let it all go.
Really, she had to make another one of these drinks when she got out of the tub. It really helped. She lifted it to her lips and took another swallow, then smiled as it warmed her from the inside out. Perfect. A little buzz, the sweet smell of the bubbles, and a warm bath. She might just stay in this tub all night long. An empty head filled with some great vodka could do wonders to keep all the evils away.
“Oh. Shit. Sorry, didn’t know you were in here.”
Buzz kill. She opened her eyes and saw Dalton there, knowing her idea of heaven wasn’t going to last. “I’m in here.”
“I can see that now. When did you get back?”
She shrugged, not bothering to move. She wasn’t certain she could move, she was so content. Not even Dalton’s appearance could disrupt her nirvana. “Not sure. Twenty minutes ago, maybe.”
He leaned against the doorway and she made it a point not to notice the bulging muscles of his upper arms, or the way his shoulders glistened with sweat, or the streaks of dirt across his cheeks and neck. “What have you been doing today?”
“Did a little work out back for Georgie,” he said with a faint smile.
“Good for you.” She drained the glass and placed it on the floor by the tub.
“What are you having?” Dalton asked, picking up the empty glass.
“Vodka and cranberry.”
“Would you like another?”
She shrugged. “Sure.”
He returned a couple minutes later with two large glasses, handing one to her.
“Thanks,” she said, taking the glass he offered to her.
Then he leaned against the sink and took a couple long swallows of his drink.
“Uh, Dalton?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m taking a bath here.”
“I can see that.”
She rolled her eyes. “I give up.” She downed half the contents of the glass in two swallows. This day was just getting more and more bizarre. Maybe she’d just drink until she passed out. She decided to ignore him. Maybe he’d go away.
He didn’t, just continued to lean against the counter, looking damn sexy in his dirt-stained jeans that hugged his muscled thighs, his sleeveless cotton shirt that was filthy and sweat-soaked, and what parts of his body were visible were tanned from spending the day in the blistering sun. At least the parts of him that didn’t sport streaks of dirt-which wasn’t much of him.
“You need a bath yourself,” she said, realizing that she’d been staring at him, and that her body had a definite reaction to looking at him. Even grimy from head to toe, Dalton radiated sex appeal. So unfair, especially since it was obvious he wasn’t projecting it on purpose. She didn’t think he had any idea what he was doing to her. And it was a damn good thing all her pertinent body parts were hidden under miles of bubbles.
His lips curved, and she nearly groaned, but bit her lip instead.
“Is that an invitation?”
She frowned, looked away. “Don’t fuck with me, Dalton. I’m not in the mood.”
He drained his glass and set it on the counter, then stalked to the tub, taking his damn sweet time making his way toward her, even though it was only a few feet.
He crouched down and laid his arms on the side of the tub. “I’m not fucking with you, Isabelle.”
His face was only a foot from hers. He smelled sweaty, outdoorsy earthy, and all male. She found his scent not at all unpleasant, and rather arousing.
“Go away.” Her voice had lowered to nearly a whisper. She didn’t trust it not to waver. Damn him for making her feel like a woman. She should stand up and point him in the direction of the door. But she wasn’t all that certain she could, or would, ask him to leave.
Instead, he dipped his hands down the side of the tub into the water. “You don’t want me to go away.”
“Yes, I do.” She didn’t sound convincing, even to herself.
“I don’t want to go away.”
He waved his hands back and forth in the water, hovering so close to her left breast she felt the waves caress her nipple, harden it, and she had to stop breathing to keep from moaning. Really, this was ridiculous.
“I won’t ask you again.”
He pushed back and stood. “Then don’t ask.”
She wasn’t at all shocked when he drew his shirt off and undid the button of his jeans, then toed off his boots. He shucked his jeans and stood there gloriously naked in front of her, his cock in a semirigid state.
He made her mouth water, and her mind whirled with a mental list of about forty things she wanted to do with him in this bathroom, right now. But she couldn’t find her voice, and her limbs had become like lead. She could only watch as he stepped into the tub and situated himself at the opposite end, sliding his legs alongside hers.
She was pretty sure she’d stopped breathing, at least until he reached for her feet and set them on top of his rock hard stomach. Then she remembered to exhale.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
He smiled. “Taking a bath.”
“You could have waited until I was finished.”
“What fun is that?”
“Dalton, we tried this last night, remember?”
“Vividly.”
His low, husky voice tore away at the walls she’d spent all day carefully constructing. She jerked her feet away from his grasp and scooted against the back of the tub. Unfortunately, sitting up lifted her breasts out of the water. She sank back down. Dalton grinned, grabbed a washcloth and scrubbed his face and arms, then dunked his head under the water, splashing it everywhere when he surfaced.
Her bubbles were slowly disappearing. Dalton had a wicked gleam in his eyes that Isabelle found both disconcerting and hot as blazes. She drew her legs up to her chest.
“The water’s getting cold.”
He leaned forward and turned the faucet on. Hot water streamed into the tub at the same time he pulled the drain plug. “We’ll let a little of the cold water out, and refill with hot.”
She clamped her lips together, reached for the bubble bath, and poured more in. “You’re going to smell like a girl.”
He shrugged. “I don’t mind if you don’t.”
“I don’t intend to smell you.”
“Are you sure?” He started to move forward.
Isabelle held up her hand. “Stop.”
“Come on, I’m clean now.”
“Quit teasing me.” He kept coming. “Dammit, Dalton, I mean it.”
That stopped him. He leaned back and laid his arms over the side of the tub. Dirty, he was sexy. Clean and wet, he was devastating. And his legs brushing up against hers, his feet sliding along her thighs and butt, were way too distracting.
“I really think we should get out.”
“You go first.”
She huffed out a sigh. “Really. You’re acting like a juvenile. I’m not playing.”
“Maybe you should.”
“And maybe you should stop playing games with me.”
His expression straightened then. “I’m not playing games, Isabelle. I’m dead serious.”
“Were you serious last night?”
He had the decency to avert his gaze for a few seconds before looking at her again, dragging his hand through his wet hair. “I don’t know what happened last night.”
“I do.”
