Oh, Keep Your Shirt On - Michelle Pennington Page 0,25

like we both have issues in the parent department. But you’ll be good now that you have a new job, right? Tell me about it.”

I couldn’t wait to hear his reaction. “It’s a lingerie company called Booms and Nibbles. It caters to women who wear specialty sizes.”

“Booms and…nibbles?”

“Yeah. I can’t wait to hear about the name. And besides the great pay, I’ll have weekends off.”

“Perfect. That’s one less thing standing in the way of you coming to the wedding with me.”

“Oh, just let it go, Damien.”

He laughed and watched me from across the hot tub. I couldn’t really see his eyes with only the neon lights below the water and the moon and stars overhead. But somehow he still looked devilish. “It’s not going to happen. I have to have you there.”

I doubted Damien would give up trying to persuade me, so I stood up. “As amazing as this is, I think I’d better get out before you convince me.” But as soon as I stood up, I realized that doing so would expose me to his all-too observant eyes. I’d had enough of guys judging my body for one evening. I sat back down with a splash.

“What’s wrong?”

There was no way I could tell him. But the only way I was getting out of this hot tub was if I just did it. If Damien didn’t like what he saw, well, maybe that was for the best. “Nothing.”

I forced myself to stand up again and moved across to the other side where two steps led down to the ground, even though Damien sat there.

Gritting my teeth both literally and metaphorically, I moved to get out, but he caught my hand. “Look, don’t be mad. I won’t ask you anymore. I promise.”

“Thanks,” I said. “But please let me go before I turn into an icicle.”

He let go at once, so I was able to maneuver out of the tub and down the steps to where my flip flops waited. I didn’t want to waste time putting them on, so I picked them up and wrapped my blanket around my frigid skin. I was positive I would turn to ice before I got back into my house. After a few slow, painful steps with bare, frozen feet, I heard the splash of water, then the next thing I knew, Damien had scooped me up over his wet, bare shoulders and began carrying me across the frozen grass.

“Put me down.”

“Just chill a second.”

Bouncing on his shoulder was not exactly comfortable, but since my arms were wrapped my blanket, I was at his mercy.

“Aren’t you freezing?” I asked, frustrated but worried about him in his wet swim trunks and bare feet.

“A little.” His tense, shivery voice gave him away. He certainly didn’t stay to chat after setting me down in front of my door. “Good night, sourpuss,” he said before dashing back to the hot tub.

I stepped inside and watched as he dried off with a towel, put his shoes on and covered the hot tub. He looked cold, but much tougher than me as he ran toward his back door.

Somehow, in the matter of only a few days, he’d broken through all my defenses. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but there was more to this than me finding him attractive. I felt…affectionate…toward him.

He was sweet.

Frozen.

But definitely sweet.

Chapter Ten

When I arrived at Booms and Nibbles the next morning, it took every ounce of courage I had to walk through the front door. Starting a new job was always nerve-wracking, but this one didn’t even feel real. I moved forward purely because I needed the job and because I didn’t want to disappoint Tessa.

The girl at the reception desk smiled warmly as I walked towards her, so I began to relax, even though it probably didn’t show in my features.

“Good morning,” the girl said. “Are you Krista Bennett?”

“Yes,” I said, nodding slightly. I should probably smile back at her, but I just didn’t have it in me right then.

The girl blinked at me, obviously a little rattled, but she smiled broadly again, a little more forcefully, and handed me a name badge on a lanyard. “Take this and go to the elevator behind me. When you get to the second floor, turn left down the executive hallway. Tessa’s office is the first one on the right.”

“Thank you,” I said, trying to inject some warmth into my tone. I wasn’t sure I succeeded.

The elevator was slow, like an old man who wasn’t in a