiful suite, she hadn’t realized that his bedroom was so close to her own. Now that fact was never far from her thoughts. And she couldn’t help thinking about why he’d assigned her the suite of rooms directly across from his. The wing was distinctly set apart from the other bedrooms, and that made it seem private. Almost too private.
Glancing at her watch, Cassie saw that she had some time before David John and the twins would be home. D.J., she reminded herself, knowing how important it was for him to establish his new L.A. identity. Since she already had the children’s afternoon snack prepared, she could steal a few moments for herself.
Cassie stopped first in Katherine Ann’s room to drop off the largest shopping bag. The usually easy-going Katherine Ann had dug in her heels about getting new school clothes. Although shorts and T-shirts were a fairly universal wardrobe-stretcher, there were other things she needed to update her rural clothing to the big-city look. And, she’d informed her mother, she didn’t want to look like a geek. And Cassie could only agree. It was difficult enough to be a teenager. Add relocation, and that upped the stakes. Add coming from Twin Corners to L.A., and those stakes zoomed to a mathematical equation beyond her expertise.
Cassie smiled as she deposited the bag on the pretty makeup table by the window. For all Katherine Ann’s protests that she wasn’t influenced by anything else in the new city culture, she’d accumulated some makeup on their past shopping excursions. It wouldn’t be long before her little bird dusted off her plumage and started to fly.
Cassie continued to smile as she entered her own room. Opening the shopping bag, Cassie withdrew the small bit of material. While the most conservative bathing suit she could find, it still seemed skimpy to her. But she was dying to try the pool. She’d always loved to swim, if only in the neighbor’s pond, and had been drawn from the start to the pristine, oversize pool. While her children had all quickly tried the pool and now used it regularly, she’d held back.
But today she’d seen the swimsuit sale. Her own faded, stretched-out suit had been thrown away when she packed. She’d regretted its loss ever since she first spotted the pool. Today, on an impulse, she’d bought the new suit, after checking out every style on the rack, some of which had her small-town eyes nearly bugging out. And although the suit wasn’t as conservative as she would have liked, she had to admit that it was the most stunning one she’d ever owned.
Deceptively simple, it had a unique cut that made it stand out from the rest. Her entire back was exposed, as the suit dipped precariously low, then hugged her curves. Rather than the expected black or hot flash of color, this suit was white.
Anxious to try the pool, Cassie quickly shed her clothes, then stepped into the suit. Not wanting to risk a look into the mirror, she shrugged on the terry cover-up the persuasive saleswoman had talked her into. Grabbing a towel from the bathroom, she bounced down the stairs, feeling like a kid let out of school for the summer.
She slipped out the French doors and approached the pool. The water sparkled invitingly, and Cassie didn’t need a second invitation. She dived in, then fell easily into a pattern of laps. If things had been different in high school, she could have stayed on the swim team. Now, it was sheer bliss to have a pool right in the backyard. Her strokes cut the water smoothly with the precision she’d once learned, then perfected.
After a respectable distance, she felt invigorated, rather than winded. Apparently, chasing the children had kept her in better shape than she realized. Glancing at the three staggered diving boards, Cassie felt their lure. At one time, she’d been torn between swimming and diving, not certain which one to concentrate on. She had leaned toward diving, and had hoped to win a scholarship with her skill, but college was another dream that had bitten the dust.
Shaking away unpleasant memories, Cassie started first with the low board. Executing a flawless dive, she felt a resurgence of confidence. She duplicated her effort on the medium-level board and then decided to tackle the high dive.
Tie pulled askew, jacket flung over one shoulder, briefcase in hand, Blake took a shortcut from the garage through the terrace that surrounded the pool. As he glanced upward, his gaze came to a halt on Cassie.
Like a sleek white column, she dominated the highest diving stand. Her long blond hair was skimmed backward, accenting her lovely facial structure. Her head was erect, lowered only enough so that she could see the end of the board. A body that he had never dreamed she possessed was posed in a classical form. Had she purposely hidden it behind loose-fitting T-shirts and jeans? Considering how dry his mouth suddenly was, it had probably been a wise move.
Realizing she planned to dive, he opened his mouth to shout a warning. The high platform was only for experienced divers. A novice like Cassie could get seriously hurt. But before he could yell, she stepped, sprang, then arched into an unbelievable curve followed by a series of complicated moves before cleanly entering the water, scarcely leaving a ripple as she executed a flawless entry.
The warning forgotten, Blake felt his mouth hang open. Her dive had been a flowing cascade of seemingly effortless elegance and grace. Surfacing, she deftly pulled herself from the pool and walked toward the board again.<
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Feeling like a voyeur, Blake watched every move, from her deceptively long legs to the generous cleavage her suit revealed. Water beaded and skimmed over her honey-colored, luminous skin. She slicked back her generous length of hair, and his gaze dwelled on the slope of her beautiful shoulders and the sweep of her bared back.
She climbed the ladder quickly, legs that stretched from here to Dallas moving her quickly. Then she executed another complicated dive. He knew the degree of difficulty in her dives. Where had this unexpected talent sprung from?
Remembering where she’d surfaced before, he dropped his briefcase and jacket, then moved quickly to that spot at poolside. When her head broke through the water and she reached out to the edge to pull herself up, he grasped her hand. Surprise ricocheted across her face and then rippled in the sudden tension of her body as she gracefully rose from the pool, the water sluicing over her, accenting each curve.
“What...? When...?” she began, obviously ill at ease.
Amused, Blake didn’t release her hand, instead feasting on the closeup view. “At a loss for words? That’s not like you, Cassie.”
“I thought you were at work.”
“Just one of my periodic raids to check on the staff,” he replied.
“This is my free time,” she said, fumbling. “I have the boys’ snacks all ready and Albert won’t have them back from school for nearly an hour, and dinner is planned. I went to the market, so everything’s fresh. And—”
He held up one hand. “I was kidding. I’m home because I just finished a killer deal and I need to relax. Thought I’d get in a few laps.”
She gestured nervously toward the pool, and he realized she was vastly uncomfortable. “The pool’s all yours. I was ready to get out, anyway. I should be changing so that I’ll be ready when the boys get home.” She inched backward as she spoke.
Blake suspected she was ready to turn and flee. “You just said it’ll be almost an hour until they get home.”
“But—”
“And you also said their snack’s ready. Go ahead and swim. I’ll change in the cabana and join you.”
“But—”
“Don’t want to disappoint the boss, do you?”
Her face clouded. “Well, no. But—”
“Then don’t. Won’t take me a minute to change.”
She tried again. “I’m sure you’d rather swim alone.”
“I can swim alone anytime. I’d rather not right now.”
Her sigh echoed like the ripples cresting the pool. “If you say so.”
“I do.” Purposely brisk, he didn’t allow her any reprieve as he changed quickly into the suit he kept in the cabana, then returned to her side. “Do you have any more professional dives in your bag of tricks?”
She shuffled her feet uneasily. “It’s just something I play at.”
“Not with your form,” he replied bluntly, wondering why she didn’t want to talk about her diving. “I’d like to see another dive.”
She nodded, but this time her legs didn’t travel as swiftly up the ladder. Yet, once in position, she fell into the concentration that was crucial. And once again, she executed a flawless, complicated dive. To join her, Blake dived in from the side of the pool, waiting where he expected her to surface.
To his surprise, her face bobbed up across the pool from him. She certainly was a quick study. Already on to his tricks, she wasn’t easily fooled. And she hadn’t wanted to surface in his grasp.
She was smart, and obviously talented, and, to his amazement, she had a body most of the women in Beverly Hills would kill for. And hers wasn’t the result of a clever plastic surgeon. Yet she seemed uneasy about the lot of it. He wondered why.
Lazily he swam toward her, his strokes broad and easy. He saw the trepidation in her expression and decided to push her boundaries, to see what lay behind the carefully maintained front.
Diving beneath the water, he grabbed for her leg. But she’d already swum away. Apparently anticipating his move, she’d countered first. She was a clever girl.
Blake flipped onto his back, slowly backstroking away from Cassie. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Cassie watching him suspiciously. Good—he’d unsettled her.
It was clear that she was a woman of many hidden talents. His gaze roamed over her as she stepped from the pool and approached the mid-level diving platform. Many, many hidden talents.
He wondered if all the men in Twin Corners had been blind.
You didn’t notice either, a mocking voice reminded him.
But he was noticing now.
Her dive was once again clean and flawless. But he didn’t race to a spot where he thought she might surface. Instead, he continued his lazy backpedaling motion. It was clear from her expression that she expected a surprise attack. Some of the tension faded from her rigid posture.
“You up to some distance?” he called out.
Her hands reached up to slick back her hair. “Sure.”
“What’s your handicap?”
Her grin flashed unexpectedly. “Three kids, and as many extra years.”
“Feel free to use your cane or walker,” he replied, instantly liking this side of her.
“I’d opt for a wheelchair, but it might weigh me down,” she replied saucily.
“Or rust out before I get winded.”
“Think you’re pretty hot stuff, don’t you?”
He lifted one shoulder negligently. “Just facing facts.”
“Then face this. I’m out of practice, but I’ll take you on even. No head starts, no handicaps.”
“Remind me not to take you to the track. You’d lose your shirt.” The words were barely past his lips when he envisioned just such an event. And the picture in his mind made his mouth go suddenly dry.
She tossed her head back. “Unless you’re afraid to take me on...”
“This, woman, is war.”
“You picked a soggy battlefield,” she volleyed back.
“And you picked the wrong opponent.” He thought of the swimming medals from high school and college that were tucked into one of his drawers. It wasn’t the only sport he’d excelled at, but it was one he’d continued long after school.
“Maybe, maybe not,” she mumbled in response, taking her position next to him.
“Two hundred yards?” he questioned, slipping into swimmer’s vernacular, measuring the pool in distance rather than in laps.
“Make it five hundred,” she replied, already settling into a starting position for the twenty laps.
They both started quickly and efficiently, but she had the initial advantage, using an effective grab start. Despite Blake’s superior strength, they were evenly matched. Even though Cassie no longer had access to a regulation pool, she swam regularly in the pond. Hitting the wall for fast touch turns came back to her as though she’d never left the sport.
But it wasn’t until the last two laps that Cassie began to suspect that Blake was holding back. When they arrived at the edge of the pool nose-to-nose at the end of the distance, she was sure of it. She wasn’t sure whether to be flattered by his gentlemanly gesture, or irritated.
Choosing to escape rather than to decide, she grabbed the edge and vaulted upward. But she didn’t count on Blake’s immediate response. In a flash, he grabbed her leg, pulling her back into the pool. Off balance, she all but landed in his arms. A fleeting but intense sensation of heat and muscle unbalanced her insides, as well.
Cassie felt as weak as though she’d just completed a marathon, instead of five hundred easy yards. Meeting Blake’s eyes, she saw that his teasing glint had disappeared, replaced by a darker, more intense emotion. She intended to distance herself, to push away. Instead, she lingered in the circle of his arms.
Close up, she could see the clean, strong angles of his face, the dark shadow of his jaw, the fan of laugh lines near his eyes, and lips full enough to be sensuous. Sensuous enough to be dangerous.
For a moment, she forgot that she was in a p
ool. The sensation of floating was so strong, she couldn’t be sure whether it was physical or emotional. And still she didn’t move.
Neither did he.
Their eyes met again, and he broke the stillness, edging toward her, his gaze focused on her mouth, his head tilted toward hers.
“Mama!” D.J. shouted on the run.
“Hey, Dad!” Todd yelled in surprise. “What’re you doing home?”
“Yeah,” Mark chimed in, running with his twin to grab a suit from one of the cabanas.
Cassie scrabbled for and then found her voice. “What are you doing home from school so early?”
DJ.’s muffled voice emerged from the cabana. “It’s not so early. We only got out thirty minutes ahead of time. It was teacher prep day.”
Having moved away from Blake, Cassie reached upward, grasping the edge, intending to escape. But DJ. emerged at that moment, running toward the pool.
“Don’t run,” Cassie warned him.
He slowed down, then jumped in beside her, making a huge splash. The twins weren’t far behind. The seeming intimacy of the pool was transformed instantly into a noisy, splashing crowd. The twins took the opportunity to gang up on their father, double-teaming him, trying to dunk him. DJ. joined the twins, and the three boys, resembled overeager puppies as they finally dunked Blake. Sputtering effectively, he managed to look outmatched.
Blake took their teasing good-naturedly, in turn yanking each of them under briefly, watching as they emerged laughing and trying to catch him again.
It was a side of Blake that Cassie had never seen before. She had begun to wonder if he ever took much of a role in his children’s lives. His main concern seemed to be his business, his attention lavished on its corporate heart. And that business appeared to fulfill all his needs. It was reassuring to see that he had reserved some of his affection for his children.
She wondered where he spent the remainder of that affection, and whether perhaps the lovely Daphne would capture it.
Shaking her head at the unwanted thoughts, Cassie climbed from the pool, unnoticed by the boys, who were splashing nearly as much water on the terrace as remained in the pool.
His-And-Hers Family Page 8