Blooming in the Wild Page 0,44

to his tent to change.

Tanah lounged by the water under an umbrella. She gave him a slow, triumphant smile as she approached.

“Ready for a swim?” she invited.

“You bet.” His ego still stinging, he held out one hand and helped her up. She clung to his hand as they walked into the water.

Joel eyed the approaching rainclouds and the curtains of rain hanging underneath. They had at most another half hour of sunshine. Might as well enjoy it. If that storm kept coming this way, they’d all be heading for cover in the caves Frank had mentioned.

Once they were hip-deep, Joel freed his hand from Tanah’s and dove under. He splashed about, scrubbing salt water over his face and hair, rinsing away makeup and hair cream, and then lay back in the water, enjoying the cool buoyancy and the hot sun.

Tanah paddled toward him, and he splashed water her way. She retaliated, and they played for a little while, laughing. He liked her a lot better when she wasn’t trying to seduce him.

Cassie waded daintily in as well, in a tiny blue bikini, and swam out to them. “Oh, this is nice. Aren’t you glad to be done modeling, Joel?”

“Sure am. Don’t know how you put up with it.”

She shrugged. “I’ve only got a few more years before I’m too old. Until then, the money’s too good to quit.”

“Ah, if you don’t mind my asking, how old are you?”

“Twenty-one.”

Joel stared at her lovely, youthful face. In a few years, she’d just be getting interesting, mature enough to know what she wanted and have some experiences, things to talk about, and from a man’s point of view, she’d still be plenty pretty. What a crazy industry. He was damned glad he was only a visitor.

“Why aren’t you modeling?” he asked Tanah. He knew there were plenty of jobs for women with her build. Most of them might be pretty racy stuff, but with her seductive nature, he didn’t think that would put her off. She’d look fine posing in front of a race car in one of her little bitty outfits.

The redhead made a face. “I used to model. I got out of it a few years ago, when the photographers started complaining about having to airbrush my photos too much.”

He shook his head in incomprehension, and she laughed. “Oh, Joel, you’re sweet. Sagging skin, honey. I’m almost thirty, and it shows.”

“You could have some work done,” Cassie pointed out.

“Yeah, and spend my whole paycheck on nips and tucks?” Tanah made a rude noise. “No, thanks. Rather have it in the bank.”

“Well, if thirty is too old,” Joel said, “I’m over the hill and sliding down fast.”

Now Bella Moran would be beautiful even when she was old, with that bone structure. He scanned the camp and found her, still standing in the shadows of the trees, watching them.

“Yes, but you’re a man,” Tanah said. “It’s different for you.”

“Yes, I am.” He swam toward Tanah, waggling his eyebrows at her.

She shrieked with pretend fear and let him catch her, bracing her hands on his shoulders as he lifted her out of the water. Then, as he let her go, she hung on and slid down his body, locking her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

“Now you caught me, what are you gonna do with me?” she purred.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bella turn and dash into the forest, and the fun went out of his little game, just as the clouds edged over the sun and the air around them darkened.

He gave Tanah a friendly pat on her ass and tried to ignore her clamped over his groin like a limpet. “I’m going for a swim. You ladies want to come?”

“Depends on what we’re going to do once we get there.” Tanah pouted, and behind him, Cassie giggled.

Joel glanced from one to the other, realization jolting through him. The two were not only friends, it seemed they weren’t averse to being playmates. Whoa, he needed an out, and he needed one fast.

“Oh, it’s great out there past the reef,” he said. “Big waves rocking you around and turtles swimming by. If you’re lucky, you might even see a shark. They’re all along this coast, you know. Come on, it’s great.”

The two looked at him with identical expressions, brows crinkled, mouths open.

“No, thanks,” Cassie said, paddling backward toward the shore. “Anyway, haven’t you been watching those clouds? It’s going to rain.”

“I don’t think you should go