“Uh, Charli, I’m still in here.”
“So,” she said, sounding like a petulant teenager. “Didn’t ya know? Guys don’t think
of me as a girl. So no harm.”
“Guys don’t wha—?” He must be having a dream. He’d really made it back to his cabin
and he was in his bed now, having erotic dreams about Charli like the night before.
That must be it.
“I’m
hard to watch
, cowboy” she said, her tone bitter. “They’d rather watch some blonde baton-twirling
fashion reporter than me.Because she’s
pretty
. Even if she probably doesn’t know a first down from first base.”
Grant breathed in a deep gulp of steamy air, willing himself not to turn around and
take the eyeful he so wanted. She was drunk. And apparently some idiot at her job
had thrown a grenade at her today. He couldn’t give in to the urge.
“Darlin’, obviously you’re working with some world-class imbeciles. But do you mind
wrapping up with a towel? Otherwise, you’re going to be real mad at yourself and me
in the morning.”
She sniffed. “Well, see, there you go. The thought of me naked is even too much for
you to bear.”
Oh, she had no idea. “Now you’re just talking stupid.”
“Great. So I’m not just ugly but stupid. Gee, thanks. You can go now.”
“Enough.” He spun around right as she was securing the towel, a towel that barely
made it past the juncture of her legs. He wet his lips, the rest of his planned words
sticking to his mouth like taffy.
“Just go.”
He closed the distance between them with two strides, and up close he could see that
even though her jaw was set, her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. “Look, I don’t
know what happened to you today or what you’re trying to prove to yourself right now,
but let’s get one thing straight—you know nothing about what I think of you.”
“So tell me then,” she challenged. “Can’t be any worse than what I’ve already heard
today.”
He moved into her personal space, backing her into the wall and bracing his hands
on each side of her. “The truth? I think you’ve had a really shitty day and you’re
looking for a fight or a fuck to make you forget it.”
Her eyes widened, her breath hitching.
“You want to yell at me, freckles? You want to pummel me to get all that anger out?
Because go ahead. I’m right here.”
She stared back at him, frozen for a moment, then she licked her lips nervously. “That’s
not what I want to do with you.”
His breathing was loud in his own ears. He needed to walk away. Right. Now. But his
mouth was acting on its own accord. “Tell me what you want, Charli.”
Half of him hoped she wouldn’t follow his command, that she’d push him away. Because
this was about as bad an idea as he’d ever considered. But if she told him, if she
asked, he didn’t think he had it in him to deny her.
She couldn’t seem to bring her gaze up to him, but he didn’t miss the whispered plea.
“I need to forget today. I need something good.”
And with that, his desire knocked off his good sense.
Bang, bang
. Dead.
“Something good it is, then.” He lifted Charli up and wound her legs around him, fitting
the bare curve of her ass into his palms and dragging her against his straining erection.
She tucked her face into the crook of his neck and made a soft, desperate sound that
curled through him like hot smoke, filling his nerve endings.
But his raging libido was going to have to wait. He wasn’t going to fuck her drunk,
couldn’t cross that line. But he could give her what she needed. He carried her over
to the shower and pulled open the door, the steam spilling out into the room, then
stepped in fully clothed, bringing them both under the hot stream of water. She lifted
her head, surprise coloring her eyes as the water sluiced over her, soaking the towel
and sloughing the dirt off her arms.
“Your clothes,” she said, looking down at his now-saturated
“So,” she said, sounding like a petulant teenager. “Didn’t ya know? Guys don’t think
of me as a girl. So no harm.”
“Guys don’t wha—?” He must be having a dream. He’d really made it back to his cabin
and he was in his bed now, having erotic dreams about Charli like the night before.
That must be it.
“I’m
hard to watch
, cowboy” she said, her tone bitter. “They’d rather watch some blonde baton-twirling
fashion reporter than me.Because she’s
pretty
. Even if she probably doesn’t know a first down from first base.”
Grant breathed in a deep gulp of steamy air, willing himself not to turn around and
take the eyeful he so wanted. She was drunk. And apparently some idiot at her job
had thrown a grenade at her today. He couldn’t give in to the urge.
“Darlin’, obviously you’re working with some world-class imbeciles. But do you mind
wrapping up with a towel? Otherwise, you’re going to be real mad at yourself and me
in the morning.”
She sniffed. “Well, see, there you go. The thought of me naked is even too much for
you to bear.”
Oh, she had no idea. “Now you’re just talking stupid.”
“Great. So I’m not just ugly but stupid. Gee, thanks. You can go now.”
“Enough.” He spun around right as she was securing the towel, a towel that barely
made it past the juncture of her legs. He wet his lips, the rest of his planned words
sticking to his mouth like taffy.
“Just go.”
He closed the distance between them with two strides, and up close he could see that
even though her jaw was set, her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. “Look, I don’t
know what happened to you today or what you’re trying to prove to yourself right now,
but let’s get one thing straight—you know nothing about what I think of you.”
“So tell me then,” she challenged. “Can’t be any worse than what I’ve already heard
today.”
He moved into her personal space, backing her into the wall and bracing his hands
on each side of her. “The truth? I think you’ve had a really shitty day and you’re
looking for a fight or a fuck to make you forget it.”
Her eyes widened, her breath hitching.
“You want to yell at me, freckles? You want to pummel me to get all that anger out?
Because go ahead. I’m right here.”
She stared back at him, frozen for a moment, then she licked her lips nervously. “That’s
not what I want to do with you.”
His breathing was loud in his own ears. He needed to walk away. Right. Now. But his
mouth was acting on its own accord. “Tell me what you want, Charli.”
Half of him hoped she wouldn’t follow his command, that she’d push him away. Because
this was about as bad an idea as he’d ever considered. But if she told him, if she
asked, he didn’t think he had it in him to deny her.
She couldn’t seem to bring her gaze up to him, but he didn’t miss the whispered plea.
“I need to forget today. I need something good.”
And with that, his desire knocked off his good sense.
Bang, bang
. Dead.
“Something good it is, then.” He lifted Charli up and wound her legs around him, fitting
the bare curve of her ass into his palms and dragging her against his straining erection.
She tucked her face into the crook of his neck and made a soft, desperate sound that
curled through him like hot smoke, filling his nerve endings.
But his raging libido was going to have to wait. He wasn’t going to fuck her drunk,
couldn’t cross that line. But he could give her what she needed. He carried her over
to the shower and pulled open the door, the steam spilling out into the room, then
stepped in fully clothed, bringing them both under the hot stream of water. She lifted
her head, surprise coloring her eyes as the water sluiced over her, soaking the towel
and sloughing the dirt off her arms.
“Your clothes,” she said, looking down at his now-saturated
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