Flirting With Temptation (23 page)

“I’d love to meet her,” Babette said, beaming as she turned and looked at Jeff. “In fact, I can’t wait to meet everyone here this evening. And the dancing will be so much fun, what a great idea!”

Jeff scanned the room and immediately saw why she was suddenly so happy, and why he had messed up completely. He always bought tickets to the benefits around town, but didn’t attend that many. They were usually coordinated by the older crowd and typically, the activities weren’t his thing. So he wrote a check to help the cause and that was that. Now he realized that apparently the only business owners who actually attended the events were the seniors. There wasn’t a person on that dance floor under sixty, and Babette looked mighty damn pleased about it.

“So, who do I dance with first?” she asked, and was steered toward a stately elderly gentleman on the other side of the room.

“Your first dance belongs to Mrs. Rytower,” the man said, and Jeff turned to see a chubby woman with red cheeks fanning herself behind him. She was in her late sixties or early seventies, and her dark gray curls were held in place with bejeweled pins, like something a teen would wear, but admittedly, they suited her “look.” She had on a pale turquoise mother-of-the-bride dress, but the color matched her eyes, and the cut was simple but elegant. Jeff grinned to himself. He could leave the Eubanks store, but he couldn’t turn off the analysis of clothing.

“Mrs. Rytower,” he said, extending a hand and deciding that if he were here, he might as well enjoy himself. “I’m Jeff Eubanks, and I believe this dance is mine.”

Her hand flew to her chest and she gushed. “Why, Mr. Eubanks, I know who you are. I love your stores. So nice of you to join us tonight. I saw your name on the list, but I didn’t think you usually came to the events. Most of the younger folks don’t.”

“And just look what they’re missing,” he said, leading her out on the dance floor.

She laughed, then giggled again when he spun her around. “Do try to get more of them to attend. I head several of the committees, you know. And your date. She’s absolutely breathtaking. Be sure to bring her back, and that’ll make sure to get all of these men to return.” She glanced toward Babette, laughing at something her newest senior partner said.

Jeff grinned. Babette was having a ball, and he was too, not only dancing, but also watching her have so much fun. She moved from a white-haired man to a silver-haired to a bald one, and with each of them, she danced like she was the queen of the ball, but always remembered to wave to their wives. The women looked at her like they would a daughter, not as a threat, because that was the way Babette obviously viewed this interaction, as something akin to when a woman dances with her father or grandfather at her wedding.

By the time they’d both danced with all of their partners and prepared for the last dance, Babette was practically panting.

“That Mr. Moffett says he’s seventy-six, but he’s got more energy than I had at twenty,” she said, grinning at Jeff as she approached him. “And by the way, I believe it’s my turn to have a turn with the young fellow.”

“You’re a riot,” he said, silently applauding when the band moved into a slow song and he had a justifiable reason for pulling her close.

“What? Are you disappointed that I haven’t flirted tonight? Trust me, I was tempted, especially when Mr. Zimmerman showed me how he could still balance on one foot.”

“He didn’t.”

“He did.” She laughed, looked up at him, and then ran her fingertips along his temple. “Why, Mr. Eubanks, you’re hot.”

“You’re not the first woman to think so,” he said, and couldn’t hold back a smirk. “But if you must know, you’re rather glowing yourself, Ms. Robinson.”

“Maybe we should go out with the seniors more often, to keep us in shape.”

He laughed at that. “Maybe if I actually attended some of the events I bought tickets for every now and then, I’d have realized we were going out with the seniors.”

“Well, for the record, I can’t think of anything I’d have enjoyed more. I met some terrific people here tonight, and I want to thank you for bringing me.”

The music wound down, and Jeff realized that he had never even listened to see what song they were playing. He’d been too into holding Babette, moving her around the floor and enjoying her excitement. True, he’d wanted to tempt her into flirting tonight, but if he had it to do over again and knew that this event was for the seniors, he’d still have brought her here, just to see her this happy.

“Looks like the night is over,” she said.

“Looks like.” The music had stopped, but he continued holding her, not ready to let go.

For a moment, her eyes found his, and they simply stayed there, looking at each other. Then his hands moved lower on her back, and he felt her curve slightly, moving toward him. “Jeff,” she whispered.

“Yeah?”

“Oh, there’s nothing like young love,” Mrs. Rytower exclaimed, her voice pitched toward them as she spoke. “I’m betting there’s a wedding in their future.”

Babette blinked, backed away slightly. Then she cleared her throat. “I almost forgot. We still need to talk about Kitty.”

Jeff frowned. She’d been close to saying something, and it had nothing to do with Kitty. “We’re not talking about Kitty tonight.”

“Then tomorrow. Promise me that you’ll talk with me about her tomorrow. It doesn’t have to be all that much, just enough to let her know that I’m doing my job. She won’t have to know about our little deal.”

He didn’t want to talk to Babette about Kitty. He didn’t want to have anything to do with Kitty again, and if Babette would simply flirt, he could stop listening to her talk about Kitty too.

An idea suddenly sprang to mind, one he liked very much, and he grinned. “Tomorrow. We’ll talk about Kitty tomorrow, after you spend a little time with me on the beach.”

Chapter 14

W
hat’s the score, Babette?” Jeff called out, as he’d done continually throughout the past hour.

“You’re evil. Absolutely, positively evil,” she hissed, but because of all the screams and cheers around her, no one heard.

“Babette? The score?” he asked again, smiling like the devil he was, and sweating and looking like a guy who could do her, and do her well.

“Fourteen serving eighteen,” she snapped.

“Come on, guys, we’ve got some catch-up to do,” Jeff rallied his team. He looked at Babette, winked, and she promptly straightened the towel on her lounger. Talk about torture. He’d called all his buddies—all his brawny, gorgeous-as-all-get-out buddies—for a friendly afternoon of beach volleyball, and then asked Babette to keep score. In other words, she was sitting on the beach in the middle of her favorite scene from
Top Gun
, and she couldn’t even whistle. It was maddening. And she would make him pay. Somehow, someday, when he least expected it.

“You okay, Babette?” Jeff asked, holding the ball in one palm as he prepared to serve.

She realized she’d been glaring at him as though she were holding a pistol, and his head was the target. “I’m fine.” But she wasn’t. If she could keep her attention on solely his head, everything would be just smashing. But he happened to be on the “skins” team, so he was out there using each and every one of those perfect, tanned muscles to hit that ball over the net, and all of those muscles working together so well in have-mercy harmony sent an arrow of have-mercy need to her deprived libido.

Jeff tossed the ball in the air, jumped up and slammed it to the other side, reminding Babette of how powerful he really was, and that reminded her of all the other ways he could be powerful and sweaty and delicious.

Delicious? She needed help.

“Yoohoo!” Rose’s shrill voice caught her attention, and Babette turned toward the pool deck, where Rose and friends had gathered and were taking in the view.

“Hey, Rose,” Babette called. “I can’t practice cooking right now.”

“Shoot, I’d say you’ve found what’s really cooking around here,” Tillie said, lifting her brows as she took in the multitude of testosterone slamming the volleyball.

“Babette? The score?” Jeff asked.

“You know the score,” she said.

“I guess we won’t be talking about anything after the game,” he said smugly.

“Fifteen serving eighteen.”

Rose’s giggle trailed over the beach, and Babette turned in time to see her snap her palm over her mouth. Then she shrugged.

“We’re going up to your place to work on some of the stuff for tomorrow’s party,” Tillie called. “Okay if we let ourselves in?”

“Sure. Rose has a key.”

Babette’s attention was drawn from the women when something popped against the side of her leg. She turned to see the volleyball on the sand next to her, and one of the guys from the opposing team heading her way. He was tall, dark and deadly, smiling at Babette as though he’d like nothing better than to make her every wish come true.

She picked up the volleyball, held it toward him.

He grinned, and he had beautiful teeth too. “Hey, thanks.”

“No problem,” she said, as blandly as she could.

“I’m Kurt, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you,” she said, handing him the ball, then promptly turning her attention back to the other side of the court, and the guy watching her every move. “Looking for something, Jeff?”

He laughed. “Just the score.”

“Sixteen serving eighteen.”

She watched him successfully serve again, then subsequently join his team for a round of high fives that was mighty impressive. There wasn’t anything quite like a bunch of excited men celebrating each battle along the way to victory. And typically, Babette would be drawn to the entire show, but today, oddly enough, her eyes seemed to be focused on the one attempting to inflict the most torture. Little did he know, he was torturing her, all right, but in a different way. She wasn’t all that tempted to flirt with the other guys, though she would whistle if she could; hey, she was breathing. But the only one she was tempted to flirt with, and do more with, was the one that she was supposed to bring back to Kitty. Her business was a success, and she was finally committed to something. She didn’t want to throw that away for a relationship that had always been solely about sex.

However, this time with Jeff, things felt different, and that was throwing her for a loop. She’d sensed it when he took care of her the other night, and then again last night when they’d had so much fun together at the benefit dance. Even now, when he looked at her, she felt something stronger than mere desire for the guy looking so hot, but a pull toward him, because it was him, and because of how he made her feel.

She called out the score three more times, and then the game was done, with the sand-coated guys delivering congratulations and promises of retribution to come. Then Jeff headed her way and extended a hand. “Come on.”

“Where are we going now? Is there a competition somewhere nearby for Playgirl models?”

He laughed, and the action made his abs dance. Babette looked toward the waves, splashing against the shore. That was a much easier image to handle at the moment.

“No, I won’t try to tempt you again, not now anyway. And for the record, I was shocked, and somewhat impressed, that you didn’t find anything to your liking in my group of friends.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Though she also wouldn’t tell him that the only one she’d found to her liking was standing in front of her. “I’m just determined to win. I’ve worked hard at making this business work, Jeff, and I can’t let you ruin that for me.”

He opened his mouth, but then shut it, and Babette was left wondering what he’d been about to say.

“In any case, it appears I now owe you a conversation about my ex, as much as I’m not looking forward to it. But first, I want to wash off this sand.” He continued extending his hand in front of Babette, and she reached for it, then let him pull her to her feet and lead her toward those waves. He stepped ahead of her and released her hand.

Babette was a bit surprised at how she suddenly missed that hand.

She followed him into the water and laughed when a big wave soaked her completely. Rubbing her eyes, she felt another spray hit her, but this wasn’t a wave. This was a man acting like a kid. Opening her eyes, she saw Jeff, a bit farther out and crouched in the water, only his head visible above the surface.

“That one came out of nowhere,” he said, and she launched, putting every bit of her weight toward pushing him under, and succeeding. She wasn’t fooled, of course. He’d let her, but still, it felt rather rewarding when he came up coughing.

They played for a while, splashing and laughing and sputtering, until she’d drank way more saltwater than she wanted and surrendered.

“Okay, you win. I’m waterlogged,” she said, her breath coming out in gasps.

He followed her out of the waves. “A victory on the volleyball court and a victory in the water. Not a bad day.”

“Last time I checked, I won too.”

“What was that?”

“The no flirting challenge.”

“The day isn’t over yet, and last time I checked, you’ve got six more days to go.”

“But now you have to talk to me about Kitty. You promised, and I’m going to hold you to it.”

“Because she’s calling you nonstop?”

“Because I’m supposed to keep my clients aware of my progress,” she corrected, starting across the sand toward the condo.

“You’re going in already?”

“I thought we were going to talk.”

“Hey, I took off half a day to play in that volleyball game and enjoy the beach. So far, I’ve only done half of that. You do have sunscreen on, don’t you?”

“Rose bought me a new bottle, and it’s nowhere near the expiration date.”

“Good. Then let’s go for a walk down the beach while we talk.”

“Okay.” She wasn’t ready to go in either, even if walking on the beach with him triggered memories of other beach walks that had typically ended with them finding somewhere secluded, losing their swimsuits and exploring each other.

Babette gradually tamped down on her current round of Jeff-induced lust, and they walked away from the White Sands area, past Sunny Beaches, and continued beyond several more resorts before either of them spoke. Although she probably should have decided what she wanted to ask him regarding his relationship with Kitty, she hadn’t. Or maybe she hadn’t come up with any questions because she didn’t want to listen to Jeff providing details. It’d been difficult enough hearing them from Kitty.