Don't Dare a Diamond (Must Love Diamonds 5)

Hopefully a long while.

The thought curved her lips under his, until his hand closed over her breast. Her breath hitched when he rubbed a thumb over her hard nipple, then she gasped when he pinched. She arched into his palm before maneuvering to drag one strap of her suit off her shoulder, then the other.

His gaze dropped as she peeled her suit down to her waist while lifting up so her breasts were out of the water for him to see and touch. She yearned for his hands on her again. His mouth. His tongue.

When she lifted higher in clear offering, the move earned her another low groan, but the unmistakable tone of regret in the rumbling sound sparked a flutter of panic in her chest.

“Fuck,” he muttered while

closing his eyes.

Yep. There it was again.

Her stomach sank, and she dunked herself back down until the water lapped at her chin. Still, her legs were locked around his waist. His erection still pressed against her core.

Dread chipped at her confidence as she asked, “What?”

He winced, his eyes still closed. “I can’t.”

She frowned in confusion, especially given his obvious arousal—until the word bomb echoed in her mind. Oh, God. Her heart thudded hard in dismay. Now she felt bad that he was all worked up and couldn’t do anything about it.

“Reyes…I…I’m sorry.”

His eyes popped open, and his forehead furrowed. “Don’t apologize. It’s my fault, not yours. I shouldn’t have taken advantage.”

Wait—what?

Confusion kept her from resisting as he pulled her suit back up to cover her chest, then gently unlocked her legs, and guided her hand to hang on to the edge of the pool instead of his shoulder.

As he pushed away from the edge to put distance between them, she said, “I’m confused. You said you can’t.”

“I work for your uncle.”

What? “What does that have to do with what happened to you?”

The lines in his forehead cut deeper. “What do you mean, what happened to me?”

She bit the corner of her lip, not wanting to say it, but forcing it out anyway. Gently. Softly. Her voice full of sympathetic understanding. “The bomb?”

“The bomb? What does that—” His eyes went wide and shocked horror flashed across his face. “Oh, God, that is not what I meant when I said I can’t.”

“Then what did you mean?”

“Your uncle pays my salary.”

It took a moment, but finally she made the connection. And was immediately pissed off. “So?”

“So, he asked me to help you, not sleep with you.”

“Aren’t you allowed to do what you want in your free time?”

His expression darkened. “That’s not the point.”

“Well, it’s not like you’re getting paid extra for me.”

“Yet, he’d still probably fire me if he found out about this.”

She narrowed her gaze, then shoved away from the wall. “Believe me, I won’t be telling anyone,” she advised over her shoulder.