until she’d finished watching his throat muscles contract as he swallowed. Was there anything this man couldn’t turn into a sensual experience? “I … I don’t have a regularly scheduled day off, if that’s what you mean. But don’t worry, I had every intention of keeping up my end of the agreement”
He held a hand up to stop her, then wiped his damp palm on his shorts, unintentionally drawing her gaze back to his thigh. April didn’t care if he’d think she was incredibly rude, but she shifted her position and stared out of the window. It had to be safer.
“I didn’t ask because of our stupid agreement. Call it professional curiosity. I just wondered what you do when all this”—he made a sweeping gesture with his arm—“gets to be too much. Even in aplace this beautiful and peaceful, the pressure of running a business this size must get to you.”
“Sometimes. But I’m used to it. It’s what I do.”
“Why?” She stiffened and he added, “I meant, why did you decide to build a resort out in the middle of nowhere?”
She relaxed and smiled, choosing to remember the better reasons. “My grandfather had land here. I spent a few summers with him. He ran a small charter-fishing business. That business eventually became Paradise Cove.”
“How long ago did he die?”
The question startled her, making her instantly aware of how far she’d let her guard drop. At some point during her explanation she’d turned to face him again. The way he looked at her … She had this insane impulse just to blurt out the whole story to him, but she immediately stifled it. She’d be a fool to trust those probing eyes of his so easily. “Eight years.” In response to his raised eyebrow, she added, “No, it wasn’t easy, but I had a lot of help here. There are a few people still on staff who were quite loyal to my grandfather.”
Eager to change the subject before he asked any more questions, she said, “Earlier, you used the phrase ‘professional curiosity.’ Why? Does your profession keep you from relaxing?”
“I’ve been accused of overdoing it a bit,” he said dryly. “Actually, that’s why I’m here. A friend ofmine managed to convince me that a small break wouldn’t kill me.” He chuckled softly. “Although after twenty-seven rolls of Aunt Minnie and Uncle Jeets and the rest of the illustrious Smithsons, I’m not too sure it won’t kill
him
.”
April turned back to face him. The laughter in his light words had failed to cover the underlying fatigue, and if she wasn’t mistaken, a trace of unrest. “Is that part of what you meant the other day? About being dispensable, I mean? Are you afraid of being fired?”
This time his laugh was more natural. “No. That’s the least of my worries. I guess it’s just that my career always seemed like one big vacation to me anyway and …” He trailed off for a moment, and this time he was the one to look out the front window. “I don’t know, somewhere along the way it stopped being fan and started being a job.”
“What exactly do you do?”
“I really don’t want to talk about it.” His casual shrug took any harshness out of his words. “For the time being I’m more interested in learning how to relax.”
Even lounging on the arm of the couch, barefooted and with a beer in one hand, an aura of tension radiated around him. April felt the heat of embarrassment crawl up her neck. “Mr. Tango—” His head whipped around, his expression almostfierce. “Jack,” she corrected quickly. He calmed a bit and so did April. Calling him by his last name had seemed strange and formal to her, too. “I’ve done nothing but bitch and moan since I walked in here. I’m sorry. I never got the chance to tell you how grateful the Cove is for—”
“I didn’t do it for Paradise Cove,
mi cielo
.” If Jack had hoped to make her feel better with his heartfelt statement, he’d failed miserably. Her entire body went stiff as a tree and her
He held a hand up to stop her, then wiped his damp palm on his shorts, unintentionally drawing her gaze back to his thigh. April didn’t care if he’d think she was incredibly rude, but she shifted her position and stared out of the window. It had to be safer.
“I didn’t ask because of our stupid agreement. Call it professional curiosity. I just wondered what you do when all this”—he made a sweeping gesture with his arm—“gets to be too much. Even in aplace this beautiful and peaceful, the pressure of running a business this size must get to you.”
“Sometimes. But I’m used to it. It’s what I do.”
“Why?” She stiffened and he added, “I meant, why did you decide to build a resort out in the middle of nowhere?”
She relaxed and smiled, choosing to remember the better reasons. “My grandfather had land here. I spent a few summers with him. He ran a small charter-fishing business. That business eventually became Paradise Cove.”
“How long ago did he die?”
The question startled her, making her instantly aware of how far she’d let her guard drop. At some point during her explanation she’d turned to face him again. The way he looked at her … She had this insane impulse just to blurt out the whole story to him, but she immediately stifled it. She’d be a fool to trust those probing eyes of his so easily. “Eight years.” In response to his raised eyebrow, she added, “No, it wasn’t easy, but I had a lot of help here. There are a few people still on staff who were quite loyal to my grandfather.”
Eager to change the subject before he asked any more questions, she said, “Earlier, you used the phrase ‘professional curiosity.’ Why? Does your profession keep you from relaxing?”
“I’ve been accused of overdoing it a bit,” he said dryly. “Actually, that’s why I’m here. A friend ofmine managed to convince me that a small break wouldn’t kill me.” He chuckled softly. “Although after twenty-seven rolls of Aunt Minnie and Uncle Jeets and the rest of the illustrious Smithsons, I’m not too sure it won’t kill
him
.”
April turned back to face him. The laughter in his light words had failed to cover the underlying fatigue, and if she wasn’t mistaken, a trace of unrest. “Is that part of what you meant the other day? About being dispensable, I mean? Are you afraid of being fired?”
This time his laugh was more natural. “No. That’s the least of my worries. I guess it’s just that my career always seemed like one big vacation to me anyway and …” He trailed off for a moment, and this time he was the one to look out the front window. “I don’t know, somewhere along the way it stopped being fan and started being a job.”
“What exactly do you do?”
“I really don’t want to talk about it.” His casual shrug took any harshness out of his words. “For the time being I’m more interested in learning how to relax.”
Even lounging on the arm of the couch, barefooted and with a beer in one hand, an aura of tension radiated around him. April felt the heat of embarrassment crawl up her neck. “Mr. Tango—” His head whipped around, his expression almostfierce. “Jack,” she corrected quickly. He calmed a bit and so did April. Calling him by his last name had seemed strange and formal to her, too. “I’ve done nothing but bitch and moan since I walked in here. I’m sorry. I never got the chance to tell you how grateful the Cove is for—”
“I didn’t do it for Paradise Cove,
mi cielo
.” If Jack had hoped to make her feel better with his heartfelt statement, he’d failed miserably. Her entire body went stiff as a tree and her
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