long time the door swung open and I gulped. Pierce was standing there in nothing but a towel, his black hair wet and dripping over his shoulders. I had interrupted him in the shower. I wasn’t sure if I was totally gleeful about this, because Maxie, along with every other girl in Blueberry except Jill, would probably have killed kittens to see Pierce in a towel. On the other hand, my face turned scarlet and I couldn’t find anywhere to look. Smooth, Nat. Very smooth, I thought.
Pierce continued to stand there in a towel doing his Greek god imitation with his eyebrows slightly raised.
“Did I know you were coming?” he asked dryly, “and if I did are you early?” He wasn’t at all uncomfortable with the state of his dress - or lack thereof.
I, on the other hand, would have sold my soul for the ability to melt into the ground.
He grinned, obviously enjoying my embarrassed reaction.
“Can you put a shirt on?” I hissed. “Please.”
“I don’t know,” he said wickedly. “Can I?”
“Yes,” I said. “You have two arms. And I assume you have a shirt. Somewhere. Obviously not on your back at the moment, where it should be.”
“Next important question. Right up there with World Peace and the state of the Chinese economy. Are you sure you want me to?”
I smothered a humiliated noise. Pierce, taking pity on me, turned around and disappeared into the house, leaving the door open for me to slip through if I dared.
I had come here to yell at him, and within seconds I had been reduced to a stuttering mess. Sweet. Not willing to give any more ground, I followed him inside.
“Just what did you think you were doing today?” I demanded as I followed him down a hallway. There was no sign of anyone else in the house, so I felt comfortable taking him to task immediately.
“When?” he asked over his slightly damp and very sexy shoulder.
“At school this afternoon,” I cried. “I just wanted to see what was wrong and you wouldn’t let me pass!”
“Oh, that,” he said casually, like it was nothing. “Just didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“I’ve been taking care of myself for eighteen years,” I muttered. “I don’t need your help not getting hurt.”
“Sure you don’t,” he said.
When he came to a halt, so did I. I crossed my arms over my chest and started again.
“You can’t just waltz around like you run the place, telling me what to do,” I pointed out. “You’re new in town, so you may not understand this, but there’s a way we do things that you have yet to be informed of.”
He gave me a bemused look. “Who’s going to inform me of them? You?”
I was breathless at his arrogance, but I still felt the blush on my cheeks. “I, um, no, I have things to do. WHY are you still shirtless?” I demanded, trying to change the subject so that I could stop hopelessly giving him the upper hand.
Pierce grinned at me. “Because you followed me into my bedroom and I didn’t think changing in front of you would help that blush.”
Freaking out, I looked around. I had been so lost in the argument that I had, in fact, followed him into his bedroom. Giving a squawk of humiliation, I darted out of the room. Once I was safely around the door I called out, “And be quick about it.” I heard Pierce’s chuckle and almost sank to the ground.
“Your room is empty,” I pointed out when he reappeared. I was relieved to see that he wore a white t-shirt and cargo shorts, his dank black hair still hanging almost into his silver eyes.
“I don’t really care about creature comforts,” he said, shrugging. “The rest of the house is nice. I’ll show you.”
I was so surprised by this offer that I let him show me around without protest.
He was right. It was nice. Comfortable furniture that looked like it was well used complemented dark wood floors. There was plenty of light coming in, and the colors were bright but not so bright as to be irritating.
Eventually we found ourselves in the
Pierce continued to stand there in a towel doing his Greek god imitation with his eyebrows slightly raised.
“Did I know you were coming?” he asked dryly, “and if I did are you early?” He wasn’t at all uncomfortable with the state of his dress - or lack thereof.
I, on the other hand, would have sold my soul for the ability to melt into the ground.
He grinned, obviously enjoying my embarrassed reaction.
“Can you put a shirt on?” I hissed. “Please.”
“I don’t know,” he said wickedly. “Can I?”
“Yes,” I said. “You have two arms. And I assume you have a shirt. Somewhere. Obviously not on your back at the moment, where it should be.”
“Next important question. Right up there with World Peace and the state of the Chinese economy. Are you sure you want me to?”
I smothered a humiliated noise. Pierce, taking pity on me, turned around and disappeared into the house, leaving the door open for me to slip through if I dared.
I had come here to yell at him, and within seconds I had been reduced to a stuttering mess. Sweet. Not willing to give any more ground, I followed him inside.
“Just what did you think you were doing today?” I demanded as I followed him down a hallway. There was no sign of anyone else in the house, so I felt comfortable taking him to task immediately.
“When?” he asked over his slightly damp and very sexy shoulder.
“At school this afternoon,” I cried. “I just wanted to see what was wrong and you wouldn’t let me pass!”
“Oh, that,” he said casually, like it was nothing. “Just didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“I’ve been taking care of myself for eighteen years,” I muttered. “I don’t need your help not getting hurt.”
“Sure you don’t,” he said.
When he came to a halt, so did I. I crossed my arms over my chest and started again.
“You can’t just waltz around like you run the place, telling me what to do,” I pointed out. “You’re new in town, so you may not understand this, but there’s a way we do things that you have yet to be informed of.”
He gave me a bemused look. “Who’s going to inform me of them? You?”
I was breathless at his arrogance, but I still felt the blush on my cheeks. “I, um, no, I have things to do. WHY are you still shirtless?” I demanded, trying to change the subject so that I could stop hopelessly giving him the upper hand.
Pierce grinned at me. “Because you followed me into my bedroom and I didn’t think changing in front of you would help that blush.”
Freaking out, I looked around. I had been so lost in the argument that I had, in fact, followed him into his bedroom. Giving a squawk of humiliation, I darted out of the room. Once I was safely around the door I called out, “And be quick about it.” I heard Pierce’s chuckle and almost sank to the ground.
“Your room is empty,” I pointed out when he reappeared. I was relieved to see that he wore a white t-shirt and cargo shorts, his dank black hair still hanging almost into his silver eyes.
“I don’t really care about creature comforts,” he said, shrugging. “The rest of the house is nice. I’ll show you.”
I was so surprised by this offer that I let him show me around without protest.
He was right. It was nice. Comfortable furniture that looked like it was well used complemented dark wood floors. There was plenty of light coming in, and the colors were bright but not so bright as to be irritating.
Eventually we found ourselves in the
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