Third Time's a Charm (Holland Springs #3)(25)
“Do vacationers really need to be reminded where they are?” he had said, shuddering at a living room decorated with fishermen’s nets and buoys. “Sand in awkward places not enough?
“I need to turn in for the night, too. I have lots to do around the house tomorrow,” she said with a crooked smile.
“Need some help?”
She nodded. “Some of those are things that I can’t do myself.”
Briefly his eyes closed. When they opened, they were completely guarded. “I’ll see you in the morning. Good night.” He strode from the room.
Rose sighed and stretched out on the cushions of the sofa, flexing her toes and calves. Blackbeard jumped on her stomach and meowed. She teased his whiskers. “What do you think of him?”
Blackbeard kneaded her sweater and purred, completely content.
“Me, too,” she said, stroking his back.
Chapter Eight
“If you clean that one more time, the finish is going to come off.”
The pot fell into the sink with a loud bang.
Crap, she’d been caught. For the past thirty minutes, Rose had been staring out of the window over the kitchen sink while Sasha chopped wood. Ten minutes ago, he’d taken off his shirt and her mouth had dried out. Five minutes ago he’d stretched and flexed his arms and her knees had gone weak.
Cheeks heating, she dried her hands on the kitchen towel and turned to face her sister. “How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough.” Skye moved to stand beside her, giving Rose a quick hug. “Can’t say I blame you. The view is amazing.”
Rose couldn’t fight the giggle. “Yes, it is.”
Sasha’s arms and shoulders glistened in the noon sun. The ax made a perfect arc before it split another piece of wood in half.
They both sighed.
“Man-candy Sunday,” Skye said dreamily, “We should sell tickets.”
“Skye!” Rose smacked her sister with the towel.
“Ouch!” Skye held up her hands and scooted away. “I’m just trying to think of ways to pay off our back taxes.”
“Oh, honey, don’t. Concentrate on school instead.”
A slight flush filled Skye’s freckled face. “I want to apologize for the other day. You and Summer have always taken care of me, and I sounded like an ungrateful brat.”
“I’d already forgotten about it, but thank you. Besides, you’re the baby and it’s our job to take care of you.” Rose tapped her sister’s nose.
Skye rolled her eyes.
They both turned back to the amazing view of Sasha doing shirtless manual labor.
A little sigh left Rose’s mouth before she could stop it.
“Go give him this.” Skye handed her a glass of iced tea, giving her a little push toward the back door. “I’ll listen out for Ivy.”
“Well, I guess he could use something to cool off,” Rose reasoned. “He’s been out there for an hour.”
“He’s chopped enough wood for a dozen fireplaces,” Skye said, a knowing look on her face. “Wonder what he’s working off?”
Rose wasn’t about to answer that question. She started for the door, then stopped and turned to face her sister. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
Skye grinned. “I was visiting a friend and something told me to come by.” She gave Rose another push. “Quit stalling and get out there.”
“I’m going,” she mumbled and opened the door. Unseasonably warm air hit her face and bare arms as she walked outside. Brown grass stabbed the soles of her feet. How could she have forgotten her shoes?
Sasha entered her line of vision. Tanned skin and pierced nipples gleaming in the sun. His jeans hung low on his hips, making her want to trace the line of hair that she knew dipped out of sight.
Oh, right—he was why she’d forgotten her shoes.
The wind picked up when she was only a few feet away, blowing her hair forward. Sasha paused, then embedded the ax into a piece of wood and turned. “Hullo, Rose.”
“Here.” She thrust the tea at him, misjudged the distance and ended up colliding with his chest. Tea sloshed over the sides, down his chest and her hand.
“Holy hell, that’s cold!” His stomach contracted.
“Oh God, I’m sorry.” She couldn’t stop staring at the liquid as it made its way down his abdomen. Slowly, she wiped her hand on her skirt.
He pulled off one of his gloves, tossing it to the side before taking the glass from her. “Don’t suppose you brought something to get this off of me.”
Rose licked her bottom lip as she thought of licking the sweet liquid from his skin with her tongue. How’d it would taste sweet and…she heard a sharp intake of breath and her eyes flew up to his.
In their mossy depths glinted amusement and desire. “Care to share what you’re thinking?”
Her eyes widened. “No, I mean, I’ll go get you something.”
“I got it, love. No worries.” He drank what was left of the tea and handed her the glass. “My thanks.” Gesturing to the piles of wood, he asked, “This enough for you?”
“Ah...”
He drew his brows together, still not wiping the tea from his skin. Dear God, would he wipe it away? She took a step forward, grabbed his shirt from the top of a stump and toweled him off. His hand came around hers, stopping her maniacal cleaning and taking away his shirt. “It’s a good thing Skye’s the one who wants to be a midwife, because your bedside manner leaves much to be desired.” He shook the material out, making a face at the spots of tea.