“You need some help, Connor?” Kane asked lazily.
Connor turned and fixed Kane with his stare. “I told you to stay inside.”
“Yeah, well, you looked like you needed backup.”
Amusement was heavy in Kane’s voice.
“Uh-oh,” Lyric muttered. “Party’s over. Mr. Makes Connor Look Relaxed is here.”
Faith giggled. “Is he that bad? I don’t know, Lyric. He’s cute.”
Kane lifted an eyebrow. “Cute? Why do I think I’ve just been relegated to puppy-dog status?”
“He’s mean to me,” Lyric said. “Connor isn’t.”
Angelina frowned in Kane’s direction. Serena and Julie both crossed their arms over their breasts—thank God—and glared at Kane.
“Why are you being mean to Lyric?” Serena demanded. “Want us to kick his ass?” she asked Lyric.
Kane laughed softly. “You couldn’t fight your way out of a paper bag in your condition, sweetheart. I’m not mean to Ms. Jones. I just expect her to cooperate with my desire to keep her safe.”
“Oh,” Faith said. “Well, that’s different, I guess.”
“Now, as much as I’d like to let you ladies continue enjoying yourself in your present state, I’d appreciate it if you could stop giving my men a heart attack and maybe put on some robes if we got you some. We’ll be happy to ensure your safety if you’d like to continue eating or drinking. I’d just like you to be dressed and out of the pool when you do it.”
“Oh, he’s good, Lyric,” Serena murmured. “Very smooth.”
Kane smiled. “Glad you think so, Mrs. Roche.”
At that she frowned. “How do you know who I am?”
“It’s my job to know everyone who comes into contact with Ms. Jones.”
Faith thrust out her chin. “Just don’t be mean to Lyric. We’ll kick your ass.”
Kane chuckled. “I have no doubt you’d try, Mrs. Montgomery.”
“Oh, all right. Get us the robes,” Julie grumbled. “But I go on record saying you’re even less fun than Connor.”
Kane raised his hand and, a few seconds later, one of his men came out carrying several fluffy robes. Connor took them and then motioned for both Kane and his man to leave. He’d be damned if they saw any of the women naked.
He turned back in resignation of the evening ahead. “If I lay these on the table, can I trust you to get out of the pool and into them?”
“You know, if you’d just leave, we could enjoy our nekkid swim party,” Lyric grumbled.
“I think I’m being reasonable by allowing it to continue and not tossing everyone off the grounds.”
Several sounds of exasperation echoed from the water.
“I’d like to see you try to toss me anywhere, Connor Malone,” Julie muttered.
He grinned. “You know I love you all dearly, but you’re interfering in my job, not to mention I’ll now have to answer to guys I work with as to why I allowed their women to cavort around in the nude.”
“Oh, we can handle them,” Faith said with a sniff. “It’s not like we had an orgy or something.”
“Though that could be fun,” Lyric added. “I think the only thing I haven’t been accused of is a lesbian orgy. Maybe we should call one of the tabloids.”
Connor groaned. “For the love of God. Just get out of the pool and into your robes. I’ll make sure your bartender and the chef supply you with booze and food. If you really want to be good and get dried off and dressed, you can continue this inside where it’s warm.”
“Hot chocolate would be nice,” Serena mused. “And it is getting cooler. March is such a screwed-up month. Hot, cold, hot, cold.”
Connor closed his eyes and sighed. Any other man would be in heaven surrounded by gorgeous, naked women all slicked down with water and all sporting chill bumps from hell. He, on the other hand, was praying for deliverance and for a little cooperation before all hell broke loose.
“Okay, okay, he’s getting that look,” Lyric said. “Let’s get out and get dressed. We’ll take over the living room and kick all the guys out. What time are you guys supposed to be home anyway?”
There was a moment of silence and then Faith said, “What time is it?”
Connor checked his watch. “Six thirty.”
Serena giggled. “I think we said we’d be home by five. Oops.”
“Mr. Roche is aware of your delay,” Sam said calmly.
“It would appear that Mr. Montgomery and Mr. Tucker are as well,” Faith said on a laugh. “Which only leaves Micah. Angelina? Are you going to call him?”
Angelina shook her head. “Huh-uh. I’m still riding the marriage card. He’s so happy I said yes, he can’t possibly get pissed at me.”
“You know, I’m starting to feel real sorry for the guys,” Connor said.
Lyric climbed the steps from the pool and it took all his discipline not to stare. She walked over and snagged one of the robes and wrapped it around her shivering body. Hell, he wanted to wrap himself around her until she was warm and soft against him.
“Trust the guys to stick together,” she drawled. “Come on, girls. Let’s take this party inside.”
Connor whirled around and strode to the door before the other women took their exit from the pool. Their laughter followed him all the way inside.
CHAPTER 24
Connor and Kane got Julie, Angelina, Serena and Faith into the car while Lyric watched from the front door. As they drove away, Lyric waved.
Connor and Kane walked back to the door and Connor looked harassed. His cell phone rang and he jammed his hand into his pocket to silence it.
“Get some damn clothes on,” he said under his breath when he walked by her into the house.
She tugged the robe tighter around her and grinned. “I’m perfectly covered!”
“Yeah, but I know your naked underneath that robe and so does everyone else. For God’s sake show a little mercy here.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll go up.” She hesitated a moment and then looked at both Connor and Kane. “Are you guys going to be around for a bit?”
Kane looked curiously at her. “If you need us to be.”
“I won’t be but a minute upstairs. I’d like . . . I’d like to talk to you when I get back down if you have the time.”
“Of course I have time.”
She glanced at Connor and he nodded, his eyes never leaving her face. She smiled. “Okay, I’ll be right back down.”
“Want some more hot chocolate?” Connor asked gruffly.
“Yeah. That would be nice. Thanks.”
She skipped up the stairs, bobbled a bit, then clung tightly to the railing. She’d sort of forgotten how much she’d had to drink and, as a former nondrinker, she’d discovered she was a lightweight when it came to alcohol.
After steadying herself a moment, she continued up the stairs and into the bedroom. Deciding to take a quick shower to take care of the pool hair, she hopped in and out, threw a towel around her head and quickly dressed.
She combed her hair down and left it wet before heading back down the stairs feeling a good bit more sober than she had fifteen minutes ago.
She found Kane and Connor in the living room sprawled on the couches. Connor looked tired and she almost giggled when he reached into his pocket to silence yet another call. Between her manager, her label and the girls’ husbands, Connor was getting it from all corners.
“Feel better?” Kane asked when he looked up and saw her.
“I didn’t feel bad before,” she said with a grin. “Today has been . . . liberating. Fun.”
Connor leaned forward and picked up a steaming mug of hot chocolate. He held it up but didn’t make a move to bring it over. He was enticing her to come to him. Once she caught a whiff of the decadent aroma, he didn’t have to do much to get her to do his bidding.
She went over, took the cup from him and then sat forward on the couch next to him, cradling the warm mug in her palms. Connor’s hand immediately went to her back, stroking up and down.