The Shy Bride (8 page)

And far from bothering him, Neo seemed to enjoy the Greek woman’s attitude. Cass would bet her new flute music that his housekeeper was an older woman and that what she fed him wasn’t the only thing she fussed about.

Neo had found a way to have a mother without the emotional baggage of a close relationship.

Cass waved toward the table with her fork. “This is a feast.”

“I’m glad you are enjoying it.”

“I fell in love with Greek food when I played in Athens.”

“You played in Athens?”

“Yes. When I was twelve. It’s a beautiful city.”

“I agree, though I couldn’t wait to see the back of it when I was younger.”

“I’m sure it looks different to you now than it did to the orphan boy who left it behind.”

“Very much so.”

“Do you and Zephyr return often to Greece?”

“At least once a year, though always under the guise of business. We have never taken a vacation there.”

That wasn’t saying much. “You don’t vacation at all,” she chided gently.

“Neither does Zephyr.”

“So, you are both workaholics.”

“And you? Are you a composeraholic?”

“Making up words now?”

“Why not? Scientists do it all the time.”

She couldn’t help laughing. “Zephyr said you don’t have a sense of humor, but I think he’s wrong.”

“That is only because his sense of what is amusing borders on the insane.”

“You are lucky to have each other.”

“He is the brother of my heart.”

She stared at Neo for several seconds before saying, “I’m surprised to hear you say something like that.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. It sounds so sentimental, I guess.”

“Truth is not sentimentality,” he said in a tone that left no doubt he was offended.

She stifled a smile. “Well, I’m glad you have that truth in your life.”

“You do not, do you?”

“What do you mean?” But she knew. It wasn’t something she liked to think about.

“You had parents, but they were taken from you long before their deaths by your mother’s illness and your father’s choices.”

She couldn’t deny his observation, but agreeing with it would hurt too much so Cass remained silent.

“And now, you have no one you would call family.”

How true. Online friends could fill her free time, but not the heart’s need for proximity relationships. And her agoraphobia prevented her from developing those. Oh, she made friends on occasion, certainly more frequently than Neo seemed to.

But eventually all those she would call friend got fed up with her limitations and either moved on, or turned into what she considered martyr friends. Those people that wouldn’t dump her because of her issues, but who so obviously wished they were elsewhere when they were with her.

She was determined to enjoy every moment of her friendship with Neo.

But even with that resolve, the loneliness of her life rose up and slapped her emotions a stinging blow. However, she made herself shrug noncommittally. “I have friends.”

“None that you trust as I trust Zephyr.”

“I never trusted my parents as much as you trust him. And I wouldn’t have trusted siblings that way, either.” Maybe. It helped her to believe that right then.

“You cannot know that.”

She should have known he would call her on it. “You’re correct, of course. In fact, don’t laugh, but my favorite daydream as a child was that I had brothers and sisters who loved me for me and not because I could play a piano the way I do.”

“There is nothing in that to make me laugh.” He reached across the table and cupped her cheek. “Know this—our friendship does not rely on your playing piano.”

And even though she was his piano teacher and he was a fan of her music, she believed him. “Thank you.”

“We have two hours until my next meeting, is there something particular you would like to do?”

“Do you watch movies?”

“It is one of my guilty pleasures.”

She grinned, internally shaking off the negative thoughts their conversation had produced. “A movie then.”

He showed her his collection and she discovered that Neo had another secret besides the stock that made up his portfolio. The man liked old movies. The classics. They watched a film starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, both laughing in all the same places.

When it was over, Neo had to return to his office for a meeting. “You can stay up here if you like.”

“Thank you, I’d like that.” She sighed. “I wish I’d known you had a pool. I would have brought my suit.”

“Zephyr and I keep a selection of swimsuits in the changing room for our female guests. I’m sure you could find one to fit you.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. They are replaced each spring with a selection of the season’s new styles.”

“I suppose for a couple of playboys like you, that’s not a wasteful expenditure.”

“It has come in handy a time or two,” he admitted without a single blush.

“I bet.” It took her a second to realize the emotion she was feeling was jealousy, but she refused to acknowledge it. She did not have that kind of a claim on Neo, even if he had kissed her. Twice.

“You can access the pool through that door. You’ll have to prop it open with a chair because it locks automatically when it closes. I’ll have a key made for you to access this floor, but it won’t open my apartment, or Zephyr’s.”

So, his trust of her only extended so far. No surprise that. The only true shock was that he trusted her at all. She shook her head at him. “You’ve got a real thing about locked doors, don’t you?”

“Safety first.”

She cracked up.

Amusement still showed on his face when he left.

She found a burnt orange bikini that fit as if it had been made for her and changed into it. If the sexiness of the cut might tempt Neo to further kissing extravagances, who was she to argue? Who was she kidding? Neo wasn’t about to be tempted by her not-so-curvy form.

She still liked the swimsuit. It made her feel sexy, even if maybe she wasn’t exactly femme fatale material. And she found she felt perfectly comfortable at the thought of Neo seeing her in it. Even if it didn’t tempt him to mindmelting kisses.

The pool was the perfect temperature and she swam several laps, enjoying the unlooked-for treat.

She was sitting on the side, dangling her feet in the wet and drinking water from a bottle she’d found in the pool bar’s fridge when Neo returned.

He looked harried.

“Tough meeting?” she asked.

“I am regretting my choice in contractors.”

“That’s not a feeling you have often, I’m sure.”

“You’re right. I weigh my choices carefully and I thought I had this time, too.”

“What happened?”

“He had done two smaller projects for me before, but despite his claims to the contrary, it is now obvious he does not have the resources for this much larger one.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“He’ll be far sorrier if I have to fly out there.”

“Where is it?”

“Dubai.”

“Really? I’ve always wanted to go.”

“I’ll make a deal with you—if I go, I’ll take you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah. Thanks.”

“Are you afraid of flying?”

“Flying? No. The crowds in the airport and on the plane are enough to give me nightmares.” Though she could deal with them if she had to. Maybe.

“What about a private jet?”

“I’ve never flown on one.”

“It is the only way I travel. For both expediency and security reasons.”

Wow. She leaned back and smiled up at him. “Of course you have your own jet.”

“Well?”

“Well what?” She thought she should know what he was asking, but it was escaping her.

“Would you like to go to Dubai with me on my private jet if the project ends up requiring my personal supervision?”

“I…” Was he serious? He certainly seemed so. “You…” The prospect was so tempting. She missed travelling so much and she could not imagine a better partner for doing it. She couldn’t imagine anyone else making her feel comfortable enough to be so tempted. “I think so, yes.”

“Fantastic.” And he looked like he really meant it. Like he was proud of her.

She bit her lip, blinking back tears. He was an amazing man. And the trip sounded wonderful. But best of all, she would be with Neo. That was even more tempting than the travel. “I’ve never thought to try flying private.”

She could have rented a private jet to fly her domestically at least, but the thought had never occurred to her, even when she used to jokingly lament about the lack of private railcars nowadays.

“We’ll have to give it a test. Before Dubai. Go somewhere not too far away. Maybe a trip to Napa Valley.”

“Are you kidding?”

“I don’t have a sense of humor, remember?”

“I know that’s not true.”

“Well, I am not joking.”

“B
UT
there’s nothing in it for you.” And wouldn’t such a trip require him taking even more time off from work?

Her head was reeling and so was her heart.

“Helping my friend with her desire to travel is something.”

“You’re crazy.”

“I do not think so.”

She laughed, feeling happier than she had in years.

“Besides, I like California wines. I wouldn’t mind a chance to visit some of the better vineyards and purchasing some of their selective stock.”

“Hmm…”

“Do you like wine?”

“I don’t drink.”

“Religious reasons?”

“No. It’s just…I’m a lightweight.”

“How light?”

“I smell the cork and I’m tipsy.”

“This I should like to see.”

“And when I start making words up to go with my instrumental compositions? So not pretty.”

“I would like to hear you sing.”

“No, you wouldn’t. Trust me. As talented as I am on the piano, I am conversely as horrible a singer.”

“You only increase my desire to hear it.”

“You’re a masochist? I never would have thought it.”

“And if you had, you would have been wrong, but I like the idea of hearing you be less than perfect.”

Implying what? That he thought she was mostly perfect? Now that wasn’t possible. With her problems, no one thought she was perfect. Or even close to it. “So you can laugh at me?” she teased.

“Laughing
with you
is surprisingly pleasurable.”

She remembered the movie and nodded. “It is.”

“So, you will sing for me?”

“If we go to Napa Valley and if you convince me to taste some of this selective wine you plan to buy, you just might get that treat.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

“There were a lot of ifs and maybes in there,” she warned.

He shrugged as if the only words he knew or heard were
yes, can
and
do.
“Are you all swimmed out?”

“I could do a few more laps.”

“Then, I will join you.”

“Great.” That’s just what she needed. The most gorgeous man she’d ever met running around in a swimsuit.

After the two kisses today, her body was going through all sorts of palpitations and excitations. She wanted to grab him and throw him on the deck beside the pool and kiss him until both their lips were sore, but he said friends couldn’t kiss. And he wanted to be her friend.

He’d already shown that meant something real to him. Friendship. He’d been there for her when she needed him and he’d never once chastised her for her weakness. He’d given her his time today and she knew that was something special.

Neo Stamos was a dream man. If only her limitations weren’t so redolent of a nightmare.

She wasn’t going to do anything to mess this relationship up before it ran the natural course all her other friendships had over her life.

Seeing him in his swimsuit was worse than she expected. Neo was clearly not ashamed of his body. Showing his European upbringing, he wore spandex swim trunks that showed off his stomach and thighs like no California board shorts could ever do. It wasn’t a Speedo, having a little leg to it. But it was enough to make her whimper as feelings she had read about, but never personally experienced before meeting him, zinged through her body.

“Did you say something?”

She had to clear her throat. “Uh, nothing. Nice suit.”

“It creates minimum drag when I am doing laps.”

“Of course.” She thought he’d just bought it to seduce unwary virgin pianists. Well, maybe not.

They swam several laps, even racing a couple, which he won.

“It’s just because I wore myself out swimming before you came up.” It didn’t help that she had a hard time concentrating on her breast stroke when all she wanted to think about was what Neo would feel like pressed up against her as he had been at the piano showroom.

Only wearing nothing but swimwear. Not that she was about to admit that out loud. Still, she shivered in the heated water at the yummy picture her mind presented her yet again.

“Ah,” he said sagely. “It’s got nothing to do with the fact I’m more than a half a foot taller than you with more powerful leg muscles?”

“Let’s leave your leg muscles out of it.” She scrunched her face at him. “You’ll give me a complex.”

“Your bird legs are quite lovely.”

“Bird legs?” she screeched. Had he seriously called her legs birdlike? “What is that? Scrawny and orange?” Oh, he was so going down. She shot under the water, diving for his ankles.

Whether it was surprise or simply good timing, she managed to get her arms around his ankles and yank, pulling him under the water. Not being an idiot, she let go immediately and bolted to the other side of the pool as fast as she could swim. She was half out when big hands clamped onto her waist and lifted.

She went sailing through the air to land with a splash in the center of the pool. She had the presence of mind to hold her breath as she went under, but still came up spluttering.
And
ready to get her own back only to find him waiting for her, a devilish smile on his too handsome face.

This was fun. Really, really fun. She hadn’t played like this in, well…ever. In just five weeks, Neo had given her so much. Her heart was so full, she felt it might burst.

At the last second, she checked her instinct to grab him and try another dunking. She couldn’t help noticing that Neo stood firm, his head and most of his shoulders above the pool line while she had to tread water to keep her face out of it.

“You think you’ve won?” she demanded breathlessly.

“I think we’re even right this minute,” he said with obvious concession.

She mock growled at his taunting, but said, “A smart woman would leave it at that, I suppose.”

“A draw is better than defeat,” he acknowledged.

She gave him a really good glare and sent a wave of water cascading toward him. “You’re so sure I would lose?”

With hardly a blink at the deluge that broke over his head, he wiped the excess water droplets from his face and shrugged. Definitely his confidence was unquestionable. And totally justified. Unfortunately.

“You might be bigger, but maybe I’m more devious,” she posited.

“Highly doubtful.” He grinned. “I’m a real estate developer. I deal with devious every day.”

“You’ve got me there.” The music industry could be cutthroat, but she stayed out of the business side as much as possible.

“Can I sweeten the
draw
with an offer of refreshments?” he asked.

Why did the word
draw
sound so much like
defeat
? “What kind of refreshments?” she asked, tempted despite her newly awakened sense of competition.

“Macadamia nut cookies and baklava. My housekeeper was
very
happy to have her normal restrictions lifted.”

Cass’s mouth watered and any thoughts of futile attempts at a second dunking for the big man flew from her mind. “You’ve sold me.”

“I’ll meet you inside.”

Only if she could get out of the pool after nearly drowning herself when she forgot to keep treading water while watching his muscular backside walking away from her toward one of the shower enclosures.

Neo heated the water for tea to go with their pastries and reminded himself of all the reasons he could not bed the sexy woman still drying her hair in his guest bathroom. Hell, he’d come close to making love to her in the pool. Then on the deck when she’d stepped out of the water.

He should never have looked back before closing the door on the shower room. She’d had a glazed look in her eye he associated with things not remotely related to swimming.

But damn did she look delectable in a swimsuit. Supermodels would kill for a body so well-toned. Cassandra wasn’t anorexically thin like those women. Thank heaven. No protruding bones in places where at least a minimal layer of insulation should reside.

But the only things that jiggled were supposed to. Even if her curves were modest, they were mouth-wateringly succulent. Petite but perfect breasts and small round globes of a bottom that tempted his hands and mouth. He had wanted to leave a love bite on one flawless mound in the worst way.

She’d almost started something very different than what she’d intended with her dunking game. When he picked her up to toss her into the pool, he’d very nearly brought her body to his mouth instead of letting her go to splash in the water.

Oh, hell. What had he been thinking suggesting she use the pool?

That she’d wear one of the more modest one-pieces he knew could be found in the changing room. That’s what. Absolutely not that she’d choose to swim laps in three tiny triangles that revealed more than they hid. The damn bottoms were almost a thong. And Cassandra had a perfect butt.

Luscious. Well-rounded, but clearly the result of time spent in her exercise room because…damn. Perfect. Yes,
that was the only word that fit. And the lack of tan line indicated whatever sunbathing she did, she wore a suit of similar construction.

His heart could barely take the strain of thinking about that one. His virginal friend was too damn sexy for either of their sakes.

Hearing the continued sound of the hair dryer just made him want to go in there and offer his services helping her dry those glorious, silky tresses. What woman in today’s age grew her hair to her waist like Cassandra had? Didn’t she know it took too much work for a modern woman to maintain?

He nearly laughed at his own musings. Apparently, Cassandra had not gotten the memo.

He’d had no idea how long the soft brown curtain was until he’d seen her braid as she sat beside the pool. It hung down the middle of her back, the tail brushing enticingly against the top curve of her backside. He had immediately wanted to see what the brown silk would look like fanned out on his pillow, or hanging down around both their faces as she rode him to ecstasy.

His eyes slid shut, the pain of unabated arousal humming through him as he bit off a Greek word even he didn’t say very often.

He grabbed his phone and dialed.

Zephyr picked up on the second ring. “What’s up?” he asked in Greek.

“Remind me why it’s a bad idea to have sex with your friends.”

“Did I say that?” Was that amusement Neo heard in his partner’s voice?

“No. I did, but I need reminding.”

“What friend are we talking about? The new piano teacher?” That was definitely laughter lacing Zephyr’s tone.

Neo growled, “Yes.”

“I’m surprised.”

“That I want to have sex with her?” He always thought Zephyr was more discerning than that.

“No, that you are calling her friend already.”

“She’s special.”

“I see.” All amusement was gone now.

Finally, the other man was taking this seriously. “Good, because I do not. Tell me to keep my hands to myself.”

“When have you ever listened to me?”

“Damn it, Zee…”

“You really are in a quandary, aren’t you?”

“I like being her friend. I don’t want to ruin that.”

“And having sex with her would do that?”

“Of course. Wouldn’t it?”

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“On what her expectations are going into the sex. When both people are on the same playing field, sex between friends can be more mind blowing than anything you’ll experience with a mere hookup.”

He wasn’t sure he and Cassandra
couldbe
on level playing ground. “She’s a virgin,” he told his friend with simple honesty. “Totally innocent.”

“At her age?”

“Yes, and another reason not to take her to my bed.”

“Unless she’s tired of being inexperienced. Are you sure her state is by choice?” he asked in a tone that implied Zephyr knew something about this sort of situation from his own experience.

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it. Cass has lived her whole life for her ailing mother and her music. I doubt her father let her date when she was younger and now she’s got this agoraphobia thing going on. When is she going to meet a man she might enjoy making love to?”

“That’s not the point.”

“It’s not?”

“No.
I
can’t be that man.” That was the point.

“Why not?”

“Because she’ll end up hurt. She’s not like my—”

“Other hookups? Maybe it’s time you graduated beyond the one-night stand.”

“I am not looking for a relationship. I don’t have the time.”

“Everyone has time for friends, Neo.”

“No, they do not.”

“Let me rephrase that. Everyone should make time for friends. What’s the point of being at the top of your pyramid if there isn’t anyone up there with you to enjoy it?”

“I have you.”

“Your business partner and only friend. Hell, Neo, half the time you and I are in different countries dealing with our business.”

“So?”

“So, you can’t spend all your time working.”

“This record is getting old, Zee.”

“Is it? Or is it finally starting to sink in?”

“You know you are a hypocrite, don’t you?”

“We aren’t talking about me right now.”

“Good thing for your sake.”

“Right. Listen, does Cass want you?”

“I think so, yes.” Hell, if he was wrong then somebody shoot him now, he’d lost his ability to read people.

“So, let her know the score and allow her to make her own choice.”

“She might not make the one best for her.”

“She’s an adult, Neo. It is her call.”

“You make it sound so damn simple.”

“And you are letting it get way more complicated than it needs to be.”

Neo didn’t need Zephyr to tell him sex with Cassandra would be better than any hookup. His body had been yelling that very message at him since she’d opened her door to him the first time. In fact, he realized he didn’t need Zee to tell him anything at all.

He already knew what he wanted and he damn well knew what he was going to do about it.

Maybe she wasn’t his usual type, but she wasn’t the Plain Jane he had first considered her. Cassandra was no supermodel.

Damn it, she was better.

She might love her bright designer fashions, but there wasn’t a vain bone in her body. Her innocent sensuality was a thousand times more provocative than another woman’s practiced seduction and he had the erection from hell to prove it.