Page 108 of Sit, Stay, Love
She blew out a lengthy breath. ‘Maybe you’re right. Not about the movie. Maybe you’re right about taking a breather from the… kissing. Just to giveme a bit of space to think. Your lips tend to muddle me.’ She turned to face him and blinked.
He’d pushed his hood back and his face was damp, and his hair was sticking up where he’d run his fingers through it. There was pink in his cheeks from their dash across the park, and the blue of his eyes was so vivid, they didn’t look quite real. And then there were his lips, moist from the rain and in a soft pout.
This was why she needed a breather. This right here. Because just looking at him made her toes scrunch and unscrunch in her shoes.
The hail had stopped and rain was now teeming from the sky, pouring off the roof of the bus shelter like a waterfall. It splashed up their legs, soaking their jeans as they sat beside each other, their bodies touching, sizzling in the humid air.
When Fleur whimpered, Sera looked down at the dog lying miserably on the wet concrete floor.
‘She’s soaked,’ she said, breathy and uneven. ‘We’d better get her back to the shelter and warm her up. Us too.’
Ethan silently nodded and offered her his hand.
She took it in hers, and they dashed through the rain to the car.
‘Tia, would you mind drying Fleur off for me please? And get her settled?’
Sera and Ethan were standing on the verandah, peeling off their raincoats, their hair dripping and clothes soaked.
‘Sure,’ Tia giggled. ‘You picked a nice day for it.’
She shimmied past Ethan, blushing at being so close to him, then grabbed an umbrella in one hand and Fleur’s leash in the other and made a run for the kennels.
‘I’d better go,’ Ethan said, shaking his head and spraying water everywhere.
‘Are you sure you don’t want to get dry first?’
He indicated his drenched clothes. ‘Not much chance of that.’
‘I have some of Toby’s clothes here. I’m sure they’d fit you.’
His brow creased.
‘I’ve borrowed so many of his sweatshirts, and I have a pair of his sweatpants somewhere. Even some underwear.’
Ethan tilted his head and raised his brows.
She huffed. ‘He wasn’t wearing them at the time. He loaned them to me because I wanted to take off that stupid dress I wore to the—’ She stopped.
‘I’m glad you went to Toby that night,’ he said softly, ‘and not straight home.’
‘Why?’
‘Because you were with a friend when you needed one. I know he would’ve taken care of you.’ He smiled a thousand watts of sexy at her. ‘And maybe I will come in and dry off. I don’t mind wearing the doc’s clothes. I’m sure when you tell him, he’ll have no problem with it either.’ His tongue was planted firmly in his cheek, and he flashed her a look that said,Please tell him.
Sera rolled her eyes. ‘The two of you are ridiculous.’
To Ethan’s credit, he didn’t suggest they shower together, though both Sera and Tia were almost unable to speak when he disappeared into the bathroom and they heard the water running.
‘I cannot believe Ethan James is down the hall, naked,’ Tia said, all breathy.
Sera smiled. ‘Tia.’
‘Sorry. But. Oh. My. God.’
‘You should get home. This weather’s terrible.’
She pouted. ‘Damn. I thought I was going to see him in his towel or something.’
