‘Listen—’
‘How dare you?’ She stabbed a slender finger at his chest. ‘I’m wearing a bathing suit because it’s hot and I’ve just been for a swim.’
‘And you were looking for a dog. I get it. But—’
‘Not that I need to explain myself to the likes of you,’ she vented.
Dare’s eyes narrowed dangerously. ‘The likes of me?’
‘That’s what I said. Are you hard of hearing? Oh, no!’ She gave a cry of dismay. ‘My necklace!’ She turned quickly, her russet cloud of hair swinging around her shoulders. ‘I can’t have lost it.’
Dare sighed. He was tired after driving hours to get here on top of already putting in what felt like a full day at the office, and in no mood to be insulted by some sexy little shrew. ‘What does it look like?’
‘It’s a ruby pendant, on a gold—’
‘This it?’
He reached into the longer grass where it circled a bush. He’d noticed a glint of something before when he’d first rushed over to her and now held a very expensive little trinket in the palm of his hand. He let out a low whistle of appreciation. She definitely wasn’t just the pool girl if this was hers.
Dare flashed a smile. ‘A pretty piece. I’m not sure it goes with the outfit though.’ She stiffened as he looked her over. ‘Might I suggest a string bikini next time?’
‘I wasn’t wearing it,’ she said hotly. ‘It was a gift.’
Dare laughed. ‘I hardly thought you paid for it yourself, baby.’ In his experience no woman would.
She stared at him mouth agape and he supposed he had sounded a touch derogatory but...
‘Did you really just call me baby?’
Yeah, he had. For some reason discovering the necklace had made his mood take another dive. ‘Look—’
‘Listen? Look?’ Her finger stabbed in his direction again. ‘You are one condescending piece of work, darling.’ She stepped forward, her cheeks pink with annoyance. ‘Give me that.’ She reached for the necklace in his hand but Dare reacted instinctively and raised it above his head. She was medium to tall in height but there was no way she was close to his six feet four.
Realising it, she pulled up short, her hands flattening against his white T-shirt to stop herself from falling against him. Her eyes grew wide, her soft mouth forming a perfect ‘O’, and his eyes lingered before returning to hers.
Dare would have said the whole ‘time standing still’ thing was just hogwash, but right then he couldn’t hear a leaf rustling, or a bird calling, his mind empty of everything that didn’t include getting her naked and horizontal as soon as possible.
Instinctively his free hand came around to draw her closer when the sound of yapping at his feet broke the spell. Disconcerted, Dare looked down into the upturned face of an ugly little mutt the size of a cat with its tongue hanging out. He grinned. ‘This the big dog you were chasing?’
The redhead stepped back and threw him a filthy look as she reached for the small dog that danced just out of her reach.
‘Gregory,’ she growled in a warning voice. ‘Heel.’
Dare would have laughed at her futile attempts to stay the dog if he hadn’t been feeling so out of sorts.
‘Here.’ He held the necklace out impatiently as she made to run after the dog. ‘Don’t forget your gift.’
Turning on him with a malevolent look, she snatched the necklace from his hand and took off after the mutt. He doubted he’d have cause to see her again but strangely he found he wanted to.
Shaking his head, he walked back to his bike and shoved his helmet on, dismissing the pool girl from his mind as he gunned the engine and headed to the main house.
CHAPTER TWO
DARE PACED BACK and forth in what he surmised was a parlour room inside the grand house. He’d never been particularly good at cooling his heels and finding his grandfather out when he’d first arrived had turned an already grim mood further south. Two hours later it was fair to say it had hit rock bottom. He wondered if it was a tactical move on his grandfather’s behalf because Dare had presumed to turn up unannounced a day earlier than he was expected.