What he could not see was who had been standing close enough to her to propel her into the damn pool because his full attention had been fixed exclusively on her."So the cuckoo almost drowned and I missed it," a disappointed voice drawled beside him. "What a shame." In no mood for Elizabeth Smith's twisted kind of humor Scott intoned flatly, "You lead a sad life, Elizabeth," then walked away, over to the almost deserted pool bar and ordered a drink while he awaited Vivian's return.By the time the two women walked out of the house again he was the only person left on the terrace. As a foil for each other Vivian's darkness next to Michele's flame was pretty much as good as it could get, Scott observed. Then his full attention had welded on Vivian's transformation from wet and bedraggled to long and curvaceous, a seriously slinky siren which almost blew his edgy control to bits.She was wearing a figure-hugging strapless black tube of a dress that was nothing short of mind-stopping. F

Her reward was a lusty masculine growl that excited her dreadfully.Tightening his arms around her he lifted her up against him and fed her legs around his waist, then just stood there with her clamped against him, their parted mouths fused together and the intimacy taking place with their tongues a shattering mimic of something else he was doing to her.His hands were splayed across her silk-covered buttocks, the fiercely bold evidence of how he was feeling shocked and excited her in equal amounts. When she moved voluptuously against him she felt his shudder that blew the last of his common sense to bits.Turning to walk with her over to the bed, as they landed on the mattress in a tangle of clinging limbs, he pulled his head back. "What did you come here for?" he rasped out.Having to fight to try and understand the question, Vivian opened her eyes and just stared blankly up at him. His mouth was barely an inch away, his warm breath scoring her face. She could feel the pounding pump

She touched his eyelids with her fingertip. Then his nose and his lips, as if discovering his beautiful face, even while their bodies were joined so intimately, and she was filled with warmth and an unbearable longing."It’s yes," she choked. "You know it’s yes!" For how could it ever be anything else?—------------A sound awoke Vivian as the quiet light of dawn was drifting in through the window. She continued to lie there for a few seconds, grappling to make sense of her unfamiliar surroundings, then she remembered and her heart gave a thump.Twisting her head on the pillow she saw that the place beside her in the bed was empty, and she sat up with a jerk, a hand going up to push her tumbled hair from her face. The sound came again and she focused on Scott, who was standing with his back to her on the other side of the room.He was already dressed in one of the dark business suits he favored, and was snapping his paper-thin watch to his wrist. He looked so breathtakingly handsome

“I…” She hesitated, shrugged a shoulder and started again. “I can cook if you have something in the kitchen.” She said. Scott burst into laughter. “You can cook?” Dubious, he scanned her beautiful hair, gown and shoes. “In that? Impossible!”Jennifer snorted. “You’re not starting off this truce thing well. And yes, I can cook.”If he hadn’t been watching her so closely, he might’ve missed the flash of insecurity that was there and gone in an instant.“Show me to the kitchen? That is, if you don’t mind me…?”“No, this I have to see for myself,” he assured her, and strode past her toward the room he rarely used. His housekeeper often prepared dinners for him that she left warming in the stove. So the pantry and refrigerator should both be stocked. “I’ll even supply you with clothes so you don’t get anything on your dress. See how accommodating I am?”“Until tomorrow,” Jennifer added from behind him.“Until tomorrow,” he agreed.—---------“I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t tast

Bethany invited her to join her and a few other friends for a drink that night and Vivian thought emptily, why not?When she arrived at the wine bar the place was so crowded she almost chickened out and went away again, but Bethany saw her and waved her over. Bethany’s group of friends were lively and noisy and Vivian was surprised an hour later to discover that she was almost—almost—enjoying herself. Most of them were going on to dinner, then a nightclub, but the thought of eating anything made her stomach go queasy so she declined with a smile and some excuse that was something else she could not recall minutes afterwards. On Monday morning, she just couldn't do it anymore. Her head was filled with thoughts of Scott and she couldn't take it any more. She was sure now that the only reason why she was able to bring herself to work the previous week was because he wasn't present but she was sure he would be now and she couldn't face him. Not after his cruel rejection. So, after crying