Page 20 of Seaside Cowboy's Marriage of Convenience

“Did you drop a paint bucket on someone else before?” At this point, she wouldn’t be surprised. She should tell him she’d wash her hair and then go to the hairdresser. But something about having him close stopped her.

“No, I meant I ruined our time together again. You’ll think every meeting with me is a disaster.” He frowned as he snapped off his rubber gloves.

Somehow, his fresh aftershave reached her through the curtain of anger and the odor of paint. And the times he touched her neck while trying to remove the paint from her hair sent pleasant ripples over her skin.

The dog whined as if apologizing for all the damage she’d done. She looked so innocent that Kennedy didn’t have the heart to chastise her. At least, no paint ended up on her fur.

“Austin, Kennedy, we’re back!” Skylar’s cheerful voice sailed through the hall. “And we brought some food, too!”

Seconds later, Skylar and Marina sauntered inside, accompanied by a mouthwatering barbecue aroma. Then both women stopped in their tracks.

“Surprise!” Austin and Kennedy said in unison.

“It is. Um, when you volunteered to paint, I didn’t think you meant your hair,” Marina blurted.

Kennedy had been in embarrassing situations before, and Austin already looked like he wanted to fall through the carpeted floor, now covered in a protective plastic drop cloth. So she raised her chin. “Why not? Pink looks good on me.”

“I’m so sorry,” Austin said. “Just shoot me, really.”

He looked so miserable her anger dissipated. She plastered on a smile. “Look on the bright side. We didn’t paint the dog.”

The golden retriever with her lustrous fur intact barked as if to confirm it.

“And I appreciate that,” Skylar said with a sincerity Kennedy could believe. “Um, you need something more efficient than paper towels for this.”

“Yeah, like a paint stripper. But I’m not ready to lose my scalp yet.” Kennedy regretted her words as Austin’s face fell even more. “It’s okay. Do you mind if I use your bathroom?” Time was crucial, and she’d already used too much recovering from the shock. And fine, enjoying Austin’s touch.

Skylar nodded. “Of course. Feel free to use any shampoo you find there. Fresh towels, too.”

“I’ll help.” Austin followed her.

In her research about him, nobody had said he was accident-prone, but it proved to be the case so far. But who cared about a few accidents compared with her uncle’s happiness?

How was Austin going to help, though? “I’ll wash your hair,” he said as if sensing her question.

“O–okay.” Her insides warmed. The idea sounded surprisingly appealing.

She scrubbed her face with soap and water, then opened a bottle with peach-scented shampoo. “Let’s see if this works.”

“I so hope and pray it will.” He draped a towel over her shoulders. His gaze connected to hers longer than it should have. Could she hope he was as attracted to her as she was to him?

Okay, she had paint drying in her hair. It was no time to get lost in his blue eyes. She leaned over, and then warm water trickled over her scalp.

“Is this too hot?” he asked.

The feeling inside her was getting too hot. “The water is fine.”

The peachy scent joined the one of his aftershave. His fingers gliding over her skin sent wonderful waves through her, leaving delicious tingles in their wake. His touch was totally innocent, but those waves made it feel nearly... nearly forbidden.

“I noticed you didn’t sneeze near the dog. Are your allergies getting better?”

Her head jerked up, knocking him on the chin. “I don’t have allergies to dogs.”

His fingers moved over her scalp, creating lovely sensations and making it difficult to concentrate. “I meant, to fur. You sneezed when I brought the puppy.”

Her nose itched just from the memory. “Oh. I sneezed because you brought hibiscuses. I’m allergic to them.”

His fingers on her head stopped moving, but thankfully, resumed soon. “So sorry. I thought they were your favorite flowers.”

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