Page 2 of You Wish
“Two minutes is all I need,” she said breezily, slipping past before he could reconsider.
As the door to Jake’s private changing room closed behind her, Georgia allowed herself one victorious breath. Only it caught in her throat, choking her. Because there, ten feet away, standing buck naked with a towel over one shoulder, was the man who had skipped out,on love—her love.
Since his back was to her, she took her time to absorb the view and his unforgettable, should-be-lethal, fine specimen of an ass that was on complete display for all the world to see.
Okay, not all the world. But it was definitely a highlight in her world.
That’s just hormones talking.
This was why a man-free diet was a bad idea. Okay, maybe her diet had become a drought. She hadn’t been on a date in over two years and sex was a distant memory. But the second she tell yourself she couldn’t have that slice of chocolate cake, someone dangles the whole thing in front of her.
“Athletes only,” he said over his shoulder.
“Your security guard said I could come back here.”
Jake slowly spun around. When he met her gaze, his face went slack. Her face went red. Because there he stood, the full monty, and her memory hadn’t done him justice. He was even more impressive than she remembered.
“My eyes are up here, Georgia,” he said, no amusement in his voice.
She dragged her gaze slowly up his body, she couldn’t help it, and when she met his beautiful blue gaze, his lip quirked forjust a moment, showing a flash of the boy she remembered from the past, but it was quickly covered by indifference. Which was bullshit.
She was the one who deserved to be self-righteous, not him. Not the guy who sweet-talked her out of her virginity, then claimed she had too much baggage to go the distance.
He put his hand on his hips and Georgia slammed her eyes shut. “Ohmygod! Can you cover that?”
“It’s not like you haven’t seen it before.”
“I’ve seen college Jake not adult Jake.”
“That impressive, huh?” His voice was like velvet honey with a hint of country boy. And damn if she hadn’t taken a good long look and thought it had only gotten more impressive.
He stepped toward her like he owned all the space in the room—same as always—and sighed, his bare feet padding on the floor.
Holy shit, she forgot how tall he was. Her breath caught and her heart pounded out of her chest. He was so close she could smell his body wash. Then he reached her, pressing her back against the locker, his bare body a breath from hers.
He was going to kiss her. Oh my God, he was going to kiss her, and she wasn’t mad about it. “What are you doing?” she whispered hoarsely.
“I was reaching for a towel. What did you think I was doin’, darlin’?”
At the sound of her nickname, she felt one of her walls crack a little. It was a reminder of what they’d had. How he’d made her feel. How her body reacted had when they run into each other at a mutual friend’s wedding just a few month ago.
“Trying to annoy me,” she snapped and stepped aside. “Turn around and cover yourself.”
She shielded her eyes because closing them wasn’t enough to stop the image rushing through her vision. After the count ofthirty, she opened her eyes again and squeaked. “You said you were grabbing a towel!”
“You didn’t specify the order. Shall I grab the towel or turn around?”
When she didn’t respond—her tongue stubbornly stuck to the roof of her mouth—he chuckled.
After a beat, he said, “Go ahead. You can open your eyes. I’m decent.”
She parted her fingers just enough to peek, then clamped them shut again. “Decent? Hardly.”
He was in faded blue jeans, low on his hips, bare-chested and barefoot, muscles gleaming. His torso alone looked sculpted for battle—but the fleeting, accidental glimpse below, coupled with memories of long-ago nights, reminded her that what she saw above matched perfectly with what she remembered below. “You’re a little red. Happy to see me?”
“Trust me, if this wasn’t important or so dire I’d turn around and make a beeline for my car and forget this whole thing ever happened.”
But this wasn’t about her, this is about her foundation and a chance to raise enough money to float them for five years. And if she had an in that could help, then she’d swallow her dignity and make it happen. Kids were counting on her.
