Barefoot in the Sun (Barefoot Bay)(16)

“That’s all right,” Clay said. “I’ll take him down there.”

Lacey shook her head and shot her husband a secret look that Oliver probably missed, but Zoe didn’t. Maybe Lacey did remember the run-in at the hotel shop. And, of course, her friend would want to help. And by help she meant stick her little copper curls where they didn’t belong.

“You’ll just talk about rebar and I-beams,” Lacey insisted. “Zoe can give the ten-dollar tour. Walk down the beach and really get the feel of the place.”

“That’d be great,” Oliver said, already putting a possessive hand on Zoe’s shoulder. “You don’t mind?”

Clay handed Zoe a card key before she could reply. “This’ll get you into any villa on the property. We can entertain Evan for you, Oliver. That way you can make a decision without pressure.”

“Good idea,” Lacey added. “Can he go swimming with my daughter? She’s an excellent babysitter.”

“I’m sure he’d love that.”

Lacey gave a warm smile to Zoe, her amber eyes dancing. “Then take your time and really let him fall in love…with the villa.”

Holy crap, could she be any more obvious?

“Let me tell Evan,” Oliver said, handing the baby to Lacey before he disappeared into the family room.

Instantly, Lacey’s eyes widened. “You don’t mind do you, Zoe?” she asked, nestling Elijah into her chest. “He obviously likes you.”

“I think it’s true that babies lower your IQ.”

“Zoe, come on. He’s totally hot.”

Clay smiled, sliding an arm around his wife’s shoulder. “She wants all of you guys married and mothering like her.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard misery loves company.”

Lacey shrugged, undaunted. “Take your time and close the deal.”

It was futile to argue. And, honestly, Zoe wanted that time with him anyway. For Pasha, of course. Not for any reason other than Pasha.





Chapter Five

As they walked down the driveway and toward the beach, Oliver stopped at an overloaded hibiscus tree and plucked a red bloom.

“Peace offering,” he said, holding it out to Zoe.

She gave him that look, that teasing mix of sarcasm and sweetness, and took the flower, sticking it in her hair. “I’ll have to tell Lacey how effective her marketing brochures are.”

“It wasn’t the brochure that got me here.”

She didn’t react, just kicked off her plastic flip-flops as they reached the edge of the sand. “You won’t want shoes.”

He toed off his Docksides and impulsively yanked off his shirt, too, tossing it on the ground and getting a sideways look from her. “You don’t play fair, doc.”

“It’s a thousand degrees.”

She fought a smile. “So are you.”

“Then I take it you’re not mad at me anymore?”

“Never was mad.”

“Oh, that’s right. Sometimes you just disappear in the middle of things for no real reason.”

“Define real, Oliver.” She nudged him with her shoulder, forcing them both closer to the water. “Let’s see, I discovered you have a son conceived before we ever dated, you’re divorced and living a few miles from my closest friends, you’re planning to live on the property where I’m currently staying, and you failed to tell me that you received life-changing news the moment I was revealing my biggest secret to you.” She let out a sigh. “Anything I’ve missed?”

He stopped walking to roll up his pants and let the warm, foamy water splash around his ankles.

“My son wants you to be his nanny.”

She let out a little grunt of disbelief.

“You asked if there’s anything I missed, so I thought I’d better get that out there.”

“Good call.” She gave him another shoulder push, but not hard enough to get him in the water. More like she just wanted the body contact. And so did he. “Did you tell him I’d make the world’s worst nanny?”

“I can’t tell him anything,” he said, fighting the urge to put his arm around her. “He’s crazy about you.”

She smiled. “I like him, too.”

“I don’t suppose you’re looking for a summer job?” Son of a bitch, had those words just come out of his mouth? How did she get him to do and say things like he had no control?

“It depends.”

Why did those words give him hope? Was he nuts? “On what?”

“Um…” She gave him another saucy smile. “The pay.”

“What’s your fee?”

All the tease disappeared from her eyes. “Quid pro quo. You take care of Pasha and I’ll take care of Evan.”

He closed his eyes on a sigh. “It’s not that simple, Zoe.”

“Too ironic for you? I mean, they are the two individuals who are responsible for taking us apart.”

He stopped walking and turned to the water, staring out at the horizon. “I don’t blame Evan for his timing. Maybe I did before he was born, but then, no.”

“I’m glad,” she said. “That would be an awful thing to put on his shoulders. Do you blame Pasha for her decision to leave?”

“I haven’t,” he said. “All these years I figured the guilty party was…”

“Me,” she supplied.

“Pretty much.”

She didn’t answer. As she stood looking out at the water, the breeze lifted her see-through skirt and the sun poured over her like liquid gold. “I love it here.”

“Enough to stay?” The question was out before he could even think about not asking it.

She shrugged, utterly carefree and so very Zoe. “Who knows? Want to see the villa now? It’s right up here.”

Without waiting for his response, she darted up the beach, leaving him alone and wet and staring at the most irrepressible, impossible, desirable woman he’d ever met. Of course, she was running away. And, of course, he followed.

He caught up to her at the path and they walked to the villa together.

“I’m not sure if I should sell this place to you or point out all the shortcomings,” she said as she slipped the key into the lock.

“Why? You don’t want me here?”

“It complicates things.”

“You love complicated things, as I recall.”

She pushed open the door to a large, inviting living area with more of the same Moroccan warmth. Dark wood gleamed and a wrought-iron rail curved up a staircase. Beyond the living room, sunshine bounced off the teal water of a screened-in kidney-shaped pool surrounded by a few chaises and a table.

Evan would love it here. And so would Oliver.

“Nice,” he said, then gave her a quick look. “Unless it isn’t.”

She laughed. “On the positive side, it’s gorgeous, brand new, all hand-crafted wood. You met Will the other night. He’s the carpenter and Jocelyn’s fiance.” She led him through a small dining area.

“On the negative side?” he asked.

She pointed to the kitchen. “There’s no room service yet, since Lacey didn’t get a chance to interview chefs before the baby came and she hasn’t officially opened the kitchen. So you’ll have to cook.” She squinched her face. “Unless Evan’s nanny is expected to cook, in which case, we better hope someone can supply take-out menus.”

He laughed, feeling himself so drawn to her he had to fight physically not to pull her into his arms and drag her to the nearest bedroom. He wasn’t going to win that war for very long. “No, but the nanny might have to stay late.”

“Because you work long hours?”

That wasn’t what he meant, but he nodded. “Some days.”

“We could arrange it,” she said, gesturing for him to go down a hall. “Come see the rest.”

She pointed out features as they went along, but all he noticed was the bright-green bikini under her dress. And she went on and on about the woodwork, but his attention was on her buttery skin, tanned and smooth. By the time they reached the doors to the master suite, he’d have bought the place if it meant he could have her…on that bed.

“All the trimmings of luxury: Jacuzzi, marble, a bed big enough to sleep three or four or nine.” She grinned. “Whatever turns you on.”

She turned him on. “Not three or nine,” he said. Just one. The one he was looking at.

“Upstairs, there are two bedrooms and two baths. Also a game room furnished with a big TV, which I bet Evan would like. You want to see them or this lovely view?” She slipped by him and pushed open another set of french doors to the patio. “So you can roll right out of bed and go swimming every morning.”