Page 21 of Wild Rush
“Sure. The aquarium has one.”
“Thanks. Hope we didn’t cause you too much trouble.” Rush frowned as he watched the man flip the paddleboat over with little effort. “Okay. Not too much trouble then,” he muttered.
“All good. Gets me out of the office.” He grinned at them. “Go on. Get out of this wind. It’s picking up. Expect we’ll get some rain before long.”
Rush glanced up at the sky. The light dusting of clouds from earlier had turned into a dark, churning cover that definitely promised rain. “Right. Thanks again.”
He bundled Reena up against his side in an attempt to protect her from the wind and marched them off the dock. Heading straight for the aquarium, he hoped they’d find more than the usual t-shirt and postcard in the shop.
People gave them a wide berth as they walked along the waterfront. They got some funny looks too but most didn’t make eye contact, which meant the walk was quick.
Bustling them inside the aquarium’s air-conditioned foyer, Rush scanned the area for the entrance to the obligatory money-trap these places usually had. Spotting it in the far corner, he urged Reena in that direction. She’d cuddled in against him on the walk over, her shivering increasing with each step, and now the cold air of the foyer slapped at them, making it worse.
There wasn’t much of her, so it wouldn’t take long for the cold to set in all the way to her bones. He knew all about the cold. Living in the mountains where it wasn’t uncommon to get snowed in during winter, he’d build up a resistance, however he wasn’t stupid, he knew it didn’t take freezing temperatures for a person to get hypothermia.
He needed to get her warm.
“Can I help you?” A woman wearing a shirt with the aquarium logo on the breast pocket made a beeline for them as they entered the shop.
“Yes. We took an unexpected dip in the harbor and I was hoping you had some pants and shirts we could purchase so we could get out of these wet clothes.” He smiled while tucking Reena tighter against his chest.
“Oh, yes, we do. In fact, we have the last of our winter stock on sale right now. This way.” The woman—Jenny, according to her name tag—led them to the back of the store.
Before Rush could even look, she was pulling things off the display counter and piling them on a chair.
“You’re in luck. We’ve got one pair of men’s sweatpants left.” Picking up the pile she’d made, she was on the move again. “You can change in the fitting room. I’ll get a bag for you to put your wet things into.”
“Thank you.” He ushered Reena into the first curtained alcove. “Can you manage on your own?”
“Yes-s.” She smiled but he could tell it was forced. “I’m f-feeling warmer already.”
“We’ll get something hot to drink when we’re dry,” he promised.
Rush made quick work of stripping and redressing. When he came out of the changing room, Jenny was back with a plastic bag and he handed over his credit card. “Put it on this, please.”
“Certainly. Debit or credit.”
“Credit.” He shoved his wet clothes in the bag. “Oh, is there a coffee shop in here?”
“Yes. Right across the foyer.”
Rush hadn’t taken notice of anything else when they’d entered the building. He’d been focused on his goal. “Thanks.”
“That feels so much better.” A smiling Reena appeared from behind the curtain.
He looked down, taking in the way the t-shirt, while not tight, hugged her naked breasts and the indent of her waist before flaring out to sit snug across her hips. The sweatpants weren’t much better for his control. A little tighter than the top, they skimmed down her long, sleek legs, molding to every curve and ending with her bare feet.
“Where are your shoes?”
“I lost them in the harbor.”
“What?” His gaze bounced back up to hers. “Why didn’t you say something?” And how hadn’t he noticed she was barefoot before now?
She shrugged. “Not much you could do about it. They were only a cheap pair of flip-flops. I’m sure they’ve got some here I can buy.”
He was grateful he’d talked her into leaving her handbag and their phones at home. None of those would have survived their dip. “Right. Flip-flops.”
Rush grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him.
