I hung up the phone and raked my fingers through my hair.

Alice stood from the breakfast bar and took her plate to the sink, tight-lipped. There was a clatter when she set her plate down that made me wince.

When Alice turned back, she asked, "Did Rob ever help you get those other clients?"

"I'm sure he will," I said. "He's busy, Alice. His dad is in the hospital."

"I know. If it were our dad in the hospital, the world would come to a crashing halt for us."

I didn't like Alice's tone. I left my eggs on the bar and began to unload the dishwasher. That way my sister could stop leaving dishes behind for me to do. I had always liked my job well enough. I liked when I took a break from the office work to do something physical, concrete, something where the after was so markedly different from the before. So why did it suddenly seem like crap, cleaning up after this houseful of people I was stuck with?

I said, "I think I'm going to go out for a swim."

Alice knelt by the dishwasher to lift the plates out of the bottom rack. She sighed, but didn't say anything.

"What?"

"I just." Alice sighed. "Tell me what your wild and crazy accusations are, Naomi."

"I told you--"

"Well, I have my own ideas," Alice said. "I'm not stupid, Naomi. So why don't you just talk to me?"

I stood up, sliding in the dishwasher rack so I could lean in towards her. "Rob's grandmother all but told me that it would be better for both of us if Rob and I weren't... you know."

Alice raised his eyebrows. "That classist bee."

"I know," I whispered back.

"You should date someone who would give you nice in-laws."

"Rob and I aren't even dating, really."

"You should date someone who would give you nice dates."

"I know!" I said. "I am crystal clear that's what I deserve. The problem is what I want."

"You want Rob."

I didn't like hearing that said aloud. "I wish I didn't. Also? She called me a hussy."

"You know I'm all for you having a fling," Alice said, "But is it worth it? At this point? When Rob goes..."

"I know. And I know he will."

The look Alice gave me was pitying, and it made me want to throw myself off the deck for that ocean swim rather than meet my sister's eyes.

"Maybe it's not as bad as it all seems. Maybe he'll be willing to do something to fix what Rebecca's done. Help with clients like he said.” Alice’s words were optimistic, but the way she leaned against the counter with her arms crossed and her tired tone of voice made it clear she didn’t believe it. “Or buy out the company... Mom and Dad need to retire. You don't want this to be your whole life."

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't," Alice said. "Someone had to carry on the family business. You drew the short straw. But maybe you could do something else with your life? Don't you think?"

"I don't know what else I would do."

"That is because you haven't thought about it yet. But if Rob--"

"Don't! This is why I think Rebecca is anxious about me canoodling with Rob. Because she's worried I'm going to take advantage of his money."

"Well, I'm worried he's going to take advantage of you being smart, hard-working and beautiful. You're an even match."

"That's sweet, but--"

Alice leveled a finger at me. "Don't. Don't buy into all their shit."

"Dad doesn't like him."

"But he's good enough to canoodle with, so you clearly don’t care." Alice shook her head. "That is a ridiculously immature word, by the way, for a very grown up thing that you're doing. With real grown-up consequences."

"Believe me, I know that. I'm the one who was almost kidnapped--"

"You should talk to Rob." Alice cut me off.

Apparently I was not getting sympathy for the elevator incident.

"Yes, yes, you should," Rob said. With his tall, broad-shouldered frame, he filled the doorway, and I couldn't believe I hadn't seen him there until he spoke. How long, exactly, had he been there?

Was Rob aware of the word canoodle?

"Hey," I said, and then, because sometimes Rob made me short-circuit like a robot, I said again, "Hey."

Alice gave me that pitying look again, damn her, and wandered off to put the silverware away.

"I was thinking about going for a swim," I said.

"Yes," Rob said. "I need to blow off some steam."

I wondered where Rob had been that morning, since he had woken me up to kiss me goodbye— "I won't make that mistake again," he'd promised me— and then left quietly with Liam. I had thought maybe he was picking up one of his brothers from the airport, or visiting Mitch, but he was back too early and without any additional tall blue-eyed gods.

"I'll get my suit," I said.

Fifteen minutes later, we splashed into the surf behind the house. I felt my troubles drop away, at least for the time being, at the shock of the cold water lapping at my stomach. I splashed Rob playfully as he waded in front, sending a spray of white water across his broad shoulders and the lean V of his waist.

He turned around, grinning, and tackled me into the water. My feet slid out from under me, his arm catching me around my waist, and I caught my breath just before my head went under the water. Rob pulled me up again, the two of us bobbing in the water as he wrapped that powerful arm around my lower back.

"Best to get wet all at once. Just get it over with."

"What are you, fifteen?" I asked, but I couldn't help smiling.

"I would be scared to do that with most girls," he said, pressing his nose against mine. The intimate contact made me smile helplessly. "You're something special."

"Because I'm a good swimmer?"

"No," he said. "Not because of that."

Then, as if he'd said too much, he stepped away from me. My bare feet touched the rough pebbles at the bottom, seaweed briefly twining around my legs and then slipping away.

"Race you to the buoy," he said.

"Why?" I asked. "There's nothing at the buoy."

When he started to answer, I threw myself forward, his words getting lost as my head slipped underwater. I'd bought myself a lead. As I surfaced, I saw him, laughing, start to follow me.

Rob swimming was a thing of beauty, all lean grace, his broad back muscles rippling as his arms parted the water. I would have liked to watch him, except my competitive impulse took over. I swam hard for the buoy.

By the two of us swam back to the boat house and sat on the sun-warmed dock, my muscles were pleasantly tired, but I felt invigorated and relaxed by the swim.

"I'm not going to stop swimming," I said, pulling my hair back into a ponytail and slipping a sodden elastic band off my wrist to tie it. "I'd forgotten how much I liked it."

"Why would you stop swimming?"

I froze. I hadn’t meant to bring up the ticking clock on our swims. "I mean, I'm going to have to find a triathlon group or something. Or Masters? Someone to swim with."

Rob's face went studiedly neutral at the reminder he would leave Rhode Island, and me, behind. It wasn't that long from now, either. I didn't know how much Mitch's situation changed things.

But it probably didn't change things much, or maybe Rob would say so.

I leaned away over the sparkling water, feeling the smooth, damp wood under my palms. Rob slid a finger under my bathing suit strap, and I turned to look at him as he tugged me close.

Whatever Rob was thinking, he didn't say it. Couldn't say it.

He pressed his soft lips against mine. And despite my common sense, my hand rose to rest possessively on his cheek again, almost as if my body had a will of its own when it came to him.

He leaned back, pulling me with him, and I straddled him as he lay back on the dock. The uneven boards of the dock were rough against my knees. I kissed him hard before I looked up towards the house, but we were blocked from view by the blocky outline of the boathouse.

His hands slid down my waist. I felt the electricity of his touch pulse through my body even through the slick spandex of my swimsuit. His hands wrapped hard around my hips, and I pushed my hips against his.

Rob peeled my swimsuit straps down from my shoulders. I wriggled out of the suit, and as I pushed it down around my hips, his breath caught. I took in the way he was looking at me, as if he was drinking in the sight of my bare breasts and shoulders. He ran his hands over my bare skin, his fingers stroking away the drops of salt water that still clung to my skin, his palms cupping my breasts. When he caressed me, the roughness of his palm against my nipple sent a jolt of pleasure straight to my core.

"You're so goddamn perfect," he said softly.

"We'd better hurry," I murmured, before I pressed my lips to his. My heart raced with the fear of being caught and with my lust for Rob.

He moaned softly into my mouth as I stroked my hand over his thighs, finding his cock through his swimsuit. Then in a quick motion, he was on top of me, his weight braced with his hands to either side of my shoulders. I slid my suit down my legs, leaving it looped around my ankle so I'd be able to find it again in a hurry.

Rob pressed against me, the tip of his cock brushing over me sending a wave of desire and exultation through my body. I slid an arm over his shoulders, holding him close.

He pressed deep inside me, and we moved together, and it felt like even the movement of the ocean lapping at the beach around us stilled. The world went quiet except for our motion, the way we were getting lost in the pleasure of each other's bodies and the sounds of the other's breathing. I clung tight to Rob's neck as my orgasm grew to a tight, rippling intensity, my muscles spasming around him. My toes curled against the rough damp boards of the pier.

Rob's handsome mouth fell open with the pleasure of his own orgasm, and I felt proud of myself that I could make him lose control for a second, just for a second, even as my own body seemed to levitate against his.

I lay back on the warm deck, breathing hard, spent. Above me, the blue sky spun dizzily.

"I want to do that again," Rob said, his voice husky.

I grinned. "Me too."

Then I bit down on my lip, thinking of the countdown, of how few days there were left to do that. I didn't just want to do it again. I wanted Rob's body to be mine, to wake up to his kisses and to sip from the same mug of tea, for the rest of my life.

I sat up, reaching for my swimsuit. Competition suits were tight to begin with, and I wasn’t the same size I’d been in high school. I struggled to drag the wet fabric up over my thighs and stomach. I could feel Rob start to smile as he watched me. With a jolt, I thought of how hungrily he’d taken me in when I was undressing, how opposite his amusement was now.

I looked so ridiculous to Rob’s grandmother, and I always had seemed pathetic to Kate. The way I looked to Rob now–fighting with my swimsuit after having public sex with him like I was some… some… hussy–must be ridiculous too. Someone who would do whatever Rob wanted, desperate for a little bit of him. The housekeepers’ sad daughter.

If I were Kate, would he talk to me about what was going on with the investigation?

"I know, I'm irresistible," I said tartly. "Don't fall in love with me."

Rob's smile dropped away. "Naomi."

I yanked the straps up over my shoulders and walked away towards the house.

“Naomi!” he said, his voice commanding. He raced after me, catching my shoulders with his hands. I turned reluctantly to face him.

“You can’t chase me, Rob,” I said. “You’re naked.”

“I want to know why you said that.”

“Oh, yeah?” I said. “You are a fucking enigma yourself, Robert Delaney. Why do you think I should talk about my feelings when you won’t do the same?”

“I told you,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “I may not be good at talking about my feelings, but I’ll show you how I feel.”

“Yeah?” Quicker than he could react, I ran across the dock and scooped up his swim trunks. I balled up the wet material and threw it as far as I could across the shimmering surface of the water. His trunks unspooled in the air, landed in a breaking wave and began to drift away across the surface of the water.

I turned to him and said, “That’s how I feel, Rob.”

His face was furious. “I should spank your perfect little ass.”

“You could try,” I said. “But you’re going to have to choose between that and going after your trunks. And I don’t think you want to have to walk past your grandmother naked.”

He turned from me to the water, and I had a funny feeling I knew which he was going to choose. While he was distracted, I raced for the house. He took a few steps after me and then stopped, turning back to the sea.

By the time I reached the house and let myself in through the deck doors, I wanted to cry. I was both a shameless hussy and a hopeless brat.

But I wasn’t going to bring him a towel.

He kind of deserved it.