Free The Tycoon's Son by Cindy Kirk Page A

needed to figure out how to make him stay…and then how to make him sign.

CHAPTER EIGHT

    “L IE BACK ,” Trish said in answer. “Close your eyes. Clear your mind and listen to the music.”
    Her voice softened as she continued to speak, her tone taking on an almost-lyrical quality. Theo supposed he could have gotten up, told her he was too busy for such foolishness. But the truth was he had some free time and he was enjoying her company.

    He leaned back and out of the corner of his eye saw her do the same. She had a body made for a bikini…slender curves in all the right places. When she’d called his name and he’d turned, a flash of heat had shot straight to his groin. Which was crazy considering the fact that she was a woman who had been inconsequential…until today.

    But that wasn’t why he’d followed her. She intrigued him. Which was why he was sitting on this white lounge chair, waiting to see what was going to come out of her mouth.

    She was unpredictable. Like when she’d approached the table last night. The conversation had been going smoothly until she’d brought up that blasted contract. He’d be the first to admit that he’d been irritated.

    Still, he found himself admiring her tenacity. Though convincing him to do the tours for Liberty was a battle she couldn’t possibly win, she kept coming back for more rejection. He had no doubt as to why he was sitting here. She had some scheme in her head.

    But the sun was warm, and in spite of his resolve to keep alert, Theo felt himself begin to relax. The music from the band set up by the bar brought back memories of a trip he and his friend Bruno had taken to Fiji their last year in college. His eyes drifted shut, and like a movie in his mind, he found himself reliving the wild adventures they’d had…

    “The first cruise I went on was to Hawaii,” Trish murmured, pulling him from his thoughts. “They played music very much like this on board. Isn’t it funny how sounds can transport you back to another place and time?”

    Theo opened his eyes and rolled on his side to face her. “I was just thinking the same thing.” He wondered if he’d be out of line to tell her that her eyes were the color of caramels in the light. “Did you go to Hawaii with a friend?”

    “No,” she said, reaching for the sunscreen bottle, her hair dropping down and blocking her eyes from his view. “I was on my honeymoon.”

    Theo’s smile froze on his lips. He knew she was a Mrs. not a Miss, but he’d noticed she wasn’t wearing a ring and had assumed she was divorced. “You have a husband?”

    “ Had ,” Trish said. “We’ve been divorced for a long time. Close to five years.”

    Theo expelled the breath he’d been holding. Of course his relief wasn’t because he was interested in her romantically. He just had a policy against socializing with married women. “Any children?”

    A brilliant smile flashed across her face. “One. A daughter. Would you like to see her picture?”

    “Sure, that—”

    She didn’t even wait for him to finish before she pulled her bag up to her lap and started rummaging through it. Just as he was about to tell her not to bother, she finally pulled out a little leather case that looked like a man’s wallet but contained only pictures. “This is Cassidy at her last birthday party. She’s eight.”

    Theo stared dutifully at the photo. The girl’s hair was dark, not red, but her facial features showed a remarkable likeness to her mother. “Cute girl.”

    Trish ran a finger across the top of the picture and a look of longing filled her gaze. “She’s also funny and smart and…”

    Theo watched in horror as tears filled her eyes. He felt a ridiculous urge to pat her on the shoulder, or even pull her into his arms and comfort her.

    Thankfully he didn’t have to act on his impulses. Trish turned away and shoved the small photo album back into her bag. “I’m sorry. I’m not usually so emotional. It’s