Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 121728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
With a shiver, she wrapped her arms around herself and turned to find him staring at her.
“I guess you couldn’t find a bathing suit,” he murmured, running his gaze from her sloppy bun to her painted toes.
Sloane headed over to the wooden steps next to the tub. “No. When I get a chance I’ll check the boxes I have stored at my parents’ house. I know I have at least two somewhere.”
“Are you sure you want to wear that in the tub?”
“What other option do I have?”
He opened his mouth and after a second, snapped it shut. If he’d been about to suggest her going in naked, he thought better of it.
She considered that possibility herself and would seriously consider it if she’d been home alone. Instead, she donned an old pair of panties and matching bra. To her it wasn’t much different from wearing a bikini. It all covered the same amount of flesh, if not a little more.
Before she could get into the tub, he was standing next to the steps, offering his hand.
His hand swallowed hers whole when she accepted it. With his assistance, she carefully climbed into the bubbling water that glowed blue due to the underwater lights. She sighed in ecstasy as the hot water cocooned her exhausted body.
Once she settled into one of the seats, he stepped back and gave her a chin lift. “I’ll leave so you can relax. If you need help closing it up when you’re through, just let me know.” With that, he headed toward the back door.
Should I? Shouldn’t I? “Decker,” she called out just as he reached it.
He paused but kept his back to her.
Here goes nothing… “Will you join me?”
Her heart thumpity-thump-thumped when he turned and tipped his head in question.
She followed up with, “In the hot tub.” Though, she was damn sure he was smart enough to figure it out.
He schooled his expression and said carefully, “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“You… uh… need to relax.”
“I’m sure you do, too. You’ve also had a long day.”
“Right,” he breathed. His brow dropped low. “Are you sure you want company?”
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t.”
He considered her for a few more heartbeats before announcing, “I’ll… uh… go change.”
She raised a single eyebrow. “I take it you’re not wearing underwear, then?”
Something flashed across his face. There and gone before she could figure out what it meant.
“I mean, if you don’t have any on, I can cover my eyes until you get in.” She wasn’t going to point out that the tub’s lights wouldn’t hide much underwater.
Again, he was smart enough to figure that out on his own.
Scratching his beard, he tilted his head, his chest rising and falling slowly. Then he stepped over to the lounge chair that held her towel and robe before toeing off the slip-on shoes he’d put on to come outside.
Still facing away from her, he crossed his arms over his chest and grabbed the hem of his Henley with both hands. Peeling it up and off his body, he exposed his broad, muscular back. He tossed it next to her things and as soon as he hooked his thumbs in the elastic waist of his sweatpants, she held her breath, waiting to see if he wore underwear or not.
One pounding heartbeat. Two.
Air rushed from her as the slide of gray cotton exposed a perfectly rounded ass, unfortunately covered in cotton.
Maybe inviting him to join her wasn’t such a great idea. She was sitting in a big container of hot water thirsty as hell.
When he turned, she choked on her own spit and began to cough.
“Do I have to do the Heimlich on you?”
She cleared her throat and shook her head, laughing. “No.”
But what wasn’t a laughing matter was his broad chest and cut torso. If this was after he “put on some weight”—the words the man on the other end of the phone said—then she couldn’t imagine how ripped he was prior.
Like a damn Adonis sculpture.
Over his heart was a tattoo. It was in the shape of a heart made with words she couldn’t read due to the shadows and the distance, but she could make out the two tiny footprints in the center.
She had no doubt they were Val’s footprints and because of how small they were, that they’d been taken right after she was born. They were the size of a doll’s. No more than two inches long, if that.
A permanent reminder of her rough beginning.
But it was more than the tattoo that drew her attention. It was impossible to pull her eyes from the rest of him as he climbed the steps and into the tub. His unhurried movements gave her time to fully appreciate the view. Though, she doubted that was why he took his time. He wasn’t showing off for her, he was simply trying not to break his damn neck.