she leisurely stroked down the pool, keeping her head out of the water.
Brad, keeping pace with her with a side stroke, grinned. "Yeah. I have a beachhouse just south of L. A. and spend most of my time there when I'm not working."
"What do you do?"
"Oh, I'm a model."
"That figures."
"What?" He stood up, dashing water from his face.
Carolyn stopped, finally managing to find bottom with her feet. The water was chest high on her and she glanced down, horrified to discover that her top had become loosened. She grabbed the ties around her neck just as they began to tumble down and hastily secured them once more while Brad looked on with unabashed interest.
Trying to get his mind off her and back on the subject, Carolyn determinedly went on. "I'm not surprised at your occupation. I'm sure you make a very good model."
"It's a living, but it's not what I intend to do with my life."
"Oh?"
"Naw. I'm a marine biologist, but it's hard to find work in that field, so I decided to pile up the coins while I'm young enough to do it. I spend my weekends and vacations along the coasts, doing what I love."
Before long, Brad and Carolyn were in deep discussion regarding the various marine animals living along the Pacific coast from Canada to Mexico. Carolyn discovered that he was familiar with the explorations reported in a recent National Geographic she had read, and their conversation-grew quite technical as he answered her many questions. They had long since left the pool and were enjoying drinks at one of the poolside tables when Carolyn noticed the time.
"I didn't realize how late it is. I'm going to have to get ready for dinner."
Brad had long since forgotten his role of seducer. He was delighted to find a woman interested in learning more about his field, and he didn't want to lose track of her. "Would you have dinner with me?"
She smiled, amused at the eager expectation in his voice. Once she managed to get past the rippling muscles and flashing white smile, she found him a very interesting person. "I'm sorry, I've already made dinner plans."
He looked disappointed for a moment, then brightened. "How about dinner tomorrow night, then?" He waited hopefully.
She grinned. "Sure."
He stood, drawing her up from her chair, then holding on to her hand, nestled into his large one.
"In the meantime, how would you like to run up the coast with me tomorrow? There are some tide pools I've been studying that you might enjoy exploring."
Gently disengaging her hand, Carolyn slid her kaftan over her bikini, surprised to discover how unself-conscious she had become with Brad. Part of the reason was that he'd quit looking at her like a hungry shark.
"That sounds like fun, Brad. What time?"
"Low tide is at four in the morning, which is a little early to get up. Why don't we make it for the afternoon . . . say about two o'clock?"
Carolyn nodded. "You've got yourself a date. I'll meet you in the parking lot tomorrow at two."
Carolyn let herself into the room, reviewing the events of the afternoon. She was going to enjoy getting to know Brad, and she had dinner with Ted to look forward to. Her life was certainly becoming much more interesting.
"Didn't Hercules follow you home?"
Clay's voice startled her; she hadn't seen him stretched out on the sofa, reading. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about that muscular monolith who captivated you so completely at the pool this afternoon." He sat up, removing dark-rimmed glasses from his nose as he watched Carolyn cross the room.
She sank into a chair and gave him a serene smile. "Hercules," she repeated slowly. "You're right. That's very apt. He certainly does resemble a Greek god, doesn't he?" Her eyes sparkled with humor at the disgruntled expression on Clay's face.
"So how did you get rid of him?"
"Oh, I explained that I had to get ready for dinner. He understood." She sat there a moment, gazing off into the distance, then slowly got up. "We're going to go look at tide pools
Brad, keeping pace with her with a side stroke, grinned. "Yeah. I have a beachhouse just south of L. A. and spend most of my time there when I'm not working."
"What do you do?"
"Oh, I'm a model."
"That figures."
"What?" He stood up, dashing water from his face.
Carolyn stopped, finally managing to find bottom with her feet. The water was chest high on her and she glanced down, horrified to discover that her top had become loosened. She grabbed the ties around her neck just as they began to tumble down and hastily secured them once more while Brad looked on with unabashed interest.
Trying to get his mind off her and back on the subject, Carolyn determinedly went on. "I'm not surprised at your occupation. I'm sure you make a very good model."
"It's a living, but it's not what I intend to do with my life."
"Oh?"
"Naw. I'm a marine biologist, but it's hard to find work in that field, so I decided to pile up the coins while I'm young enough to do it. I spend my weekends and vacations along the coasts, doing what I love."
Before long, Brad and Carolyn were in deep discussion regarding the various marine animals living along the Pacific coast from Canada to Mexico. Carolyn discovered that he was familiar with the explorations reported in a recent National Geographic she had read, and their conversation-grew quite technical as he answered her many questions. They had long since left the pool and were enjoying drinks at one of the poolside tables when Carolyn noticed the time.
"I didn't realize how late it is. I'm going to have to get ready for dinner."
Brad had long since forgotten his role of seducer. He was delighted to find a woman interested in learning more about his field, and he didn't want to lose track of her. "Would you have dinner with me?"
She smiled, amused at the eager expectation in his voice. Once she managed to get past the rippling muscles and flashing white smile, she found him a very interesting person. "I'm sorry, I've already made dinner plans."
He looked disappointed for a moment, then brightened. "How about dinner tomorrow night, then?" He waited hopefully.
She grinned. "Sure."
He stood, drawing her up from her chair, then holding on to her hand, nestled into his large one.
"In the meantime, how would you like to run up the coast with me tomorrow? There are some tide pools I've been studying that you might enjoy exploring."
Gently disengaging her hand, Carolyn slid her kaftan over her bikini, surprised to discover how unself-conscious she had become with Brad. Part of the reason was that he'd quit looking at her like a hungry shark.
"That sounds like fun, Brad. What time?"
"Low tide is at four in the morning, which is a little early to get up. Why don't we make it for the afternoon . . . say about two o'clock?"
Carolyn nodded. "You've got yourself a date. I'll meet you in the parking lot tomorrow at two."
Carolyn let herself into the room, reviewing the events of the afternoon. She was going to enjoy getting to know Brad, and she had dinner with Ted to look forward to. Her life was certainly becoming much more interesting.
"Didn't Hercules follow you home?"
Clay's voice startled her; she hadn't seen him stretched out on the sofa, reading. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about that muscular monolith who captivated you so completely at the pool this afternoon." He sat up, removing dark-rimmed glasses from his nose as he watched Carolyn cross the room.
She sank into a chair and gave him a serene smile. "Hercules," she repeated slowly. "You're right. That's very apt. He certainly does resemble a Greek god, doesn't he?" Her eyes sparkled with humor at the disgruntled expression on Clay's face.
"So how did you get rid of him?"
"Oh, I explained that I had to get ready for dinner. He understood." She sat there a moment, gazing off into the distance, then slowly got up. "We're going to go look at tide pools
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