said as
unnecessarily.
The door didn’t close.
She gave up trying to conceal
herself, and made a tiny hopeless gesture with her head and shoulders toward him.
He stood suspended in consternation
and astonishment…and something else.
His mouth softened while his body
tightened, swelled, and smoothed the wrinkles of the faded jeans to accommodate
his bulk. His thighs flexed beneath the taut fabric, as if every muscle, every
cell, and every tissue of his body were preparing to run.
But his feet didn’t move.
Nor could hers. Despite her
deficient charms exposed to his critical eye.
Under his stare, a tingling began
deep inside her belly, despite its imperfections naked to his view. Her
upraised leg revealed everything, but she still couldn’t move.
The interminable moment ended.
“Sorry, Autumn.” The syllables
came out hoarse and choppy. He was as disconcerted as she. His hand fumbled,
found the doorknob and pulled it toward him. “I’m sorry.”
She bit back a scream as the door
closed and separated them.
Damn, damn, damn. Why had he
sneaked in like that?
She dried her body off with hard
scouring motions, detesting the hateful, straight, insufficiently female body
that he had now beheld in all its inadequacies.
“I’m sorry, Autumn,” he called
again through the door. His voice had regained its normalcy. “I thought
everyone had left for the restaurant.”
“It’s okay. I’ll be right out.”
How could she sound so composed
when her heart pounded like a jackhammer and her stomach felt like upchucking? Of
all people, why did it have to be Rennie who came barging in to see her naked,
without makeup and her hair in a towel and…?
Any hopes of stimulating romantic
interest were doomed after he’d seen what little she had to offer.
Damn, damn, double damn.
She yanked on a robe and zipped it
before compelling her jumpy hands to apply foundation and blush and lip gloss and
mascara and liner.
Better. That was her professional
face looking back from the mirror. Her heart had slowed. She wasn’t gulping for
breath.
She was back in control.
What was the big deal? He’d seen
nude women before. A lot better-looking women than me, she told herself as she
went out. Jane had been small but curvy, and there must have been others Autumn
didn’t know about.
Rennie would be okay with the
whole thing. He probably hadn’t noticed her flat breasts and skinny legs. And if
he had, he probably didn’t think a thing about them.
Maybe he hadn’t noticed.
In the great room, she found him
by the front windows where they’d glimpsed the deer that morning. A trace of
cinnamon sweetened the air. Coals rustled in the stove. He whistled some
unintelligible tune between his teeth, and one broad shoulder leaned against the
frame as he contemplated the dusky forest.
Gray twilight outlined pine trees
and bushes, changed them into large sinister splotches trying to smother the
night lights that marked the trail around the black waters of the lake.
An interesting scene, but not one
deserving of such absorption.
It was her. He couldn’t face her.
She cleared her throat. “The hot
water was used up by the time everyone showered,” she said to his back. “I had
to let it heat back up. That’s why I was late. I thought you’d gone on with the
others and I was here by myself.”
He turned his head enough for her
to see his profile. He still wouldn’t look directly at her. “Hey, don’t
apologize. My fault. I saw the cars leave and assumed you were with the rest. I
shouldn’t have burst in on you.”
“It’s okay. I’m through in the
bathroom if you want to get in.”
“Thanks.” He went down the hall,
carefully keeping his eyes to the front, but his consideration didn’t matter. She
was already scooting toward the stairs. He sounded strange, as if he was still
embarrassed by his intrusion.
Of course he was. Any nice guy
would have been embarrassed, and Rennie was definitely a nice guy. She was
being
unnecessarily.
The door didn’t close.
She gave up trying to conceal
herself, and made a tiny hopeless gesture with her head and shoulders toward him.
He stood suspended in consternation
and astonishment…and something else.
His mouth softened while his body
tightened, swelled, and smoothed the wrinkles of the faded jeans to accommodate
his bulk. His thighs flexed beneath the taut fabric, as if every muscle, every
cell, and every tissue of his body were preparing to run.
But his feet didn’t move.
Nor could hers. Despite her
deficient charms exposed to his critical eye.
Under his stare, a tingling began
deep inside her belly, despite its imperfections naked to his view. Her
upraised leg revealed everything, but she still couldn’t move.
The interminable moment ended.
“Sorry, Autumn.” The syllables
came out hoarse and choppy. He was as disconcerted as she. His hand fumbled,
found the doorknob and pulled it toward him. “I’m sorry.”
She bit back a scream as the door
closed and separated them.
Damn, damn, damn. Why had he
sneaked in like that?
She dried her body off with hard
scouring motions, detesting the hateful, straight, insufficiently female body
that he had now beheld in all its inadequacies.
“I’m sorry, Autumn,” he called
again through the door. His voice had regained its normalcy. “I thought
everyone had left for the restaurant.”
“It’s okay. I’ll be right out.”
How could she sound so composed
when her heart pounded like a jackhammer and her stomach felt like upchucking? Of
all people, why did it have to be Rennie who came barging in to see her naked,
without makeup and her hair in a towel and…?
Any hopes of stimulating romantic
interest were doomed after he’d seen what little she had to offer.
Damn, damn, double damn.
She yanked on a robe and zipped it
before compelling her jumpy hands to apply foundation and blush and lip gloss and
mascara and liner.
Better. That was her professional
face looking back from the mirror. Her heart had slowed. She wasn’t gulping for
breath.
She was back in control.
What was the big deal? He’d seen
nude women before. A lot better-looking women than me, she told herself as she
went out. Jane had been small but curvy, and there must have been others Autumn
didn’t know about.
Rennie would be okay with the
whole thing. He probably hadn’t noticed her flat breasts and skinny legs. And if
he had, he probably didn’t think a thing about them.
Maybe he hadn’t noticed.
In the great room, she found him
by the front windows where they’d glimpsed the deer that morning. A trace of
cinnamon sweetened the air. Coals rustled in the stove. He whistled some
unintelligible tune between his teeth, and one broad shoulder leaned against the
frame as he contemplated the dusky forest.
Gray twilight outlined pine trees
and bushes, changed them into large sinister splotches trying to smother the
night lights that marked the trail around the black waters of the lake.
An interesting scene, but not one
deserving of such absorption.
It was her. He couldn’t face her.
She cleared her throat. “The hot
water was used up by the time everyone showered,” she said to his back. “I had
to let it heat back up. That’s why I was late. I thought you’d gone on with the
others and I was here by myself.”
He turned his head enough for her
to see his profile. He still wouldn’t look directly at her. “Hey, don’t
apologize. My fault. I saw the cars leave and assumed you were with the rest. I
shouldn’t have burst in on you.”
“It’s okay. I’m through in the
bathroom if you want to get in.”
“Thanks.” He went down the hall,
carefully keeping his eyes to the front, but his consideration didn’t matter. She
was already scooting toward the stairs. He sounded strange, as if he was still
embarrassed by his intrusion.
Of course he was. Any nice guy
would have been embarrassed, and Rennie was definitely a nice guy. She was
being
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