The insult I’d prepared to hurl at him fell flat as a realization hit me square in the jaw. That wasexactlywhat I had expected—for no one to investigate the source of my screams.
Remnants of a memory surfaced and I swallowed, refusing to give any more thought to the time I tripped and fell down our porch steps. My ex hadn’t bothered to check on me until he’d gotten tired of listening to me yell for him.
“Yes!” I cried, trying unsuccessfully to remove a strand of hair that was plastered to the side of my face. “Now get out of here. As you can plainly see, I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not,” Maverick replied, tossing me my robe from where it laid over the sink. He at least had the decency to stare at the ceiling as I pulled the flimsy material around my freezing body. “Your skin is red and covered with goose bumps, and your teeth are chattering even though your cheeks are scarlet.”
“Then, obviously, I was in mortal danger instead of simply surprised by the sudden change in water temperature.” My body shook and my arms trembled as I wrapped them around myself.
“Shit,” Maverick grumbled, grabbing a fluffy blue towel from the rack and stepping forward to wrap it around me. His hands rubbed my arms then moved to my back as I breathed deeply, closing my eyes and taking in the pleasant scent of fresh cotton.
My head drooped as the adrenaline from having that blasted man running into the bathroom faded, replaced with the groggy need to have a large mug of hot chocolate and wrap myself in a warm blanket.
“I was concerned something was wrong and neglected to notice how cold you are.”
“Um. I’m fine. All good. Wait a sec… What are you doing here? It’s nighttime, right?”
“It’s barely past six, actually.” He chuckled, removing one arm from my shoulder to pull a lock of hair from my forehead and tuck it behind my ear. I flinched as his hand came closer, then leaned into his touch as I felt the gentle tips of his fingers caress my cheek.
“I came over to help Mom with the pups and your dad was outside on the porch. He had a question about the kitchen upgrades, and we were fairly involved in a heated chess game before your shrieks of terror started.”
“Wait, you’re playing chess with my dad?” I asked, getting whiplash from how fast my mood was shifting.
“Yeah, and he’s teaching me a thing or two. I used to play chess with my dad.”
A wave of sadness washed over me as his head dropped and I heard him swallow before he continued to rub my shoulders and back. Losing a parent was something no one could understand—until they could. It was an ever-present mixture of sadness and guilt intermingled with memories and happiness. There was no point in spouting empty platitudes, and I didn’t ask any follow-up questions, recognizing from his look that part of our conversation was over.
Instead, I focused on how good his hands felt on my body and imagined how they would feel on my bare skin. Mental images of our bodies entwined flashed before my eyes, and I squeezed them shut until it disappeared. My cheeks heated as I realized how close we were and how exposed I was.
The closeness I felt toward him went from comforting to unnerving and completely baffled me. But the peace I felt with him could not be denied. How long had it been since someone cared enough to simply check on me and then provide comfort?
Too long.
“I’m rather warm now,” I whispered, opening my eyes and looking up, then up some more to meet his gaze. They were bluer than the clearest ocean on a summer day, and the longer we stayed connected, the deeper I fell.
No. No. No,I chanted in my head. There was no way I could be feelingthingsfor this grump of a man.Nada. Nope.It had simply been too long since I’d hadanyform of intimacy, and I’dmistakenly assumed Maverick’s penchant for making sure I was not dying was something it was definitelynot.
Still, those baby blues held a depth I hadn’t seen before, and a pathetic part of me wanted to tease apart each thought that swirled behind them until everything was bared to me.
“Yes,” he agreed, voice raspy and deep, like crunching ice on a hot day. “Hot, I’d say. Especially if the color of your neck is anything to go by.”
Maverick stepped back and so did I, feeling my wet skin press against the cool glass of the shower door.
“I suppose,” he continued, “since you weren’t actually in mortal danger, I should go so you can finish your shower.”
“I’m good, thanks,” I said, pulling the towel from around my chest and wrapping it around my shoulders to sop up some of the water from my hair. “And I suppose I should say thank you for rushing to my aid, even if it was only to save me from the threat of cold water.”
“Don’t mention it. I’ll give the bathroom a once over to make sure any faulty parts are replaced.”
“Oh. That’s unnecessary. I’m perfectly capable of fixing this.” I waved behind me, then dropped my head to my chest and closed my eyes.
“Yeah, right. If that was the case, you’d be able to take a shower without screaming. It sounded like a banshee got stuffed into a garbage disposal up here.”
“Perhaps I was screaming for another reason,” I said with clenched teeth, pressing one hand to my heated cheek.
Damn. That wasnotwhat I meant to say. Sarcastic comments and witty replies were my forte—not baseless flirting with a man who sees me as some helpless girl who can’t care for her father properly.
“Oh?” he said as his voice took on a teasing tone. “I’d love to know what exactly made you sound like that. Enlighten me, Summer.”
