Into the Fire - Leslie Kelly [14]
Nate heard a quiver in her voice and noticed her eyes were shiny and bright. "Hey, are you okay? I didn't mean to upset you."
"You didn't. It's not you. It's tonight, this party." She paused. "J.T."
Nate snorted. "You know the old reprobate personally, do you?"
She paused, her eyes widening with surprise. "You know him too?"
Nate shrugged. "As much as I want to. Has he been bothering you? Is that what's going on?"
A rueful smile spread across her face. "He's bothered me. Not in the way you think." Then she shook her head and turned to put away the medicine kit. She took her time about it, peering intently at something on the shelf of the linen closet with her back to him. Nate saw her take something off the shelf and slip it into the oversize pocket of her robe before she closed the closet door.
When she turned, her eyes were bright and sparkling. She bit the corner of her lip, suddenly looking both mischievous and nervous. Nate considered asking her if she'd just stolen something from J.T. Birmingham's bathroom, wondering if the superrich used some exotic type of toothpaste, but she distracted him by pointing to his robe.
"So is someone bringing you some clothes?"
"No," Nate admitted as he stood and followed her out of the bathroom. Some of the forced intimacy caused by their close proximity in the bathroom evaporated in the cavernous gym area. "I planned to run home to my apartment to change. Unfortunately, while I was undressing I realized my keys are no longer in the pocket of my wet pants. I imagine they're somewhere at the bottom of the pool, meaning I take another swim or I come up with another way to get some clothes."
"Could you get someone to go by your place and pick something up for you?"
"Yeah, I probably could. My neighbor keeps a spare key for me, so I could call and ask him to let someone in," he replied. "In the meantime, I guess we both hide out here." He walked to the trampoline and leaned against its edge. "So have you got all the jumping out of your system?"
"I think so."
"It looked like fun," he said, trying to tempt her.
"Help yourself," she said. "I promise not to peek at your underwear."
He contemplated telling her he wasn't wearing any, but didn't think it wise.
"So, why do you dislike J.T.?" she asked as she walked over and sat on the bench of a weight-lifting machine.
Since there was nowhere else to sit unless they moved to the pool area, Nate went ahead and hopped onto the edge of the trampoline, sitting on the padded springs. "I don't dislike him. He's a heck of a businessman. But I see him for what he is."
"That being?"
"I don't know. What do you call a man in his sixties whose new fourth wife is less than half his age? Plus he still manages to hit on any attractive single woman he meets." Nate sighed in disgust. "My sister came in to the office to visit last month. She was holding her one-year-old baby, and J.T. still flirted with her nonstop."
"Some women find him charming."
He snorted. "Maybe his bank account. Believe me, if I had his money, there are plenty of things I'd do with it other than invest it in future alimony payments."
"Like?"
"I dunno. Feed the hungry? Help inner-city moms pay for day care?"
"How politically correct," she said, her dry tone displaying her skepticism.
He took no offense. She didn't know him, after all. Why should she believe he had any interest in social issues? "Okay, then I guess I'd buy a private island."
She grinned, stood and walked over to stand beside the trampoline. "Can I join you?"
"On my island?" He gave her a playful smile and gestured to the black fabric surface. "Please do."
He held out a hand to help her climb up. Forcing himself to look away, he deliberately tried not to notice when her robe gapped open again, displaying several long inches of pale, smooth thigh.
"And what would you do on this island?" she asked.
He slid back, pulling her with him until they both sat on the surface of the trampoline. Stretching out to lie on his back, he put his hands behind his head and looked at the ceiling. "I'd