Page 46 of An Irish Kiss
So she waited, and a few seconds later he drew close, now dressed in the dark green jumper from last night, with a thick towel wrapped around him.Just as well.
“Good morning.”He smiled.
Her heart cramped.Oh, why did he have to have such a nice smile?Wasn’t it enough that he used his blue eyes like a weapon?
Oh, look at that.Her lips had lifted all by themselves.“How are you feeling?”
“Better.”
“I have to admit I’m surprised to see you swimming, especially after all the comments about being so cold yesterday.”
“Obviously someone doubted my swimming ability, so I had to prove that I knew how.”
“And you just happened to know I’d be visiting this beach to check on that, did you?”
“No.But I might’ve hoped you’d see me.Just as I did the other day at the gym.”
Was he trying to impress her?No way would she tell him she’d seen him working out, and yes, been impressed by his weights.And his muscles.
“I was so tired last night that I think I went to bed a little too early, so I woke up, and maybe felt a little too warm.Which is why I had to do something to clear my head, so trying wild swimming was it.”
“To see if you could’ve swum from the kayak?”
He winced, and she instantly felt bad.“I hate to admit it, because I’m sure it’ll make me sound soft, but the water temperature is a little too cold for my liking.I don’t know how I would’ve gone trying to swim back yesterday.”
“Those currents wouldn’t have helped, either.So maybe it was just as well it worked out as it did.”
“Yeah.And thank you again.”
“Please stop thanking me.”Oh, how ungracious she sounded, as she saw his startled look.“I mean, you said thank you enough yesterday, so I know you’re thankful.And it’s all okay.”
“It is?”
“Yes.Full stop.Let’s move on.”
“Easier said than done.”His lips twisted.“I have to admit another reason for a swim was because I didn’t want to face anyone this morning.It was enough to have to deal with everyone’s sympathy last night.”
There had certainly been a lot of that.
“I felt like such a fool,” he confessed.
“Hey.”She placed her hand on his arm.“It was simply bad luck, that’s all.”
He glanced at her hand, then up at her.
She instantly moved it.What was she doing, touching him like that?She shifted, glad for the distraction of Rover who had finally decided to pay her attention, as he pushed his wet nose into her knee.
“That’s, uh, kind of you to say so.”
What was kind?Oh, the comment about his losing his paddle as bad luck.Well, it was true.She shrugged, peeked up.
He ran a hand through his hair, making some of it stick up like a rooster’s comb.She bit back her smile.
“What?”
She smoothed her own hair.“Your hair.It’s just sticking up a wee bit.”
He copied her actions, and flattened it down.“Better?”
