“Never claimed otherwise, darlin’.” This was accompanied by his patented eyebrow wiggle.
In return, she arched eyebrows imperiously and he sighed heavily. Grabbing her hand, he allowed her to hoist him to his feet.
He looked…well, there weren’t words to describe him.
Noblemaybe? That certainly defined his straight back, wide shoulders, and granite-hewn jaw.
Virile?You bet. Every inch of him screamedman.From the jut of his Adam’s apple to the jut of his…
Sweet heavens, she had to look away from the front of his jeans. They were plastered against him, and the wet material left little to the imagination.
Okay, so the best word to describe him wassexy.He epitomized sex. Raw, raunchy, dirty, delicious sex.
“See somethin’ you like?” His expression was heated. It matched her fiery cheeks when she realized she’d been caught ogling him.
“Please.” She pulled him around the plunge pool. “You know you’re all that and a box of chocolates. You don’t need me to remind you.”
“Although, Ilikeit when you do.” He let her drag him through the back door and into the kitchen.
The second they were inside, he took a step toward her. “Hold that thought until we’ve closed the windows and doors.” She lifted a finger. “Also, we need to get out of these wet clothes. I’m so pruned I’m worried I’ll never smooth out again. Ah!” She pointed at his nose. “And before you come back with something decidedly Wolf-ish like,‘I’ll smooth outallyour wrinkles, darlin’,” she mimicked his accent, “please know I am determined to keep two feet of distance between us until this place is locked up and I’m dry.”
“Dry.” He wrinkled his nose. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” She rolled her eyes. “If I’d known a make-out session would turn you into aThat’s What She Saidguy, I might’ve decided to ignore all your delicious temptations. No matter how hard it would have been.”
His mouth spread wide around a lecherous grin. “That’s what she said.”
“Ugh!” She threw her hands in the air, and then they were both laughing.
That had been the thing about them since the beginning. No matter how hot they were for each other, they could always make each other laugh.
“I also need to change my bandage,” she added. “The doctor said I shouldn’t get it wet for at least two days.”
It was like someone flipped a switch inside Wolf. He went from Wolf, Grand Seducer to Wolf, All Business All the Time. “Go get dried off. I’ll close the windows and doors and meet you in the bathroom to help with your bandage.”
The man was equal parts Casanova and companion. Playboy and partner. Seducer and sidekick. A guy who seemed so comfortable in his own skin that he made her feel comfortable in hers.
Which waswhy she was so determined to follow through with her plan. If it worked out, they’d exhaust all their explosive sexual chemistry, and then—hopefully—end up as friends.
Passing the coffee table on the way to the bathroom, she frowned down at the candle. The creamy wax in the center was still liquid. Its French vanilla scent lingered in the air.
When did I light that?she wondered, pressing a hand to her forehead.
She recalledthinkingabout lighting it; the house had smelled musty. But she didn’t remember actuallydoingit.
Then again, she didn’t remember leaving her stove burner on either, but she’d had a house full of noxious gas fumes to prove her recall wasn’t exactly up to snuff.
No more pain meds,she vowed, chucking the bottle in the trash as soon as she walked into the bathroom and saw it sitting on the vanity.
Aside from not killing herself or anyone else, she needed all her wits about her if she had any hope of seeing her plan through without breaking her own heart in the process.
Because yes, okay, Wolf would be easy to fall in love with.
“There,” she said to the empty room. “I admitted it. Are you happy now?”
As always, the room remained aggravatingly silent.
Chapter 24
