trying to decide if perhaps he ought to leave since Bailey hadn't invited him, and it was, after all, her place, when she turned to him. Her hundred watt smile set every nerve in his body to jangling in excitement and apprehension.
"You will stay for pizza this evening, won't you? Or do you have plans?"
How tactful. Straight out of a textbook on manners.
He could match that. "Thank you," he said. "I'd love to stay."
"Good deal," Gordon approved. "You can carry the pizza, and Samantha'll probably let you rub her tummy some more."
Paula reached over to stroke the fuzzy head as Samantha looked up at the mention of her name. "She took an immediate liking to him," she informed Bailey. "Jumped into his arms the minute he walked through the gate."
Everyone smiled. Gordon and Paula smeared on more suntan oil and stretched out.
Austin reached over and scratched behind Samantha's ears, accidentally brushing Bailey's hand in the process. Her skin was smooth and firm and warm.
"We always had big dogs," he said, jerking back, pretending he hadn't noticed the contact.
"We?" she asked. If it had been any other woman, he'd have thought she was trying to find out if he was married. However, he felt sure Bailey was simply requesting information.
"My family," he told her. "Not me. I don't have time to care for an animal. Besides, my town house in St. Louis is no place for a Doberman."
Bailey nodded. "I feel guilty about leaving Samantha alone all day. Sometimes I take her to the office with me on Saturdays."
"You're kidding! What does Stafford Morris say about that?"
"He doesn't. The view of the office is a little obscured from his golf course at the country club."
Austin laughed delightedly at Bailey's sardonic humor. Her mouth quirked upward, and those incredible sea green eyes danced.
"How about a swim?" he asked, suddenly unable to sit still. "The sun's getting pretty hot."
"Paula, can you hold Samantha?" She turned the leash over to her friend, who accepted it without opening her eyes.
The pool was a decent size, as condo pools went. The space appeared more than adequate for its purpose since most of the residents were lying beside it. Only four other people were actually in the pool, including one tan lady floating lazily on a raft. Austin almost sighed as the cool water enveloped his overheated body. The day had turned into a scorcher.
Beside him Bailey slid completely under the water and came up, shaking her short hair. Not many women could still look good with no makeup and wet hair, Austin thought, falling into a leisurely backstroke, watching Bailey as she joined him.
At the end of the pool, they turned and launched into a crawl simultaneously, laughing at the coincidence. Bailey was a relatively strong swimmer, Austin thought. She didn't seem to have any problem keeping up with him. They hit the other end and flipped over.
Austin stretched out, reaching, feeling the rush of adrenaline from exercise. Through the churning water, he could see Bailey beside him, and they shared a smile. Austin increased his stroke. They hit the opposite end at the same time.
Of course, Bailey would be faster than most women. She had nothing on that sleek body to slow her down. Even her small, high breasts appeared aerodynamically designed.
Damn her, he thought, stroking as hard as he could, hitting the end of the pool and flipping back the other way, didn't she know he was physically stronger than she was? Hadn't he proven that at the run?
"Get out of the pool," he heard someone shout, and looked up to see Gordon and Paula on the edge, glaring down.
Were they crazy? He was pulling ahead of Bailey. He wasn't about to get out now.
They bounced off the edge and started another lap.
He'd pass her for sure this time. Again and again his arm lifted out of the cool water into the warm sun, back into the cool. His muscles stretched, lengthened, contracted. He couldn't see Bailey from the corner of his eye anymore. He'd passed her! He was winning!
A hand grabbed his as he neared the end of the pool again. "If you don't get out of the pool, I'll throw in your Cartier," Gordon promised, dangling the watch over the water with his other hand.
Austin stared uncomprehendingly at his friend's face, at Bailey pulling up beside him. Damn! She hadn't been very far behind, but with a few more laps...
Were Gordon and Paula conspiring to keep him from winning?
"Why?" he demanded angrily.
"Look