Page 8 of More than Enough
“Better.” She shifted and he relaxed his hold, surprised when she snuggled in closer, head on his shoulder. “A lot better. I didn’t realize what was happening.”
“Yeah, sneaks up on ya.” He lay there, listening to tiny ripples of water lapping against the side of the tub and the sound of her breathing, slow and deep.
The roar from his stomach was loud and unexpected. So was the bright music of her giggle afterwards.
“Yeah, I didn’t have supper yet.” Blade chuckled, and Jenn giggled louder. “So sue me. I had more important things to worry about.”
“I could eat.” Jenn’s whisper was quiet, stilling his humor immediately. “Let me feed you, Blade. I’d be honored.”
“You don’t have to.” It was a half-assed protest, and he knew it. So did she if the tiny giggle was anything to measure by. “But if you’re offering, I’m accepting.”
With the water draining, exiting the tub proved more difficult than entering it had been, his soaked socks having no grip on the slippery bottom. After a particularly close call, he realized a laughing Jenn was holding him up instead of the other way around. Glancing down, he found her looking up at him, the smile and warmth in her expression his alone.All mine. He froze at the thought, and by the time he’d decided to kiss her, the moment was over and she’d pulled away, grabbing towels from the cabinet.
She laid them on the counter, then retrieved a couple more. “I’ve got some things that should mostly fit you. I’ll get changed, then grab them so you don’t have to schlep around in your wet things.” Towels pressed to her breasts, she paused. “Thank you, Blade.” A brief smile played across her lips. “Again. Seems I’m always thanking you.” Her chin ducked as she turned to the door.
“My pleasure,” he said, but too late as the door closed behind her, shutting him in and her out.
Eight
Jenn
Wet clothes in a basket, waiting for Blade’s to join them so she could wash and dry them, Jenn leaned against the counter, head bowed. She still had a pounding headache, but at least it had eased after she’d drained a bottle of water. She had the fixings for sandwiches arranged on a platter, just needed to assemble them for her guest.
Stupid.
She’d known she was getting hot but had been too far away from the diner when the idea of water crossed her mind, and even darting into the forest every so often hadn’t brought much relief from the relentless heat. Thank goodness Blade had come along when he had, or she could be lying alongside the highway somewhere.
She hadn’t been making good decisions by then, as evidenced by her embarrassing behavior. At least Blade had recognized the signs and taken steps to help cool her down. As shaky as she felt now, she knew it was a near-miss encounter.
“Hey. Hey, Jenn.” The quiet greeting was paired with a soft touch on her hip, and Jenn lifted her head to see Blade had come up behind her, his bare feet silent on the tile floor. He had his wet things bundled under his arm. “How ya feelin’ now?”
“I’ll be fine.” She reached out, and they had an annoying but hilarious tiny tug-of-war over the wet things before she huffed out a breath, giving up. “Put them there.” She pointed at the basket. “I’ll get them into the washer.” He glanced over, then back to her with a shake of his head. “What? Are you going to ride home like that?” She gestured to his bare torso and feet, the too-large sweat pants hanging dangerously low off his narrow hips.
“Where’s the washer?” He turned in a comical half circle before walking towards the basket, dumping his clothes on top of hers before picking it up. “Never mind. Found it.” Blade disappeared into the tiny laundry room off the back of the kitchen. Then his head popped back out, gaze pinning her in place. “Your stuff need anything special?” He raked his fingers through his hair as she shook her head. “Okay then, sit your ass down before you fall down, Jenn. I’m right here.”
“You’re doing the laundry?”
Out of sight, he laughed from his position next to the washing machine. “Yeah, that’s one of the many things Uncle Sam made sure I knew how to do.” The machine’s controls clicked, followed by a gush of water. Then the thud of the lid closing preceded his reentrance into the kitchen. “Woman, do you ever do anything you’re told?” Blade slipped an arm around her back before steering her to a chair he pulled out from under the kitchen table. “Sit down, Jenn. Let’s get you fed.”
Stunned by his forceful persistence, she sat, his hand gliding in a gentle touch along her shoulders as he turned away. An empty plate appeared, then a glass filled to the rim with ice and water.
She looked up and found him staring down at her, tongue caught in the corner of his mouth as if he were studying hard. “What?” It was tough to wrap her head around how comfortable he seemed, moving from one logical task to the next without prompting, as if couplehood were a long-established thing for them.
“I’m pegging you as a ham and tomato gal, on wheat with mayo.” He turned away, treating her to the sight of his broad back once again, but this a more unique view. He had the classic physique of a swimmer with wide shoulders, bare skin browned from the sun, muscles playing under the smooth skin as he moved things on the countertop. He twisted to glance at her, the position showing off how his chest was as impressive as his back. All of that was topped by a handsome face with an expressive mouth and soulful eyes that didn’t hide his feelings. He had proven to be an open book, for her at least, but maybe he was doing that on purpose to put her at ease.
The chair beside her moved and another plate appeared, this one loaded with three sandwiches. The chair shifted again as a bag of chips was placed in the center of the table, and then a final time as Blade sat, beer in hand. He was close enough his thigh brushed hers with every move, heat from his body baking into her. Unlike the dangerous reaction to being outside in the hottest portion of the day, this filled her chest with a gently simmering wave. Other than her landlord, the only men who’d been in the house were her brother and one of his friends, and the two of them had been more grunt-and-point guys than ones to hold a conversation. The contrast between the men was stark. By the way butterflies occupied her stomach around Blade, she found everything about him not just welcome, but most intriguing.
She watched as he transferred one sandwich to her plate, then reached out and dragged the chips closer. “There you go.” He twisted in his chair, his leg rubbing against hers in an innocent touch. “You got a nice place.”
“Thanks.” Jenn lifted her glass, having to quickly use both hands to hide the trembling as she sipped. “Is this a thing you do?” Without looking at him, she retrieved half of the sandwich he’d made for her and took a bite, sinking her teeth into sun-ripened tomato sliced the perfect thickness and topped with sweet, smoked ham. He didn’t answer, so she finished chewing and asked again. “Is it? This rescuing thing your gig?”
“Rescuing gig?” He scoffed around a mouthful of sandwich, his looking like a roast beef, piled with pickles. “Nope. I work construction. Rescuing women is my side hustle.” He tipped his head and grinned at her, winking as he lifted the beer and took a deep drink. “You look better.”
“This?” She liked the light feel of the conversation and teasingly tossed her head, still-wet hair trailing down her back. “Trust me, I can put together something infinitely better than the post-being-fried-in-the-sun look I’ve got going for me now.”
“Meh.” He shrugged. “You look good, Jenn. Every time I’ve met you, I’ve seen a little more.” She glanced down at her tank top, and he sputtered into his beer. “No. God, no. I didn’t mean that. I didn’t, I mean.”
“Relax, big guy. I’m joking.” Jenn leaned close and bumped his shoulder with hers. “But you’re right. In fact, I’m definitely seeing a lot more of you now than before.” He stared at her again, the expression on his face inscrutable for the first time. Intent, piercing, it was hard to meet head on, but she held his gaze as best she could. “And I don’t mind what I’ve seen of you so far, Blade. You’re a genuinely good man.”
