“Lordy, girl,” the fishermen carrying the blankets says in a crusty voice. “Ain’t no time for modesty when hypothermia is nipping at your heels.”
“Fine,” I say. “Just don’t look.”
“Ain’t nobody looking,” the fisherman says.
I reach for the hem of my soaked Lululemon shirt to peel it over my head, not an easy task when my body is shaking and my damn clothes are glued to my wet skin. I mumble curses under my breath and writhe and move like a contortionist on crack. I expect a round of laughter at the circus sideshow I’m performing, but instead, Jay steps up to me, and I become acutely aware that he’s only sporting a pair of black boxers.
“Here,” he says, his fingers brushing my stomach, creating new goose bumps as they linger a moment too long. A hard shiver that may have nothing to do with our dip in the water races through me as he helps me remove the stretchy cotton from my body. He gets it off—and sadly, I nearly get off, too, as his big, calloused hands touch me in the softest ways. Dressed in my lacy bra, hard nipples poking out, I work on my skirt as he wrings out my top.
“What were you doing so close to the rocks?” His tone holds a measure of accusation.
“I… I was—”
“Can’t you read?” he asks before I can answer him. I try to push the words past my numb lips, but he continues with, “You could have gotten your entire family killed.”
“I… They…weren’t my family,” I inform him as I gratefully accept the blanket from the fisherman and wrap it around my near nakedness. “I…can’t stop shaking.”
“If you want,” the crusty-voiced fisherman with the weathered skin begins, “I’d be happy to give you some of my body heat. It’ll help warm you up quicker.” He’s grinning and toying with the button on his flannel shirt when I glance at him, but I’m pretty sure it’s a legit offer to help. He’s clearly fished people from the water before.
“We’re good,” Jay says, and in a protective way positions himself between me and the men as he runs his hands up and down my arms to create heat with friction. Damn, that shouldn’t feel so good. But it does. I almost snort. I’m frozen half to death yet taking pleasure at the way this fisherman is warming me. If that doesn’t prove it’s been too long since I’ve been touched, I don’t know what does.
“If they weren’t your family, what were you doing down there with them, putting yourself in danger like that?” He dips his head, and dammit, being the sole focus of this guy’s attention has the ability to warm my blood in ways the scratchy blanket can’t.
“I was trying to lure him away from the edge. I was worried he was going to fall in with his grandkids.”
Jay’s face softens as he gives a slow shake of his head. “Dumbass.”
I instantly go on the defense. How freaking rude. What happened to the sweet guy who swam by my side, and is currently trying to warm me?
“I am not a dumbass,” I say and flinch away as I glare at him.
“Wait, I wasn’t calling…” His hands fall to his sides, and he angles his head, his eyes narrowing in on me. “Going down there to help that family was courageous, Alyson. I would never call you a dumbass for trying to help someone.” He rakes his wet hair back and shakes his head. “And you accuse me of jumping to conclusions.”
Okay, it’s true. I instantly assumed he was talking about me. No one in my world thinks I’m capable of doing anything right. Of course, I haven’t given them a reason to think otherwise. I can’t help that I don’t know what I want in life yet.
“Forget it,” I say and try to finger-comb the knots in my mess of salty hair.
“I was just trying to rescue you.”
My mood sours even more. Honestly, I’m tired of being rescued and so damn tired of my father telling me I’m a quitter. Sure, I quit my first job out of college, but the editor of that magazine was a sexual harassment lawsuit waiting to happen. And yes, I quit the next one, but honestly, working in politics wasn’t my thing. Especially not for an “honest, decent candidate” who was cheating on his wife with his personal assistant. And the retail management position? I’m sorry, but I just