Chapter 20
Win-Win
She knew better than to leave the drapes open. Now the sunrise demanded she face a day she wasn’t ready for. She buried her head under a pillow; she was so not a morning person.
Kate closed her eyes again, sinking back into the plush embrace of her pillow. Warmth spread through her as flickering memories of last night danced through her morning-muddled mind, stirring a flutter of excitement.
Nick was incredible. They’d made out like a couple of teenagers before grudgingly parting, both going to their beds alone.
Well, maybe not teenagers. He kissed way too well for that—skilled and patient, the kind of kiss that kept her lips tingling hours later.
By the time he left, she’d been so hot and bothered she’d had to open the windows to cool off, the chill of the night breeze a balm against her flushed skin.
Maybe Callie was right. Maybe her ex had been jealous, threatened by her ambitions, belittling her to mask his own inadequacies. Kate wouldn’t have that problem with Nick. He was a billionaire CEO, for God’s sake. He had no reason to feel jealous of her.
Last night, for the first time ever, she had felt seen and worthy.
Her heart raced, excitement and alarm a tight knot in her stomach.
What were all these feelings swirling around?
Trust took time—it couldn’t spring up overnight.
Kate prided herself on staying in control.
Yet here she lay, caught in a rush of happiness, giddiness, and a dreamy sense of possibility, all tangled with curiosity and a spark of longing.
Enchanted? God, yes. She was falling for Nick already.
How was that even possible after one dinner?
Panic swelled. It was all happening too fast.
Stop! You’re an adult! You got this. Deep breaths. She inhaled slowly, focusing on the air filling her lungs, and exhaled, letting her muscles relax. Within a few minutes, her tension eased, leaving her more grounded.
Think rationally. Could there be someone out there who might support her career? Of course. Other authors mated and married. So why couldn't she?
Damn it, she needed Callie again. Glancing at the clock, she winced. 7:12. Callie was two hours behind Florida—she would kill her if she called this early.
And now she was wide awake. Falling back asleep would be impossible. Might as well get to work.
With a sigh, she rolled out of bed. If she couldn’t quiet her heart and mind, she could at least put her hands to work.
The sun glistened off the pool water like scattered diamonds. Kate plopped down into a seat at an umbrella table, kicking her feet up onto another, and powered up her tablet. The scent of jasmine drifted on the warm breeze. Time to work.
Her pen flew across the screen, the words spilling out in a rush.
An idea for a new story ignited within her: a character transforming into an alien.
Elation bubbled up at the thought of delving into sci-fi—it had been ages since she had written one.
The concept was a breath of fresh air, something new and exhilarating.
She added a new page, still grinning at the thrill of new possibilities
“Good morning.”
Kate shrieked, and her heart pounded as if it might burst from her chest. Nick. As soon as she placed his voice, she whirled to glare at him. Irritation flared as he bent over laughing like a lunatic.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I just walked up; I wasn’t sneaking! You must have been really focused.”
Ugh. Nick's infectious laugh chipped away at her annoyance, even as she registered something that sent her thoughts tumbling.
No. Shirt.
How had she missed that? The sight of him—his chest bronzed and defined, a dusting of dark hair trailing down his abdomen—made her pulse quicken again, but this time for a different reason. It was so unfair. How did a guy like him, a CEO no less, look like this? He was supposed to be a desk jockey!
Slowly, her heartbeat steadied, and she smiled sheepishly. “I was in the zone. What time is it, anyway?” She glanced up at the sky; the sun hung higher than she expected, a glowing reminder that she had lost track of time.
“It’s almost ten,” Nick replied, that effortless smile still playing on his lips. “I just got off a long video call, so I needed a break. I figured I’d do a few laps and found you here. Any chance I can persuade you to join me in the pool?”
A thrill shot through her. The thought of splashing around with him, of carefree laughter and glances exchanged in the water, immediately tempted her.
Pool. Water. The image of water droplets gliding down his chest slammed into her mind. Yes, please.
“Actually, that sounds wonderful. Let me put a suit on and I’ll be back,” she said, her voice tinged with anticipation.
Her heart still racing, she ducked into her suite to change, hoping he didn't see how giddy she was.
Nick's muscular arms cut through the surface of the water with each stroke when Kate stepped back outside, muscles flexing in a hypnotic rhythm.
She settled on the edge, swishing her feet in the water as she watched him. Of course, he had perfect form. She inwardly snickered. And she didn’t mean his chiseled body.
When he reached the far end, he executed a flawless flip and glided back her way. The pool was free-form and whimsical—not designed for laps—but he moved through it effortlessly. She admired him openly while he wasn’t looking, her heart fluttering.
Nick erupted out of the water right in front of her, splashing her with droplets. Kate let out a startled shriek before laughter bubbled up.
Nick laughed too as he leaned on the edge of the pool, his arms trapping her between them. “Oh, come on. It’s not cold! And this is not a spectator sport. You were supposed to join me.” He pushed his wet hair back, water streaming down his temples. “How about a race?”
Kate giggled, the sound unexpected and light. “I am not racing you! I’ll hop in when you’re done with your laps.” An image flickered in her mind of floating next to him, her body brushing against his, and her heart skipped a beat.
With a sly grin, Nick gestured to the side. “How about a little pool volleyball? We’ve got a net set up.” She followed his gaze to the net and a playful beach ball resting by a standard volleyball.
“I’ll play, but let’s use the beach ball. That may even the odds a little! I’d have zero chance against you with a regular ball.” A smirk danced on her lips.
Nick raised an eyebrow, a teasing light in his eyes. “Hmm, how about a little bet?” His voice rumbled, sending a shiver down her spine.
Kate narrowed her eyes, laughter bubbling beneath the surface. “No way, no how. I’m competitive, and I hate losing. Even with a beach ball, I’ll probably still lose. That is not the body of a CEO desk jockey. You’re trying to con me!”
She grinned at him, enjoying the playful banter as he widened his eyes, splaying his palms in mock innocence.
“Me? Never!” Nick leaned closer, his presence overwhelming and intoxicating. “So, just who do you think this body belongs to, hmm?” he purred, a teasing smirk playing on his lips.
Kate’s heart raced at his boldness, and a strangled laugh burst out. “Nope, I didn’t say that. You’re hearing things.”
She pushed him back playfully—aware he let her—and dropped off the edge. The sensation of sliding into the water was heavenly. The heat of the day evaporated as she submerged, the water welcoming her with a silky embrace. It was almost the same temperature as the air, soft against her skin.
“Hey, how is the water so soft?” she asked, hoping to redirect the intensity of their banter. It was a genuine question, her curiosity battling the flutter of nerves in her stomach.
Nick smiled, clearly amused at her obvious attempt to change the subject. “It’s a saltwater pool.”
She tilted her head, intrigued.
“Instead of using chlorine, which ruins the pipes and people’s clothes, we use salt.
It provides the same result but doesn’t ruin anything and feels silky as a bonus.
” He shrugged, confidence radiating from him.
“We use the same system for the hotel pools. People love it. Now, move your sweet ass over to that net and let’s play! ”
She laughed at his order, feeling lighter, and paddled toward the net. As she moved into position, she couldn’t help thinking how different Nick was from Dan.
Her ex would never have joined her in something so silly. He would have stood at the edge of the pool, phone in hand, wearing that condescending smile he reserved for anything he thought beneath him. If she’d asked him to play, he would have told her to grow up, or worse, acted embarrassed by her.
The contrast made her throat ache. Nick—wealthy, powerful Nick—played here in the water, grinning like a kid, utterly unbothered by optics. It was such a small thing, but it felt important.
Twenty minutes later, Kate dragged herself out of the pool and plopped on the edge, grumpy. As expected, Nick soundly beat her.
“Enough! I’m done! I knew you would win,” she huffed, crossing her arms and pouting.
Nick swam up to her and nudged her legs apart to settle between them.
His arms framed her, his palms resting just behind her hips, close enough for her to feel the heat radiating from his body.
A shiver ran up her spine. He leaned in, his face so close she could see water droplets clinging to his eyelashes and the playful glint in his eyes.
“So, what’s my prize for winning?” he asked, his tone teasing, his breath warm against her lips.
Kate’s stomach did a flip, and her heart raced at his overwhelming proximity. She swished her legs in the water, pretending to think.
“We didn’t bet, but maybe you do deserve a prize. Let me think... a bottle of water? You must be thirsty,” she quipped, raising an eyebrow.
Nick exploded into laughter, his joy contagious, and just like that, all of Kate’s irritation melted away. He yanked her closer before she could blink, wrapping her in warm strength. The world around her faded as he murmured, “This is more what I had in mind.”
His lips met hers, igniting a fire that surged through her—electric, overwhelming, and thrilling. She lost herself in the moment, consumed by the heat flaring between them. He tasted of salt and mint, and the texture of his slick, wet skin against her palms made her dizzy.
Her nerve endings hummed to life, and her thoughts blanked as she smoothed her hands over his chest, tracing the hard lines of muscle, his heartbeat thundering beneath her fingertips.
A rush of warmth flooded her entire body, pooling low in her belly.
When he finally lifted his head, she gasped for air, her lungs burning.
“Is that your prize or mine?” She breathed out, struggling to catch her breath, her heart pounding. He was dangerously alluring.
Nick rested his forehead against hers, his eyes holding amusement and heat, his pounding pulse visible in his neck. “Both. I believe in win-wins.” A shudder ran through him, a reflection of her own trembling. “But now I need a cold shower, or I’ll never get any work done today.”
He straightened, pulling back just enough to create a small gap, allowing the heated spark between them to cool, though her skin still tingled where they touched.
“We have an evening conference call, so I can’t do dinner tonight, but perhaps we could hang out a bit after? Talk? I really enjoyed last night and would love to spend more time with you.”
Kate’s heart leapt at the thought. “I’d like that. What time do you think you’ll be done?”
Nick’s brow furrowed, a shadow of concern flickering across his face. “It starts at six, so between eight and 8:30. Is that okay, or too late?”
“That’s fine.” She grinned, bright and genuine. “It’s not like we have a long commute to wherever we’re going!”
Nick chuckled, the sound sending a delightful shiver through her. “True! I’ll come find you when I’m done. Dress comfortably.”
He pushed off the edge of the pool in one fluid motion, water streaming from his body as he grabbed a towel and quickly dried himself off, muscles flexing with each movement.
“I’ll see you tonight.” He flashed her one last smile—the kind that made her knees weak—and disappeared into the house, leaving her alone with her racing pulse and the soft lap of water against the pool’s edge.
The day fell quiet without his laughter, the bright blue water shimmering under the climbing sun.
With a shaky sigh, she wandered back toward her suite, her wet footprints marking the warm stone.
As she slipped inside, the cool air-conditioning raising goosebumps on her damp skin, a single thought pulsed through her, impossible to ignore: she didn’t know where this was going, but she wanted to find out.