Where’d she learned to kiss like that? No hesitation, no coyness—full throttle, like the girl herself.
Just as that thought was completed, she hooked her thumbs in her waistband and dropped her shorts.
My breath froze. Long legs kicked the shorts away. I wanted to lick my way up her body and wrap them around my waist. Her swim bottoms were cute as fuck with the matching top, and the combo set her gray eyes sparkling.
She looked around and spotted the bag I’d set on the luggage rack.
I should leave, but she was going to go digging in that bag and my feet wouldn’t move.
Dayum. The erection that had finally flagged roared back to life. She bent over the bag to retrieve something from inside and I stared at her ass the whole time.
With other women, I’d know they were doing this on purpose, but Tilly seemed absolutely unaware of the effect she had. She straightened and reached back to gather her hair.
I suppressed a groan. In the full-length mirror on the opposite wall, her breasts rose with her arms in the air, and I stood riveted the entire time she gathered her hair into a messy bun.
“Is there a path to the lake?”
I couldn’t answer right away. How hard would it be to crowd her back to the bed and rip that suit off with my teeth? One flick of my wrist and I’d be buried in that wet heat.
Her head tilted. “Are you okay?” She glided toward me, her hand going for my forehead. “You look flushed. You aren’t running a fever, are you?”
I caught her wrist—and found myself in the same damn position as earlier when I’d been about to kiss her. It was even harder to remember why I shouldn’t.
“Flynn?” Her eyes grew wide. She swallowed hard, her gaze glued to my hand.
My name should’ve been a cold splash of reality, but it was her reaction. I loosened my grip.
Fuck, nothing I was doing was working. I could move out for the week, but that would negate the bachelor contract and be rude as hell.
“I’m trying to stay away from you,” I said instead.
She opened her mouth, then closed it. Her lips turned down. “Do you want to?”
“No.” I snarled the word. “You had such a big fucking crush on me in school—I wasn’t going to lead you on.”
“But you want me?”
“Yes.” I still gripped her arm, but my thumb caressed her skin.
“Did you want me then?”
Some of my aggression eased. “No.”
Her arm went limp and I let it go. Ah, hell. I’d hurt her feelings.
She glanced away. “You were always awkward around me. I didn’t know it was because you didn’t like me.”
Okay, this was working. This was creating distance between us. I’d keep going as much as it hurt me. “I called you Crazy J.”
Her eyes flared, first with shock and then hurt. “I…I…didn’t know.”
“You seemed like a nutcase, Tulip, but I don’t think you are. Why?”
“Don’t call me that!”
Her venomous tone pushed me back a step. “It was your name. Why’d you change it?”
“Because I never liked it.” She cradled her arm to herself. I hadn’t grabbed her hard, but from the faraway look in her eye, the action only symbolized the upheaval in her mind. Then she slanted me a look. “Crazy J, really?”
I chuckled. “You sounded a little wacky when you had your jaw wired shut.” She made a choking sound and I grew somber. “It’s okay, Tilly. We’re all awkward as kids.”
“Awkward doesn’t describe braces as a teenager.”
“You did pick neon pink and yellow.”
She shifted her gaze to look out the window and lifted a shoulder. “Go big or go home, right?”
Her tone was flat. I’d expected her to own her jaw surgery and brilliant braces. They’d fit her whole look back then. What else would her motivation have been?
She was staring out the window. Blue glittered in the distance. I didn’t want to leave, but I’d get the supply run over with so I could…what? Watch her? Hang with her?
“Do you know how to swim?” Yeah, that was why I was in a hurry to get back. Didn’t want Tilly drowning while I was perusing prime cuts of steak. My heart rate kicked up at the thought.
“No. Why? I won’t go out far.”
“Then wait until I get back from town.” She was about to argue but I shushed her with a finger on her lips. Bad decision. Too soft, too plump, too tempting. I snatched my hand away. “Test the jets on this tub and I’ll get the hot tub running tonight after you check out the lake.”
Her pink tongue darted out to lick where my finger had been. She was going to kill me.
“Fine,” she grumbled, but the Tilly light was back in her eyes.
For a second, I thought of hanging around to see if she’d strip out of her bikini in front of me as she had with her shorts.
I turned on my heel and made a beeline for the front door. How was I going to survive a week without touching her?
Tilly
I laid my laptop next to me on the seat. It was useless. A blond-haired, green-eyed bachelor was clogging too many of my thought processes. My lesson plans would have to wait. I was on vacation.
When would Flynn get back? Would he take his time?
The kiss had made him so skittish. I’d had no clue why, but he’d certainly filled me in.
Crazy J.
They had called me that? I couldn’t argue. As an adult, I was nothing but honest with myself, but I’d sugarcoated some parts of growing up. Tears pricked my eyes. Nope, every minute of it had sucked.
At least Flynn hadn’t shunned me outright. I might not have survived the humiliation.
Hadn’t there been any part of him that had been just a teeny bit interested?
Jaw wired shut.
Nope. I could see that clearly now. No wonder I
