Jennifer Faye - Her Festive Baby Bombshell

She’d only tried to get him to relax, and yet he’d made her feel awkward. “Holly, wait.” When she hesitated, he added, “I’ve been working so hard to pretend nothing happened between us that I’ve made matters worse. That was never my intention.”

She turned. “Is it that hard to forget?”

“You know it is.” His mind spiraled back to the kiss they’d shared on the plane. “But we can’t go back there. It was a mistake the first time. And now that the fate of this project rests on how well you and I work together, we can’t get distracted.”

“I understand. I’ll let you get back to work.”

After Holly was gone, his concentration was severely lacking. He kept going over their conversation. Was his mood really that transparent? Usually business provided him solace from all that he’d done wrong in life and all that his life was lacking, but he couldn’t find that escape anymore. He wondered if he’d done things differently, how his life would have turned out.

His chair scraped over the floor as he got to his feet. There was no point in staring blindly at the monitor. He wasn’t going to get any more work done—at least not now. Maybe Holly was right. He should take a break. A run along the beach would be nice.

After changing his clothes, Finn stepped onto the patio. The splash of water drew his attention. He came to a complete halt as he watched Holly swim the length of the pool. He’d had no idea that she had taken him up on his suggestion that she go for a swim. He quietly watched, impressed with the ease of her strokes as she crossed the pool.

If he was smart, he’d head back inside before she noticed him. But his feet wouldn’t cooperate. Sometimes being smart was overrated.

When she reached the edge of the pool, she stopped and straightened. That was when he noticed her barely there turquoise bikini. The breath caught in his throat.

“Oh, hi.” Droplets of water shimmered on her body as she smiled up at him. “Did you change your mind about unwinding?”

He struggled to keep his gaze on her face instead of admiring the way her swimsuit accented her curves. He made a point now of meeting her gaze. “I was going to take a run on the beach.”

“In this heat?” When he shrugged, she added, “You’d be better off waiting until later when it cools down.”

She was right, but he couldn’t bring himself to admit it. “I’ll be fine.”

“Why don’t you come swimming instead? The water is perfect.”

He moved to the edge of the pool and crouched down. He dipped his hand in the water. She was right. The water was not too cold and not too warm. “I don’t want to bother you.”

“You won’t be. The pool is plenty big for the both of us.”

He had his doubts about the pool being big enough for him to keep his hands to himself. And with Holly in that swimsuit, he’d be so tempted to forget that they’d come to the island to work.

Finn raked his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know. I really should be working.”

“Your problem is that you think about work too much.”

And then without warning, she swiped her arm along the top of the water, sending a small wave in his direction. By the time he figured out what she was up to, he was doused in water.

“Hey!” He stood upright and swiped the water from his face. “What was that all about?”

Her eyes twinkled with mischievousness. “Now you don’t have an excuse not to join me.”

Why was he letting his worries get the best of him and missing out on this rare opportunity to have some fun? After all, it was just a swim.

“Okay. You win.” He stripped off his T-shirt and tossed it on one of the lounge chairs.

He dove into the pool, enjoying the feel of the cool water against his heated body. He swam the length of the pool before returning to Holly. She was still smiling as she floated in the water.

“Not too bad for an old man—”

“Old man. I’ll show you who’s old. Let’s race.”

She eyed him up but didn’t say a word.

“What’s the matter?” he asked. “Afraid of the challenge.”

“No. I’m just wondering if an old man like you can keep up with me.”

“Seriously? You have to race me now.”

She flashed him a teasing grin. “First one back gets their wish.”

Without waiting for him, she took off. He smiled and shook his head. And then he set off in her wake. His muscles knew the motions by heart. He’d swam this pool countless times over the years, but this time was different. This time he wasn’t alone.

He pushed himself harder. He reached the end of the pool and turned. He wanted to win. Not because he wanted to be the best. And not because he couldn’t be a good loser. No. He wanted to win because the winner could name their wish.

And his wish—

His hand struck the end of the pool. His head bobbed above the water. A second later Holly joined him.

“About time you got here,” he teased.

She sent him a cheesy grin before sending another splash of water in his direction. He backed away, avoiding most of the spray.

Holly was about to swim away when he said, “Not so fast. I won.”

“And?”

“And I get my wish.” He moved closer to her.

She didn’t back away. It was as though she knew what he wanted. Was he that obvious?

Her voice grew softer. “And what did you have in mind?”

His gaze dipped to her lips. It seemed like forever since he last felt her kiss. There was something about her that got into his veins and made him crave her with every fiber of his being.

His gaze rose and met hers. His heart hammered against his ribs. Was she as turned on as he was? There was only one way to find out.

He reached out to her. Her skin was covered with goose bumps. He knew how to warm her up. His fingers slid over her narrow waist.

He’d never wanted anyone as much as Holly. And she was the last person he should desire. She was a serious kind of girl—the kind who didn’t get around.

She was the type of woman you married.

The thought struck him like a lightning rod. As though she’d also had a moment of clarity, they both pulled back. Talk about an awkward moment.

“I...ah, should get back to work.” Holly headed for the pool steps.

It was best that he didn’t follow her, not right now. “I’ll be in shortly. I think I’ll swim a few more laps.”

Finn groaned before setting off beneath the cool water, hoping to work Holly out of his system. He was beginning to wonder if that was even possible. He kicked harder and faster.

The one thing he knew was that he wasn’t falling for Holly. No way. He didn’t have room in his life for that major complication.

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