Page 36 of The Hook Up
There was a wet patch over his heart. Maybe it really had melted. “It’s fine,” he said. “It’s just water.”
“Let me throw it in the dryer for you,” she said.
Ellie scrambled to her feet before he could insist it wasn’t necessary.
He stood up and shrugged out of his plaid button-down. “Thanks.” He peeled off the white undershirt, too, folding both over his arm before handing them to her. “I appreciate it.”
Ellie stared at his chest for a few beats. “Good Lord,” she murmured. “How many hours in the gym does it take to look like that?”
Ty laughed, secretly flattered. “I have a lot of free time on my hands.”
She seemed to shake herself a bit then, and her gaze lifted to his. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to ogle you.”
He took a deep breath, determined not to look away this time. “I’ve been ogling you in that wet dress for the last twenty minutes,” he said. “It’s a fair trade.”
Ellie grinned up at him like he’d just offered her a glass of wine and a foot rub. “Then it sounds like we’re on the same page.”
Before he could say anything else, she turned and scurried down the hall.
What just happened?
“Let me see if I can find one of my brother’s old shirts somewhere,” she called from the other end of the house.
“I’m fine,” he yelled back, then lowered his voice. “I probably need to cool off a bit anyway.”
He thought he heard a bubble of laughter from down the hall, but that was all. There was a clang, followed by the sound of a clothes dryer starting up. Ty grabbed a dry towel from a stack on the counter and dropped to his knees to mop the puddle closest to the fridge. When he finished with that one, he set the wet towel in the sink and repeated the process with another puddle and another towel.
Once he had the floor reasonably tidy, he grabbed a dish towel off the counter and dried his hands. Feeling awkward standing shirtless in her kitchen, he turned and headed into the living room. He was most definitely not thinking about Ellie taking off her dress down the hall. That was none of his business.
Get a grip, Hendrix.
He stalked over to the couch and sat down hard, figuring he was least likely to get into trouble here. Maybe he should pour them each some of the wine he’d brought, but that might be weird. Too intimate to go digging through her cupboards for a corkscrew and glasses. He should probably just wait right here and try not to do anything stupid.
A sound from the hallway made Ty glance up. His jaw fell open as Ellie strolled toward him wearing a pink robe that tied at the waist. The silky fabric covered her arms and came almost to the floor. She was perfectly decent, probably more covered up than any of the other times they’d met.
But his head started to buzz as his gaze lingered at the deep V between her breasts. Was she wearing anything under that robe? Or would one little tug on that silky belt leave her standing naked in her living room?
“That feels better,” Ellie said, rubbing a towel over her damp hair. She grinned at him then tossed the towel through an open door he guessed might be to the laundry room. She strode toward him, Ty’s gaze clinging to her like static on a balloon.
He should strike up some casual banter, but the only thing swimming up through the murk in his brain was,Are you naked under there?
He couldn’t say that. He hadn’t said it, right? It was possible his tongue wasn’t entirely under control.
“Music!” he blurted like an idiot. “We should turn on some music.”
Ellie looked at him oddly then nodded. “Sure. My phone’s right there next to you. See if there’s anything you like.”
Ty tore his eyes off her and fumbled with the device. Metallica? Guns N’ Roses? AC/DC? “You like eighties metal?” he asked.
“I love it,” she said as she eased onto the couch beside him, close enough for Ty to feel the warmth of her thigh through the silky robe.
He didn’t know which he found sexier—that or her musical taste. A woman who liked to rock? How ridiculously hot. Maybe hotter than a woman who sold sex toys for a living.
Christ. How was it possible for one woman to be so many things he found insanely attractive?
“Your shirt will be dry in just a few minutes,” Ellie said. “I hope it’s okay I threw my dress in there, too.”
“Fine with me,” he said. His voice sounded crackly, and he wondered what kind of a perv got turned on by the thought of his clothes tumbling around together with a gorgeous woman’s dress.
