Page 99 of The Path to Loving Him
“Liar.” He takes me to his truck, somehow opens the door, and then sets me down.
“I’m going to get paint all over your seats.”
“Mac has already put them through hell. It’s fine.”
He shuts my door, and from my side mirror, I see him grab a towel from the bed of his truck and then walk over to his side, where he opens the cab door to the back seats. He picks up a water bottle and dumps it over his head. My mouth goes dry as I watch the water cascade down his chest, where each muscle stands out like a siren, beckoning me to stare.
Droplet after droplet drips down his tan skin, curving into his contours, highlighting every beautiful inch of him.
Easily, he’s the most fit, attractive, and burly man I’ve ever seen, with a few scars on his ribs and laugh lines in the corners of his eyes.
When he’s done with the water, he wipes down his body with the towel, then sets everything in the back of the truck. I realize I’ve been staring, so I quickly face forward as he joins me in the cab.
“Get a good show?” he asks as he buckles up, and I do the same.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say as I look out my window.
“Okay,” he says, not believing a word I say.
“And that’s pretty rich, coming from someone who just gave me a gynecological exam out near right field.”
“Gynecological? I barely even had your legs spread a few inches.”
“Uh, you had me wide open. You could have fit the entire team between my legs with how wide you were spreading me.”
“Wow, exaggerate much?” He roars the truck to life and pulls out of the parking spot. “We can get your car another time.”
“It’s fine,” I say. “My friend Bower is coming to visit this weekend. She can help me get it.”
“Okay . . . cool.” He’s silent for a moment as he makes the short drive from the school to the house. “So your friend is visiting?”
“Best friend,” I answer, still looking out the window because I can’t trust myself to keep my eyes off him. “I’m trying to convince her to move here.”
“Oh yeah? Are you winning?”
“Not at the moment, but I have a fair shot this weekend.” I spread my legs a touch farther apart because the burn is real.
“Well, here’s hoping you can accomplish it.”
“Thank you,” I say softly. As we pull down our street, I realize just how quiet it has been. “Hey, are you supposed to get Mac?”
I glance toward him, and I see the frown on his face. “Do you really think I’d forget about my niece?”
Ooof, I can see how that sentence came off.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that to be insulting.”
“I don’t need you checking up on me.”
“I wasn’t,” I say quickly, feeling the tension immediately. “That came out wrong. I’m sure you know where she is at all times.”
He clears his throat and turns into the driveway. “I do,” he says before he puts the truck in park and hops out. I’m about to do the same when he rounds the front of the truck and opens my door.
He goes to scoop me up, but I stop him. “I can walk.”
“No, you can’t,” he says, more sternly than before.
“Really? You haven’t even seen me try.”
