Free The Promise by Fayrene Preston Page B

caused a flickering of warmth in her. She tensed, hoping to avoid a fire. “Are you feeling better?”
    “Yes.”
    He reached out and lightly stroked his fingers down the side of her neck. “I like your robe.”
    She had forgotten how close she was to him or even what she had on. “It’s very old. ” She quickly sat back.
    His mouth twisted wryly. “I see there are still a few thorns.”
    “I beg your pardon?”
    “Thoms, remember? If I tried to hold you right now, I’d get stuck and probably bleed. I guess it’s the price I have to pay for leaving you alone the last five days.” 
    “You were busy.”
    “Yes, I was. Besides that, it was probably best I stayed away from you until now. I couldn’t have been with you without wanting to make love to you." His finger found her collarbone and lightly caressed its length. “What about you? What have you been doing for the past five days?”
    Breath lodged in her throat; a mild panic set in. She had to remind herself that his question signified nothing more than casual interest. “Winding things up.”
    He nodded. “The company you work for has a good reputation, although we’ve never done business with them.”
    “I know.” Humor sprang to life in his eyes, deepening the color of blue and catching her attention.
    "Sounds like you checked it out before you went to work there.”
    She fought against a smile, however brief it would have been. “I did. I didn’t want to be employed by a company where I might have to come into contact with you.”
    “But in the end you sought me out.”
    “For a personal reason that had nothing to do with business.” She saw him wince again. “I thought you said you felt better.”
    “I do.”
    “Yeah, sure you do. I’m going to call down for aspirin.”
    “No, don’t bother the staff.”
    “Bother them? I’m sure they’d gladly bring you a whole pharmacy if you asked them.”
    “You think so?” he asked.
    Again she saw the humor glinting in his eyes, almost, she thought, as if he were enjoying being with her. “I know so.”
    “I’ll tell you what, let’s go swimming instead. It will help both my headache and your tension.” “Swimming? But it’s after midnight.”
    “Is there something else you’d rather do?”
    She thought of the alternative—staying in the suite and going to bed with him. “A swim sounds good.”
    “Did you bring a swimsuit?”
    She nodded.
    “Good, then get it, and I’ll meet you back in here in a few minutes. And wear a coat. The rain has stopped and the pool house isn’t very far, but it’s a cool evening.”
    Conall was already cutting smoothly through the water when Sharon walked out of the changing room and took the ladder down into the pool. The only lights in the cavernous room came from beneath the water. They bounced illumination off the blue-tiled walls in wavering, dreamlike patterns, giving her the feeling that they were in an underwater grotto.
    She struck out, her pace slow and steady. She swam the length of the pool and back again, repeating the course until her legs and arms were tired and her lungs were threatening to give out. Then she retreated to the side of the pool to watch Conall as he continued to slice through the water with strong, clean strokes, showing no signs of the fatigue she had seen in him when he first arrived.
    Even as a young man he had possessed an exciting power and grace. Now his power was controlled, and his grace had turned to cool elegance. She leaned her head back against the pool’s edge and acknowledged the inevitable. He was still the most exciting man she had ever known.
    Suddenly he veered from his straight course and headed toward her. When he stopped, he had trapped her against the wall with a hand on either side of her head.
    Water beaded on his broad, muscled shoulders and clung to the thickness of his dark eyelashes; his chest rose and fell rapidly as he drew air into his lungs. The pounding of her heart, she realized, had