Dispute Resolution

Chapter Seven

Throwing the bikini top at Gray's face had certainly felt good. Seeing his expression was even better. Quinn felt slightly less exasperated as she walked toward the house. No wait, that wasn't exasperation she was feeling, that was lust, pure and simple.

This man destroyed your goals, forced you into a job you didn't want to do, accused you of making up lies about his family and he just called you malicious to your face. You are not allowed to be aroused by him!

She rolled her eyes at herself. Taryn and Sim were back when she walked in, the towel firmly wrapped around her breasts.

"How was the surf?" Taryn asked.

"I think it was a little bigger than what Quinn was used to," Gray said coming in behind her. "Here's your bikini top."

He held it out to her, a smirk on his face. She looked at Taryn and Sim. Taryn was intrigued. Sim, like Gray, had a huge smirk on his face and Quinn realised Gray was paying her back for her jerk comment earlier on the sand.

"Thanks," Quinn said as sweetly as she could muster, trying to not to let it show that he had gotten to her. He truly was a jerk.

"Dinner will be in an hour," Taryn said, too pleasantly.

"I'll just go up and shower and then I'll come down and help," Quinn said.

"Absolutely not, you're our guest. You and Gray can sit out on the verandah, put your feet up with a drink and let us do the rest."

"Are you sure? I don't mind helping, you've been so kind already."

"I love to entertain. No arguments."

"It's true," Sim confirmed. "It's her life."

Quinn obeyed and headed for the shower in her room. She allowed the water to run over her body, trying to wash away the imprint of where Gray had been pressed up against her but the fact was, she liked the feeling. No point in trying to deny it, she might as well just accept it and find a way to get over it because there was no way she and Gray were going to end up in bed together.

She found him reclining on an outdoor lounge about half an hour later. He still wore no shirt and she could see small flecks of sand on his skin. He'd obviously not showered, but he still looked amazing, his hair naturally tousled by the salt water. He had a beer in one hand and an iPad in the other.

"Feeling better?" he asked without looking up.

"Much," she answered with excessive pleasantness.

"There is a bottle of wine in the fridge in the corner over there, help yourself."

She did exactly that, pouring herself an extra large helping and took a long pull of it.

"That's a two hundred dollar bottle of wine you're drinking like water, you know," Gray said.

"Should knock the edge off nicely then." She flashed a syrupy smile at him.

Gray was about to say more, but Sim had joined them while Taryn put the finishing touches on their meal in the kitchen.

After their meal, they all sat and chatted amiably, watching the stars appear one by one in the night sky. After a while, Taryn and Sim took themselves up to bed and Quinn was alone with Gray yet again. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax where she lay on the recliner lounge, unaware that Gray was watching her. But she was aware of his presence and the silence stretched out between them like an empty highway.

"I should probably head off to bed myself," she said finally, standing. "It's getting late."

'Quinn, wait," Gray said standing as well. She looked at him, waiting for him to speak. "How's the article going?"