Page 36 of Fall for You
He then helped Willow prepare lunch, and they ate in amiable silence, perched on stools in the corner of the kitchen while the part-time workers dealt with the lunch rush. After that, he headed up to his floor to shower.
He stretched his arms over his head with a groan.
Yup. He was definitely going to feel every muscle in his back by the morning. But for the first time in days, he didn’t feel like a clock that was wound too tight.
The only guests on his floor had left this morning, so he whipped off his sweaty shirt and tossed it into the laundry room. He’d nearly reached the bathroom, where a nice hot shower called his name, when?—
Bam!
Someone rounded the corner out of one of the guest rooms and slammed into his chest.
He instinctively reached out to steady the woman, and?—
“Ronnie?” He said her name too loudly and her head snapped up, her wide eyes meeting his.
A heartbeat of shocked silence passed between them before she quickly jolted away from him. It was only when she moved back out of arm’s reach that he realized he hadn’t let go. He’d been gripping her arms and holding her there.
“Dallas?” Her voice was high and tight, her cheeks flushed as her gaze darted up and down his bare chest, dirty pants, and sockless feet.
Oh.
Oh crap.
“Why are you naked?” she hissed.
He frowned, looking down at himself. Like maybe he’d ditched his jeans and underwear and forgot about it. But no. He was still fully clothed—from the waist down. “I’m not?—”
“Do you always just go around…” She flapped her hand in the general direction of his chest. “Like that?”
His lips twitched. He couldn’t help it. She looked so flustered. So adorably flustered. And so…so…
So beautiful.
What?
Nope.
He was not going there. Even if that pink tinge in her cheeks made her dark eyes sparkle even more. She had her hair in a thick braid that fell over one shoulder, and she somehow managed to make baggy slacks and a cable-knit sweater look ridiculously sexy.
He crossed his arms, his smile smug. “You can stop staring any time, you know.”
“I’m not staring.” Her gaze finally met his, and…
There. Yup. There it was. A spark so vivid, he wouldn’t have been surprised if lightning shot out of her.
“Where are your clothes?” she demanded.
He nodded toward the laundry. “They needed washing.”
“And you don’t have a hamper in your room?” She huffed. “Can’t believe you’re just walking around here naked. You’re going to scare the guests away!”
“I’m gonna—what?” He considered her. “First of all, I’m not naked, so please stop clutching those pearls, Grandma.”
With a sharp inhale, she opened her mouth to retort, but he cut her off before she could.
“And second…” He looked around pointedly. “What guests?”
“I could have been a guest.”
