Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
D allas was pleasantly exhausted by the time he and Willow got back to the inn and deposited the broken junk where Drew had asked them to leave it.
He then helped Willow prepare lunch, and they ate in amiable silence, perched on stools in the corner of the kitchen while the part-time workers dealt with the lunch rush. After that, he headed up to his floor to shower.
He stretched his arms over his head with a groan.
Yup. He was definitely going to feel every muscle in his back by the morning. But for the first time in days, he didn’t feel like a clock that was wound too tight.
The only guests on his floor had left this morning, so he whipped off his sweaty shirt and tossed it into the laundry room. He’d nearly reached the bathroom, where a nice hot shower called his name, when?—
Bam!
Someone rounded the corner out of one of the guest rooms and slammed into his chest.
He instinctively reached out to steady the woman, and?—
“Ronnie?” He said her name too loudly and her head snapped up, her wide eyes meeting his.
A heartbeat of shocked silence passed between them before she quickly jolted away from him. It was only when she moved back out of arm’s reach that he realized he hadn’t let go. He’d been gripping her arms and holding her there.
“Dallas?” Her voice was high and tight, her cheeks flushed as her gaze darted up and down his bare chest, dirty pants, and sockless feet.
Oh.
Oh crap.
“Why are you naked?” she hissed.
He frowned, looking down at himself. Like maybe he’d ditched his jeans and underwear and forgot about it. But no. He was still fully clothed—from the waist down. “I’m not?—”
“Do you always just go around…” She flapped her hand in the general direction of his chest. “Like that?”
His lips twitched. He couldn’t help it. She looked so flustered. So adorably flustered. And so…so…
So beautiful.
What?
Nope.
He was not going there. Even if that pink tinge in her cheeks made her dark eyes sparkle even more. She had her hair in a thick braid that fell over one shoulder, and she somehow managed to make baggy slacks and a cable-knit sweater look ridiculously sexy.
He crossed his arms, his smile smug. “You can stop staring any time, you know.”
“I’m not staring.” Her gaze finally met his, and…
There. Yup. There it was. A spark so vivid, he wouldn’t have been surprised if lightning shot out of her.
“Where are your clothes?” she demanded.
He nodded toward the laundry. “They needed washing.”
“And you don’t have a hamper in your room?” She huffed. “Can’t believe you’re just walking around here naked. You’re going to scare the guests away!”
“I’m gonna—what?” He considered her. “First of all, I’m not naked, so please stop clutching those pearls, Grandma.”
With a sharp inhale, she opened her mouth to retort, but he cut her off before she could.
“And second…” He looked around pointedly. “What guests?”
“I could have been a guest.”
“But you’re not.” A thought struck him. “Wait, are you staying here?”
She frowned. “No. Of course not. I’m staying at home while I’m in town.”
“Right.” And that was definitely not disappointment he was feeling right now. It was relief. “Then what are you doing here?”
“She’s here to visit me.” Bailey’s voice was close. Like, right behind him.
Either his twin had developed mad ninja skills, or he’d been way too distracted by Ronnie.
She came to stand in front of him, right next to Ronnie like they were on the same team.
Because they were. It might have been a minute, but seeing the two of them together like that was so oddly familiar it brought a wave of nostalgic memories.
Bailey planted her hands on her hips. “Why are you being rude to my friend?”
“I wasn’t!”
But his sister was already shaking her head. “You have no right to make Ronnie feel uncomfortable?—”
“How did I?—”
Bailey steamrolled right over him. “If you even think of being unkind to Ronnie?—”
“Unkind?” he echoed. He heard a little huff come from Ronnie and turned to look at her. And then he froze, thoroughly transfixed.
Bailey kept going, but he couldn’t make out her words because he was too busy watching Ronnie’s lips twitch as she tried to fight a smile. Her eyes danced with laughter. At his expense, but that hardly mattered.
Wow. He’d forgotten how pretty she was when she was trying not to be amused.
“Do you hear me?” Bailey wagged a finger in his face. “If you’re going to stay here indefinitely, you have to play by my rules.”
He gave her a look that said loud and clear how unimpressed he was by her lecture. “Or what?”
This got another little snort of amusement from Ronnie, and he tucked it away. A tiny victory.
Bailey shoved his shoulder. “Or I’ll tell Dad that you’re playing hooky, hardly working at all.”
He frowned. “Hey.”
Bailey smirked, crossing her arms with a gleam in her eye and brashly taunting him. “Unless this is how you work even when you’re in the office? All rolling in late and falling asleep during meetings.” He opened his mouth to argue, but she suddenly made a face. “Ugh. You stink.”
Another muffled laugh from Ronnie.
He turned to her with an arched brow. “Hence why I’m heading to the showers.”
Ronnie pressed her lips together, but her eyes still danced.
“Then go get in the shower already. We’re not stopping you.” Bailey tugged on Ronnie’s arm. “Come on, Ronnie. I’ll show you Willow’s little greenhouse now. We need to get you away from this stench before you keel over.”
Dallas gave an exaggerated sigh of exasperation. As they walked away, he turned to go into the bathroom, but right before he entered, he looked back…
And found that Ronnie was watching him walk away.
He grinned and gave her a wink that had her whipping back around. But it was too late. He’d caught her staring.
And he was definitely going to chalk that up as another little victory.