Read Online Return of the Dixie Deb by Nina Barrett - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Nina Barrett
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piles of suds floating around her while she relaxed, her eyes closed. Then getting up, the lather clinging, to wrap one of the fluffy towels around her warm, wet, naked…
Damn . The roadwork wasn’t accomplishing what he had hoped.
“It’ll be easy. Like a sleepover.” Easy for her to say . “We’ll just stay on our own sides. Did you ever see that old Clark Gable movie? The one with Claudette Colbert where they had to share a bed?”
Whatever.
Sleep had finally come last night as he grimly clutched the rail on his side of the bed only to wake up rolled to the center, the sweetness of her hair teasing his nose, her breath on his skin, her mouth inches below his. On its own, his hand had started to move to the softness below the nightshirt.
Shaking his head as if that would remove the memory, he took a couple of long, steadying breaths and readied himself for the last leg.
Yeah, he’d pushed himself away from her, but not before leaving a kiss in her hair.
He started his run back. It was still early. Maybe he’d grab a steam bath first. Might help to shed some of the extra weight he’d picked up in Europe.
The run was good for his thighs and calves. Most of the exercise over the last six months had been secondhand—watching mindless games on television, more European soccer than he’d known existed, or tuned into ESPN at his apartment while he waited for a decision to come about his future with the Bureau.
Dahlia was setting up breakfast in the dining room as he entered. He gave her a quick wave before finding his way to the spa facilities in the back of the house where he and Jan had come across them the day before.
“Good morning, sir.” Junior Grady was laying out towels as he entered. “Looks like you’ve been up and about.”
“I needed to work off some of that dinner from last night.”
The fried chicken, country ham and butter beans, sautéed greens, baked yams, and peach pie hadn’t helped his resolution about physical fitness.
“Thought I’d grab a steam bath before starting to chow down again.”
“Go right ahead. The steam bath and sauna are ready.”
He used a changing room to strip off his sweaty clothes, wrapped himself in a towel, and headed for the dry heat of the sauna.
He leaned back against the wall, letting the warmth sink into the core of his bones. The dry heat opened all the pores on his body. Hopefully, the nicotine he’d inhaled over the past few weeks was being sweated away. If only it were as easy to get rid of old memories. He rose, stretched, and pushed the door open into the adjoining steam room. He found a seat through the mist and sat taking in a deep lungful of the damp air. Finally, he got up, secured his towel about him, and ran his hands through his dripping hair as he pushed the door open to the outer room again.
He could hear voices, but his eyes were wet. He rubbed away the moisture, looked and took a step backward.
The brunette sister, Daisy, was busy giving a massage. She had a leg bent back as she massaged a narrow arched foot, a towel barely covering the rounded rump of her client.
Lying on her stomach, Jan laughed as she turned to say something to Daisy. Catching sight of him, she pulled her towel back around her chest, her eyes widening.
But not before he got a glimpse of tan and pink and perky.
If she’d lost weight recently, at least it hadn’t affected the good parts.
Daisy paused and gave him a bright smile.
“Good morning, sir. I guess great minds think alike.”
He wished.
He cleared his throat and found his voice.
“I’m ah, I’m going to go up and grab a shower before breakfast, Jan.”
She nodded as he turned toward the dressing room.
“Take your time,” she called. “Daisy’s just getting started.”
Oh, yeah.
It was going to be a long, long, cold shower.
****
He sat back in the chaise lounge and studied the back of the house. In contrast to the immaculate appearance of the pillared front, there was no argument
Damn . The roadwork wasn’t accomplishing what he had hoped.
“It’ll be easy. Like a sleepover.” Easy for her to say . “We’ll just stay on our own sides. Did you ever see that old Clark Gable movie? The one with Claudette Colbert where they had to share a bed?”
Whatever.
Sleep had finally come last night as he grimly clutched the rail on his side of the bed only to wake up rolled to the center, the sweetness of her hair teasing his nose, her breath on his skin, her mouth inches below his. On its own, his hand had started to move to the softness below the nightshirt.
Shaking his head as if that would remove the memory, he took a couple of long, steadying breaths and readied himself for the last leg.
Yeah, he’d pushed himself away from her, but not before leaving a kiss in her hair.
He started his run back. It was still early. Maybe he’d grab a steam bath first. Might help to shed some of the extra weight he’d picked up in Europe.
The run was good for his thighs and calves. Most of the exercise over the last six months had been secondhand—watching mindless games on television, more European soccer than he’d known existed, or tuned into ESPN at his apartment while he waited for a decision to come about his future with the Bureau.
Dahlia was setting up breakfast in the dining room as he entered. He gave her a quick wave before finding his way to the spa facilities in the back of the house where he and Jan had come across them the day before.
“Good morning, sir.” Junior Grady was laying out towels as he entered. “Looks like you’ve been up and about.”
“I needed to work off some of that dinner from last night.”
The fried chicken, country ham and butter beans, sautéed greens, baked yams, and peach pie hadn’t helped his resolution about physical fitness.
“Thought I’d grab a steam bath before starting to chow down again.”
“Go right ahead. The steam bath and sauna are ready.”
He used a changing room to strip off his sweaty clothes, wrapped himself in a towel, and headed for the dry heat of the sauna.
He leaned back against the wall, letting the warmth sink into the core of his bones. The dry heat opened all the pores on his body. Hopefully, the nicotine he’d inhaled over the past few weeks was being sweated away. If only it were as easy to get rid of old memories. He rose, stretched, and pushed the door open into the adjoining steam room. He found a seat through the mist and sat taking in a deep lungful of the damp air. Finally, he got up, secured his towel about him, and ran his hands through his dripping hair as he pushed the door open to the outer room again.
He could hear voices, but his eyes were wet. He rubbed away the moisture, looked and took a step backward.
The brunette sister, Daisy, was busy giving a massage. She had a leg bent back as she massaged a narrow arched foot, a towel barely covering the rounded rump of her client.
Lying on her stomach, Jan laughed as she turned to say something to Daisy. Catching sight of him, she pulled her towel back around her chest, her eyes widening.
But not before he got a glimpse of tan and pink and perky.
If she’d lost weight recently, at least it hadn’t affected the good parts.
Daisy paused and gave him a bright smile.
“Good morning, sir. I guess great minds think alike.”
He wished.
He cleared his throat and found his voice.
“I’m ah, I’m going to go up and grab a shower before breakfast, Jan.”
She nodded as he turned toward the dressing room.
“Take your time,” she called. “Daisy’s just getting started.”
Oh, yeah.
It was going to be a long, long, cold shower.
****
He sat back in the chaise lounge and studied the back of the house. In contrast to the immaculate appearance of the pillared front, there was no argument
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