Page 15 of Hearts at Seaside
Jerk.
Sexy jerk.
Sexy jerk who smells like heaven wrapped in a soft cotton T-shirt.
“I guess you want your towel?”
She thudded her fist against his chest, unable to force another word from her throat. He’d seen her big butt. Her bigwhitebutt. She should have put on tanning lotion and…Oh my gosh! What am I thinking? I’m buck naked in Pete’s arms!
“Don’t freak out or anything when I bend down to get this towel.” His voice was calm, like he was in total control, which was totally unfair.
“Mm-hm,” she managed.
His big, strong hand slid down her side and stopped at her waist. How had she missed his hand gripping her arm in the first place? She felt her body begin to tremble, and she knew he could feel it, too. It was as obvious as a beach umbrella struggling to remain erect during a typhoon. She clenched her fists tighter in his shirt.
His grip tightened on her hip, and holy mother of grace did it feel good.
“If you keep hold of me like that, I’ll never be able to pick up your towel.”
Jenna’s fingers flew open.
He laughed again and—thankfully—bent a little, as if he were going to retrieve her towel. His other hand, still holding her waist, slid seductively lower. He made a sound in his throat. Something between a grunt and an appreciativeHm!Then he crouched down a little lower, his cheek grazing her chest, sending sizzling pinpricks through her entire body. She couldn’t help it. She gripped his shirt again. She needed support before she fell right over. She’d never stood buck naked before a man who was fully dressed before. Beneath a man in the bedroom, sure. Above a man in the bedroom? Sure, sometimes, though not as often. But full frontal nude in front of Pete Lacroux?
Shoot me now. Please, please, let me drop dead.
She felt him rise to his full height again, his hand slid back up to her waist, where it felt like it had settled in for the night. His thumb pressed just below her ribs, his fingers gripped her back possessively, and when she remembered to breathe again, she inhaled lungs full of Pete.Masculine. Sinfully sexy. Earthy.
She couldn’t believe what she did next. She gripped his shirt tighter and inhaled again, hoping that smell would permeate her skin, her hair, her eyelids, for goodness sake. She must have died and gone to heaven in the three minutes that this episode took place. That was the only explanation that made any sense, because suddenly she could breathe, she could hear noises from the cars on the main road, and holy smokes, she could feel a breeze coming in from the front door, which was wide open. Holy moly. Her door was wide open. Anyone could see her big white butt. She had it all wrong.
This wasn’t heaven. This was hell.
She felt the towel wrap around her from behind.
“Better?” Pete took a step back, her claws still attached to his shirt as he handed her the ends of the towel.
She nodded, eyes still closed.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t look.”
She opened one eye and looked up at him. That was so much worse. His chin was peppered with stubble, and his chest rose and fell with each breath. Now that she knew what those pecs felt like, each breath felt like it reverberated against her palms again. When she met his eyes, oh wow, those glorious pools of brown sucked her right in. Jenna bit her lower lip to keep from grabbing his chest again.
“I fixed your hot water.” Pete held her gaze, and he didn’t look embarrassed or rattled, which only made Jenna more nervous.
“Th-thank you.” Jenna couldn’t move. She needed to walk past him to get into the bedroom and get dressed, and her legs were stuck. Glued to the floor.
“Are you going to the movie at Town Hall tonight?”
Shoot.She was supposed to be there already. She managed a nod.
His mouth quirked up. “I’ll see you there, then.”
He walked toward the door, and it was all Jenna could do to remain standing. She closed her eyes, relieved and frustrated at once. She didn’t hear the screen door open, and she sensed him standing behind her in the small living room. Was he looking at her? What was he thinking? Why wasn’t he leaving?
All sorts of crazy thoughts went through her head, like turning around and launching herself into his arms and kissing him silly. Her heartbeat quickened at the thought.
“Jenna?”
“Mm-hm?” She couldn’t move.
He was silent for a long time. Maybe two full days; Jenna wasn’t sure. Or maybe two minutes.
“Call me if you need anything else.”
When the screen door closed behind him, Jenna let out the breath she’d been holding. Her insides were trembling. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and when she opened her eyes, a smile lifted her lips.
My zinger isn’t broken after all.
