Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 135300 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 541(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135300 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 541(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
His arms are up, resting along the back of the tub.
His eyes are half-closed as he slouches like a tiger, obscenely content.
I’ve never seen him like this.
And really, I shouldn’t even be watching.
If Hattie saw me now, she’d call me a creep.
And she’d be right.
Normal people don’t stare like this, ogling dangerously sexy, older men.
Especially older men they’ve kissed.
Older men they swore they would never kiss again.
I know it’s time.
I should just shut the curtains and get back to my designs. Or texting Hattie. Or hell, maybe a cold shower before I face-plant into bed.
But I don’t move.
That would be too sensible, and I know he’s all alone out there under the stars. Maybe the kids fell asleep early.
I know from experience the warm water feels divine against the cool night.
My brain spins like a hamster training for a marathon on its little wheel.
…there’s no harm in seeing if he wants some company, right?
Yes, I’m aware I’m only deceiving myself—it’s not him needing company, it’s me—but I get changed anyway, tying my hair up in a loose knot and finding the bathing suit I always pack on trips out of habit.
My bare feet are quiet as I slip through the house.
The kids must’ve passed out. I think I can hear Dan snoring on the couch, the TV still flickering as a movie plays.
Kane doesn’t glance up as I slide the side door open and step outside. This close, he’s so handsome it hurts.
It flipping sears my eyes to look at a man cut straight from the sky.
When he’s shirtless, you can tell he used to play hockey. His muscles scream power, loudly and proudly with every ripple.
All sinew.
All solid man.
All big hands made for enticing punishments and whisper-soft caresses.
My brain sucks for getting me into trouble.
I can’t help it when my breath catches a little too sharply.
He finally glances up, his eyes shadowy and unreadable. But I can hear the amusement in his voice when he realizes I’m here.
“Margot? What’s wrong?”
I undo my robe and let it fall off my shoulders.
His gaze flicks down my body, ravenous, devouring me inch by inch.
I might just self-combust before I reach the hot tub.
The bathing suit I chose is red, a little alluring and a lot daring. It’s a one piece, but only the tiniest swathe of material connects the two parts.
The cool night makes me shiver, contrasting with the burn under my skin.
“Nothing’s wrong, Kane. I just thought maybe you wouldn’t mind some company to try out the hot tub,” I say, stepping closer.
He nods slowly and gives me some room to get in.
The bubbling water feels glorious against the cold air.
I almost groan with delight. Thankfully, I’m not that far gone.
Not yet.
“I don’t mind,” he confirms, clearing his throat. “Got it working this evening and figured I’d try it out. The kids went down fast after dinner. Barely made it through the opening credits, and I figured I’d let them sleep after the ride through town.”
“Mmm, good idea.” I rest my head on the lip of the tub. “I haven’t been in one of these for a while. Usually, I just do pools and jacuzzis in Arizona or Mexico.”
“Water hits different in Maine. You ever use this one much?”
“Yeah, when we were kids.” I look at him slowly, taking him in. He’s watching me with that intensity he often has, like he’s never thought about staring at anything else. “Although I never used to appreciate it then. It was too small to swim much as a kid.”
“But you do now?”
“Not sharing the tub with a brother who wants to dunk you until you’re panicking definitely helps.”
He chuckles, then we go silent.
The jets stream against my lower back, comfortingly fizzy.
Why wasn’t getting this fixed my first priority?
“How are you feeling?” he asks after a long moment.
I shrug.
Today was a long day, and this helps more than I ever dreamed.
“I finally called my mom. Predictably, she doesn’t think Gramps left anything valuable here.”
“No? What about sentimental?”
“She doesn’t think anything has value if some expert can’t put a price on it.” I dip my fingers into the water, twirling them idly. “I’m not sure Elvira Blackthorn ever had a sentimental thought in her life. I get it, though. Gramps hurt her bad when she was young. He caused a lot of trouble in our family, putting the Blackthorn name on a pedestal, but…” I stop and sigh. “I dunno. It’s just a lot. And then there’s the prowler stuff and the police report.”
“Don’t worry too much about that. After I’ve cleared my head in here, I’ll pull the night shift.”
“You mean you won’t sleep? Oh, wow, is that necessary?”
“Only until we have a basic security system put in. Thought I’d order one and have it sent overnight,” he says.
“No, you’ve done enough. There are a couple local places I can call. I’ll work on it tomorrow,” I promise.