swimming?”
She made sure he couldn’t see her face as she continued toward the kitchen, straight to the coffeemaker.
“Poor man’s shower,” he said, coming in behind her.
“Excuse me?”
“Our accommodations have one shower.”
Her jaw loosened. “Ew, you haven’t had a shower in four days?”
“I’m clean. I make do.”
Swimming naked. “You can use the shower anytime. Well, not…” When I’m in there . Wait, hell yes, when I’m in there. She blew out a breath at the direction of her thoughts, frustrated she didn’t have better control.
He didn’t seem to notice, though, pulling out a frying pan and setting it on the gas cooktop. “I’m afraid that’s not a good idea.”
Or maybe he had read her thoughts. Kate cleared her throat and, hopefully, her mind. “Why not?”
“I can’t protect my principal while I’m in the shower.”
“Principal? Is that a technical bodyguarding term?”
“That’s what you call the person who is under protection.”
“Under protection.” She slammed the coffeemaker lid a little too hard. “I don’t want to be under anything.” Or did she?
He threw a look over his shoulder. “I don’t want to take chances.”
Is that why he was so cool to her? “Then what do bodyguards do when they have to shower?”
“Backup,” he suggested.
“The ever-stalwart Poppy?”
He chuckled, cracking an egg. “Use what you got. Scrambled okay?”
“Fine. But, listen.” She reached out and put a hand on his arm. And he jerked away so fast some of the egg spilled over the side of the bowl.
Wow, he really didn’t want her touching him. The realization stung, especially in light of her thoughts of, well, touching. One-sided, Kate. This attraction is one-sided and the result of a long, long dry spell in the sack.
She moved away and took the coffee cup that had just brewed, careful not to spill the hot liquid on surprisingly shaky hands.
“Please use my shower,” she finally said. “I swear I won’t run away or open the door to any strangers.” Or join you .
“I can’t—”
“Alec.” She didn’t say any more because she wanted him to turn and meet her gaze. She wanted to make and hold eye contact with him. She wanted to force him to acknowledge her as more than just his… principal .
He did. And she nearly fell into the depths of the clear blue eyes that met hers.
“You need to shower,” she said.
“Pool bath didn’t work, huh?” He lifted an arm and pretended to sniff, which was somehow just as sexy as everything else he did that wasn’t intended to be sexy but was anyway. “Sorry.”
“I’m the one who should be sorry for keeping you out of a shower. Please feel free to take one after breakfast, and I’ll…” She tried to think of somewhere that would feel perfectly safe, but he turned and looked at her during the pause, and suddenly nothing felt…safe. “I’ll lock all the doors and windows and stay…”
“ I’ll lock all the doors and windows,” he said. “And I’ll leave the bathroom door open so I can hear you if you need me.”
“Okay.” She forced herself not to look at his lower half and remember how he’d looked by the pool. Hard. Stiff. Huge .
“What did you just say?” he asked.
Oh, God, had she said that out loud? She tried to cover with a sip of coffee.
“You said okay,” he reminded her. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you agree to anything so easily.” He gave a hint of a teasing smile, easing her nerves enough that she slipped onto the barstool to watch him cook.
“I admit I don’t acquiesce easily.”
His shoulders moved with a slight laugh. “Because why use one syllable when fifteen are available?”
“I like big words, so sue me.”
“They do roll off your tongue.”
She studied him from the back, analyzing the comment. “Does that bother you?” She didn’t make him feel stupid, did she?
“I was raised by a…” He caught himself and stopped.
“By a what?”
“I have
She made sure he couldn’t see her face as she continued toward the kitchen, straight to the coffeemaker.
“Poor man’s shower,” he said, coming in behind her.
“Excuse me?”
“Our accommodations have one shower.”
Her jaw loosened. “Ew, you haven’t had a shower in four days?”
“I’m clean. I make do.”
Swimming naked. “You can use the shower anytime. Well, not…” When I’m in there . Wait, hell yes, when I’m in there. She blew out a breath at the direction of her thoughts, frustrated she didn’t have better control.
He didn’t seem to notice, though, pulling out a frying pan and setting it on the gas cooktop. “I’m afraid that’s not a good idea.”
Or maybe he had read her thoughts. Kate cleared her throat and, hopefully, her mind. “Why not?”
“I can’t protect my principal while I’m in the shower.”
“Principal? Is that a technical bodyguarding term?”
“That’s what you call the person who is under protection.”
“Under protection.” She slammed the coffeemaker lid a little too hard. “I don’t want to be under anything.” Or did she?
He threw a look over his shoulder. “I don’t want to take chances.”
Is that why he was so cool to her? “Then what do bodyguards do when they have to shower?”
“Backup,” he suggested.
“The ever-stalwart Poppy?”
He chuckled, cracking an egg. “Use what you got. Scrambled okay?”
“Fine. But, listen.” She reached out and put a hand on his arm. And he jerked away so fast some of the egg spilled over the side of the bowl.
Wow, he really didn’t want her touching him. The realization stung, especially in light of her thoughts of, well, touching. One-sided, Kate. This attraction is one-sided and the result of a long, long dry spell in the sack.
She moved away and took the coffee cup that had just brewed, careful not to spill the hot liquid on surprisingly shaky hands.
“Please use my shower,” she finally said. “I swear I won’t run away or open the door to any strangers.” Or join you .
“I can’t—”
“Alec.” She didn’t say any more because she wanted him to turn and meet her gaze. She wanted to make and hold eye contact with him. She wanted to force him to acknowledge her as more than just his… principal .
He did. And she nearly fell into the depths of the clear blue eyes that met hers.
“You need to shower,” she said.
“Pool bath didn’t work, huh?” He lifted an arm and pretended to sniff, which was somehow just as sexy as everything else he did that wasn’t intended to be sexy but was anyway. “Sorry.”
“I’m the one who should be sorry for keeping you out of a shower. Please feel free to take one after breakfast, and I’ll…” She tried to think of somewhere that would feel perfectly safe, but he turned and looked at her during the pause, and suddenly nothing felt…safe. “I’ll lock all the doors and windows and stay…”
“ I’ll lock all the doors and windows,” he said. “And I’ll leave the bathroom door open so I can hear you if you need me.”
“Okay.” She forced herself not to look at his lower half and remember how he’d looked by the pool. Hard. Stiff. Huge .
“What did you just say?” he asked.
Oh, God, had she said that out loud? She tried to cover with a sip of coffee.
“You said okay,” he reminded her. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you agree to anything so easily.” He gave a hint of a teasing smile, easing her nerves enough that she slipped onto the barstool to watch him cook.
“I admit I don’t acquiesce easily.”
His shoulders moved with a slight laugh. “Because why use one syllable when fifteen are available?”
“I like big words, so sue me.”
“They do roll off your tongue.”
She studied him from the back, analyzing the comment. “Does that bother you?” She didn’t make him feel stupid, did she?
“I was raised by a…” He caught himself and stopped.
“By a what?”
“I have
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