“She’s been making work calls. No idea what about apart from she’s looking to open a branch of her spa here. She kind of mumbled that.” Ava kicked her legs and splashed Seph in the face.
I was jealous of how easy they were around each other. There was no image to keep up, no huge inner demons to get in the way of growing bonds.
“Her boyfriend mustn’t mind her working so much.” It really didn’t mask what I was trying to find out.
Ava laughed. “Sophie’s single. She’s taken a vow of celibacy.”
I remembered her saying that the night we met. “Why would she do that?”
“To focus on her career. She’s been married before and it didn’t work out, so she pretty much kept a stable of boy-toys. I think she decided they weren’t worth her energy.” Ava relaxed into Eli.
“They weren’t,” Seph said. “Her PT was a decent bloke, but the other couple I met were complete tossers.”
“And he’s not saying that from a point of jealousy.” Ava eyed me. “Why? You interested in Sophie?”
I didn’t get a chance to answer. Two arms were draped over my chest from behind and I caught the scent of perfume I shouldn’t have recognised. The water hid my body’s automatic reaction and I felt soft lips pressing against the side of my neck.
“Of course he’s interested in me. We’re engaged!”
It was at that point my heart stopped.
9
Sophie
Icouldn’t lie, touching Liam Rosehill wasn’t unpleasant. In fact it was rather nice, just like the hitch in his breath when he tried to speak. I affected him, and that meant I had a degree of power. He wasn’t completely immune, which I needed. A lot.
“What. The. Fuck?” Seph sat up tall so violently he almost drowned his sister.
I waited for the waves to subside before I answered. “We’re getting married. I mentioned it yesterday.”
“No, yesterday you said youpretendedto be engaged. Not that you are actually engaged. You’re not really, are you? This is all some November fools.” Seph settled back down.
“We don’t have November fools, Seph, unless you’re referring to yourself.” Ava seemed totally nonplussed. “And although you seem to be very much enjoying yourfiancé’schest I suspect this may not have been due to a romantic proposal.”
I pinched Liam’s nipple and twisted it slightly, making sure to dig a bit of a nail in there too.
“I only just found out she said yes.” He turned round and glared at me, catching hold of my hand and yanking it off his chest.
So he wasn’t keen on a bit of pain. Noted.
I slid into the pool, sitting on the shelf next to Liam and put my hand on his thigh. He stiffened straight away, his leg tensing. There was a very well sculpted thigh muscle under my hand.
Seph shook his head. “You’re seriously going through with this just to be able to buy a property?”
“We may not get as far as having to get married. And people do worse things to follow their dreams.” Liam's arm was now around my shoulders, his hand dropping down towards the cup of my bikini. The water was up to almost my chin, so no one could quite see where his fingers were starting to head.
The heat between my legs was not from the spring fed pool.
In my defence, it had been a long time since any part of my anatomy had been touched by a man that wasn’t my doctor. Even if these fingers belonged to a werewolf from Pluto, there’d be a little extra heat down there. It was nothing to do with Liam.
Seph peered at us through narrowed eyes. “Given the fact that you two don’t present as liking each other, I’m going to need to see an actual kiss to believe that this has any chance of working.”
“Aren’t you meant to say this is morally and ethically wrong, Joseph?” Ava piped up.
“Nope, because you’d do the same if it was a property you were crazy about. But that’s not the point. I want to see them kiss. Then we can advise them if this scam has got half a chance.” Seph’s eyes fixed on me, as if he absolutely did not believe I wanted to get into this.
“I feel like I’m back in school. Or I would, if I’d ever actually attended.” Liam looked at me.
