Seductively Yours. GINA WILKINS

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      It was no surprise to discover that Jamie’s decorating was as vivid and unconventional as she was. An almost dizzying array of fabrics and colors clashed and competed with a number of objects Jamie had collected. His gaze slid from a six-inch plastic Statue of Liberty to a porcelain figurine of Marilyn Monroe, then paused for a moment on one of the dozens of framed photographs in the room. This one showed Jamie snuggled up to a man who looked suspiciously like a famous television comedian. Next to it was a shot of Jamie mugging with an Academy Award–winning actress.

      There were others, but he didn’t take time to study them all. Nor would he allow himself to be impressed. After all, Jamie’s New York acting career had lasted less than ten years, and now she was teaching drama at the local high school. Like him, Jamie had ended up right back where she had started.

      He wondered if her return had been any happier than his own.

      Without bothering to ask if he wanted anything, Jamie poured bottled water over two glasses of ice and pressed one into his hand. She drank half her own without pausing for air, then set the glass on the counter, her full, unpainted lips glistening with drops of moisture. “Before you launch into the speech I’m sure you’ve carefully prepared, I just want to say that there’s really no need. I happened to be close by when your son fell into the pool this afternoon and I jumped in to pull him out. Anyone else would have done the same thing.”

      “But no one else did,” he replied. “You saved Sam’s life, Jamie. There’s no way for me to adequately express my gratitude.”

      “Let’s just stick with ‘thank you’ and ‘you’re welcome,’ shall we?”

      His lips twitched, though he was trying not to smile. This was too important. “Thank you.”

      She nodded briskly. “You’re welcome.”

      “It isn’t enough, you know. Not for what you did.”

      She shrugged. “I’m just glad I was there.”

      “So am I,” he agreed, his tone heartfelt.

      She picked up her glass. “Let’s take these into the living room.”

      Once again, he had to follow or be left behind. He took a sip of his water, then left the full glass on the counter as he trailed her into the other room. “Jamie…”

      She kicked off her shoes and curled up on her jewel-tone striped couch, waving him into a nearby chair. “Your kids are adorable, Trevor.”

      “Thank you.” He wasn’t sure what else to say. He had expressed his gratitude—at least, as much as she had allowed him to—which was all he’d intended to do. He hadn’t planned on an extended visit. After all, despite a couple of memorable past encounters, he and Jamie Flaherty were basically strangers.

      “How old are they?”

      “Sam turned five last month. Abbie’s fourteen months.”

      “I heard that your wife died last year. I’m sorry.”

      He had no intention of talking about his late wife. He merely nodded in response to her expression of sympathy.

      “Are you a good father?”

      She asked the question completely seriously, as if he should be able to easily reply with a simple yes or no. Even when they were kids, he’d never known quite how to respond to many of the things Jamie said. “I do my best.”

      “Your nanny—”

      “I fired her this evening.”

      Jamie blinked. “You fired her?”

      “She almost let my son drown. She told me herself that she never saw him go in the water. She knew he couldn’t swim.”

      “She was playing with Abbie. She seemed very fond of her.”

      “Yes, she was good with Abbie,” he conceded. “But she didn’t bond well with Sam. Because she couldn’t communicate well with him, she tended to ignore him. I have two kids. I need someone who will look after both of them while I’m working.”

      Jamie studied his face a moment. “You always were a bit intolerant of other people’s failings.”

      “When it comes to my children’s safety, I will always demand perfection,” he answered flatly, oddly stung by her criticism.

      “Of course.”

      He couldn’t quite read her expression now. Satisfied that he’d made his point, he added, “Tomorrow, I’ll make sure that sorry excuse for a lifeguard loses his job, as well.”

      “I hope you don’t do that. He’s young. The pool’s only been open for a couple of weeks. He was completely shaken by what almost happened today. I’m sure he’ll be more vigilant from now on.”

      “Not at the pool where my children swim, he won’t.”

      Jamie’s eyes narrowed. “Funny,” she said, her voice soft. “I remembered you being stuffy and arrogant, but I never thought of you as a complete jerk.”

      “Jamie, he almost let my son drown!”

      “He made a mistake. A huge one, I’ll admit, but I think he deserves a second chance. Do you expect me to believe that you have never in your life made a mistake, Trevor McBride?”

      “No.” His voice was grim. “I don’t expect you to believe that.”

      “Give the boy another chance. Have him reprimanded, if you like—or do it yourself—but don’t make him lose his job.”

      Even when they’d been young, even when Trevor had known Jamie would only bring him trouble, she’d always been able to sway him. He sighed. “All right. I won’t have him fired. But I hope you’re right that he’ll do a better job in the future. Lives literally depend on it.”

      “I know. And I wouldn’t risk them recklessly,” she assured him.

      “I’ll take your word for it.” He watched as she shifted on the couch, folding her long, bare legs into a more comfortable position. Her baggy shorts gapped at the tops of her legs, revealing intriguing glimpses of smooth thighs. His reaction to those glimpses made him scowl and abruptly raise his gaze to her face again. “I heard you’d moved back here,” he said. “I have to admit I was surprised.”

      “I came back in March,” she acknowledged. “My aunt, who still teaches at the elementary school, called me about the opening for a drama teacher at the high school for the remainder of the second semester. The former teacher hadn’t planned to leave for a couple of years, but when her husband was diagnosed with cancer, she retired to take care of him. They needed someone on very short notice, and I just happened to be available.”

      “I didn’t even know you had teaching credentials.”

      “My college degree was in secondary education with a theater minor. I’ve always believed in having a back-up plan, and teaching was mine. I worked as a sub in New York schools between acting gigs. This job’s a piece СКАЧАТЬ