Page 48 of The Romance Library

I’d wrongly assumed that because it was cold, I wouldn’t need one.

After wiping my forehead with the back of my hand, I dried it on my vest and used my other hand to open the B&B door. I was glad it was early, so no one else would be up.

I was wrong.

I’d barely taken three steps into the hallway when I spotted Jessica walking towards me.

Good Lord.

She was dressed in a pink vest top with sparkles and tiny matching shorts which exposed her bare legs. And she looked like she’d walked straight out of my dreams.

I swallowed hard and willed my body not to react.

‘Oh!’ Her eyes widened. ‘I, er, I wasn’t expecting anyone to be down here. I… I came to get some water.’

‘So I see.’ I fixed my gaze on the glass in her hand in an effort not to look at her nipples, which were poking through her top.

‘Did you go to the gym or… or something?’ she stuttered, her eyes fixating on my arms.

I was supposed to be looking at her glass of water, not her face, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away.

Despite not wearing a scrap of make-up, she still looked stunning. Jessica had a colourful silk scarf wrapped around her head and for some reason it made me smile.

It was clear: Jessica loved colour. I hadn’t known her long, but everything about her was always so bright and bold. A world away from the sea of black and grey suits I was used to seeing every day.

‘No,’ I said, remembering she’d asked me a question. ‘I went for a run on the beach.’

‘Very nice,’ Jessica replied, then bit her lip. Her eyes shifted from looking at my arms to my chest, down to my feet and then back up again.

Wait.

She was checking me out.

The woman had shamelessly undressed me with her eyes.

This was new.

I was certain she hated me.

Then again, I’d just done exactly the same thing and I didn’t like her either.

Our eyes locked and we stood there in silence.

Every time I told myself to look away, somehow I couldn’t. It was like there was a magnetic force drawing us together.

‘You’re both up! Excellent.’ Glenda came through the door clutching a loaf of bread in her hand.

‘Um, yes,’ I answered without thinking. Of course we were up. ‘Good morning,’ I corrected myself.

‘I-I just came to get some water,’ Jessica repeated. ‘And he’s looking all hot and sexy, I mean sweaty because he went at it on the beach.’ Jessica shook her head, then winced. ‘That came out wrong—he went for a run on the beach.’

The corner of my mouth twitched as I realised what she’d just said. She’d said I was looking hot and sexy, which must’ve been what she was thinking. My dick twitched in response and I reminded myself to calm down.

Whether she was attracted to me or not was irrelevant.

‘I think you were right the first time, love!’ Glenda winked.

‘I’m going to take a shower.’

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