snapped up, wet strands flying back over her shoulders as she made a hoarse sound in her throat, her eyes wide with shock as she stared up at him. He noted the confusion and panic in her eyes, but did nothing to assuage it; the allure of her body was too great and his eyes drifted downwards again. He’d known many a beautiful woman—he’d married one—but he couldn’t remember wanting any of them as much as he wanted this woman right then.
The image of her naked was seared into Braden’s memory forever.
Realizing he had visual access to all her good bits, Jocelyn clamped an arm over her breasts and drew his gaze back to her eyes. Her expression was one of cool annoyance and Braden was immediately impressed with her reaction. Most women would be a simpering, mortified mess right now. “What are you doing in my apartment?” She asked belligerently in that sexy, husky voice of hers. Jesus. She was killing him. He almost groaned, catching the sound in his throat and drawing her narrow-eyed gaze. Unashamed of his want for her, Braden let the heat blaze from his eyes and saw a tremor run through her as she felt the tension spark between them.
As if affronted that she could be turned on in this situation, Jocelyn’s eyes flared. “Turn around!” she yelled in outrage.
Not wanting the situation to escalate out of his favor, Braden immediately lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender and reluctantly turned around to face the sitting room. Not quite believing Ellie’s new flat mate was cab girl, and that he’d just walked in on her naked like some scene from a comedy, Braden began to laugh. This was fucking brilliant.
He heard her hurry off toward her bedroom and decided he better explain who he was in case she thought he was a stalker and decided to return with a weapon of some kind. “I’m Braden Carmichael,” he called to her. “Ellie’s brother.”
There was no response but Braden could hear shuffling, and then the sound of her deliberate stomping as she came back to him. When he turned around Jocelyn stood before him, gracefully petite in a tank top and shorts with her mass of hair haphazardly shoved on top of her head. He smirked, imagining her naked again. Oh yeah, he definitely wasn’t losing that image any time soon.
Her hands flew to her hips, her pale eyes darkening around the edges of the irises with obvious irritation. “And you just walk in here without knocking?”
“It is my flat,” Braden reminded her.
“It’s common courtesy to freaking knock.”
He shrugged, jamming his hands in his pockets. Despite her obvious desire to create contention between them, Braden was surprisingly comfortable with her. She was entertaining. And she wanted him too, he mused, trying not to smile as her greedy, exotic eyes roamed over him.
As if it suddenly occurred to her she was checking him out, Jocelyn shrugged back her shoulders defiantly. Braden tried not to laugh again as she asked, “Aren’t you going to apologize?”
For what?
Grinning, he shook his head. “I never apologize unless I mean it. And I’m not apologizing for this. It’s been the highlight of my week. Possibly my year.” Come on it’s funny. Laugh with me. You know you want to.
However, she didn’t. He thought he detected a lip twitch but he was wrong.
With her nose tipped haughtily in the air, she breezed past him with a, “Wow, what a boring life you must lead.”
Far from it, especially these days. Braden grunted in response and followed her neat little figure into the sitting room. His eyes skimmed the back of her neck and shoulders. She had such a small frame for a curvy woman. It was enticing. So was her throat. Stunning skin. And she smelled of that fruity stuff again.
Watching her, his amusement increased at the tight-lipped look on her face as she took in his empty coffee mug, newspaper and jacket. Realizing he’d been here a while, she threw him the dirtiest bloody look over her shoulder. God, she was fun.
Grinning at her seemed to disarm her somewhat, so Braden shot her another one and sat down in the armchair. As he did she drew in an exasperated sigh causing her braless breasts to tighten against the fabric of her top. Braden’s skin prickled and he could suddenly see her wet and naked in all her glory in the hallway again.
A small, delighted smile played on his lips. “So you’re Jocelyn