quietly out of the side of her mouth.
Adjusting himself so that their legs touched, he returned her fake smile. “I think sticking close is a good idea. It seems that you have lost your good sense.”
“You better hope to God that’s all I’m about to lose.” Gideon stood in front of the group and introduced everyone, and the meeting began. “We will talk about this later.”
Sitting back, she smiled at Wyatt and waved. She hoped like hell having a big, mean spec ops guy sitting next to her wouldn’t put him off. Maybe a man like Wyatt was just what she needed. When the meeting was over, she would ditch Joel and see if Wyatt wanted to go out for dinner. It was time to see if she had anything left in her.
***
Vivi pulled herself out of the pool and saw Joel sitting on the chaise longue, studying his phone. She grabbed a towel out of the basket and dried herself off. “When are you going to head over to Uncle Buck’s?”
Lifting his eyes, he let them slowly travel over her body. She felt the heat from his gaze and wondered what the hell had gotten into him. Sliding a robe over her shoulders, she moved toward him. “No need for you to hang around here.”
“I’m moving in with you until the case is solved.”
“Whaaat?” Vivi shrieked.
“You might have missed the part of the meeting where they explained that your picture and home address were found on the phones of the men found dead in your clinic. You seemed a little busy flirting.”
“Only one was dead. I saved the other one.”
“Which was the point,” he replied dryly. Sitting back, he rubbed his temples. “Do you have a death wish, Vivi?”
“I’m able to listen and flirt at the same time, so I heard everything.” She leaned against the chaise longue and closed her eyes. How in the world did she end up with a growly bear in her house? She had tried to do good in the world; she went to church on a semi-regular basis and visited her parents often. It seemed a little unfair that this was her fate. “I don’t want to live with you. You’re mean to me.” She felt his big hand slide over hers, and he let it rest there.
“Are you twelve? I am not mean to you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. You remind me of this boy I knew in fifth grade named Timmy Budrow. He was awful to me all year, and we had an all-out war going against one another right up until the last day of school, when we had a swim party.”
“What ended the war?” Joel inquired.
“Timmy kissed me behind the pool slide.” Opening her eyes, she studied him. “That’s when I knew all the fussing we were doing at one another was because we liked each another.”
“Was it true love?”
“No. We pretty much fizzled out after that. I spent most of the summer out at the horse farm, and he fell for his neighbor, Gina Monroe. They were a hot item all through sixth grade.” Sitting up, she pulled her robe tighter. “Are you mean to me because you like me? You hinted at something the other day, and I just want to know what I’m dealing with.”
Rubbing his hand over his face, he let out a sigh. “Vivi, I don’t have relationships. And I know that you’re a woman who does. So it doesn’t much matter if I like you or not. Whatever feelings are being stirred up inside me are never going to do either one of us any good. So, I think I’ll just leave them buried where they are.”
Twisting the end of her hair, she studied the big handsome man across from her and felt her stomach drop. It somehow felt like a missed opportunity. Which was ludicrous. Who wanted an opportunit y with someone who had no personality? “All right, then.” Standing, she patted his shoulder. “There’s plenty of food in the fridge. Help yourself. I’m going to get ready for my date. Wyatt is picking me up at seven.”
“You can’t go on a date when you’re in danger,” he yelled.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared at him. “You better start doing a better job of
Adjusting himself so that their legs touched, he returned her fake smile. “I think sticking close is a good idea. It seems that you have lost your good sense.”
“You better hope to God that’s all I’m about to lose.” Gideon stood in front of the group and introduced everyone, and the meeting began. “We will talk about this later.”
Sitting back, she smiled at Wyatt and waved. She hoped like hell having a big, mean spec ops guy sitting next to her wouldn’t put him off. Maybe a man like Wyatt was just what she needed. When the meeting was over, she would ditch Joel and see if Wyatt wanted to go out for dinner. It was time to see if she had anything left in her.
***
Vivi pulled herself out of the pool and saw Joel sitting on the chaise longue, studying his phone. She grabbed a towel out of the basket and dried herself off. “When are you going to head over to Uncle Buck’s?”
Lifting his eyes, he let them slowly travel over her body. She felt the heat from his gaze and wondered what the hell had gotten into him. Sliding a robe over her shoulders, she moved toward him. “No need for you to hang around here.”
“I’m moving in with you until the case is solved.”
“Whaaat?” Vivi shrieked.
“You might have missed the part of the meeting where they explained that your picture and home address were found on the phones of the men found dead in your clinic. You seemed a little busy flirting.”
“Only one was dead. I saved the other one.”
“Which was the point,” he replied dryly. Sitting back, he rubbed his temples. “Do you have a death wish, Vivi?”
“I’m able to listen and flirt at the same time, so I heard everything.” She leaned against the chaise longue and closed her eyes. How in the world did she end up with a growly bear in her house? She had tried to do good in the world; she went to church on a semi-regular basis and visited her parents often. It seemed a little unfair that this was her fate. “I don’t want to live with you. You’re mean to me.” She felt his big hand slide over hers, and he let it rest there.
“Are you twelve? I am not mean to you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. You remind me of this boy I knew in fifth grade named Timmy Budrow. He was awful to me all year, and we had an all-out war going against one another right up until the last day of school, when we had a swim party.”
“What ended the war?” Joel inquired.
“Timmy kissed me behind the pool slide.” Opening her eyes, she studied him. “That’s when I knew all the fussing we were doing at one another was because we liked each another.”
“Was it true love?”
“No. We pretty much fizzled out after that. I spent most of the summer out at the horse farm, and he fell for his neighbor, Gina Monroe. They were a hot item all through sixth grade.” Sitting up, she pulled her robe tighter. “Are you mean to me because you like me? You hinted at something the other day, and I just want to know what I’m dealing with.”
Rubbing his hand over his face, he let out a sigh. “Vivi, I don’t have relationships. And I know that you’re a woman who does. So it doesn’t much matter if I like you or not. Whatever feelings are being stirred up inside me are never going to do either one of us any good. So, I think I’ll just leave them buried where they are.”
Twisting the end of her hair, she studied the big handsome man across from her and felt her stomach drop. It somehow felt like a missed opportunity. Which was ludicrous. Who wanted an opportunit y with someone who had no personality? “All right, then.” Standing, she patted his shoulder. “There’s plenty of food in the fridge. Help yourself. I’m going to get ready for my date. Wyatt is picking me up at seven.”
“You can’t go on a date when you’re in danger,” he yelled.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared at him. “You better start doing a better job of
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