Page 28 of Touch Me

“Let's take a potty break, and I’ll find us a snack.” I throw off the blanket and he stands next to me.

“Good idea.”

The red tint to my arms stands out against the white sink as I wash my hands in the bathroom. I must’ve gotten more sun at the beach than I thought. I turn around and peek under my tank top in the mirror to look at my back.

That’s going to hurt tomorrow.

Looking at my face for the first time, I see nothing but red. Well, at least Jace won’t be able to tell if I’m blushing. And, of course, I have more freckles than I did this morning.

Just fucking great.

Bags rustle in the kitchen when I round the corner.

Jace stops his progression from the pantry to the fridge when I walk in. “Wow, you’re really red. I didn’t see it earlier in the dim light, but,” he grimaces, “wow.”

“I know.” I hold my arms up to inspect them under the light. “I didn’t realize how long I was out there. And it was cloudy, so I didn’t feel hot.”

“That’s usually the most dangerous. People don’t feel the heat of the sun, so they think they’re safe. But the UV rays are just as dangerous, even if you don’t feel them.”

“I’ll remember that next time,” I say, poking my arms and watching the red blanche to white and back to red when I release my fingers.

“Why didn’t you wear sunscreen?”

“I don’t have any. And I left in a hurry. I guess I didn’t think about it.”

“You should always wear sunscreen.” He’s chastising me, but at least he’s talking. He must’ve forgotten I left in a hurry because of him.

“Well, if I had beautiful skin like you, I probably would've remembered.” His eyes widen when the words leave my mouth. Shit.Say something.“I don't usually burn. I just get these stupid freckles and then it tans.”

“Being so close to the water will change that.” He folds and unfolds a towel, fidgeting, speaking to the counter instead of me. “Especially feeling the ocean breeze. Before you know it it's too late?” The third time he folds the towel, it must be good enough because he pushes it away. “Let me go find you some aloe, or you'll be in trouble tomorrow.”

He circles around the island, the long way, and leaves me alone in the kitchen. What the hell is wrong with me? Beautiful skin?

Christ, get your shit together.

He’s letting me stay here rent free. He doesn’t need me ogling himorhis beautiful skin. That makes me no better than the man-boy idiots who offered me a place to stay with a smirk and a wink.Ugh.

He comes up behind me and hands me a bottle of aloe vera. “Here, this should help.”

“Thanks.”

I squirt some into my hand and gently massage it on my face. His eyes flit around the room, landing on me periodically as I coat my arms and upper thighs. My position in front of the pantry door leaves Jace no option but to stand and watch. He props his foot on a stool and rubs his fingers along his bottom lip. He may be going for aloof, but all I see is adorable. The burn of my skin is nothing compared to the heat coursing through my body with him standing so close.

Butterflies dance in my belly when his breathing increases. I don’t know if he’s stuck in an awkward trance and doesn’t want to move or if he’s getting brave and settling in for the show. It takes all my power to hide the smirk when I skim my hand over my stomach and his foot slips off the stool it was propped on. I’m no vixen, so a full blush spreads under this burn, but he’ll never know.

Let’s see how far I can take this.

“You think you could get my back?” I ask, tipping the bottle toward him.

He glances at the bottle, then back at me.

Silence.

“Jace? Sorry, this just really hurts, and I can’t reach the middle of my back.” I turn and pull my tank top up and around my shoulders, exposing my back, but covering my front with my arms. A smile pulls at my lips.

Glancing over my shoulder, I find him staring at my bare back, his fingers drumming on the counter. Before I can turn fully toward him, he steps forward with the bottle. My teeth dig into my bottom lip when I hear the squirt of the bottle, and I wait for the coolness to hit my heated skin.

Goosebumps break out in waves as his breath moves my hair when he finally steps closer. I close my eyes in anticipation of his soothing hands ghosting over my skin. The sharp sting that follows his hands rubbing roughly down the middle of my back causes me to lurch forward and suck in a breath.

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