Yet his thoughts faltered. She’d just said a lot, and his brain snagged back on the beginning. “What do you mean, you couldn’t afford it? How expensive can a Wonder Woman be?”
One narrow shoulder lifted. “It varies from fifteen to fifty, and I don’t have that much to spare.”
Personal, financial problems? He didn’t want to know but now questions pinged around his brain. He liked her, he wanted her, he knew her to be an amazing mom and a nice person, but he shouldn’t involve himself in her personal issues.
“I can tell you’re dying to ask.”
“Not really,” he lied. “I’d prefer to stick to the point.” With his posture stiff, he struggled to remember the point. Unfortunately, all his concentration was on keeping his feet planted instead of pacing. It didn’t help that with her this close, he breathed in the scent of her, all warm and sultry. This close, he could see the striations in her pretty green eyes. And her lips...
Ever helpful, Joey asked, “The point being that you want me gone?”
Damn it, had he been leaning toward her? Thank God she’d spoken before he did something stupid, like kiss her. “I wouldn’thave said it so rudely, but yes, the park should be empty in December.”
“Except for you?”
“I live here.”
In a rush, she stepped even closer with her hand lifted as if she might touch him.
Hendrix braced himself, his heartbeat going into overdrive, every body part, especially those below his waist, perked in interest.
Before making contact, she caught herself and instead clasped her hands together around the broom. “Couldn’t we stay here, too, Hendrix? I promise we won’t get in your way. You’ll barely know we’re here.”
Oh, he’d know, all right. Hadn’t he just anticipated a simple touch to his chest – over his clothes – as much as he anticipated sex with other women? Yes, he had.
Even when Joey wasn’t standing so close, he was aware of her. Always. He’d often watched her laugh with other campers, or offer to assist them when they didn’t know how to work their new RVs. She often talked quietly with Ryder, hugged him and teased him. In the hotter weather, she’d worn a swimsuit on her early evening walks with Ryder to the beach. He hadn’t been the only man in the park who’d noticed her.
Her combo of sex appeal and maternal love packed one hell of a wallop. Yet Joey seemed unaware. Or else she just plain didn’t care.
Their evening ritual had worried him. Even in the hottest part of summer, the Pacific Ocean was cold with strong currents that would make swimming a challenge for just about anyone, much less a slight woman and young child. As the owner of the park, he’d once felt compelled to talk to her about it.
She’d laughed at him, explaining that they didn’t swim. They just played in the sand and got brief splashes of the tide as itrolled in. And of course, once she’d told him that, he’d been driven by curiosity to see them doing exactly that.
As if Joey in a swimsuit wasn’t enticing enough, seeing her race her son along the beach, blonde hair reflecting the sunlight, had the power to steal his breath away. They always played the same games – he knew, because her ritual became his own.
Watching her with her son always left him with a terrible yearning, both sexual and... emotional.
He fucking hated it. He didn’t want to be drawn in by her or anyone else.
But he never turned away.
There’d been other disturbing encounters, too. Like her at the playground, not only pushing Ryder on the swing, but other kids, too, because their parents were on their phones. Or her with Ryder at the pool, patiently teaching him how to swim while also keeping watch on all the kids.
For almost a year now, she was always there, chatting at him whenever she could, waving at him as if they were friends, keeping her small rented cabin tidy, forever complimenting him on anything and everything to do with the park, and worst of all, she invaded his dreams. His thoughts.
His frozen heart.
His only reprieve was December...and she was still here.
“Have we been such a burden?” Her teasing smile showed off twin dimples.
Who knew dimples were such powerful magic? He’d found out early on, of course, not long after meeting her, so he did his best to guard against them.
For now, he’d look only at her eyes – but they were compelling, too. An unusual shade of green encircled by a darker, smoky hue. With her blonde hair and brown eyelashes, her eyes were incredibly noticeable.
“Yoo-hoo, Hendrix? Where’d you go?”
As she spoke, Hendrix realized he was just standing there staring at her.
