zeroed in on Raymond’s hands on Julie, so familiar, without a bit of hesitation or awkwardness between them. Raymond said nothing was going on between him and Julie, but he’d also said she was the woman he could consider settling down with later, which meant Dante should pull back. No matter how his body reacted to her, he shouldn’t step on Raymond’s toes that way.
“Stay,” Dante said. “Change and join the party.”
She shook her head. “I’m not prepared for a pool party.”
Raymond chuckled. “You can’t tell me you came to Malibu and didn’t bring a swimsuit. Get the thing out, and come sit by the pool. I know this is a business trip, but you can have a few minutes to enjoy yourself.”
She glanced at Dante, and he nodded. He may not step on Raymond’s toes, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want her to stick around so he could see her in a bathing suit. Maybe the desire caused by that thought showed in his expression because the spark he’d witnessed earlier made a brief appearance in Julie’s eyes. It was quickly hidden when she turned to Raymond. “Fine. I’ll change and join you.”
Raymond dragged Julie away to get her bags and showed her where to change. Dante would have preferred to do that himself, but she was Raymond’s friend. Better for Dante to keep his distance.
He sang another song for the ladies in the music room but wasn’t really into having fun with them anymore, so he ushered them back to the pool. They kept him company, and he listened to them talk about inconsequential things. Each one tried to gain his attention and figure out who he’d spend the rest of the day with. It was a question he’d been debating before Julie walked through the door and broke his thoughts, scattering them like balls on a pool table.
The source of the scattering came out onto the patio, Raymond with her. Dante took a sip of beer that stuck in his throat. He coughed and sat up in his chair. Julie in a business suit was a man’s fantasy; Julie in a bathing suit was a man’s erotic dream. The red one-piece suit was plastered to full breasts and a flat stomach. It rose high on her hips; no sarong or wrap hid the perfection of her thighs and legs. Confident with a capital C. She’d switched the heels for a pair of red sandals. Dante took another gulp of his beer to stop his groan of appreciation from escaping.
She and Raymond settled into chairs across the pool. They talked and laughed, looking every bit the close friends Raymond said they were. She glanced around the space. Her gaze stopped several times as she took in the various people. When she stopped on him, a small smile lifted her lips and made his heart jump before she continued her perusal. What did that smile mean? Did she feel the same knocked-out-of-breath feeling when their eyes met, or was she just smiling at a potential business partner she had to acknowledge? He couldn’t say she was looking only for him because she seemed to check out everyone there.
He ran a hand over his face. What the hell? When did he become the guy obsessing over what a woman was thinking? Julie’s closeness with Raymond meant he had to keep his hands to himself. If she did get the job, getting involved with her might cloud his judgment about the club. He should ignore her.
A woman that Raymond had hooked up with came over to him and Julie. Raymond introduced her. Julie smiled and held out her hand. Dante noted her friendly and jealous-free greeting. The woman clung to Raymond’s side. After a few minutes of talking, Julie waved Raymond and the woman away. They strolled toward the door. Julie watched them, but there was no hint of regret, anger or disappointment on her face. Okay, maybe they are just friends.
Her eyes lifted and met his. Dante’s heart danced behind his rib cage. Again, she gave him a small smile, then looked away. He was up and out of the chair in an instant.
“I’ll have to tell Raymond to never leave a beautiful woman alone at a party,” he said as he sat next to her. “Someone else may slip in.”
Her smile was good-natured, not flirtatious. “Actually, I was waiting for him to leave. He has a way of unintentionally blocking. Now I’m free to talk with whomever I want.”
Dante liked the sound of that. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Anyone here you’re interested in having a conversation with?”
Her smile made him hot all over. “Actually, there is a guy I wouldn’t mind talking to.”
Dante’s grin widened. He slid his arm across the back of the chair and moved closer. “I’d love to know who.”
She looked over his shoulder, then used her head to indicate behind Dante. “Him. The guy in the green trunks.”
Dante frowned and glanced around. Carlos, the drummer they’d had to call in on the last leg of the tour after Dante’s original drummer got sick, stood on the other side of the pool. There was something about Carlos that Dante didn’t really like, but he’d chalked his feelings up to his dislike of unexpected changes. Carlos played well and hadn’t caused any problems on tour, so Dante ignored his weird feelings toward the guy.
“Him?”
“You sound surprised,” she said, and he swore amusement filled her voice.
“I thought you might be interested in someone else.”
“Really, who?”
There was definite humor in her amber eyes.
“I thought you’d want to spend more time with Raymond.”
She shook her head, then crossed her long and shapely legs. “Oh. Not really. Ray and I have plenty of time to catch up while I’m working with you two.”
Spoken as if she already had the job. “Him leaving with another woman didn’t bother you?”
Her eyes sparkled with amusement and she waved a hand. “That. No. I’ve known Ray way too long to get upset when he ditches me for another female.”
“Did it used to bother you?”
She shook her head. “No. Ray is cool, but I know him too well to fall for him.”
“That’s good to know.”
“Why? Did you think my relationship with him would compromise my ability to do the job?”
“I just like to be sure.”
“You can be sure. I don’t mix business with pleasure, and I never date partners.”
He leaned in and stared into her beautiful eyes. “I’m sure exceptions can be made.”
Her smirk was cute, and the twist of her full lips made him want to kiss her. “Ray and I are not worth an exception.”
Dante rubbed his chin. “What if I’m the exception?”
A spark flashed in the depths of her eyes. She shifted, then looked away. When she looked back at him, the spark was gone, all interest hidden.
“I’ll admit I used to drool over your posters in my music magazines when I was a teen. You once occupied a fair amount of space in my fantasies, but that was fifteen years ago. Girlish fantasies gave way to adult responsibilities.”
He leaned forward until only a few inches
