Chapter 10
10
C ate wasn’t coming.
It wasn’t a surprise. But now Ethan had to decide his next move. And how much to push her.
He really didn’t have a leg to stand on. He couldn’t push too hard. For one, he didn’t want to get fired. But mostly, he didn’t want to scare Cate.
Setting his book aside, he stood.
And that’s when he saw her standing hesitantly in the doorway, holding an eReader in her hand.
She wore loose pants and another long-sleeved sweater which was the same shade of blue as her eyes.
“Cate,” he said. “Are you going to join me?”
She stared at him for a long moment. “I’m only here because Rhodes asked me to try and become more comfortable around you and Seth. This isn’t really part of my routine.”
He didn’t care why, only that she was here.
“You and your brother are close,” he said.
“I owe Rhodes a lot. I’d do anything for him.”
“I’m sure he feels the same way.”
“Do you think so?” she asked.
Was that a note of vulnerability in her voice?
It was hard to read her expression with how well she guarded her emotions. Especially when she wouldn’t look him in the eyes.
“I do think so. When we were discussing his protection, most of his concerns were about you. And he wasn’t happy about leaving you. He wanted to return home tonight. But Samantha insisted on staying the night at her place.”
Ethan had been there for part of that argument. It hadn’t been pleasant. But then, he was coming to think that most things with Samantha weren’t pleasant.
He wondered why Rhodes was with her.
“What do you want to drink? I’ve got water and juice,” he said.
“I’ve got coffee.” She held up her travel coffee mug.
“You shouldn’t have caffeine this late in the afternoon.” He had to stop himself from taking it from her.
She’s a client. Not your Little.
“It doesn’t prevent me from sleeping.”
The urge to lecture her about the effects of having too much caffeine was strong. It wasn’t just about sleep. Caffeine could have a negative impact on her heart, give her headaches, and make her irritable or nervous.
However, he held back. He was trying to get her to like him.
Jesus.
He didn’t think he’d worked this hard to get a member of the opposite sex to like him since high school.
Cate stepped cautiously forward. She still wasn’t sure this was a good idea.
You’re here now. You have to see it through.
“Don’t worry, I’ve had all my shots,” he teased.
She paused. “Your shots?”
“Yeah, so if I bite you . . . it, uh, I won’t infect you.”
That was strange. He was going to bite her?
“You were planning on biting me?” she asked.
“It was a joke. Sorry.”
“Oh. No, I’m sorry. I get it now. Sort of. I don’t see how it’s funny, though.” But that wasn’t unusual. She often didn’t understand jokes.
“I guess it’s not. You just seemed worried. I’m not going to do anything you don’t want. All right?”
“I didn’t think you would. I just . . . I’m not used to, uh, reading with someone. I’m not very good at interacting with other people. Except for Rhodes.”
“How about we don’t talk then? We can just sit and read.”
That she could do. “All right.”
“What are you reading?” he asked as she sat down.
She shot him a look. “I thought we weren’t talking.”
He grinned. “You’re right. My apologies. I’ll be quiet now.”
“I’m starting to wonder whether that’s actually possible for you.”
He started laughing. “Good one.”
“Good, what?” she asked as she settled on a lounger. There was a blanket on the end. She wondered where it had come from.
“Good joke.”
“I didn’t make a joke.”
Strangely, his grin just grew wider.
Men. She really didn’t understand them.
To her shock, he grabbed the blanket, then flicked it out and placed it over her.
Had he put this blanket out here? For her?
“I’ve noticed that you seem to feel the cold,” he explained. “Even in this weather.”
“Thank you,” she managed to get out. For some reason her throat felt swollen.
She hoped she wasn’t getting ill.
There was also a strange swooping sensation in her stomach. Like the time that Rhodes convinced her to ride the roller coaster at the fair with him. She’d been fourteen at the time, and as soon as she’d gotten off, she’d vomited all over his shoes.
But she didn’t think she wanted to vomit.
Deciding that she’d try to ignore the sensations filling her as well as the man next to her, Cate opened her latest book.
They’d been reading for half an hour when he stood. She’d taken a glimpse at his paperback. It was a science-fiction novel. Which she was confident wouldn’t be as interesting as her book. It was about a man who returned from the dead to find his wife with a new husband.
“I’m going to have a swim, then do a perimeter check,” he told her. “What do you want for dinner?”
“I’ve got a microwave meal I can heat up.”
“You’re not heating up a microwave meal,” he informed her in a strangely firm voice.
He seemed to use that tone of voice around her a lot. She had no idea why. Did he really have such a strong opinion about microwave meals?
“I can heat one up for you too,” she offered. That was the polite thing to do, right?
“No. No microwave dinners, they’re not good for you. I’ll make us dinner.”
“You cook?” She glanced up at him in surprise.
Wait. When had he taken his shirt off?
And how was it possible that his body looked so good? How much time did he spend working out? He had broad shoulders and muscular arms. His abs were pronounced, and he had the most delicious notches above his hips.
Those were . . . delectable.
All right. That was a weird thought.
There was a light smattering of hair around his belly button that led down . . . and down . . . and down.
“My eyes are up here, you know,” he told her, jolting her out of her thoughts.
“Pardon?” she said.
“Are you all right? You seemed to be staring at my . . . stomach.”
“Oh no, I was staring at your nipples. I’m happy to report they seem to be the correct size.”
His lips twitched. “I’m glad to hear that. The worry was keeping me up at night.”
“Oh, well, you should have come to me earlier, then. I could have reassured you that your nipples are perfectly proportional with the rest of you.”
“Ahh, so if I have any other issues with my body, you’re willing to take a peek and tell me whether that body part is perfectly in proportion with the rest of my body?” he asked.
Wasn’t that just what she’d said?
“Yes. Are you all right?”
His face was slightly red. “Yes, I’m just feeling a bit flushed.”
He turned and walked closer to the pool, diving into the water.
And she was pleased to report that he definitely did not have a hairy back.