Page 25 of Chasing the Dream

He’d been so busy watching her that he hadn’t paid attention to where he was going, and suddenly he bumped up against the pool wall.

They eyed each other for a few beats, and then in a swift move, he ducked underwater, swam toward her, and lifted her off her feet. He emerged from the water holding her in his arms and with her hands clutching his shoulders.

“No fair! I had you!”

Laughing, he carried her into shallower water and then loosened his hold. She slid down his body until her feet touched the ground, but she didn’t back away.

“You didn’t catch me. I got away,” he teased.

“You’re right. You did.”

He got the impression she wasn’t talking about their game anymore. But before he could question her, she turned away and climbed out of the pool.

Chapter 9

Morgan wasn’t sure what made her think she could handle this. Working with Gabe was one thing, but playing with him was something else. Coming to his house and being alone with him had been a huge mistake. It had been too easy to slip into fantasy mode, pretending they were something more than what they were. It reminded her of when she was a teenager, only now it was worse because she knew better.

Even if something were to happen between them, it would be short-lived, and she’d probably regret it. Not to mention that it might ruin her and Maria’s friendship. She should have sucked it up and gone on the blind date with Mike, or Mark, or whatever his name was. Instead, she’d been splashing around in the pool with Gabe and blurring the line between having him as her boss and having him for dessert!

She stepped out of the pool without looking back and started drying off with one of the towels he’d brought out.

A minute later, as she was bending over to dry off her feet, he came up beside her and grabbed the other towel.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

She nodded but kept her eyes cast downward, pretending it was of the utmost importance to dry between her toes.

“You’re not mad at me, are you?”

“Nope.”

“You sure?”

She straightened back up and held the towel to her chest. No use giving him an up-close view even though she already had. “Why would I be?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking.”

She placed the towel over the back of the chair and pointed to her cover-up. She could have gotten it herself, but he was standing so close that she didn’t want to risk brushing against him.

He picked it up, but then he held it behind his back and grinned at her.

“What are you doing?” she asked, planting her hands on her hips.

“I’ll give it to you after you tell me what’s wrong.”

She scowled. “Nothing’s wrong. Now, give it to me.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Why not?” Her blood was starting to boil even though he hadn’t truly done anything wrong.

“Because we were having fun, and then bam! You looked like you wanted to kill me.”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“I don’t think so.”

She held out her hand. “Please give me my cover-up.”