After she executed a perfect dive and began to swim the length of the pool, Tarek strode through the open glass doors, claimed a nearby chair and waited for her to take notice of his appearance. He continued to wait an interminable amount of time until his patience began to wane. Before he could call Kira’s name, she finally paused, climbed up the steps on the opposite end of the pool, grabbed a towel from a table and began drying off...slowly.
The swimsuit she wore barely covered her breasts and bottom, revealing a body designed to drive a man to the brink of insanity. He could not determine if she had yet to detect his presence, or if she was simply ignoring him. Regardless, he continued to watch her slide the towel down her thighs, well aware of what his perusal was doing to his libido. The pressure began to build until a painful erection strained behind his fly.
“I see you finally decided to come home.”
Her comment thrust him out of his sexual trance, yet did nothing to remedy his current predicament. “My apologies for my tardiness. The time got away from me and then I had to shower and change before returning.” He could use another shower now, if only to quell his lust.
After securing the towel low on her hips, Kira joined him and took the chair next to his. “Did you have dinner?”
“I did.”
“With Athena?”
And so began the interrogation. “No. I dined alone at a small bistro near the resort. I assume you have eaten.”
She rested against the back of the chair, revealing a clear view of her bare flesh, from her breasts to where the towel split at her thighs, adding fuel to the fire burning in his groin. “Yes, I did. A nice seafood salad, which I ate alone, too.”
Touché. “Again, I apologize for not being here to share the meal with you.”
“I’ll accept your apology only if you’re willing to explain a few things to me.”
“I will try.” That explanation could require several half-truths.
“What exactly is your relationship with Athena?”
“We have a business relationship. That is all.”
“But it hasn’t always been that way, Tarek. How serious were you?”
“Our liaison was solely for convenience. We spent quite a bit of time together and made the most of our proximity. Aside from that, there was no talk of permanency.”
She swept a hand through her hair. “You might want to inform her of that.”
“Athena has always known my expectations.”
“Maybe, but did you know she’s in love with you?”
He had suspected as much, though she had never said. “Athena loves the challenge and the chase. If I have wounded her, it would be limited to her pride.”
She released a cynical laugh. “For such a smart man, you know very little about women.”
“I admit women are enigmas, yet I do know Athena well.”
“Apparently not if you haven’t noticed all the signs leading to the aforementioned love aspect.”
He was growing increasingly uncomfortable over the course of the conversation. “If you are referring to emotional entanglement, we agreed that would not be included when we became intimate.”
“Tarek, most women are not wired like men. At times we’re slaves to our emotions. That can lead to that most dreaded emotion, love.”
“Love defies logic.”
She sighed. “Love isn’t supposed to be logical. It’s about caring so much for someone you can’t envision your life without them. Of course, a logical man like yourself probably has no clue what I’m talking about.”
If she only knew the effort it required to reject those emotions, and how long it had taken to banish them from his life. “I am not without compassion, Kira, yet I am determined to keep grounded in order to succeed in life.”
She appeared to be growing impatient with him. “You mean succeed at business, don’t you, Tarek? Here’s a headline. Life isn’t only about building fabulous resorts, one larger than the other, to pay homage to the money gods. If you can’t enjoy the fruits of your labor with someone you care about, what good is all the money in the world?”
“It is not only about the monetary gains. It involves the challenge of achieving a goal.”
She came to her feet and released the towel again. “Speaking of challenges, I have a few more laps to swim.”
“I will join you,” he said as he stood.
“Knock yourself out, although I might be finished with my swim by the time you change.” With that, she strode to the end of the pool and dove in.
He saw a way to remedy the lack of time, though it could cost him if Kira did not approve. He believed it to be worth the risk, and possibly rewarding.