He gives me a wry look. ‘I’m aware I don’t make good first impressions.’
‘Oh,’ I say. ‘I mean, it wasn’tallbad. You, um…’ I chew on my bottom lip as I’m struck with a strange yet intriguing idea. ‘Could I, um, ask you a favour?’
He sits up a little straighter. ‘Anything.’
I wonder how I might get the words out without sounding like I’ve suddenly become feral. ‘Would you mind, uh…’ I wince. ‘Taking your shirt off?’
His eyebrows soar upward, but he takes a pinch of his shirt and nods down at it. ‘This?’
I nod, feeling a tingle of heat in my cheeks. He considers it only for a moment before pulling it off and tossing it into the corner of the tent. He eyes me again with ease; he doesn’t seem even the slightest bit self-conscious.
‘Is this… better?’ he asks politely.
‘Yeah,’ I breathe, my eyes glued to the hard lines of his torso. ‘I’m slowly getting used to how hot you are. I’m acclimatising.’
He barks out a laugh. ‘Okay,’ he says in disbelief. ‘If shedding any other clothing might help, just let me know.’
‘No, thank you.’ I expel a breath. ‘I’m good for now.Thatis enough to deal with,’ I say, motioning towards his front.
He looks down at himself as if to check we’re seeing the same thing. ‘You should see the guys at my gym,’ he mutters.
‘That won’t be necessary.’
‘Alright. Anyway,’ he begins, leaning back on his hands again, and I have to work very hard to keep my eyes fixed on his face. I mostly fail. ‘You were saying.’
‘Oh.’ I take a deep breath and continue. ‘I mean, sure. I didn’t get thebestfirst impression of you.’
‘Come on… let me have it. I can take it,’ he says with that trademark Elliot smirk back in place.
‘Okay, if we’re being honest.’ I regard him cooly and stretch my legs out in front of me. ‘I thought you were potentially the most annoyingly good-looking prick that walked this earth. Classic hot dickhead syndrome. At one point you made me so furious I actually thought about physically attacking you. And I’m not a violent woman.’
‘Really? Thatbad?’
‘Mmm. That first conversation with you made me so angry I could have bottled it. But… you redeemed yourself,’ I say.
‘Good,’ he replies seriously. ‘I’m sorry for that first conversation, you know – if I was rude.’
‘Oh, you were rude. But I was too,’ I admit with an apologetic smile.
‘Unique situation,’ he notes.
I nod in agreement and find my gaze drifting back down to his beautiful body. To my delight, my idea seems to be working. The hum of my nerves has cooled down and I’ve been able to hold a conversation with him, despite the staggering distraction that is his chest and abs. And arms. And shoulders. His voice breaks me out of my reverie.
‘Does this game go both ways?’
My eyes fly back upward. ‘Sorry?’
‘Could I make a request for an item of clothing to come off?’ he asks, his voice gritty and low.
I swallow. ‘Of mine?’
He nods. ‘You can say no,’ he says firmly, his eyes never leaving mine. ‘I’m… acclimatising too.’
A spark of excitement shoots down the centre of me, and I have to fight to slow down my breath. ‘Okay.’
He nods down at my chest. ‘Top.’
I mentally thank myself again for choosing to put on my nicest bra this morning as I tug off my t-shirt and drop it next to me.
