Chapter 6
By the time they arrived at David’s apartment, the car’s heating had kicked in, but his clothes were lying wet and uncomfortable against his skin. “Do you want a hot shower?” he asked Zita. “I can loan you some dry clothes to put on.”
“That would be great.”
He switched on the wood-fire-look gas heater and hurried into his bedroom to get some clothes for her. Sweatpants, sweater and T-shirt should be fine. He then grabbed a clean towel and showed her into the guest bathroom.
“Do you want to have the first shower?” she asked.
“I’ve got another bathroom. I’ll take a shower there.”
“All right.” She shut the door.
He tried not to think about her getting naked as he hurried back into the living room. The apartment was still freezing and his movements were stiff as he set up a drying rack in front of the fire and hung her coat over it. By the time he was finished, he was shivering. He showered in record time, not daring to spend too long under the luxuriously hot water, in case Zita was waiting for him when he got out.
He’d given Zita his favorite comfort clothes, so he threw on a pair of black sweats and a green woolen sweater he’d bought on his last skiing trip. When he hurried back to the living room, it was empty. A glance out of the window showed the rain had settled in for the day.
“I feel so much better.” Zita’s voice had him turning around.
She was adorable in his slightly too big clothes and her hair wrapped up in a towel like a turban.
“Do you have a clothes dryer?” she asked. “I squeezed out my clothes, but it might take them a while to dry.”
He wasn’t in any rush for her to go, but he said, “Sure. It’s this way.”
They threw their clothes in together, her underwear landing on top of the pile. He froze. She was going commando. His body stirred at the instant visual his imagination conjured. Clearing his throat, he set the dryer going and accompanied her back to the living room.
“Take a seat by the fire,” he invited. “Do you want a coffee, or hot chocolate with marshmallows?”
“Ooh, hot chocolate please.”
She curled up on the sofa. He appreciated her ability to make herself comfortable wherever she went. She looked like she belonged there. He headed for the kitchen and a few minutes later he returned, handing Zita her drink.
“Thanks.” She took the mug and blew on the top, before taking a careful sip. “Delicious.”
“Are you warm enough?” He sat next to her, relaxing into the soft cushions.
“Just toasty,” she said. “Thanks for lending me some clothes.”
“My pleasure. Thank you for showing me the joys of dancing in the rain.”
“Any time.” She grinned.
Her smile warmed him, making him want more of her. But he was comfortable, relaxed, there was plenty of time for sex later. He’d never sat on a couch wearing dorky clothes and drinking hot chocolate with a woman. It was kind of nice.
“So what else have you never done that you wished you had?” Zita asked.
For a second, he thought she’d read his mind, but then realized she was referring to dancing in the rain. He raised his eyebrows. “I don’t know.” He had the funds to do most things, but saying it aloud would make him sound spoiled. “What about you?”
“I’d like to be able to drop everything and fly somewhere for the weekend— Vegas or Hawaii or Cancun.”
“You’ve never been to any of those places?” he asked.
“No. I haven’t been far from Houston since I arrived. When we were kids there was never the money, and now, I can’t leave Mama alone with all the foster girls. It’s too much work. There’s always someone needing help.”
He frowned. “What about you?”
“What do you mean?”
