From the look on his face when he saw her at the door—as if she was an unpleasant reminder of something he wanted very much to forget—she suspected that he felt the same way. His eyes had been sharp and cold, nothing like the passionate, magnetic gaze she remembered. And who could blame him? Their night together was meant to stay in the past, and they both knew it. The best thing they could do was pretend it had never happened.
She squared her shoulders as Julia came out of her room carrying an enormous stuffed flamingo. As of today, he was the boss and she was the babysitter. Nothing more.
…
Ross hung up the phone. He’d been on the call for the better part of an hour, and either the kids were dead or Kelsey had tied them up and put them in a closet, because he hadn’t heard a peep out of them since she’d arrived.
He’d contacted Herriot on Friday, right after he’d heard from Jenna. The man owned a large portion of the commercial real estate in Denver, and what he didn’t own he had some time in the past. Shrewd and savvy from a young age, Armand had managed to take a small inheritance and turn it into a real estate empire. About ten years ago, he’d quietly started accumulating commercial properties across Colorado, and then developed one of the most successful resorts in Vail.
Ross had no plans to compete with him—he was the new kid in town and he knew it—but partnering with Herriot was essential to his plans for breaking into the Colorado market. Armand would bring the land and Ross would supply the development and construction. Herriot had the local contacts that would otherwise take years to develop, while Ross had the savvy and experience that came from growing up in the cutthroat New York market. At least, that was supposed to be the pitch. He’d expected it to take a few calls and some persistence to get the man to call him back. He certainly hadn’t expected to have the opportunity to talk to him so soon.
Or the pressure of meeting with him Friday morning to discuss a new venture.
Ross walked through the kitchen, his head still spinning from the implications of the call. Forget taking his time getting settled. Forget a leisurely week of spending time with the kids and looking for a house of his own. Armand had an area of real estate that he wanted to develop into a new resort, but he hadn’t liked any of the proposals he’d received thus far. He wanted Ross to come meet with him before he left for Europe for the rest of the summer.
Which meant Friday.
Which meant Ross was going to have to put together a proposal—fast.
The kitchen was quiet, as was the backyard. Then he heard a giggle and a clap coming from the basement. He started down the stairs, stopping halfway down the thickly carpeted stairs as the group came into view.
The finished basement was a huge, open room that Matt used for everything from basketball to soccer. Kelsey—now clad solely in a tank top and a pair of snug-fitting black athletic tights—was apparently taking advantage of the sports arena–like quality of the space, as she threw herself into a handstand and walked, upside down, across the room. Julia squealed and cheered her on. Matt was standing next to Julia, his mouth hanging open. Luke sat on the couch, his handheld video game in his hands, but his eyes were locked on Kelsey.
When she reached the soccer goal at the far end, Kelsey bounced to her feet, her face flushed pink. “Your turn, Matt,” she called, clapping her hands.
He couldn’t say the outfit was indecent. Her white tank top, with an elaborate red-and-gold flower printed on the front, actually had a fairly high neckline, probably for doing exactly the sort of moves she’d just demonstrated, and it ended at her hips, so she wasn’t flaunting a naked torso or navel.
Not that it really mattered. He knew what lay beneath the top and bottom of her outfit. He knew not only the smoothness of the skin stretched across her stomach but the firmness of her breasts and the delicate ruching of the nipples when she was aroused.
The salt on her skin as they made love for the third time. Her soft moan, when he took her in his mouth.
A shudder shook the lower half of his body.
Pull yourself together, man.
He’d have to declare his presence. Standing here watching her was a recipe for disaster. But before he could say anything, Matt had walked to the middle of the room and tossed himself forward, onto his hands. He wobbled and immediately fell back over, but Kelsey clapped nonetheless.
Ross winced when her breasts bounced, ever so slightly, under her shirt.
“Awesome,” she said. “You keep practicing and you’ll be there by the end of the summer. Julia, how about a cartwheel?”
Julia shook her head. “I don’t know how to do a cartwheel.”