Page 39 of Switching Places

“I can’t do this,” she whispered, then turned and ran into the house. Without pausing, she went up the stairs and into her sister’s room. Closing the door, she hurried to the bathroom and shut that door, leaning against it as if holding it against a predator. There was no sound save her own harsh breathing. Slowly she flicked on the light.

Chapter Twelve

She was an idiot. A total and complete ninny. He’d merely kissed her and she had bolted like a scared rabbit. Mortified, she wanted to turn back the clock and start over. She’d make sure they never left the patio. A mere kiss should not wreak such havoc.

Well, maybe amerekiss was a bit of an understatement—that kiss had been unlike any she’d ever experienced. Still, she couldn’t just fall into bed with a man who kissed like that.

She closed her eyes in embarrassment. Maybe he hadn’t even wanted to go to bed. Maybe he had been caught up in the kiss as she’d been and his hands had roved. Wow, had they roved. Touching her in ways no one else ever had. And provoking shimmering feelings that she’d never known existed. Even now after fleeing like a rabbit, her body hummed.

“And now I’ve acted like the naive girl I am and he’ll probably never want to see me again. Oh, no, we’re supposed to go to that barbecue on Saturday. I’ll have to cancel. Or maybe he’ll cancel.”

The thought didn’t bring the relief she hoped for.

“How can I just treat this like nothing happened? I can’t face him again. I can’t.”

Shivering in her wet dress, she caught sight of herself in the mirror and was horrified. The dress might as well have been a second skin, leaving nothing to the imagination. Her breasts pushed against the damp cloth. Her skirt clung to her legs, outlining each one, molding them.

Ripping off the offending dress, she wadded it into a ball and tossed it across the room. Running the shower, Emma stepped in, turning the water hotter and hotter until the chill began to fade. After a few minutes she almost laughed aloud. She’d mentioned Cinderella on the beach, but she was Cinderella inreverse. Starting out looking nice, she ended up looking like a bag lady.

So much for romance and fantasy. Maybe that kind of thing only happened in books. Real life had a way of interfering with romance.

Sighing, she turned off the water and got out. She towel dried her hair, combing it back from her face. Dressing in her sleep shirt, she slowly wandered downstairs. Might as well do the dishes and tidy the kitchen. She hated coming into a mess in the morning.

Logan sat at the breakfast table, his long legs stretched out before him. His feet were bare, a light dusting of sand coated the tops. Looking up when she entered, his expression seemed thoughtful.

Emma stopped short. She thought he’d gone home.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

She nodded, then glanced down at the sleep shirt.

“Go home, Logan,” she said.

Hair still damp and slicked back, a faded T-shirt from the university, bare feet and no makeup. No woman wants a man to see her like that, not when she’s interested in making a good impression, not scaring him to death.

“You look cute,” he said, rising.

“Cute is not the image I’m looking for,” she said petulantly.

He laughed and walked over. His forefinger tilted her chin until she faced him.

“Well, it will have to do for tonight. Warm enough, now?” he asked.

She nodded. If she opened her mouth, she’d probably start wailing at the turn of events. Did this just point out how unsuitable she was for life in the fast lane? Or was it a question of practice? Would she be in California long enough to find out?

His thumb brushed against her lips. The heat that coursed through her had nothing to do with her recent shower.

“You fascinate me,” he said slowly.

“You’re pretty fascinating yourself,” she said.

“My life is an open book.”

“Turned to one page only. What do the other pages hold?”

“Want to find out?”

She nodded, afraid yet unable to help herself. She wanted to learn everything there was to know about this man. Explore the sensations that he evoked, discover what caused this attraction, and decide what to do about it. Time was limited, experience was almost nil.

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