Page 37 of Beyond Expectations

The sudden sound of his voice behind me almost made the glass fall out of my hand.

“Is everything okay?”

Bringing my breathing back into check, I turned around to relay the information Ann had given me when I was struck at the sight of him.

With just a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair damp with water droplets falling down his wet, glistening torso, my mind flashed back to my dream.

His body was almost a replica of what I had imagined. Better, in fact. There was a potency to his presence. And I was hit with an onslaught of raw physical desire.

My nipples began to peak with arousal. My tongue ran along my lips. I felt myself almost salivating at the incredible physique and sensual masculinity of the man standing before me.

Shaking my head, I cleared my throat and looked into his eyes.

“We’re stuck here for the night.”

His face turned into a grin, reaching from ear to ear. I was unsure if it was because he caught me ogling him or were stranded there.

Taking the empty glass out of my hand, he walked over to the sidecar and poured us another drink.

“I’ll have mine after I shower,” I shouted over my shoulder and told myself not to run into the bathroom.

“Take your time. I have a few calls to make.”

As soon as I entered the bathroom, I stripped off my wet clothes and entered the hot, steamy shower.

Mentally, I pleaded for my body to calm down. My craving for him was increasing by the second.

As I lathered my skin with the lavender and citrus body wash the Inn supplied for its guests, I reflected on our conversations.

It was as if Rhett showed a whole other side to himself today.

The more I got to know him, the more he surprised me. But not only did it surprise me, it intrigued me.

He was increasingly the opposite of the man I thought he was.

Yet, despite knowing we were both mature, consenting adults who were attracted to one another, I couldn’t seem to be able to come to a rational decision whether to sleep with him or not.

Was it purely the differences in our backgrounds? Was it his brother? A few years ago, Ruby suggested I start speaking to a therapist as she was worried I was suppressing too much. I’d been seeing Dr Michaels on and off for almost four years. One of the things we had been working on or, as she said, ‘working through’ was my struggle with letting people in, which apparently was connected to my abandonment issues from my mother leaving at a young age.

Was that what was making me question any and every little thing with Rhett?

I couldn’t put my finger on what it was, and honestly, I was getting tired of arguing with myself. I wanted the man, didn’t I? It was as simple as that.

Whatever happened would happen.

As I washed the conditioner out of my hair, I realized there was no point in avoiding the inevitable.

I got out of the shower and ran my hands through my hair, squeezing the excess water. Wrapping a towel around myself, I took one last look in the mirror before returning to the room.

Sitting on the chair by the desk, I could see he was on the phone. He abruptly ended the call as he turned and noticed me standing in the bathroom doorway.

With his drink in his left hand, he picked up mine with his right and swiveled around to face me.

“Would you like your drink now?”

The husky timbre of his voice caused goosebumps to prickle my arms.

Slowly, I approached him, taking in the tension and desire flowing from him.

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