Up All Night Long: From Lust to Love (Romance Anthology) by Ali Parker Page B
Authors: Ali Parker
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more-than-friends way.
"A couple of years back. Henry's in high school now and has a cute little red-headed girlfriend that makes his life miserable and worth living." Jake laughed and moved to the door, extending the pad and pen back to her. "Come on, let's go take that last picture you need. I'm due at the fire station in an hour and I could use a quick shower before going."
She turned and walked toward him, picking up her bag and her purse. The image of him in the shower, his long athletic body covered in suds racing across her vision. She swallowed hard and tried to focus. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't even think about the fact that you might have a life."
He laughed and moved back as she slipped past him, her shoulder brushing along his chest. She bit at her lip to keep from making a sound of appreciation at the smell of his cologne, or deodorant, or just him. Dear Lord let it be just him.
"I take it you just arrived to Bar Harbor?" he asked, turning to shut and lock the door.
"Yeah. We drove in yesterday, unpacked, and went grocery shopping last night, and I got a job today."
He pointed to her camera bag. "Want me to tote that for you?"
A soft smile played on her lips as she shook her head. "No, I'm good, but thanks."
"Just pretending to be a gentleman."
She laughed and pushed the door before them open. "Somehow I doubt you're pretending at all."
"Damn, my cover has been blown."
They laughed and walked along the small path of dead grass to the swings, the playground built for older kids and showing its age by the paint chipping in places. Jake moved toward the swing set and ran his hand along one of the structural poles. "Where do you want me?"
All over me.
She turned away from him as if looking around the field, her heart thumping hard in her chest. Why did she have to run into the perfect guy when all she really needed was time to heal and get her life together? What did it matter? He had the blond in the picture and he was way out of her league anyway.
She pointed to a soccer goal. "You want to go out there, and I'll take a few pictures of you by the goal?" She looked over her shoulder and caught the silhouette of him as the sun moved behind him. His body lean, and yet the perfect curves of well-defined muscles left her mind struggling to remain present and not slip into a daydream.
"Sounds good." He moved past her, turning to look over his shoulder as he jogged to the goal. "What do you do to stay in shape?"
She looked down at herself as she walked carefully toward him. No way was she falling it in front of him. "You assume I'm in shape."
His eyebrow lifted as his gaze moved about her. "I'm a coach. You're in shape. I can tell just by looking at you."
She looked down at herself and shrugged. "I like to jog."
"Oh yeah?" he asked, moving toward the goal and trying to appear natural. "There are some great trails around here. You just have to know where to go."
She lifted her camera to her face, the lens allowing her to zoom in and study the regal structure of his nose, his high cheekbones, and perfect lips. "Maybe you can show me on a map sometime where to go."
He winked at her. "I'd be happy to. The next time I go for a long run, you can come with me if you want."
Did he invite her or was he just being a gentleman again? She wanted to ask about the blond in the picture and yet now wasn't the time. They didn't even know each other. Did she want to know him?
Yes - badly.
She pulled the camera down and nodded. "Sounds good. Okay, all done. I have everything I need for the paper tomorrow."
"Excellent. I'll walk you to your car."
"No, no need to do that."
He moved up beside her as they started back toward the school. "Don't go blowing my cover, Kari. I'm here to fool everyone into thinking I'm a nice guy and all."
She laughed and followed him around the building to her car, wrapping her arms around herself as the wind picked up. "I think perhaps it's you who's fooled."
He scoffed and opened the door
"A couple of years back. Henry's in high school now and has a cute little red-headed girlfriend that makes his life miserable and worth living." Jake laughed and moved to the door, extending the pad and pen back to her. "Come on, let's go take that last picture you need. I'm due at the fire station in an hour and I could use a quick shower before going."
She turned and walked toward him, picking up her bag and her purse. The image of him in the shower, his long athletic body covered in suds racing across her vision. She swallowed hard and tried to focus. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't even think about the fact that you might have a life."
He laughed and moved back as she slipped past him, her shoulder brushing along his chest. She bit at her lip to keep from making a sound of appreciation at the smell of his cologne, or deodorant, or just him. Dear Lord let it be just him.
"I take it you just arrived to Bar Harbor?" he asked, turning to shut and lock the door.
"Yeah. We drove in yesterday, unpacked, and went grocery shopping last night, and I got a job today."
He pointed to her camera bag. "Want me to tote that for you?"
A soft smile played on her lips as she shook her head. "No, I'm good, but thanks."
"Just pretending to be a gentleman."
She laughed and pushed the door before them open. "Somehow I doubt you're pretending at all."
"Damn, my cover has been blown."
They laughed and walked along the small path of dead grass to the swings, the playground built for older kids and showing its age by the paint chipping in places. Jake moved toward the swing set and ran his hand along one of the structural poles. "Where do you want me?"
All over me.
She turned away from him as if looking around the field, her heart thumping hard in her chest. Why did she have to run into the perfect guy when all she really needed was time to heal and get her life together? What did it matter? He had the blond in the picture and he was way out of her league anyway.
She pointed to a soccer goal. "You want to go out there, and I'll take a few pictures of you by the goal?" She looked over her shoulder and caught the silhouette of him as the sun moved behind him. His body lean, and yet the perfect curves of well-defined muscles left her mind struggling to remain present and not slip into a daydream.
"Sounds good." He moved past her, turning to look over his shoulder as he jogged to the goal. "What do you do to stay in shape?"
She looked down at herself as she walked carefully toward him. No way was she falling it in front of him. "You assume I'm in shape."
His eyebrow lifted as his gaze moved about her. "I'm a coach. You're in shape. I can tell just by looking at you."
She looked down at herself and shrugged. "I like to jog."
"Oh yeah?" he asked, moving toward the goal and trying to appear natural. "There are some great trails around here. You just have to know where to go."
She lifted her camera to her face, the lens allowing her to zoom in and study the regal structure of his nose, his high cheekbones, and perfect lips. "Maybe you can show me on a map sometime where to go."
He winked at her. "I'd be happy to. The next time I go for a long run, you can come with me if you want."
Did he invite her or was he just being a gentleman again? She wanted to ask about the blond in the picture and yet now wasn't the time. They didn't even know each other. Did she want to know him?
Yes - badly.
She pulled the camera down and nodded. "Sounds good. Okay, all done. I have everything I need for the paper tomorrow."
"Excellent. I'll walk you to your car."
"No, no need to do that."
He moved up beside her as they started back toward the school. "Don't go blowing my cover, Kari. I'm here to fool everyone into thinking I'm a nice guy and all."
She laughed and followed him around the building to her car, wrapping her arms around herself as the wind picked up. "I think perhaps it's you who's fooled."
He scoffed and opened the door
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