Chapter Twenty-Five
Wren wasn’t sure that it was fair to lead Jeff on, but she couldn’t seem to resist the guy. It was strange how much they seemed to have in common.
Was she being a tease? No, not really. There was something about him that made her feel vulnerable – that made her see how much was really missing from her life.
Not to mention she wanted to know what it felt like to have his hands all over her, to run her own hands through his hair, over those strong broad shoulders, and through the dusting of hair covering his chest.
Would she continue to feel that same surge of excitement each and every time they touched?
Because she especially wanted to know what it would feel like when his mouth finally covered hers.
She stepped out to the deck through the French doors, and promptly began to strip off her clothes, leaving them on the deck.
“Are you coming?” she called out, peeking in at him through the door.
“Holy shit,” she heard him mutter as she ran from the deck along the pathway toward the pier, jumping into the water when she reached the end of the dock.
* * *
“Did I really just see Wren Matthews totally naked?” he asked himself out loud, definitely dazed as he stepped up to the door, looking down at the pile of clothes she’d left. “Yep.”
He started laughing as he walked outside, pulling off everything but the shorts he wore beneath his jeans.
Jeff made his way onto the pier, walking to the end where she was wading in the water.
She stood, giving him a come-hither motion with her fingers. “Get out of those shorts, Callahan. I don’t have any hangups about seeing what remains of your injured leg. Let’s get that behind us, shall we? It’ll make it easier for us to have that out of the way before we end up in bed together.”
He blinked, before barking out a loud laugh while slipping off his shorts and tossing them onto the grass behind him. “I can leave on the prosthetic can’t I, since it’s waterproof?”
“That’ll be fine,” she muttered, waiting for him to jump into the water.
Despite the enticing glimpses of her breasts, he very deliberately stayed away from her as they started doing laps, discussing some of the other improvements he planned to do outside when they stopped for a break.
“How are you coming along with the music you left with today?” she asked.
“Well,” he admitted. “I’ve got a couple more ideas for you too, which would still give you the opportunity to dance.”
“Hmm. That sounds intriguing. When I’m here, I promise I won’t bug you while you’re working. It was overpowering, the amazement I felt when I first heard your polished versions of my recordings. I noticed that you combined some of the recordings into one.”
He nodded as they studied each other face to face. “Sometimes, after I listen several times to your voice, I completely change my mind about what I’m planning to do with the recordings.”
When she came closer, Jeff finally couldn’t resist when he pulled her into his arms, his mouth covering hers.
It felt every bit as good as he thought it would, having her in his arms. Her skin was soft, her body firm and supple as she pressed against his.
And her mouth…well. Their kiss went on and on until he felt like he was drawing strength, and yes, quite a bit of confidence from the urgency of her response.
There was definitely something more between them than the beginning of an uncomplicated affair.
Of course, despite the cold water, his body had reacted immediately in response. It didn’t help that it had been so long since he’d been with a woman.
He barely knew her, but yet he felt like he’d known her forever. Jeff didn’t merely want Wren – he needed her, he decided – more than he’d ever needed anyone before in his life.
He’d been lonely for years, even when he’d been dating Aimee, he realized. With Wren, it wasn’t just desire he felt for her – it was like she completed him, which was why he probably shouldn’t let this happen here and now. Even though he wouldn’t be able to have her for long, he needed to make the most of the time he’d have with her, so that he’d always have those memories to cling to.
“Let’s stop,” he whispered. “I want our first time to be more than just quick sex.”
Much to his surprise, she didn’t argue. Instead, she laid her head against his chest as he held her.
Now they were both shivering. It wasn’t just the coldness of the water, he decided. It was the sudden tenderness of the moment that almost had him in tears.
He picked her up in his arms, carrying her to the sandy beach alongside the pier, resting her feet on the ground when they reached the path, grabbing her hand.
“Come on. If I hadn’t been so shocked to see you naked, I would have remembered to bring some towels.”
She laughed, reaching for the shorts that were resting on the ground and handing them over as they headed toward the house.
Trying not to let his eyes linger too long on her breasts once they reached the deck, he gathered her clothes, pointing her to the door on the other side of the kitchen when they walked inside.
“Why don’t you go ahead. There’s a bathroom with a shower in the mudroom. It was one of the smartest improvements I made. I use it more than I do the shower upstairs.”
“Alright. I suppose I should be getting back to the Inn,” she said, looking not at all uncomfortable standing there naked.
Unlike Jeff.
He cleared his throat. “How about some coffee before I take you back?”
“Sure,” she said.
He laughed. “This has got to be one of the weirdest conversations I’ve ever had in the nude.”
“You probably won’t believe me, but I don’t normally act like this,” she said, heading through the kitchen.
Turning, she winked.
This time, Jeff laughed loudly, his eyes lingering on her rather perfect bare bottom as he pulled on his shorts once she disappeared through the doorway.
He definitely wanted to believe her.