Tango in Paradise by Donna Kauffman Page B

rest of the sizeable crowd.
    It wasn’t until she heard herself threatening to fire the ref unless he reversed the call that she realized what she was doing. She cast a quick glance around, but no one was paying any attention to her.All eyes were riveted on the match, as they had been for most of the last hour.
    With a sheepish smile, she plopped back down on the blanket and fiddled with the last piece of mango. After a quiet lunch of tuna salad, fresh fruit, and light, impersonal talk, Jack had offered a walk on the beach. April had declined. Not because she didn’t want to go; she wanted to go very badly. But she’d started to wonder if maybe jack had been right about keeping their combustive reaction to each other behind closed doors. He’d been a total gentleman during lunch, yet her pulse hadn’t slowed down one bit.
    She was still intent on keeping everything open and aboveboard, but since she wasn’t sure she could hold his hand for a quiet walk without tugging him into the first empty cabana she saw to finish that kiss, she’d declined. He’d smiled and taken it gracefully. She hadn’t been sure how she felt about that, but since the volleyball game had started right after, she hadn’t had much time to dwell on it. She’d pooped out after the first match, but Jack had continued playing.
    She watched his team score on another of his spectacular spikes, then turned to gather up the picnic supplies. As much as she’d appreciated the opportunity to ogle Jack’s hard-muscled physique to her heart’s content for the last hour, she had to get back to work.
    She didn’t want to disrupt the game, but she didn’t want to just leave either. She stood and brushed the sand from the white shorts she’d changed into after leaving the bungalow, then felt a warm hand grip her elbow. She tensed as she looked up, but relaxed as she gazed into the now-familiar translucent green eyes.
    “Playtime’s over, huh?” His voice was a bit gravelly from exertion, and it had no small effect on her system.
    “For me, yes.” She smiled, squinting into the sun. “You go ahead and finish the game, though.”
    Jack’s eyes widened in surprise. His large frame blocked out the game, but not the other players’ voices as they called him to come back. He glanced back at them, then at her. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
    “You
are
on vacation. I can find my way to my office. Go, have fan.” She didn’t add that she thought he could use a bit of mindless fun in his life. But the look in his eyes told her she didn’t have to.
    “You’re sure?”
    “Consider it a direct order from the CEO.”
    A grin split his tanned face and he closed the space between them, shielding her completely from view. “I love it when you order me around. I
will
see you later.”
    “I’ll probably be working late tonight.” At the frown that creased his brow she added, “Even Señor Jack can’t solve all of the Cove’s problems in a day or two. Speaking of which, you should relax and enjoy what the Cove has to offer.”
    “I thought I was.” April moved back slightly, but Jack reached out to hold her arm in a gentle grip. His voice was low and carried only as far as her ears. He didn’t hide his frustration. “I didn’t mean that like it sounded. If I truly thought you were just one of the Cove’s perks, I sure as hell would have worked off the sexual energy we built up in a much more enjoyable way than playing volleyball in ninety-plus heat.”
    April’s eyes widened, causing Jack to smile again.
    “You mean that’s why you …?”
    “Yeah. For a whole hour. And if you keep looking at me like that, I’m gonna have to do laps next.” The shouts for Jack to return grew louder, but he kept his gaze on her. “You’ll be in your office later?”
    “Yes, except for a few minutes before the nightly show. I usually greet the guests just before showtime and make several announcements about upcoming events.”
    “Did you mean what