Okay, she announced, kicking off her shoes. Im coming in. She quickly peeled off her sweaty T-shirt and her running shorts. She mostly trusted Lucas to keep his word, but she wasnt taking any chances. She dove straight into the pool.
After an initial shock of cold, the water felt heavenly. She broke the surface and smoothed her hair back from her face, treading water at the opposite side of the deep end from Lucas.
Nice? he asked, his voice a low rumble and his face a dark silhouette against the pot lights in the distant gardens.
Very nice, she agreed, doing an easy front stroke down the length of the pool. She tried to pretend it was just another swim, but she was hyperaware of the darkness, her silky underwear and Lucass gaze following her as she swam.
The memory of their kiss battered its way into her brain. And she couldnt seem to banish the feel of his arms around her. Maybe it was a forbidden-fruit syndrome. Or maybe she was learning all the reasons Monica had been unable to resist Konrad, despite all the evidence he was bad news.
Lucas was definitely bad news for Devin. She understood that with every fiber of her being. But it didnt seem to stop her from wanting him. It didnt even stop her from making stupid decisions like this little late-night swim.
Oh, those Demarco men were good.
Devin? It was Lucass deep voice, strumming along her nervous system.
Yes? she answered, finding her feet in the chest-deep water and resting her hand on the smooth pool wall as she turned to look at him.
Hed drifted closer then stood, water dripping down his skin. Theres something you and I need to talk about.
What? she asked warily, hoping it didnt have anything to do with the fact that she was in her underwear and they were taking a late-night swim, or the kiss theyd shared two days ago.
But he looked serious, and not the least bit flirtatious.
Despite everything, she was forced to squelch a flash of disappointment. She warned herself to get a grip. She did not want him to flirt with her. She dreaded the idea that he might try to flirt with her.
Its about Steve, he said, voice going lower as he moved closer still.
Devins stomach reflexively clenched with anxiety. She didnt want to talk about Steve. She didnt even want to think about Steve.
Byron and I figured out his new tactic.
Devin swallowed. Is it bad? Did she need to worry?
Its quite despicable, said Lucas, rubbing his palm across his face to remove the errant water droplets. The beads on his skin made him look rakish and dangerous. Hes trying to have Amelia disinherited.
Devin focused her attention. How do you mean?
Steve is trying to prove she isnt entitled to the ten percent of Pacific Robotics.
How can he do that?
Hes found a loophole in the will, said Lucas. He thinks if he can prove Konrad and Monicas marriage was a sham-
It was a sham, Devin felt compelled to point out.
Lucas crossed his arms over his muscular chest. It wasnt. But thats not the point.
Devin didnt answer, assuming Lucas would only let her wait so long before he told her exactly what the point was.
The point is- he drew a deep breath -you might inadvertently help him.
Inadvertently? What planet had Lucas been living on these past few weeks. If the point hes making is that Monica and Konrads marriage was a sham, then Ill be helping him on purpose.
Lucas took a step forward, his head cocking slightly to one side. You cant do that, Devin.
Im not going to lie, Lucas.
Im not asking you to lie.
Konrad didnt love Monica.
He did love her.
Devin clenched down on her jaw. If Amelia was entitled to the inheritance, Devin would fight tooth and nail for her. But if she wasnt
You dont have some special psychic ability to see into Konrads brain, said Lucas.
Dont you mean into his heart?
You need to see the broader picture.
Thats a nice way to put it.
You need to allow for the possibility, however slim, that you might have been mistaken about Konrad.
I dont need to do anything. The truth was the truth.
Listen to me-
Youre grasping at straws. Devin had spent countless nights consoling Monica over Konrads betrayal. Hed hurt her sister very badly, and Devin wasnt about to pretty it up now.
Amelia is the legal and rightful heir of my grandfathers will, Lucas growled. You and I He paused, clearly gathering his emotions. You and I owe it to Konrad and to Monica and to my grandfather to protect Amelias interests. Lucass shoulders were squared, his jaw was set in a determined line and his eyes glittered black in the dim light.
When Devin didnt respond, Lucas carried on. And that means you and I have to stop fighting with each other.
Were not fighting. Well, maybe they were at this very moment. But theyd been getting along pretty well over the past couple of days. In fact, theyd been getting along too well for Devins peace of mind.
I mean over the guardianship case, said Lucas. We have to shut it down.
It took a second for his words to sink in. And when they did, Devins heart plummeted.
She didnt know why she was disappointed. She shouldnt have even been surprised. Is this some trumped-up scare tactic to get me to drop the guardianship case?
His eyes narrowed. No.
Has Steve really found something in the will?
Devin-
I dont believe you. Why, oh, why did she keep letting her guard down? What was the matter with her?
Believe me, Lucas stated, voice hard as steel, Steve has found something. And if you and I duke it out in court, Amelia will be the loser. Your testimony, misguided as it is, will play right into his hands.
I am not giving up on guardianship of Amelia. She flattened herself against the pool wall, hands sloshing through the tepid water as she stepped sideways toward the ladder. This conversation is over.
He reached out and gasped her wet arm. Im not asking you to give up on guardianship, Devin. Im asking you to buy us time for Amelias sake.
She shook off his hold, fighting the tingle that was left behind from his fingertips. Youve never done a single thing for Amelias sake.
You dont know that.
Yes, I do. She rubbed the arm where hed touched her, fighting hard to ignore his closeness, the darkness around them, the cool water lapping against her bare skin.
You wont even listen, he accused.
Ive been listening plenty. All I do is listen to you. And I give you the benefit of the doubt, over and over-
Ha! he scoffed.
And I make stupid decisions.
He moved in. And you dont think I do? I make the stupidest decisions in the world when it comes to you. His body brushed up against hers, thigh-to-thigh, belly-to-belly.
Lucas, she gasped, reacting instantly to his touch.
Her skin flushed hot, her nipples beaded, while raw desired pooled in the base of her belly.
In slow motion, he tipped his head, and she held her breath, waiting for his lips.
The peach-colored fabric for Devins bra had gone translucent in the water, the image dancing through Lucass brain. Her nipples were hard, and the filmy fabric revealed every nuance of her gorgeous breasts. Her face was red, her full lips parted.
With steely determination, he kept himself from completing the kiss. Instead, he slid his fingertips along her slick arm and rounded her shoulder, skimming his way to the curve of her neck.
Her pupils dilated, and her breath came in small gasps. He knew he was playing with fire.
The ripples from the water lapped between them. His hand slid around to the nape of her neck, fingers inching into her hairline as he urged her closer still.
I cant trust you, she told him, even as she tipped her chin and canted her face to the right angle.
I know, he responded softly, the words more a caress than part of a coherent conversation. But he understood her position. He didnt much care about it at this exact moment, but he understood it.
And you cant trust me, she breathed, her words and her body giving him mixed messages.
He shifted so that their bare thighs brushed together. I know that, too, he answered with honesty.
He gave in and brushed his lips against hers in a tender, painfully brief kiss. It was more a question than a statement. If she was going to back off, he needed her to do it nowright now.
Instead, her fingertips fluttered across his bare chest, sending spikes of desire deep into his belly.
Stalemate all over again, she murmured.
Story of our lives. And he kissed her harder, parting his lips, sliding his free hand around the base of her spine, dragging her into the cradle of his thighs, nothing but the thinnest silk separating her heat from his need.
This wont- The rest of her words were lost on a gasp, even as her arms twined around his neck, her plump breasts pressing against his skin, her hard nipples burning him like a brand.
He deepened the kiss, his tongue tangling with hers, while one hand smoothed her hair, caressed her neck, her cheek, brushed across her tiny ear. She was so perfect, so delectable, he couldnt kiss her enough, couldnt touch her enough, couldnt hold her tightly enough.
Her palms ran over his shoulders, sliding across his slick, wet skin, tracing the curve of his biceps, searing a train of heat wherever they went. He felt his muscles bunch to steel. Every inch of his body hardened, and his tunnel vision narrowed to Devin.
He kneaded the small of her back, slipping his fingertips under the elastic of her peach panties. The slippery sensations of skin, silk and water brought a groan from deep in his throat.
Her tongue answered his, and her hands grasped his shoulders, small fingers digging erotically into his tightening muscles. He cradled her bottom, lifting her easily, pulling her against him as she bobbed in the cool water. Her legs wrapped around his waist, and his body reflexively arched against hers. He cursed the fabric separating them.
She moaned his name, and he felt himself move to the ragged edge of control.
Not here, he managed to say, but he kissed her longer and harder and deeper.
Then-
His hand closed over her pert breast, and she gasped out loud.
The stairs were only a few feet away. He could do this. He moved toward them.
Without breaking the kiss, he mounted the short staircase in the shallow end of the pool. He carried her across the deck, past the towel rack, snagging his running shorts before taking her into the dark warm depths and privacy of the pool house.