Progress, no matter how small, was progress. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do all night, woman.” He let out an exaggerated sigh. “So, is it a date?”
She pushed open her door and walked in, glancing over her shoulder at him. “Guess you’ll have to wait until one to find out. Well, I had fun tonight. Sorta. It was interesting to say the least. Have a good night.”
“Good night, Zoe,” he said as she smiled at him and shut the door. He heard a crash and a ‘Good Lord!’ “You okay in there?” He pressed his forehead against the door as he waited for her answer.
“I’m fi—okay,” came her shout from within. “Stupid table got in my way.”
“Right, then. Good night.”
“Night,” she called through the door.
He grinned as he walked away, hands shoved in his pockets, ignoring the pain and happier than he’d been in a long, long time.
Chapter Seven
Christian glanced at the Breitling on his wrist. 12:55. He had five minutes until he saw Zoe again. Five minutes before he’d find out if she would show. Five minutes until he lost his damn mind waiting for her.
“What’s gotten into you?” Brennen was sprawled on an enormous lounger trying to get rid of a massive hangover with a little hair of the dog.
A pretty brunette with green eyes and killer wit.
“Nothing,” Christian said, looking at his watch again. 12:57. His heart sped up as a brunette wearing a tiny bikini walked toward them, then slowed as he realized it wasn’t Zoe.
Brennen laughed and then groaned, adjusting his sunglasses before pulling on a baseball cap. “You’re so full of shit, but I’ll bide my time. Can’t wait to meet the hot piece of ass that’s got you standing at attention.”
“She’s not a hot piece of ass,” Christian said, earning a confused look from Brennen. “I mean she’s hot, but Zoe’s—”
“An actual person? I thought zoe was French for awesome,” Brennen said. “I also thought you were out of your mind last night. How many women did you turn down?”
After leaving Zoe, Christian had headed to the nightclub to meet up with Brennen and Wade. As luck would have had it, they’d already become acquainted with Vanessa and the twins.
For once, he had been content to relax, smile for pictures and drink some beer. He’d thought nothing of turning down a few dozen fangirls’ offers of bedtime happy hour. But of course, he’d told himself as he went to bed (alone), it had nothing to do with Zoe Ambrose.
“As many as I needed to. Look, be nice to her. None of your usual bullshit,” Christian warned.
Brennen grabbed his chest and made a face. “You hurt me, bro. You really do.”
Christian swore as he glanced at his watch again. It was past one and still no sign of her. He’d been stood up and he didn’t have her damn number. But he did have her room number. He motioned a pool waitress over.
“You look pissed,” Brennen said.
“Thank you, Captain Obvious.” Christian heard a crash, then a ‘whoops’ and an ‘I’m so sorry’. His entire body relaxed and then tensed in anticipation as Zoe came into view, wearing a bright yellow sundress and wedge shoes. Her hair piled on top of her head like she’d just gotten out of the shower… or bed.
“Never mind,” he said to an obviously disappointed woman wearing a barely there bikini and holding a tray. She tossed her hair and sauntered off.
Zoe gave him a big smile. “Hi.”
Without even thinking about it he met her halfway. “You’re late,” he complained.
“But I’m so worth it.” She grabbed his hand, lacing her fingers through his as if it was something they did all the time. And he liked it.
“We’ll see about that. What took you so long?” He took her bag with his free one. What in God’s name did she have in it?
“Thanks for taking that! So, I got lost and then the chick at the desk wouldn’t believe me when I said I was on your list. I needed to show ID which meant I had to go all the way back to my room to get it. Then I bumped into one of the pool waiters, but no one got hurt or covered in anything. It’s the story of my life,” she said with a self-deprecating smile.
“Let’s go. I want you to meet a couple of my friends. If they were here…”
The cabana was empty and Christian had no idea where Brennen had wandered off to. Probably he’d seen something shiny. On a woman.
“Guess my reputation preceded me.” She let go of his hand and he frowned as he realized that he hadn’t wanted her to let go.
“You know, the whole knife thing, then the palm trees,” she added, making a little face. Obviously she’d taken his frown the wrong way.
Setting her bag on a nearby table, he caught himself reaching for her hand, but she hadn’t noticed. He flexed his fingers. “I reckoned I’d let that be my secret weapon if Brennen got too handsy.” He couldn’t stop thinking holding her hand again. Of their fingers entangling. She brushed a strand of hair away from her face and he grew hard. He wanted her hand on him, his body. One way or another he would hold her hand again.
One way or another he’d make himself a doctor’s appointment to have his head examined.
“But I’m yours—your date, I mean.”
“Oh?”
The wicked gleam in his eyes made Zoe flush. She wasn’t his anything. Nothing but supposedly good press. Yet, she knew he wanted more. Then again, men like him, without limitations, always wanted more.
“At least for the general public, I am,” she added.
The wicked gleam gave way to disappointment. “That you are.”
“Do you have a place where I can change? I was running late and had to bring my swimsuit with me.”
He wiggled his brows, completely recovered. “Dying to see me?”
She guessed being an actor had its benefits. “More like dying to see the sun. It’s been freezing cold back home.”
“I’m wounded.”
“I’m sure you’ll recover.” She looked around the cabana. “Anyway, place to change?”
“Well, you could go all the way back inside to the ladies room, or I can hold up a towel for you back here.” He gave her a smile that made her body tingle, as if it’d been asleep and found a reason to wake up.
“Would you keep your back turned?” She pulled the bikini Melanie had picked out for her out of her bag. Of course there wasn’t much to it, but there were women (and men) wearing a lot less.