Read Online Accept This Dandelion by Brooke Williams - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Brooke Williams
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I’m going to ask. Why are you wearing that?”
Renee looked down at the towel. Her cut-off shorts peaked out beneath it.
“Have you ever gone on a first date in a Speedo?” Renee asked in a matter-of-fact voice.
“A Speedo? Why in the world…”
“Exactly,” Renee said. “Why would you do that? And yet you expected us to do virtually the same thing while you sat here in your comfy shorts and tank top. The producer said the date was casual. Sitting around in something that looked like underwear didn’t seem casual to me. So I wore what did.”
Ben held up his hands in surrender. “Okay. You win.”
Renee nodded her head and shivered again. The temperature was dropping along with the sun. It took all of her strength to keep her teeth from chattering. Renee enjoyed letting Ben know what she thought about his pool party. She hoped the women in the city agreed. Surely most of them felt objectified at some point in their lives, and the fact that she wasn’t going to stand for it put them on her side.
“You’re really something.” Ben looked across the space separating them.
Renee warmed instantly as she caught his gaze. He looked into her eyes and time stopped. Without any explanation at all, a current ran through her body, much like the one she experienced the other night when his touch sent a real static shock up her arm. This time, they weren’t even touching.
Renee involuntarily shivered a third time for a whole different reason.
“You’re definitely cold.” Ben stood and grabbed Renee by the shoulders to lift her from her chair. “Here.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her face against his chest. “This is probably the last thing you want, but I’m not going to let you freeze to death before my eyes.”
Renee grasped the towel in her hands, squeezing it so tightly she thought her knuckles might burst. She wasn’t sure what to do. She couldn’t hug him back because her arms were trapped in front of her. She also wasn’t able push him again. Her face was turned the opposite direction from the other women so she couldn’t even see their reactions to the embrace.
“Remember what I said,” Ben whispered against her ear. “I’m not putting the fire out this time.”
Renee knew there wasn’t a real fire around all the water. As she shivered a final time, she knew it wasn’t from the cold…but rather the heat between them. She looked up at Ben, finding her nose near his chin. As he gazed down at her, she had the sudden urge to raise herself to her toes and kiss him.
Renee turned to the side slightly. Before she gave in to that crazy notion, she had to get out of there. Sure, Ben smelled great despite the chlorine tinge and looked even better, but he was a womanizer, and he would never change. He was working his magic on her. He probably saw her as a challenge. Men liked the chase.
“All better,” Renee said as she twisted from his grip, anxious to get away from his burning brown eyes and his hot flesh. If Ben wanted a chase, she’d give it to him. But instead of letting him catch her, she planned to keep running…as fast as she could.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Renee didn’t like the way her mind kept wandering to Ben, and the fact that she still felt his tan arms around her. She wasn’t sure what bothered her more, the idea that Ben might actually be interested in her or the thought that he had an effect on her. Renee sat down in front of her home computer. She needed to forget Ben’s second group date, scheduled to happen later. Why should she care? He was a womanizing jerk. But Eva would be on the date, and she didn’t want the sweet girl to be swept up by the excitement.
Renee curled her fingers over the keyboard. She didn’t go back to work until after the elimination ceremony the following night, so in the meantime she’d write a few scripts from home. She told her boss she would do as much as possible to help out in her absence, and the sales people took her up on
Renee looked down at the towel. Her cut-off shorts peaked out beneath it.
“Have you ever gone on a first date in a Speedo?” Renee asked in a matter-of-fact voice.
“A Speedo? Why in the world…”
“Exactly,” Renee said. “Why would you do that? And yet you expected us to do virtually the same thing while you sat here in your comfy shorts and tank top. The producer said the date was casual. Sitting around in something that looked like underwear didn’t seem casual to me. So I wore what did.”
Ben held up his hands in surrender. “Okay. You win.”
Renee nodded her head and shivered again. The temperature was dropping along with the sun. It took all of her strength to keep her teeth from chattering. Renee enjoyed letting Ben know what she thought about his pool party. She hoped the women in the city agreed. Surely most of them felt objectified at some point in their lives, and the fact that she wasn’t going to stand for it put them on her side.
“You’re really something.” Ben looked across the space separating them.
Renee warmed instantly as she caught his gaze. He looked into her eyes and time stopped. Without any explanation at all, a current ran through her body, much like the one she experienced the other night when his touch sent a real static shock up her arm. This time, they weren’t even touching.
Renee involuntarily shivered a third time for a whole different reason.
“You’re definitely cold.” Ben stood and grabbed Renee by the shoulders to lift her from her chair. “Here.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her face against his chest. “This is probably the last thing you want, but I’m not going to let you freeze to death before my eyes.”
Renee grasped the towel in her hands, squeezing it so tightly she thought her knuckles might burst. She wasn’t sure what to do. She couldn’t hug him back because her arms were trapped in front of her. She also wasn’t able push him again. Her face was turned the opposite direction from the other women so she couldn’t even see their reactions to the embrace.
“Remember what I said,” Ben whispered against her ear. “I’m not putting the fire out this time.”
Renee knew there wasn’t a real fire around all the water. As she shivered a final time, she knew it wasn’t from the cold…but rather the heat between them. She looked up at Ben, finding her nose near his chin. As he gazed down at her, she had the sudden urge to raise herself to her toes and kiss him.
Renee turned to the side slightly. Before she gave in to that crazy notion, she had to get out of there. Sure, Ben smelled great despite the chlorine tinge and looked even better, but he was a womanizer, and he would never change. He was working his magic on her. He probably saw her as a challenge. Men liked the chase.
“All better,” Renee said as she twisted from his grip, anxious to get away from his burning brown eyes and his hot flesh. If Ben wanted a chase, she’d give it to him. But instead of letting him catch her, she planned to keep running…as fast as she could.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Renee didn’t like the way her mind kept wandering to Ben, and the fact that she still felt his tan arms around her. She wasn’t sure what bothered her more, the idea that Ben might actually be interested in her or the thought that he had an effect on her. Renee sat down in front of her home computer. She needed to forget Ben’s second group date, scheduled to happen later. Why should she care? He was a womanizing jerk. But Eva would be on the date, and she didn’t want the sweet girl to be swept up by the excitement.
Renee curled her fingers over the keyboard. She didn’t go back to work until after the elimination ceremony the following night, so in the meantime she’d write a few scripts from home. She told her boss she would do as much as possible to help out in her absence, and the sales people took her up on
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