Free Sweet Promise by Ginna Gray Page A

race you to the other end. I'll even give you a three-second head start."
    "You're on!"
    Sean watched her thrash away and shook his head. How in hell was he supposed to carry on a seduction with his best friends' daughter watching?

Chapter Five

    B arefoot and makeup-free, Joanna entered the gym smiling. She wore a rose-pink leotard and lavender tights with stirrup straps that hooked under her insteps. A pair of deep purple leg warmers were slung casually over her shoulder, the ends swaying against her back with every jaunty step she took. Anticipation sparkled in her hazel eyes. Movement. Activity. It was what she needed, and she was eager to get started'.
    Spotting the athletic instructor across the room, Joanna altered her course. A bare six feet away, her steps faltered, and she came to a halt. In front of her, lying back on a bench with his feet braced on the floor on either side, Sean was working out with a set of hand weights.
    Indecision gripped Joanna. Gnawing at her bottom lip, she eyed him warily. Should she brazen it out and ignore him, or leave? She cast a longing glance toward the instructor and the other women who were already gathering around her and sighed. It was tempting, but remembering the past few days, Joanna decided that retreat was the wisest choice.
    She poised to turn, but before she could move Sean sat up and their eyes met. Anger darkened his face. With a muttered oath, he shot up off the bench and stalked to her.
    "What are you doing here, Joanna?" He stood with his feet spread aggressively, hands on his hips, and growled the words in a low undertone through lips so stiff they barely moved.
    Joanna was both intimidated by his anger and fascinated by his body. He wore only a brief pair of athletic shorts and tennis shoes and his bronze skin glistened with a fine sheen of moisture. Without shoes, Joanna barely reached his chin, and she found herself staring at the damp black hair that lightly furred his chest. The heat from his body hit her like a furnace, bringing with it the smell of sweat and a dizzying, tantalizing musky maleness. Helplessly, her eyes focused on a bead of sweat trickling through the band of hair that arrowed downward from his chest. At his navel it halted, then swirled around the small cavity and streaked lower, disappearing when it touched the already damp top edge of his low-slung shorts. Joanna swallowed hard.
    "I... I—"
    "I'm getting a little sick of this, you know," Sean went on, ignoring her stammered attempt at a reply. "Everywhere I go I run into you. If this is your attempt at staying out of my hair, I'd hate to see you when you're in hot pursuit."
    The sarcastic comment snapped Joanna out of her sensual trance instantly. Her eyes went wide and she sucked in her breath. "Are you accusing me of following you around?"
    "All I know is I can't make a move without practically stepping on you. It's only been twenty-four hours since you so sweetly promised to leave me alone, and already I've run into you by the pool twice, bumped into you in the library, the card room, the casino. Every time I go to one of the clubs or the theater you're within earshot. I'm beginning to think the only place on the ship where I can be assured of not seeing you is the men's room."
    That did it. Joanna's anger soared right along with her blood pressure. She stiffened and planted her fists on her hips, unconsciously mimicking his stance. "Now just a darned minute!" she flared, glaring right back at him. "I promised to leave you alone, which I've tried my best to do, but I didn't promise to lock myself in my cabin for the duration of the cruise. I paid for my ticket, and I'm entitled to enjoy myself and to make use of all the facilities the same as you."
    They stood nose to nose, their bodies stiff and vibrating with anger, unflinching hazel eyes glaring defiantly into smoldering black ones.
    Across the room, the athletics instructor clapped her hands loudly and called out,'"All right, ladies!