Page 21 of Phillip

Curious, she moved to the second door. It wasn’t ajar but wasn’t completely shut. She inched it open, wondering what she would find—

The door swung open, and a warm, damp chest barreled into her. Ashley stumbled back, her heels doing her no favors as she toppled—almost. She was trapped in the arms of a bare-chested man.Phillip.

“Oh!” She jerked away, and her cheek slapped into his muscular chest. Phillip regained his footing, still holding her, then let her wriggle away. “I’m so—” She choked. Phillip wore only a towel. “Sorry…” A furious blush washed over her. Another apology was hot on the last one’s trail when it caught in her throat.

Phillip eased back. “Are you okay?”

Not at all.She blinked and stared. Water droplets clung to his skin. The definition of his pectoral muscles carved themselves into her memory, ensuring that she would never forget this moment. Unable to stop her roaming gaze, she followed the dark smattering of chest hair that thinned closer to his abdomen. Water trailed down his stomach, sliding over the ridges of taut skin, and disappeared into the towel wrapped dangerously low over his hips.

“We keep crashing into each other today,” he said as though he weren’t dripping wet and nearly naked.

Her chin jerked up. Ashley remembered to breathe, choking on a gasp before a semi-erratic pattern of breaths returned. Gathering enough nerve to look him in the eye, she almost ran at the sight of Phillip’s impish grin.

“You’re…” She couldn’t figure out what to say. “In a towel.”

His grin grew into one that packed far more heat, making it apparent that he enjoyed what he’d seen: her drinking him in. “That obvious?”

She jerked from him, retreating until her back bumped against the wall. His lips twitched.

“I didn’t—I mean… I wasn’t.” Her tongue twisted as her hands slapped across her eyes, shielding the view. “Your brother said to come up here.”

Phillip made a curious noise. Ashley prayed for another set of hands to cover her ears.

“I’m running behind,” he said. “Give me a minute.”

“Of course.” She spun to face the wall, still covering her eyes. Maybe she could melt into it. If there was ever time for a superpower, walking through walls would work well at that moment. “Or I can just go.”

His footsteps padded away as he laughed quietly. “You’ve seen me with less.”

Ashley thumped her hand-covered head against the wall. “I’m so, so sorry.”

***

One foot in front of the other.That was all Phillip could think until he escaped behind the closed door. His next breath lodged in his throat. His bedroom seemed smaller and warmer than it should.Hewas warmer—no, he was burning up. Arousal danced through his veins. It punched in time with his pulse. The memory of her face, hershock, with hungry eyes and parted lips, stained his vision and colored his thoughts.

He’d barely had a rational moment to think since his jealousy spiked and he’d invited her over, wanting to be with her alone. But now that he’d seen that look on her face, he wanted a whole lot more than to test the waters with a flirtatious game while they did their work. He wanted to see her desire again, which meant he needed to control his reactions to her.

Easier said than done.Tension still choked him. He pulled a deep breath and dropped the towel. Cool air slid over his naked hips and groin and did little to quell the growing from deep within.

He flipped a wall switch, and the overhead fan silently stirred the air, failing to cool the hold she had on his thoughts as he crossed the room. Helpless to them, Phillip fell face-first onto the mattress.

Teasing her shouldn’t be so fun. Hurt should be his only reaction when faced with the pain from the past. Too bad that hurt didn’t come. Time had allowed his heart to forgive and forget.

The overhead fan found its cruising speed. Lazy circles blew over his shower-dampened skin. Moisture wicked away, and he rolled over. “Get a grip.”

Again, easier said than done.Frustrated, he pushed off the bed and stalked to his dresser. His reflection didn’t look wary of her. He glared at the mirror. “Be careful.”

But of what?Worrying about getting hurt meant that he wanted to test the waters, knowing full well he couldn’t handle a meaningless fling with Ashley.

Wow. Phillip surprised himself. But the man in the mirror wasn’t worried. He was grinning as though he’d discovered the meaning of life.

He turned, trying to juggle his thoughts. Just because he wanted her back didn’t mean that he would blindly charge forward and count on their chemistry to reignite what had been a white-hot love. He was older and wiser than the punk he’d been in college. That had to count for something. Phillip rubbed his hands into his hair, deciding to take it slow, then wondering how Ashley had changed. He didn’t know but wanted to find out—and he would have to prove to her that he was a better version of the man she’d loved and left.

“After the car show,” he told himself. All he needed was a plan.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Holy Greek gods, that man was sex on a stick. Ashley wasn’t sure what to do. When she closed her eyes, her mind went into overdrive, recalling how they’d collided. If she kept her eyes open… well, she had nearly the same thoughts.

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