A Friendly Engagement

by Christine Warner

  “I’m only interested in Bartow.”

  “I have a really good feeling about him. I know the best man or woman will win that contract at the end of the week.” She winked. “And you’re definitely that man.”

  “No doubt whatsoever.”

  “Positive thoughts bring positive results. William is going to love your idea.” She smiled and revealed that cute mole on the corner of her lower lip. “Now let’s head down and get some lunch before you pass out and I get all cranky from lack of nourishment.”

  His heart had barely returned to normal as she moved across the room, still fidgeting with the neckline of her suit. The sway of her hips sent a pulsing ache straight to his cock. He might have to take a detour to the bathroom for a cold shower if he didn’t get his thoughts under control.

  Sweat dotted his brow, and he cursed under his breath when she bent down—stretching the material of her swimsuit over her rounded rear—and grabbed her jewel-tone flip-flop that hit the floor earlier. She righted it, and then dragged the other from the depths of her duffel bag. She tossed it alongside the other one and slid her feet inside.

  In order to keep at least one hand on the threshold of sanity he looked away to concentrate on his own sandals. He used his foot to remove his sandals from the closet and jammed his feet inside.

  Yep, no denying she was all woman. A woman he’d now fantasize about with more ferocity than ever before.

  This was going to be a helluva long week.

  …

  Later that night, after spending the day poolside for both lunch and dinner with all the other guests, everyone had headed up to their rooms to change for the campfire on the beach. Devi had opted for a quick cover-up over her suit, just in case she decided to take a dip in the cool waters of the ocean.

  The moon sat high and bright in the sky. Devi grabbed a chocolate bar, marshmallows, and graham crackers from the table near the campfire and turned toward the kids. “Who wants one of my famous Girl Scout s’mores?”

  “I hate to one-up you, but Boy Scouts do it better.” Wayne O’Malley nudged her in the shoulder as he came up beside her.

  “You’re way off base, Wayne. Don’t forget, you married a Girl Scout.” His wife, Cindy, lifted the Hershey bar from his grasp and set up her assembly line of s’mores on the table.

  Devi grinned. “Sorry, Wayne. Girl Scouts rule.”

  “And Boy Scouts drool.” Cindy snorted, and several around them laughed.

  William’s idea about everyone getting to know each other casually over a chat by the pool and then a campfire had worked perfectly. Today couldn’t have been any better if they’d won a million dollars. They’d swum, eaten a leisurely lunch, shot some croquet, and then she and Omar had played tetherball with the older twins while everyone else chatted poolside. She’d admired the way Omar had thrown the game to build the Jones boys’ confidence, even though he came off looking like he’d given it all his effort.

  The afternoon had gone so well, everyone agreed to have a light dinner of finger foods around the pool as they continued to chat. And now, here they were on the beach with a roaring fire, lots of laughs, and too many marshmallows.

  Devi eyed Omar as he sat around the campfire in conversation with Gwen and her husband. If anyone would give Omar a run for Bartow’s business, it’d be Gwen. She came across sharp, easygoing, and very likable. Devi didn’t know the couple well but had instantly bonded with Gwen earlier by the pool when she’d revealed her own vintage swimsuit underneath her modest cover-up. And the fact it’d also been polka dot material gave them each something to chuckle about.

  Omar relaxed in the sand. He leaned back, supporting his weight on his strong arms and hands. His long legs stretched out before him with the perfect dusting of hair highlighting his tan. When he laughed, his shirt stretched taut over his chest, his arms flexed, and more sinewy muscles were revealed.

  Damn. She had the sudden urge to touch them. Feel his strength, his muscles, and his flesh with her fingertips. She’d never been into body-builder types, but Omar was the perfect mixture of toned and athletic without overdoing it. She’d never seen him in anything but a suit and tie, and even though he’d made the fashion faux pas of wearing sandals with socks—just like she’d guessed earlier—there was no denying his hotness. No denying the draw toward him that had pulled at her all week.

  And definitely no denying that she’d like to see a lot more of him in a lot less.

  Although not here to seduce her boss, the idea invaded her thoughts more than it should. What would he think if he knew she’d suddenly developed a case of the hots for him? They were here for Esterly Financial, not Devi’s libido.

  So far this meet and greet had been good for Omar. She shouldn’t go messing it up with all kinds of sexual tension. He’d already loosened up more in the last six hours than she’d seen in all the years she’d known him. His smile seemed more genuine. His laughter came straight from the gut as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Even his shoulders seemed broader, his cologne more mesmerizing, his jokes funnier.

  For some reason, taking him out of his comfort zone made her more aware of him. More attracted.

  Shit. Don’t downplay it. He makes your heart skip and your crotch wet.

  Her head swam with insane images of her and Omar. Naked. She usually didn’t shy away from an attraction—hell, why should she, life was short and you only got one—but this was Omar. They were friends. Wasn’t that taboo? Not to mention he also just happened to be her boss.

  She groaned. What about friends with benefits?

  “You okay?” Cindy touched her arm in concern.

  “Just finding it hard to resist all this…chocolate.”

  The other woman laughed. “Then don’t.”

  Devi had no plans to indulge in the campfire treats, but she stacked a marshmallow and a chunk of candy bar between two graham crackers anyway and took a healthy bite. A little dry, but it should do the trick. She’d for sure regret all the sugar later when she crashed, but for now she didn’t care.

  “Don’t you want to put that marshmallow over the fire?” Cindy gave her a funny look, as if Devi had broken the first rule of Girl Scout s’more making, lesson one.

  She could feel heat flushing her face. “I just couldn’t wait.”

  “I hear you.” Sue, Mike Jones’ wife, squeezed in beside Devi and popped a few squares of chocolate in her mouth, rolling her eyes back as she savored the sweetness.

  Devi liked these ladies. Heck, everyone here. No matter who won the contract she had a feeling William wouldn’t lose. Of course, she still hoped Esterly got the final deal.

  She leaned her hip against the table and peeked in Omar’s direction. He threw back his head and laughed at something Gwen said. Warmth flooded through her at his obvious happiness.

  He chose that moment to turn in her direction and their gazes locked. The fire’s reflection danced in his eyes. His lips curved in invitation. An invitation to what? Maybe something delicious and sinful. Or was she reading more into his smile than he intended?

  But damn, he looked so sexy. A ripple of need flowed through her. One like she’d never felt before. The slow-moving sensation washed through her like lava and brought every nerve ending in her body to life. She squirmed in her own skin, and her breath stalled as realization hit her square between the eyes. This engagement charade might be a more difficult game to pull off than originally thought.

  She broke their connection first and jabbed a stick through the center of a marshmallow. A square of chocolate and two more graham crackers filled her free hand, and she grabbed a spot alongside the campfire with a few others. She might as well go for broke and really indulge in the sugar. Thank God it wasn’t an aphrodisiac—she hoped. Whatever it took—even if it meant altering her diet—she had to get her mind off Omar.

  Chapter Eight

  No matter how much Omar tried to stop staring at Devi, he couldn’t. People were drawn to her like a beacon, including him.
She put out an energy that everyone gravitated toward. No matter if you were a man, woman, or child.

  He had to get over this new obsession. His mind was supposed to be on the contract, wooing Bartow, but instead all he could think about was Devi’s laugh. Her long legs. How she turned him on with just a smile.

  She stood before the campfire, slowly spinning the stick holding her marshmallow above the flame. Of course hers would be cooked to perfection on all sides. Did she ever do anything that wasn’t perfect?

  When the youngest O’Malley girl dropped her marshmallow into the flames, Devi offered her own before any tears flowed. Her contagious smile drew several more children around her, all asking for help in making her famous Girl Scout s’mores.

  After she had everyone situated, she made another for herself. Her eyes were bright with excitement, as if she hadn’t sampled sugar in years. And knowing Devi, she probably hadn’t. She must’ve decided to take a break from healthy eating this week to join in the fun.

  The kids teased her as she licked the oozing marshmallow along the graham cracker’s edges while trying to keep the sticky stuff away from her hair. Her laughter floated across the light breeze, and a shiver rode his spine. He loved the uniqueness of her laugh. Husky and rich and attention-grabbing. She popped the last tidbit between her lips before slipping each finger, one by one, into her mouth. He had to look away to stop from groaning as she flicked her tongue out to clear away some marshmallow at the corner of her mouth.

  His stomach muscles clenched and a frisson of fire shot straight to his center. How could he be jealous of a s’more? But damn if he wasn’t. He’d give anything to trade places.

  Another shot of need speared him as their gazes connected once again across the flames. What had gotten into him?

  This time he looked away first.

  …

  Devi took the seat Wayne offered beside him, his wife, and another couple she’d never met before today. The Singhs. Married about a year, they were the only couple in attendance, beside her and Omar, who didn’t have children. From the little she’d talked with them, they seemed a quiet pair who stuck mostly to themselves, although Wayne tried to coax them out of their shells with his silly humor.

  The fire leaped and crackled and blocked her view of Omar, but not her thoughts. She tried to listen to the adult conversation around her. She smiled in the right places, nodded at the appropriate times, but everyone sounded like the teacher’s voice on the Peanuts cartoon she’d seen growing up.

  The sugar had taken effect. She had a hard time keeping her legs from bouncing, and an even harder time keeping her thoughts in one spot. Her hormones multiplied in droves. Omar looked so damn sexy tonight she wanted to burst, even with his damn socks and sandals. Or jump his bones and climb his flesh. She needed to release some of this energy, knock herself out so that she could sleep tonight knowing he lay only a few feet away.

  Gawd, this week is going to be long and hard. Long? Hard! Don’t use those words. This week will be difficult. Yes, difficult.

  The moment there was a lag in the conversation, she jumped up and clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. Enough thinking about Omar. Omar smiling. Omar laughing. Omar naked.

  Omar. Omar. Omar.

  “Who wants to learn a rain dance?”

  She received a few groans from the older kids, but the smaller ones perked up, and the adults smiled.

  “I want to learn a rain dance. Do you really know how, Devi?” Ashley O’Malley pushed herself off her mother’s lap. Her big, blue eyes smiled up at Devi in awe.

  Yes, this will definitely get my mind off O.

  “Do I know how? You bet I do.” She scanned the group now that she had their undivided attention. She had no clue how to rain dance, but she’d go with the flow. “The only problem is that we need a lot more people.”

  “I’ll do it,” Jimmy and his twin Joey said in unison. Their words came out uninterested, but she could see the excitement as they both scooted to the edge of their seats. Thirteen-year-olds could be so fickle.

  “Kim and Kris, Arty and Amanda, are you guys in?” Devi pulled a few more kids from their spots around the campfire.

  “I’ve been known to dance. Not a rain dance, but I think I can manage.” Cindy joined the increasing gang and so did Gwen and her husband, who carried their little girl Paisley.

  “Good. Any more out there daring enough to grab their dancing shoes?” Devi stared pointedly at Omar, winked, and then let her gaze travel the crowd. She stopped with a questioning brow each time she met resistance until she had a band of dancers.

  After everyone had joined, she crooked her finger at Omar. One of two holdouts. He shook his head, and she dismissed him with the flick of her wrist. “Go ahead and be a party pooper.” She’d coax him to join after she got things moving.

  “William? Last chance,” she teased. She hadn’t missed him watching her with a wide smile.

  “I’m in.” He leaned toward Omar, and she overheard him say, “You have a remarkable woman there, Omar. Better hang on to her.”

  Before she could hear Omar’s reply, Ashley yanked on her hand. She bounced anxiously on the balls of her feet. “Come on. Hurry up. We have enough people.”

  Devi bent and hugged the little girl. She’d never felt the urge to have a child of her own, but after spending the day with so many little people, part of her could understand why some people did. Who knew, maybe someday she would, too.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll be dancing very soon.” As she stood, she cupped her hands around her mouth so that she could be heard over the crackling of the fire and the excitement of the kids. “Okay, the secret is to keep going. Once you start you can’t stop. You have to wave your arms over your head and stomp your feet as you dance.”

  “I can do that.” Ashley giggled.

  “I can do it better.” Amanda threw her hands on her hips in challenge.

  Devi didn’t want the girls to get into a competition and have one of them getting hurt. “There are a few rules everyone needs to know. No shoving or fighting, or mean words. This is supposed to be fun. The rain gods love laughter. Oh, and stay on the far side of the chairs and away from the fire so you don’t anger them. The bright light hurts their eyes, and if you dance too close they won’t see you.”

  Jimmy shook his head, tossing sand into the air with the swish of his foot. “What a bunch of—”

  “Watch your mouth, young man,” Sue Jones quieted her son with a combination of stinkeye and tone. “If you can’t follow the rules, then you can head up to the room.”

  “Don’t doubt the rain gods, Jimmy.” Devi smiled at him, trying to smooth away some of the tension.

  He made a grumbling noise. Devi didn’t want the fun to be spoiled. The smaller kids were so excited. And she actually was, too.

  She poked Jimmy playfully on the arm. He looked up at her with a grimace.

  “You know, Jimmy, now is a good time to prove that since you already kicked Omar’s butt at tetherball, and mine, that you can outdance him, too. He won’t even get up here and dance. What does that tell you?”

  “That he’s chicken. But at least I can outdance you.” A tiny dimple dented Jimmy’s left cheek.

  Her brow shot up and she shook her head. “I hate to tell you there isn’t a chance on this stretch of beach you’ll outdance me. So not happening.” Devi’s stance relaxed as the adults around her laughed, but her spine tingled when she heard Omar’s deep rumble behind her.

  Jimmy’s toothy grin spread across his freckled face. “I’m going to outdance every adult here.”

  Devi shook her head as a chuckle escaped. Yep, kids were definitely foreign creatures, but she loved his confidence. She enjoyed how each of them, especially the older kids, could go from one emotion to the next in seconds. “I take your challenge.”

  He laughed, and she squeezed his shoulder.

  “So do I,” said Wayne.

  “Don’t count me out.” Gwen tossed her hands on
her hips. She tried to keep a serious, imposing expression, but her smile broke through within a second.

  “You got yourself some competition.”

  Jimmy puffed out his chest. He didn’t look in the least intimidated. Devi turned her attention to the rest of the group. “One more thing: don’t get disappointed if we don’t get rain tonight. Sometimes the rain gods are stubborn and hold off for a few days. Sometimes weeks even. Now, are we ready?”

  Devi’s adrenaline surged as everyone yelled out the same answer. Even though she had never attempted a rain dance, she’d make this fun.

  “Okay, wave your arms like this.” Devi threw her arms up over her head, moving them from side to side and wiggling her fingers. Then she hopped up and down, letting her feet hit the sand with a solid thud. She flung her arms out to her side with a jerk and shook them. Her own actions made her laugh, and she imagined she looked ridiculous, but she didn’t care. Watching all the kids follow her moves made her laugh harder. But the over-twenty crowd really grabbed her funny bone.

  “If you feel the need to make noise, go for it. The rain gods respond to stomping feet, guttural cries, and in some cases the latest tune by Lady Gaga.”

  “Who’s Lady GoGo, Mom?” Ashley questioned, confusion filling her eyes as she gazed up at Cindy.

  “A singer. Now let’s pay attention to Devi.” Cindy pointed to Devi, and Ashley began to mimic Devi’s moves, her tongue in a constant state of motion, poking in and out of her mouth as she concentrated.

  Cindy’s laughter drew everyone’s attention as she also tried to emulate Devi. She lifted her knees to her chest as she clucked around in a circle like a chicken. “I know this isn’t the way you’re doing it, Devi, but this is as close as I can get.”

  “There’s no wrong way.” Devi hammered her feet and moved around in a huge circle, kicking up sand as she went. “Fall in.” Several others crowded in behind her and within minutes a circular groove had been worn into the smooth sand. Their shadows filled the beach as the firelight sparked in the near distance. Before long everyone was shouting and howling with laughter, and the clouds that drifted across the moon gave an eerie quality to the fun.