CHAPTER 14 #2
He steps to where I can see him. Damn. What I imagined last night in my bubble bath doesn’t come close to the real thing.
Is that an eight-pack? My stomach does a somersault as I take in the whole package, the defined muscles, the teasing V-lines running from his ripped abs, traveling down into the waistline of his trunks, the veins in his forearms, and how every part of him is accentuated by flawless, bronze skin.
Suddenly my king-size bed seems awfully lonely with only me in it.
No, that can’t happen. I need to leave. I need to leave now, before I do something I’ll regret.
“You should see what your friend is doing.” He’s in up to his crotch and stops to adjust to the temperature.
Really? Right at the babymaker? I try not to look at his bulge. I try. At least his trunks fit him. But that doesn't help much as my pulse quickens.
I quickly force my gaze to his tempting shoulders—better than staring at his bulge.
I should leave, I really should, but not before I find out what he meant about Rhonda.
“What is she doing?”
He sits across from me and clasps his hands behind his head. For heaven’s sake, it looks like he’s posing for Panty Dropper magazine, if there were such a magazine. Elsie should start one featuring her brothers. She’d sell a bazillion copies.
“She and some other girls are dancing on the bar," he explains casually, as if describing a typical night out with his brother.
"From what I could tell, the girls tossed their bras and panties to the crowd of guys who were cheering them on.
" A scowl suddenly forms as he shakes his head with a sigh.
"I'm sure Ash instigated the whole thing.
He's buying rounds for everyone, and knowing him, they'll all drink for free tonight.”
I gasp. “Tell me she's still wearing her dress.”
He laughs. “Yeah, the girls still have their clothes on, but they’re teasing those boys something fierce. Looks like your friend is really enjoying it too.”
He’s not wrong. Rhonda definitely has a wild side, and I suspect her new bang-boy does as well. I wonder if Riggs does.
“Why aren’t you with them?”
He lowers his hands to his sides and leans back, leaving his muscled chest and sculpted shoulders exposed. Suddenly my mouth feels dry. And if that wasn’t bad enough, when he adjusts his position, his leg briefly brushes against mine sending a warm thrill through me.
Should we go back to his room or mine?
Stop it! I need to politely excuse myself before something bad happens. And I should, but I’m just sitting here letting my eyes roam shamelessly over his body all too aware that by “bad” I mean oh-so-good.
“The vet just left with the fisher,” he says, interrupting my unholy thoughts.
“After she tranquilized the critter, we were able to get the can off. Poor thing is in bad shape. Looks like she hasn’t eaten in a while, but they’ll get her weight up before they release her back into the forest. Fun fact, there are only about 150 Pacific fishers left. ”
And Mr. Hotpants rescues cute little endangered animals too. Of course he does, because walking away wasn’t already hard enough. The universe really does hate me.
I draw in a steady breath to try to calm the butterflies, but it’s pointless. I’d have to be dead not to feel anything when I’m being forced to look at him like this, shirtless and proof that every inch of him is all rugged man. I really do need to leave, and my gut is telling me it’s now or never.
I come to my feet, trying to think of a good excuse, but my mind is blank.
I’ll just tell him it’s getting late and I need to call it a night.
But before I can get the words out, I see his eyes roam over my body and I freeze.
I don’t know why. It’s not the first time a guy has perved on me.
Not even the first time today. But this is different.
I can see it in the way he’s taking me in.
It’s not the usual objectifying rapey stare I’m used to.
It’s like he wants to devour me and it’s sending serious heat between my legs.
I swear I can hear my vagina screaming murderous threats at my brain to stop being such a pussy blocker.
Aware that I’m standing here like a deer in the headlights, I gather my wits, and just when I’m about to turn my back to him, he says, “Did I do something to offend you?”
I open my mouth to answer but I’m stopped short when he flexes one pec followed by the other.
I don’t know why he did it. Maybe it’s a nervous tic, only I don’t think this guy has ever been nervous about anything.
He exudes confidence. Whatever the reason, it’s not fair.
I swallow and politely tell him, “No, why are you asking me that?”
“I don’t know, maybe because you’re leaving all of a sudden without saying a word, like maybe I pissed you off or something.”
For a completely inexplicable reason, I sit back down. It doesn’t make sense, I know, but here I am. “No, it isn’t you. I was just thinking it was getting late.” That made perfect sense, right? I’m not sure.
“Anyway,” he continues as if I didn’t just stand only sit back down for no reason like some sort of crazy lady.
“Ash was supposed to be there when the vet came, but of course he wasn’t so I went looking for him.
I stepped into the bar only to see if he was there.
It looked fun, but all I could think about was this hot tub. ”
What? It takes me a minute to realize what he’s talking about. Oh, I remember. I asked why he wasn’t partying with his brother. Suddenly I’m reminded of something else, and it’s important.
“Since you’re here, we need to talk,” I say with a firm tone.
He sits up straight. “Okay, about what?”
“Size. You’re what, about nine inches? I’m guessing from the bulge I saw earlier.
That might be too much for me, but I’m willing to give it the old college try,” almost comes out of my mouth.
It’s what I was thinking. But instead, I say, “This thing between your brother and my best friend, I’m worried—”
“That it will end badly,” he offers, completing my thought. “I totally get it.” Then, shaking his head he quietly mutters to himself, “More than you know.”
That surprises me. More than I know? Past girlfriend, perhaps?
If I had to guess, she dumped him. “Look, clearly this thing between your brother and my best friend is just a fling. I know his type. You two will leave and in a week, he won’t even remember her name.
I also know Rhonda, and even though they just met, she’s already hoping he’ll stick around long enough for them to get to know each other, and that’s a problem. ”
“I think that’s a reasonable expectation on Rhonda’s part, at least under normal circumstances, don’t you?”