She pulled her leg from the stretch position and staggered back. “Whoa. Hang on there, cowboy.”
He grinned unrepentantly. “Boxers,” he assured her. “But I can dim the lights if you’re shy.”
She withdrew a few more paces. “It’s all yours. I’ll just head up to my room.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” He crossed to the pool house and opened an electrical panel, flipping a couple of switches, and the pool water went dark, as did the deck area. Illumination came from discrete pot lights placed in the shrubbery and flower gardens around the perimeter of the pool.
“Come on—” he gave her a cajoling wave and moved forward in the darkness “—you must be sweltering.”
“I’m not wearing boxers,” she answered tartly, half-scandalized and half-aroused at the thought of a late night swim with Lucas.
“You naked under those shorts?” He reached for his waistband again, and she swiftly looked away. “I am not.”
“Then swim in your underwear. It’s no different than a bikini.” “Yes, it is.” “Only in your mind.”
She heard a splash, and caught him in her peripheral vision as he sliced into the deep end. His boxers flashed black before he disappeared into the dark water.
He came up, shaking his wet hair. “It’s beautiful,” he enthused. “I’ll even be a gentleman and turn around until you get in the water.”
She had to admit, the water looked incredibly tempting. It was unseasonably warm, and Devin had been hot all day, running errands around town. Amelia had been fussy, and Devin’s car’s air conditioner was dying a slow but final death.
She reached for a bottle of chilled water and took a drink, cooling her parched throat. The liquid helped, but it really didn’t do the trick. She was very tempted by the pool.
“You promise you won’t look?” she called to him.
He turned his back on her. “Don’t be paranoid.”
Devin drew a breath, glancing around at the dimly lit yard. There was no one else out here, and the house was far enough away that they wouldn’t be seen, at least not in any detail, especially with the lights out. Her peach-colored bra and panties would be indistinguishable from a bikini. It wasn’t as if they were going skinny-dipping, she told herself. And it would feel fantastic to cool off before she headed up to bed.
“Okay,” she announced, kicking off her shoes. “I’m coming in.” She quickly peeled off her sweaty T-shirt and her running shorts. She mostly trusted Lucas to keep his word, but she wasn’t taking any chances. She dove straight into the pool.
After an initial shock of cold, the water felt heavenly. She broke the surface and smoothed her hair back from her face, treading water at the opposite side of the deep end from Lucas.
“Nice?” he asked, his voice a low rumble and his face a dark silhouette against the pot lights in the distant gardens.
“Very nice,” she agreed, doing an easy front stroke down the length of the pool. She tried to pretend it was just another swim, but she was hyperaware of the darkness, her silky underwear and Lucas’s gaze following her as she swam.
The memory of their kiss battered its way into her brain. And she couldn’t seem to banish the feel of his arms around her. Maybe it was a forbidden-fruit syndrome. Or maybe she was learning all the reasons Monica had been unable to resist Konrad, despite all the evidence he was bad news.
Lucas was definitely bad news for Devin. She understood that with every fiber of her being. But it didn’t seem to stop her from wanting him. It didn’t even stop her from making stupid decisions like this little late-night swim.
Oh, those Demarco men were good.
“Devin?” It was Lucas’s deep voice, strumming along her nervous system.
“Yes?” she answered, finding her feet in the chest-deep water and resting her hand on the smooth pool wall as she turned to look at him.
He’d drifted closer then stood, water dripping down his skin. “There’s something you and I need to talk about.”
“What?” she asked warily, hoping it didn’t have anything to do with the fact that she was in her underwear and they were taking a late-night swim, or the kiss they’d shared two days ago.
But he looked serious, and not the least bit flirtatious.
Despite everything, she was forced to squelch a flash of disappointment. She warned herself to get a grip. She did not want him to flirt with her. She dreaded the idea that he might try to flirt with her.
“It’s about Steve,” he said, voice going lower as he moved closer still.
Devin’s stomach reflexively clenched with anxiety. She didn’t want to talk about Steve. She didn’t even want to think about Steve.
“Byron and I figured out his new tactic.”
Devin swallowed. “Is it bad?” Did she need to worry?
“It’s quite despicable,” said Lucas, rubbing his palm across his face to remove the errant water droplets. The beads on his skin made him look rakish and dangerous. “He’s trying to have Amelia disinherited.”
Devin focused her attention. “How do you mean? “
“Steve is trying to prove she isn’t entitled to the ten percent of Pacific Robotics.”
“How can he do that?”
“He’s found a loophole in the will,” said Lucas. “He thinks if he can prove Konrad and Monica’s marriage was a sham—”
“It was a sham,” Devin felt compelled to point out.
Lucas crossed his arms over his muscular chest. “It wasn’t. But that’s not the point.”
Devin didn’t answer, assuming Lucas would only let her wait so long before he told her exactly what the point was.
“The point is—” he drew a deep breath “—you might inadvertently help him.”
“Inadvertently?” What planet had Lucas been living on these past few weeks. “If the point he’s making is that Monica and Konrad’s marriage was a sham, then I’ll be helping him on purpose.”
Lucas took a step forward, his head cocking slightly to one side. “You can’t do that, Devin.” “I’m not going to lie, Lucas.” “I’m not asking you to lie.” “Konrad didn’t love Monica.” “He did love her.”
Devin clenched down on her jaw. If Amelia was entitled to the inheritance, Devin would fight tooth and nail for her. But if she wasn’t…
“You don’t have some special psychic ability to see into Konrad’s brain,” said Lucas.
“Don’t you mean into his heart?” “You need to see the broader picture.” “That’s a nice way to put it.”
“You need to allow for the possibility, however slim, that you might have been mistaken about Konrad.”
“I don’t need to do anything.” The truth was the truth. “Listen to me—”
“You’re grasping at straws.” Devin had spent countless nights consoling Monica over Konrad’s betrayal. He’d hurt her sister very badly, and Devin wasn’t about to pretty it up now.
“Amelia is the legal and rightful heir of my grandfather’s will,” Lucas growled. “You and I…” He paused, clearly gathering his emotions. “You and I owe it to Konrad and to Monica and to my grandfather to protect Amelia’s interests.” Lucas’s shoulders were squared, his jaw was set in a determined line and his eyes glittered black in