Page 19 of Catching the Mistletoe

Suddenly, I was sprinting, splashing into the Pacific with a laugh that was half exhilaration, half relief. The water was chilli, just like Mack warned, but the chill was invigorating, washing away all the awkwardness and tension from earlier.

I turned around to look back at the shore, wanting to share this incredible moment. Mack was still there. Even from this distance, I could feel the connection, as if an invisible thread had been pulled taut between us. I felt the urge to drag on that thread, to bring him closer to me.

“Come on in, why don’t you? It’s amazing!” Even from here, I could see his shoulders slump in resignation. My heart slammed against my rib cage as he walked down the sand to the water’s edge. Hoooooly fuck! He pulled his sweater over his head and did he really have to go ahead and look like a roman god, gilded by the silvery light of the moon? Seems like he did. And it only got better from there when he stripped down to his boxers, wading into the water up to his knees. He didn’t come any further than that, just stood there with his muscled arms folded across his broad chest. Watching me with a hooded gaze.

I wanted, more than anything, for him to meet me where I was. To come out and stand near me. Figuring my best chance of getting him to do that would be by talking a little smack, I began my attack. “Seems like a big, strong cowboy such as yourself shouldn’t be so put off by a few little waves, huh? I’m not sure what my mom’ll say when I let her know you would have let me drown rather than get a little bit cold.”

“Arabella.” His voice was a low drawl, thick with amusement, and it rolled right through me, making me shiver.

“I’m just saying that I really thought you were tougher than this, is all. I mean, if I can handle it, you should—” it was at that precise moment that I felt something slimy brush against my leg. I let out a scream of sheer, unadulterated horror and quick as thought, Mack bolted forward, pushing through the waves toward me. I’d barely taken two steps when he got to me. With absolutely no regard for my dignity, I climbed him like a tree, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and burying my face in his neck while I shuddered in revulsion.

Back on dry land, I still clung to him like a limpet, desperately hoping there wasn’t some primordial slime caked on my leg.

“Are you alright?” He put me down, but kept one arm around my waist while he tried to lean back and assess the damage. Suddenly, I wasn’t thinking about slithery creatures of the deep. I was thinking about Mack, his skin warm, his muscles hard. The steady beating of his heart.

“Yeah…yeah, I’m okay.”

“What happened? Did something sting you?”

I really liked how he didn’t let me go. Just shifted so his hand was low on my back, just above my panty line. My breath quickened, and I hoped he thought it was from the fright I’d just had. “No! I’m okay! It was just…something slithered…”

“What the fuck?” Even in the dim moonlight, I could see his eyebrow quirk. “Something…slithered?”

“Yes! Against my leg! All slimy and gross! Like a giant sea slug or some shit!”

“A…sea slug? Jesus fucking Christ, Arabella…” Then he chuckled, a low rumbling sound from deep in his chest. His eyes gleamed in the moonlight and he laughed some more. I had to wonder how something as simple as a man laughing at me could be so incredibly sexy. Then I realized that I’d never actually heard him laugh before. It made me wish we were in daylight, so I could really see how he looked. I bet his eyes would crinkle at the edges. The thought made me smile.

“Well, it’s not that funny. It could have been deadly.” I batted at his chest, appreciating the hard muscle under my palm. Resisted the urge to leave my hand there. To slide it lower, to feel his abs. I bet they’d feel amazing.

His laughter died out, the smile faded, but he still didn’t let me go. I stilled, feeling the breath leave my lungs at the shadowed look in his eyes.

Kiss me.God, I wanted him to kiss me so much. It was a silent scream.

Like he was reading my mind, he stiffened and not in a good way. He pulled his hands away from me and stepped back. “We should go in. You probably want a shower.” Without looking at me again, he scooped up his clothes and turned away, striding up the beach. Feeling a little disconsolate, I grabbed my own clothes and followed him.

In the RV, he was already dressed when I came in. Don’t know how he did that so quickly, but he had his back to the door and was washing up the dinner dishes. Probably a good idea that he didn’t turn to look at me, since I was standing there in my soaking wet underwear. “You don’t mind if I shower, then?”

“No.”

With a glum sigh, I grabbed my pjs and shower bag from the back room and slipped into the shower. The hot water felt heavenly against my cold skin, so I took a little longer than I should have. When I came out, Mack had already converted the dining table to a bed for me. Still not looking at me, so that was fun.

“I’ll just dry my hair, if that’s okay? Then I won’t need to use the bedroom again.”

“Sure.”

All the awkwardness at dinner had come roaring back. I dried my hair as quickly as I could, then slipped by Mack to my bed.

Listening to him in the bathroom, brushing his teeth and washing his face, was the weirdest sensation. When he came out, I made sure I was facing away from the bathroom door, with my eyes firmly trained on my eReader.

He moved around, checking that the door was secured and switching off lights until the only one remaining was the reading light above my bed. “Good night.”

Oh god, he looked so gorgeous, standing in the middle of the RV in his t-shirt and…gray sweats. Did it have to be the gray sweats? I gave him a polite, formal smile and said, “Good night.”

He went into the bedroom, sliding the door closed behind him. Well, that was just fine. That was dandy. I could just lie here and read for a little bit before going to sleep.

Oh okay, so this was a bad idea, actually. The book I was halfway through reading was about a hot cowboy and, wouldn’t you know it, I was about to hit a steamy scene. Nope, definitely not a good idea. The last thing I needed before I went to sleep was images of a hot guy fucking some lucky girl senseless. Jeez, like imagine if I had a wet dream in the middle of the night. Now I was blushing, goddamit. Time to put the eReader away, flick the reading light off and turn my back to the main bedroom, with its king-sized bed and six foot two inches tall, extremely hot cowboy.

I did just that, rolling over and closing my eyes.

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