Daniel almost smiled, but it was just a twitch of his cheeks. She hadn't ever seen him smile, come to think of it. Even when he'd been excited about catching his first fish. He always looked so focused and intense, like he didn't know how to relax. She couldn't even picture him hanging out by the pool...
On second thought, she should not picture him that way, because she was a professional and he was a client.
A very good-looking client who would look great lounging next to that pool.
“I have the boat ready to go.” He hesitated. “But I haven't actually used the pool yet, so maybe we should try it out another day.”
“Wait, you haven't been in it this summer? This particular trip?” When he shook his head, she gasped. “You have a pool like that and you’ve never been in it?”
He shifted from one foot to the other. “I've only been here once before. I got the house with the plan to host potential business partners, but I haven't had the chance to set anything like that up yet.”
No wonder every bit of furniture looked pristine—he didn't even really live here.
She rubbed her hands together. “After the rest of this, I can't wait to see your boat.”
Daniel led her through a large kitchen with marble countertops and shiny wooden cabinets. A curved, cushioned breakfast nook looked out over the lake and a dock stretching out into the water.
They went out a back door and turned around the corner of the house, and she had to suck in her breath again. A stone structure that matched the house rose at the edge of the water, sheltering two boat slips and topped by a patio with a wrought-iron railing around the top. Stairs went up on the side, and as she was still uphill from the structure, she could see the patio furniture and fire pit and umbrellas up there. One of the boat slips held a shiny red pontoon boat with a canopy, and that interior was definitely leather, not vinyl. The other boat slip held a couple of jet skis.
They hopped on board and pulled away from the dock.
“Oh, I could get used to this,” Crystal said, kicking back on a leather lounger.
“Might take longer to get used to it than you think. It's all still pretty surreal for me.”
She turned and squinted as the rising sun reflected off the water into her eyes. “What, you weren’t born with a diamond rattle in your hand?”
“That's a new one. I usually hear silver spoon.”
“Silver, diamonds—doesn't make much difference if you can’t afford either.”
“I got lucky. Started a company back in college and it actually went somewhere.”
“That would have to be some luck. I bet the fact that you’re super driven and never relax has nothing to do with it.”
Daniel stopped the boat and turned to face her. “How do you know I'm super driven?”
“You brought me a freaking spreadsheet with how many fish you expected to catch.”
“That's just goal setting.”
She snorted and grabbed her rod, heading for the back of the boat. “This is fishing, Danny boy. You don't set goals, you have dreams. You plan, and study, and learn to think like a fish, you get the best gear you can, and pick the best bait... and then you cross your fingers. And even if you do everything exactly the same the next time, you will never get the same result. That's one of the best parts.”
“It's like playing poker.” He came up beside her, and she stepped closer to the edge to make room for him.
He hadn’t corrected her for using a nickname this time, which made her feel unexpectedly giddy. “Nah. I don't think a gambler’s rush could be anywhere as good as pulling in a ten-pound brown trout.”
Daniel leaned closer to Crystal. “You’ll help me get one of those, right?”
Sucking in a quick breath at how close he was, she quickly stuck a fishing rod between them.
Crystal explained to Daniel how to use the spinner rod and the new lure rig they were going to try out here on the lake, then watched his fumbling attempts.
“No, you're trying to do the same as before.” She set her rod down and stepped in close to him, wrapping her arms around him to hold the rod steady and move it in the correct pattern. “See?”
She looked up and found him staring at her from inches away. She’d practically draped herself around him to get a decent grip on the pole, and was pressed up against his side. She yanked her arms to her side and took a step back.
“I'm not sure,” he drawled, the corner of his mouth turning up. “I might need you to show me that one more time.”
Crystal’s stomach flopped around like a fish out of water. Was he flirting with her? He wasn't even really smiling, but it was as close as he ever got, and that look in his eyes...
Her stomach decided to add warmth to the flopping feeling. He was probably only teasing her because of what Bran had said the day before. “Just keep practicing.” She hurried over to her own rod.
“Think that will get my lures more attention?” He was definitely laughing at her now. And what did he even mean by that? Because he sure as heck wasn't talking about his cast.
When she didn't respond, he took her advice, casting and reeling over and over, pulling his weighted rig through the water.
After a couple minutes, he spoke again. “I don't know, I think maybe I'd rather go back to the stream. Nothing here seems hun—” Daniel’s rod jerked, and he scrambled to haul it back, forgetting for a moment that they were on a boat. He nearly went backward off the steps near the ladder, but caught himself by throwing his weight forward—Right into Crystal, who already stood too near the edge.
With an ungraceful yelp, she flailed through the air and splashed into the lake.
Chapter 8
Daniel only hesitated long enough to wonder if she'd get mad at him for losing the fish he’d hooked. Then he jumped into the lake after Crystal. Only once he’d hit the chilly water did his brain wake up enough to remind him she was probably a better swimmer than he was.
When his head broke the surface again, she splashed him with another face full of water.
“All I did was put my arms around you—it was totally professional! You didn't have to toss me in for that!” She was treading water and laughing, one hand clutching her old hat. He hardly ever saw her without it on, but now, with her full-on laughter and her short curls plastered to her head, she seemed so much more approachable—less tough-as-a-fishhook.
The chill of the water faded the longer he was in, and it was even starting to feel nice with the sun beating down on them. The sun made the lake surface sparkle all around them, and between her laughter and the blue skies and the sheer ridiculousness of the situation, a knot of tension in Daniel’s shoulders began to release—a sensation he didn't even remember, that filled him with a sudden rush of glee.
“I didn’t do it on purpose.”
“Yeah, sure.” She shook her head, still laughing. “Taking Bran’s advice for yourself?” She splashed him again. “I didn't even hug you. Not really. Nothing worth a dunking.”
Still full of that unusual sense of glee, Daniel kicked over to her. “Oh yeah? Show me what a real hug is, then, and I'll judge between the two.”