The Scandal (Billionaire's Beach Book 4) by Christie Ridgway

right.
    Shit , he thought. You’re no better with a butler than you are with any other kind of human being.
    As he pondered some way to make it up to her, a voice yelled “Incoming!” and an object hurtled their way. Before he had time to move, block, or protect, it caught Sara straight in the face, taking her to her back.
    Joaquin’s heart slammed into his ribs. “God,” he said, twisting to lean over her. “Are you all right?”
    She lay supine and silent on the grass, her cap tumbled nearby, her sunglasses—though still covering her eyes—askew. Water ran down her face, and shreds of pink plastic balloon littered her chest like pieces of torn flesh.
    His gut clenched. “ Sara !”
    Finally, she moved, one hand reaching up to rip the shades away. Then her lips curved and she was laughing, really laughing, and in his relief Joaquin laughed, too.
    So hard, that he bent over, his body curving closer to Sara’s.
    It brought their mouths nearer as well, and then he was kissing the butler, tasting sunshine and fresh water and the forbidden.
    And he felt lighter still…but not one jot less lecherous.
     
    During dinner preparation, Sara put her game face on, determined to show Joaquin the afternoon hadn’t caused any tectonic shift in their butler-employer relationship.
    It was just a kiss.
    She’d been laughing at the absurdity of a water balloon in the face, and he’d leaned over, blocking the sun so that the only thing between her and the sky was a Joaquin-shaped shadow. Then his lips had brushed hers, and she’d gone serious in a hurry.
    The flavor of mint and heat and man had riveted her. Without thinking she’d opened her lips and allowed her tongue to sweep along his to get a better sample of it.
    At the memory, her face burned. Not just because of her boldness, but because of Joaquin’s reaction to it. He’d instantly straightened, then jumped to his feet, murmuring something about finding a paper towel. When he’d come back, he’d had Charlie in tow. They’d remained a threesome until Wells finished his run to make it a foursome.
    Not long after, her employer had made up an excuse to leave—she supposed it was an excuse, anyway—and asked Charlie to give Sara a ride home.
    She’d returned to an empty house. Not knowing any different, she’d assumed he’d make it back for dinner.
    “So chicken and dumplings it is,” she said, looking toward the windows.
    The fog had rolled in, wrapping the house in a gray cocoon. Tiny drops of water rolled like baby tears down the glass.
    Mimicking her mood.
    But there’s no reason to feel low, she tried reassuring herself again. It was merely the smallest graze of one mouth against another. Just a kiss.
    The same as their back-and-forth about school and parents had just been a casual way to pass the time. It didn’t signal anything more…friendly. And knowing things about her employer—like a strained relationship with his mother, like the fact that he had a young half-sister—could help make her be a better butler for him.
    A knock sounded on the nearby glass and she jumped, swallowing a little shriek. Her gaze jumped that way to find Joaquin on the other side of the sliding door, his dark hair damp from the heavy mist.
    She hurried to unfasten the lock and let him in. “I didn’t know you were out there,” she said by way of apology.
    “I took a long walk on the beach.”
    “Let me get you a towel.” Sara moved to the laundry room and the cupboards that held stacks of extra linens.
    A bemused expression had taken over his face upon her return. He took the proffered terry cloth and began rubbing it over the top of his head. “You’ll spoil me.”
    “I’m doing a job.”
    His hand paused. “That’s right.” Then he sniffed the air. “What smells so great?”
    “Chicken and dumplings. My grandmother’s recipe.”
    “The grandmother who was so strict.”
    “Yes.” Sara’s eyes widened as he tossed away the towel to reach between his