the others answered.
“Josh,” the middle goon answered.
“Blake. You got a name, gorgeous?” the one on the left asked.
I gave him a fake smile. “I do, but I don’t know if you’ve earned it yet. How long have you all worked for Stefan?”
“Seven months,” Blake answered.
“Just over a year,” Josh said, glancing nervously at Dean, who caught him doing it. His brow furrowed in confusion.
“Maura?” someone called out to me. The three goons shot up from their chairs as a formal greeting. Louie strolled into the kitchen. He glanced from the goons to me and shook his head. “Babe, it’s not nice to antagonize the guys even if you’re giving them a great view of your rack.”
I looked down. Leaning forward on my arms had made my boobs push up and out. There was a lot of cleavage on display and my small bikini top left very little to the imagination. It was hard to suppress the sly smile that was making the corner of my mouth twitch as I stood straight.
“She your girl, Louie?” Dean asked him.
The corner of Louie’s mouth curled up. “Nah, man. I like my dick attached to my body,” he joked and draped an arm over my shoulders. I lightly smacked his chest with the back of my hand. “She’s the Banphrionsa.”
Dean clearly didn’t understand the Gaelic term and turned to Josh for clarification.
“She’s the boss’s daughter,” Josh told him, sheepishly.
Both Dean and Blake stiffened.
Shrugging off Louie’s arm, I held back the smirk threatening to pull at my lips. “Well, I’m going swimming. Enjoy the rest of your lunch, gentlemen.”
“A heads up would have been nice,” I heard Dean snap.
Josh sighed. “I tried.”
Louie’s boisterous laugher filled the room just before I stepped outside.
I did a lazy swim, letting myself get lost in the sensation of being weightless. It was peaceful and it helped dilute my worries.
Once my fingers started to prune, I got out and lay on one of the many plush lounge chairs around the pool. I soaked up the sun, most likely gaining more freckles rather than a tan. It was so comfortable and warm, I started to doze off.
“You’ll burn if you fall asleep out here.”
My heart tried to leap out of my chest at the sound of Jamie’s voice. I hadn't even heard him approach. I cowardly kept my eyes closed, nervous at what I might see. I wasn’t ready to face the ugly truth of what might have changed between us but knew putting it off would only prolong my suffering.
“It feels good out. Five more minutes,” I said, finally opening my eyes.
He was sitting on the lounge chair next to me gazing out at the rest of the property. I followed his line of sight. Blake was walking the edge of the property with Dean, both of whom had guns and wireless radios holstered to their belts. Stefan typically had at least six grounds security on the property at all times. Two were posted at the gate in the guardhouse while another two walked the grounds and the last two monitored the cameras in the control room inside the house.
“What?” I asked.
“I think you’re distracting the men from doing their job.”
Yeah, right. “Have you come to tease me some more?” After the words left my mouth, I realized I was unintentionally picking a fight.
He studied me with a frown. He was trying to read me, and I put zero effort in trying to hide my irritation. I was confused, embarrassed, and beyond angry with myself… or should I say, my lack of self-control. I'd given in to a surge of hormones like a horny teenager. Ah! Why did I kiss him?! I didn’t know what made me feel worse: me kissing him or him not kissing me back. I reached for my bare wrist out of habit, fingers searching for the bands. I missed the sting that helped reel in the shit I didn’t want to feel.
Deep breath and just be mature about this.
He hadn't kissed me back because he didn’t feel that way about me and that was fine. It wasn't like I understood my feelings either. Was I attracted to him? After this morning, I’d be lying if I said no. I had to take an ice cold shower once I got up to my room just to cool down. Jamie was fucking gorgeous. His muscled body was excitingly lethal. His tattooed skin, when he did show it, always made the temperature in the room go up. The