Jess tried to keep a giggle at bay, but looking at Cole with a huge red stain on his previously white oxford was making it almost impossible. Then she looked down at the aqua sundress she’d put on after their ride, and sputtered out a laugh as she realized she looked like the first one to die in a cheesy horror flick.
“So that was Moose.” Cole growled, wincing as he stepped gingerly back toward the kitchen.
She nodded. “We’ve met. Maybe not quite so elegantly last time, though.”
“I can’t believe he just ruined my wings. And your dress.” Cole looked down at her feet. “Ah, hell. And your shoes. Please tell me you’re not supposed to wear those for the wedding tomorrow.”
“No.” Jess bent to take them off, tipping them over the sink to dump the sauce out. “I have other shoes.”
Cole looked at her, shaking his head. “We have to get you out of that dress.”
Jess felt her cheeks redden at his words. “I’ll help you clean up first.”
“No.” He shook his head firmly. “You don’t want that sauce on your skin. If you don’t shower, like, now, you’ll look like you got attacked by a herd of jalapeños by morning.”
“So that’d be the burning sensation that followed the freezing cold slop sensation?” She tried to scoop more sauce off from her dress.
“Yeah.” He grimaced again. “I am so sorry.” He opened a door just off from the kitchen. “Come on. You need to get that stuff off you.”
Jess followed, but stopped short when she realized he was showing her into the bathroom. “Oh. Wow. Gosh. I can just head up to my cabin and shower.”
“No, you can’t. One, your skin will fry by the time you get there. And two, you look like I just tried to murder you in here. Not great for business.”
Jess laughed, looking down. He was right. It didn’t look good.
“Towels are right there. There’s a robe hanging on the back of the door you can put on afterward.”
Jess glanced at the navy blue robe, imagining him in it—and nothing else. She closed her eyes firmly.
“And before you say it, no. I’m not really a robe guy, but Ma bought them for me and Decker after the third time she caught guests sneaking down to our cabins to peek in the windows. Said she didn’t need naked cowboys getting posted up on the Internet.”
Jess laughed. “Might be good for business.”
“Kyla’s calendar will be bad enough, thank you.” He pointed toward the glassed-in shower. “Everything you need should be in there, though you’ll have to put up with basic soap and shampoo, not the fancy stuff you probably use.”
“Basic is perfect. Thank you.”
“Okay. I’ll just be out in the kitchen cleaning up that colossal mess.” He pulled the door almost closed, then leaned back in. “And trying not to think of you in here.”
The door closed firmly behind him, and Jess stared at the lock, her stomach feeling suddenly jittery inside. Could she really just strip down to nothing in Cole’s bathroom and step into that shower?
She reached for the lock, started to turn it like she’d done every time she’d entered a bathroom since she was ten.
But she pulled her hand away. Watching the doorknob, she slowly slid her sticky dress from her shoulders. She peeled off her underclothing, stepped into the shower, closed the glass door, and turned on the water.
When streams of water hit her from both sides, she exhaled slowly, reveling in the sensation of the pounding water on her skin. She tore her eyes from the door, reached for the soap, and held it to her nose, inhaling Cole’s scent.
Then she rubbed it down her arms, over her chest, down her legs, trying not to think about Cole in the kitchen. Trying not to think about how it might feel to have him right here with her, sliding the bar of soap over her body. Trying not to think about how it might feel for them to step out of this shower together and head into his bedroom.
—
Cole swore as he opened up yet another package of paper towels and tried to sop up more of Moose’s mess. Not only had the damn dog ruined his sauce—now Cole had to hang around in his kitchen while the most beautiful woman he’d ever met was naked in his shower. Alone.
He growled as he wiped down the cupboard fronts. He’d give just about anything to open that door right now, give anything