One Summer in Santa Fe - By Molly Evans Page 0,22

just cleaned. Not sure what to do, she wrapped the towel around her torso, trying to keep it from sticking to her back.

Steam billowed out of the bathroom in puffy white clouds when Piper opened the door. She returned to the kitchen and hesitated in the doorway, Taylor stood at the sink, staring out the window. Maybe the smell of soap or something alerted him to her presence, but he turned and stilled. Piper’s mouth went dry as that intense gaze of his rolled over her from her bare feet up over her legs, and lingered the longest on the towel. Then his eyes met hers and there was no doubt that he found the sight of her to his liking. If she were brazen enough, brave enough, bold enough, she’d drop the towel. Unfortunately, she wasn’t that brave or brazen and there was a boy in the house. But if things had been different, brazen would have been her middle name. She tried to swallow down that flutter of anticipation winging its way up from her stomach.

“How was the shower?” Taylor asked, his gaze following her as she entered the kitchen.

“Great.” Just trying not to imagine you naked in it, she thought.

“Sit down and straddle the chair while I’ll look at your back.” Taylor flipped a chair around at the table and adjusted one behind it so he could sit while he worked.

With just a nod, she sat as instructed and swallowed. This was going to be harder than she’d thought. No man had seen her naked, or even half-naked, in a very long time and the thought of Taylor’s touch aroused her beyond any memory of past lovers. With a sigh, she tried to control her swirling senses and rested her forehead on the back of the chair.

Seeing her wrapped in his towel almost snapped whatever control Taylor had left today. For her sake, he needed to control himself. Standing in the doorway of the kitchen all damp and fresh from the shower made him forget about not being attracted to her. His body had instantly hardened and tensed, ready for action it hadn’t seen in way too long. If the circumstances had been different, he would have been hard-pressed to stay away from her at that moment. Seduction and innocence wafted off her, and he wanted to take a bite out of the tempting fruit she unknowingly offered. She wasn’t the kind of fruit he normally indulged in, but lately it had soured him. Allowing himself to look her over had probably been a mistake and hadn’t cooled his interest or desire one bit. She adjusted the towel to cover her front, and he parted the ends to reveal her back. The first sight of the long expanse of her curved back and flare of her hips made him want to reach out to stroke the silky skin and cup his hands around those luscious curves she covered so well.

Concentrating on the task at hand, Taylor pulled a surgical kit from his first-aid supplies and picked out the tiny bits of gravel left behind. Brushing her hair aside, he applied an antibiotic ointment to the abrasions, covered them with light gauze, and added soothing balm to the bruise that had begun to turn ugly. “There.” He’d gotten through that without unleashing the demon of desire struggling to get out of him.

“Thank you.” She looked away for a second, then looked up at him, her eyes filled with hesitation. “I don’t want to put my shirt back on.”

“By all means.” Taylor grinned and the tension between them burst.

“Taylor!” She laughed and colored brightly. “I meant because it’s filthy, not because I’ve turned into an exhibitionist. Could I borrow one of yours until I get home for a clean one?”

“Certainly.” He returned shortly with a clean T-shirt and handed it to her. “In case you change your mind, the other option is open anytime. Just watch it around Alex, though, he’s very impressionable.”

She gave him a drab smile. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

As Piper closed the bathroom door behind her, Alex opened his bedroom door and entered the kitchen. Eyes red and puffy, he approached Taylor. “I’m sorry, Uncle Taylor.”

“I’m sorry, too,” he said, and reached out to fold his nephew into a hug. “I didn’t mean to be upset, and you didn’t do anything wrong. It was all my fault. I over-reacted when things got tense, and I didn’t make them any better.” The boy’s arms closed