get my, uh, sunglasses,” Matt said, bolting away from her toward the hall. Thank God.
Candy hightailed it outside, where she felt better. She dug her toes into the warm sand, inhaled the salt smell, took in that white glow the air at the beach always had. Seagulls cried and spun overhead. Down the shore, children shrieked happily.
The breeze lifted her hair and she tilted her face to the sun for a moment of pleasure. She had work to do, of course, and an attraction to ignore, but she was at the beach and it was glorious.
She turned to find Matt watching her from his porch. Even in the old-school sunglasses, he looked hot. With a good cut, contacts and well-tailored clothes, women would fall all over themselves to get to him.
As he headed toward her, she wondered who would be next. Someone big on career like Ice Princess Jane, no doubt. Someone chic and cool, Blackberry at her fingertips, pricey merlots in her temp-controlled wine closet. Thinking of Ms. Next-in-Line cooled Candy’s hots for Matt, which was a very good thing.
When he reached her, she fished out sunscreen, put some on her hands and held out the tube to him.
While she applied the cream to her arms, he rubbed some briskly between his broad palms, then smeared it over his face and shoulders, leaving white streaks everywhere.
“You have to rub it in,” she said and smoothed the liquid into his nose and across his cheekbones, blocking her awareness of how close she was and how nice his skin felt.
“Turn around,” she said, thinking that would help. She was a glutton for punishment, she realized, surveying the muscular expanse of his back. With a sigh, she started in on the firm surface of Matt’s shoulders and upper back, enjoying the slide of his muscles, lingering longer than strictly necessary, her mind sluggish with pleasure.
Why can’t we sleep together again?
He’s your boss. You want him to promote you.
Oh, yeah. That. She was showing him how smart and balanced and hard-working she was. How dedicated and responsible. How—
“You about done there?” he asked, turning.
“Uh, sure. Just being thorough.”
“Shall I do you?” he asked, low and slow.
Not that he meant anything by the suggestive words, but they gave her thoughts. “That’d be great.” She handed him the tube, turning her back.
His fingers pressed into her skin as he rubbed slowly and carefully, even under her shoulder straps. He was so very thorough. As he kept working, she couldn’t help but think that one little tug and her top would drop and he’d have more to rub than he’d bargained for. Her knees turned to water.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I think you got it,” she said, turning to grab the tube from his hand.
He looked startled, still holding his hand out.
“We’ll be late,” she said, hurrying toward the water, hoping it would be chilly enough to shock her out of her sensual lethargy.
Matt caught up and they walked the edge of the surf, letting the waves brush their toes, then retreat in foamy whispers.
The water was full of swimmers and bodysurfers. Young boys on Boogie boards tumbled like acrobats into the surf, heedless of pain or danger.
The shore was crowded with sunbathers under colorful umbrellas, lying on towels, surrounded by ice chests and beach toys, tossing balls or Frisbees.
“I love the beach,” she said, determined to enjoy every moment of it she could.
“Me, too,” Matt said. “I’m glad Ellie got me out here.”
“She said you had to use up vacation time.”
“I did. I tend to get too focused.”
“It’s easy when you love your work,” she said, but she’d never had extra vacation to use up. She’d had to take a two-day advance to make a Tahoe trip with friends to a ski lodge.
“Actually, Candy, I’m glad you came over. I might have parked myself in front of my laptop and missed all this.” He gestured out at the sparkling line between sky and sea.
“I’m glad I could be what you need,” Candy said, the words far too intimate. Her traitorous heart fluttered in her chest.
You’re what I need, too.
For my career, she reminded herself firmly. They were helping each other. This was all about SyncUp and their working relationship. The nearly naked volleyball game, the makeover to come, the hours sitting thigh-to-thigh at Matt’s computer showing him her stuff.
Oh, dear.
She’d handle it like they did it in AA: One twinge at a time.
3
THE VOLLEYBALL tournament sign-up was at a table on the beachside terrace of a bar called WHIM SIM, short for What Happens in Malibu, Stays in Malibu.
“You lookin’ to get on a team?” asked a hot guy, motioning them over. “Cuz we need a couple players.”
“Absolutely,” she said.
“I’m Carter.” He grinned, extended his hand to Candy and gave her an appreciative once-over. He was very tanned and his hair was a sun-bleached blond that would cost a fortune in a salon, but Candy bet he’d earned it with real ray time.
“I’m Candy and this is Matt.”
“Cool.” Carter shook Matt’s hand.
“These guys are in?” a gorgeous blonde in a red bikini, as tanned as Carter, asked. When he nodded, she beamed. “Perfect. We need two players. I’m Jaycee.” She was talking to Matt and she flipped her long hair over one shoulder in an obviously practiced move.
Candy figured this was a good social moment to start Matt’s lessons, so she asked Jaycee and Carter how they knew each other. Jaycee, it turned out, managed a health club in Santa Monica where Carter was a trainer. Candy explained that she and Matt worked together at SyncUp.
“You market software, huh?” Jaycee asked Matt, clearly flirting with him. “When I see ‘auto run,’ that’s what I want to do. What kind of software do you sell?”
“We’re most known for our integrated suite of applications for word processing, numerical analysis and data management.”
“Sounds interesting.” Jaycee’s eyes glazed over.
“What Matt means is we help businesses manage their books, handle payroll, do project planning and scheduling. Like that.”
“I get it. We have a payroll program, for sure. Don’t know if it’s yours, but the time cards take forever. No offense.”
“Really?” Candy asked, her
