Page 60 of Some Like It Hott

Restored, I slide back into the hot water, crossing my arms over my chest like that’s going to hold the feelings inside.

Fat chance.

We’re both silent, and that makes me nervous. One of us should say something, make light of the situation or at least acknowledge what happened, maybe make an observation about what should come next. I could offer to reciprocate, which wouldn’t be a hardship at all. I’d love to wrap my fist around his cock. I’d love to make Preston Hott lose control, watch him fall apart.

But as I’m wracking my brain for the word or the gesture to get us there, we both hear a sound behind us. Someone’s rattling the gate. There are voices, a man’s and a woman’s, laughing, and I hope we’re not about to get an eyeful. I check to make sure we’re decent—we are—and Preston’s doing the same, eyes roaming over my swimsuit and then down to his own.

The gate swings open, and Sonya and Quinn step in.

“Well, hey,” Sonya says, grinning at us.

“Oh, hey,” Preston says, and I can see the dismay on his face. He didn’t want to get caught like this by his brother and sister-in-law. It does look pretty incriminating. Hostile coworkers usually don’t soak together late at night.

“We, um, interrupting anything?” Quinn uses the same dry tone that Preston is a master at.

My cheeks go lava hot.

“No,” Preston says succinctly—which, for what it’s worth, is true. “I was in here, and Natalie came by to take a dip. She offered to leave, but I said it was no big deal and she could stay.”

Okay, so that’s our story and we’re sticking to it. Part of me is glad he protected my dignity—not the best look to be getting off on the boss’s brother’s cock in the family-owned spa—but the other part of me is bummed that we’re his dirty little secret.

“I was about to get out,” I say.

“Me, too.” Preston delivers those words, then swings himself up and out of the pool; I have to not swallow my tongue at the sight of those muscles, long and ripped and lean, hard at work in arms that look like they were made for my personal enjoyment. His body is even more tempting now that I’ve had it between my thighs and can attest to how perfectly it fits there.

“Don’t feel like you have to leave. We can come back another time,” Sonya says, lips curved in a smile she can’t hide. “Or we can all hang out.”

I shake my head. “We’re good.” I follow Preston up out of the tub. “But it would be fun to all hang out sometime. I’d be up for that.”

Preston gives me a look. Right, I probably made things worse, implying that it makes sense for the four of us to hang out, like on a double date. Or maybe I’m overthinking it.

We make our excuses, grab our stuff, and say our goodbyes. I follow him out and back toward the lodge. When we get there, we ride the elevator in near silence.

I think it’ll be awkward when we get to our rooms, but as we approach my door, Preston crowds me against it and puts one hand up on the frame over my head.Oh.

I’ve said it out loud, and he grins.

His big body brushes mine.Ohhh.

He ducks and kisses me, and it’s not a quick goodbye kiss, either. My body roars back to life, and I’m ready to drag him into my room—when his phone buzzes.

“Sorry, I gotta—” He looks at it. “Shit,” he says. “I have to deal with this before the Asian markets close.”

“No worries,” I say, trying to sound nonchalant.

“I might be up a while,” he says. “See you tomorrow? In the office?”

“Sure. See you tomorrow.”

And I go into my room first so I don’t have to watch him retreat.

Once inside, I give myself a stern silent lecture.

I tell myself that it makes absolutely no sense to feel shitty about the fact that a workaholic who lives on the other side of the country preempted making out with me tobe a workaholic who lives on the other side of the country.

30

Natalie

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