“How can we ever repay you?” Jenny says suggestively, not hiding the fact she’s wearing a soaking wet, white tank top and no bra as she very aggressively thrusts herself between us.
Thad doesn’t move his eyes from mine as he walks around her. “You coming to the party?” he asks me.
“I am,” Jenny chimes in from behind, but he doesn’t acknowledge her. Instead, he continues staring expectantly at me.
“I wasn’t planning on it,” I finally manage to say through strain.
“If I get someone over here to take care of this mess, will you?” he asks, his lips still curled in that cocky grin.
“Um…” I look around at the disaster zone that has been flooded. My feet are almost covered in the standing water. “We’re sort of tight on funds. We can do this ourselves.”
His grin only grows. “I have friends that can handle something like this in no time. It won’t cost anything—well, nothing besides your attendance at my friends’ party. And if you don’t get this done quickly, it’ll mess up your floors. They can take care of that, too.”
I start chewing on my bottom lip as I nervously consider his offer.
“O…kay. I’ll go.”
That wicked smile grows, and he leans over, putting his lips directly beside my ear. I prepare myself for whatever seductive line he has in store. “Wear something dry,” he jokes, leaning back upright to rake his eyes over my soaked black shorts and red T-shirt.
At least I have on a bra.
“Okay,” I whisper, though I don’t know why. He wasn’t being serious.
“Good,” he says casually, not sounding breathless and faint like me.
He’s really too good at this whole making-me-a-puddle thing.
“And I’ll be there,” Jenny repeats.
Much to my childish inner delight, Thad ignores her once again. He’s definitely gaining points for that. If he was such a player, wouldn’t he be taking the easy-to-get girl? Maybe I judged him wrong.
He bends over to nip my ear, and I suck in a sharp breath while swaying.
“Get lost while I take care of this,” he says, leaning back up and motioning to the mess of water that Captain Jack Sparrow could navigate his ship through.
He winks at me, and I study him, angling my head back so that I can fully appreciate all of his amazing features. He really is a work of art. But why is he so persist
ent with me?
“Can I ask you why you’re doing all this?” I ask, proud that my voice has finally returned to normal.
His smile quirks up, and he tilts his head. “I would have thought it’d be obvious by now. I’ve never been accused of being subtle.”
He bends, moving his lips too close to mine, and I reflexively take a step back. Instead of acting insulted, he seems to grin bigger, a challenge in his eyes.
“I’ll wear you down, sweet girl. Then I’ll make you desperate to tarnish that halo.”
No halo to tarnish.
He winks again, backing away, and strutting out my door. “I’ll be back in an hour. It’ll be hard for my friends to work with you here. Just leave the door unlocked,” he says without turning around, and I finally take a breath.
Definitely not subtle. And I really like that.
Jenny is scowling at me when I finally acknowledge her again, and she rolls her eyes.
“You’re only on the menu until he realizes you’re as boring as they come.”
She turns on a heel and storms toward her room. Apparently she’s not as happy as I am about Thad’s obvious intentions. That’s the first time she’s ever been mean to me.