at the water pooling around him.
“That’s only because the house is so dirty. That rain is going to create mud.”
She shook her head. “Are you crazy, coming out here in this storm? Being outside tonight is no place for man or beast.”
He ran one hand over his head and then shook his hand to fling off the water. “The storm wasn’t so bad when I left. I thought I could beat it.”
“Looks like you were wrong. Let me get you a towel before you drown.”
She hurried to the laundry room and returned with one of the towels she’d washed earlier.
“Thanks,” he said as he rubbed the towel over his head and face and then down his arms.
Alaina couldn’t help but notice how the wet T-shirt clung to his arms and chest. It was a display worthy of an underwear advertisement or one of those hunky calendars.
“Is something wrong?” she asked when he finished his wipedown.
“No. Not anything serious. I just thought I’d check on you because of the storm. I wasn’t sure you’d have provisions for a power outage. I see you have a flashlight at least.”
She nodded. “Amos stopped by earlier and told me where to find them. I guess I wasn’t exactly prepared for all this.”
“Hard to be when you didn’t know what you were walking into. There’s a general store in Calais. It’s not a large store, but it will have the basic supplies you need.”
He passed her the towel and gave her a once-over. “You might want to dry off yourself before you catch a cold.”
She glanced down and her breath caught in her throat when she realized that her clothes must have gotten damp from the blowing rain. The thin T-shirt clung to her chest, and without her bra, it left little to the imagination. The hint of a smile on Carter’s face made his obvious appreciation clear and she felt a flush run up her neck and onto her face.
Rubbing the towel up and down her arms, she removed the thin layer of rain, then draped the towel around her shoulder and over her breasts. Carter’s lips twitched and she was certain her action wasn’t lost on the hunky sheriff.
He took a step closer to her and lifted up one end of the towel, his fingers brushing against her breast. “You missed a spot,” he said and wiped the end of the towel down the nape of her neck.
She stared at him, frozen, as the soft fibers of the towel brushed across her sensitive skin. Despite logic telling her that getting involved with Carter was the worst idea she’d had in her lifetime, she worried that if he made a move, her body was going to shut her mind off and go along with anything he wanted.
He studied her for a moment, then lowered his mouth to hers, gently brushing her lips with his. Her knees weakened and her mind screamed, What are you doing?
She completely ignored the voices in her head and lifted one hand to touch his chest. He wound his fingers through her hair and pulled her closer to him. Then as he began to deepen the kiss, a boom of thunder shook the walls of the house, and instantly, they were pitched into darkness.
Startled by the storm and her completely inappropriate behavior with the sheriff, Alaina dropped her hand and took two steps back to grab the flashlight on the entry table. She clicked it on and shined it toward the hallway ceiling, creating a dim glow in the entry.
It was still enough light to see the amused expression on Carter’s face.
She swore under her breath and mentally chided herself for her complete and utter lack of control. Carter knew she was attracted to him—despite her every intention not to be—and probably thought he was well on his way to scoring if the storm hadn’t interrupted. The worst part was, she wasn’t sure he was wrong.
“If you want me to stay...” he offered.
“No,” she said before she could change her mind. “I’m going to lock myself in my room until daylight. Hopefully the power will be back on by morning.”
“You’re sure?”
“It’s just a storm. Believe it or not, we had
“That’s only because the house is so dirty. That rain is going to create mud.”
She shook her head. “Are you crazy, coming out here in this storm? Being outside tonight is no place for man or beast.”
He ran one hand over his head and then shook his hand to fling off the water. “The storm wasn’t so bad when I left. I thought I could beat it.”
“Looks like you were wrong. Let me get you a towel before you drown.”
She hurried to the laundry room and returned with one of the towels she’d washed earlier.
“Thanks,” he said as he rubbed the towel over his head and face and then down his arms.
Alaina couldn’t help but notice how the wet T-shirt clung to his arms and chest. It was a display worthy of an underwear advertisement or one of those hunky calendars.
“Is something wrong?” she asked when he finished his wipedown.
“No. Not anything serious. I just thought I’d check on you because of the storm. I wasn’t sure you’d have provisions for a power outage. I see you have a flashlight at least.”
She nodded. “Amos stopped by earlier and told me where to find them. I guess I wasn’t exactly prepared for all this.”
“Hard to be when you didn’t know what you were walking into. There’s a general store in Calais. It’s not a large store, but it will have the basic supplies you need.”
He passed her the towel and gave her a once-over. “You might want to dry off yourself before you catch a cold.”
She glanced down and her breath caught in her throat when she realized that her clothes must have gotten damp from the blowing rain. The thin T-shirt clung to her chest, and without her bra, it left little to the imagination. The hint of a smile on Carter’s face made his obvious appreciation clear and she felt a flush run up her neck and onto her face.
Rubbing the towel up and down her arms, she removed the thin layer of rain, then draped the towel around her shoulder and over her breasts. Carter’s lips twitched and she was certain her action wasn’t lost on the hunky sheriff.
He took a step closer to her and lifted up one end of the towel, his fingers brushing against her breast. “You missed a spot,” he said and wiped the end of the towel down the nape of her neck.
She stared at him, frozen, as the soft fibers of the towel brushed across her sensitive skin. Despite logic telling her that getting involved with Carter was the worst idea she’d had in her lifetime, she worried that if he made a move, her body was going to shut her mind off and go along with anything he wanted.
He studied her for a moment, then lowered his mouth to hers, gently brushing her lips with his. Her knees weakened and her mind screamed, What are you doing?
She completely ignored the voices in her head and lifted one hand to touch his chest. He wound his fingers through her hair and pulled her closer to him. Then as he began to deepen the kiss, a boom of thunder shook the walls of the house, and instantly, they were pitched into darkness.
Startled by the storm and her completely inappropriate behavior with the sheriff, Alaina dropped her hand and took two steps back to grab the flashlight on the entry table. She clicked it on and shined it toward the hallway ceiling, creating a dim glow in the entry.
It was still enough light to see the amused expression on Carter’s face.
She swore under her breath and mentally chided herself for her complete and utter lack of control. Carter knew she was attracted to him—despite her every intention not to be—and probably thought he was well on his way to scoring if the storm hadn’t interrupted. The worst part was, she wasn’t sure he was wrong.
“If you want me to stay...” he offered.
“No,” she said before she could change her mind. “I’m going to lock myself in my room until daylight. Hopefully the power will be back on by morning.”
“You’re sure?”
“It’s just a storm. Believe it or not, we had
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