Page 37 of The Darkest Knight

CHAPTER TEN

Seth knocked on Reese’s cabin door. She didn’t answer, so he knocked harder.

A minute later, the door swung open and there was the object of his chaotic thoughts. Because it was dark he couldn’t see her expression, but her slight moan told him she’d been sleeping and she wasn’t happy to be awakened at midnight.

“Seth, do you realize what time it is?”

“Time for me to give you a piece of my mind. That’s what time it is.”

She leaned in closer to him and sniffed. “Did you drink the beer or bathe in it?”

He laughed. He did find her humorous. “A man deserves a cold one after a long day’s work.”

“Yes, a cold one. Not the entire keg.”

“Are you going to lecture me?” he groaned.

“You came here, remember? Apparently with something to say to me?”

She moved and he got a whiff of her sweet scent that drove through him like a hammer. He gave himself a mental shake. He came here for a reason and it had nothing to do with breathing her in. Or to bury his face into her soft curves. He’d witnessed just how soft they were that afternoon and his palms were having withdraw.

“I did. I came to talk.”

“Why don’t we have this conversation when you’re, let’s say, capable of standing without a doorjamb for support?”

He snorted loudly. “I can stand on my own two feet.” He pushed away from the frame in an attempt to prove a point, but he wobbled. “This damn porch. It ain’t even.”

“Then by all means, let’s take this inside before the porch is the death of you.” She stepped back to let him pass.

Warning bells shot off in his head. Don’t go inside. Stay outside where it’s cold and not contaminated with beautiful Reese. But he didn’t listen. Never did.

He stepped across the threshold just as she turned on the bedside lamp in the open room. He could have kicked himself when he strolled his hungry gaze down the itty-bitty pink cami and the sleeping shorts. Apparently, he didn’t drown himself in enough beer because his dick pressed against the zipper until he swore he heard seams break.

“Don’t you have anything else to wear besides those show-all shorts?” he snapped.

She squinted. “What are you talking about? I was asleep in bed before you came rolling in here like a brewery in boots.”

“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. Do I need to remind you how enticing…I mean, how short those shorts were today? That little fringed edge. The hole in the pocket that could make a man think it’s a peep hole. Oh yeah, you know what I mean. I could read your mind they were so short.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her chin. “You came here at this hour to talk to me about this? My shorts?”

“How’s a man supposed to think?” He sniffed.

“Oh, I don’t know, possibly the first suggestion I have would have is for you to stop looking at my clothes if you’re offended, but since you think I have some deviant intention, wearing hat you call ‘peep holes’, I’ll put you out of your misery. Knowing I’d be painting, I didn’t want to wear any of my nice clothes since my entire wardrobe fits into a duffel bag, so I bought a pair of old shorts at the consignment store. Unfortunately, they were too long and the scissors too dull, and maybe my vision was lopsided because I couldn’t cut a straight line if it killed me. Before I knew it, I had Daisy-Dukes. Happy?” She rolled her eyes. “I guess next you’ll accuse me of taking a shower to smell good for you.”

He shrugged, dropping down into the chair. Her frown couldn’t be unseen. “You’re irritated.”

“Wow. Handsome and smart. You can go now.” She tapped her bare toes.

“Come on. Can’t a man sit and take a load off?”

“Do you have something else to speak to me about besides my wardrobe?”

“Yes. I don’t know how to put this lightly…because I know you probably don’t see it…but a pretty woman can sometimes take a man away from what he’s supposed to be doing.”

Tapping her foot harder, she sighed. “Is this ‘man’ you?”

He cleared his throat. “No, the crew here working. For instance, Lex. If you haven’t noticed…”

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