Page 48 of Long Shot

He enfolds Jack in the towel as I hand him over, then lowers him to the floor so he can rub him dry. He glances up at me and his gaze lingers on my chest.

I look down. Shit! My shirt is soaked and my hard nipples are on full display. Heat sweeps from my chest up into my face.

Cade lifts his head and we eye each other, something pulsing between us. My heart bangs against my ribs and I squeeze my thighs together at the ache building low inside me.

I open my mouth to sayI’m all wet,but luckily realize how that will sound before the words come out. “I, uh, guess I need to change.”

“Go on.” Cade’s voice comes out in a rasp. “I got him.”

I rocket past him and down the short hall to my bedroom where I pull the wet T-shirt off over my head. I press a hand to my breasts. Yep, my bra is wet, too. I unfasten it and toss it onto my bed, then yank open my dresser drawer. My fingers don’t cooperate as I try to get a clean bra on and fastened. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

Damn, I’m all flustered.

I snag a hoodie lying on the chair in the corner of the room, slide it over my head, and tug it down. There.

Jack and Cade are seated on my living room floor, Cade lifting Jack’s paws to dry them, too.

“Okay, I’m back,” I announce needlessly. “All dry.”

Cade lifts his head. His lips twitch. “Damn.”

More heat scalds my cheeks.

“Do you maybe need to blow-dry him?” Cade asks.

I shake my head. “He’ll dry. I’ll just get a blanket to put down on the couch. Hang on.”

Once more I flee, returning with a blanket. Cade helps me lay it on the couch and Jack immediately jumps up, paws at it, turns in a few circles and then lays down, nose between his paws. His eyebrows twitch as he peers up at us, then he closes his eyes.

I laugh. “He’s exhausted.”

“So he should be, after all that swimming.” Cade sets a gentle hand on Jack’s head. “So Sunday?”

“Um, what?”

“Sunday. You’re off, right?”

“Yes.”

“This time we’ll get him on my surfboard.”

“That’s crazy.”

“Yeah, but it’s fun. And you can see he enjoyed the water.”

I have to admit he did. Why is Cade doing this, though? He’s my boss. I work for him. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea.”

“I’ll get him a life jacket.”

“No.” I sigh. “Not that. I mean . . . you and me.” I wave a hand.

He blows out a breath. “Yeah. I know.”

“I mean, I know you have this thing . . . about women.”

His eyebrows lower.

“That’s your own business,” I add quickly. “I don’t want to judge—”

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