He stopped in front of her, mindful to keep a respectful distance like the gentleman he never was. She was petite, her head level with his chest. He smiled. “Hi, I’m Josh.”
She didn’t respond at first. He peered under her cap, trying to get a look at her face, mostly covered by the pulled-down brim and large sunglasses. Her skin was creamy and flawless, her lips full and luscious. Not a drop of makeup. A natural beauty.
He offered his hand. “You must be Jenny.”
Instead of shaking hands, she slowly took off her sunglasses, her bright green eyes meeting his directly. A jolt ran through him. Their gazes locked and a bone-deep recognition of something about her spoke to him. Like he was meant to meet her. Like some part of him already knew her. The blood surged through his veins. Like fate.
Damn, he didn’t even believe in fate, but he didn’t know how else to explain the rightness of the connection.
He shook his head. “Sorry for staring. Your eyes are such a bright green.”
She laughed, a throaty, husky sound that grabbed him by the balls. “I had to get a good look at you too. You’ve got the book club stamp of approval.” She flashed a stunningly white smile. “I had to make sure that was a good thing.”
Her throaty sexy voice immediately made him think of things he had no business thinking about. He was supposed to be taking a sweet girl out as the charming gentleman bartender. Building his own company from the ground up had taught him that it paid to be an aggressive go-getter. A natural spillover into his personal life hadn’t steered him wrong. He got what he wanted, for the most part, because he went after it. He told himself to dial it back. He was Josh today, and Jenny couldn’t help the way she sounded. Maybe she was a smoker. Though she didn’t smell like cigarettes. She smelled sweet like vanilla and sugar. Probably some kind of body wash. But, hell, it worked. He could breathe her in all day. And night.
He offered his arm, crooking it at the elbow, like a total gentleman. “Shall we?”
She slid her shades back on. “Just a minute.” She pulled her cell from her shorts pocket and sent a quick text.
He’d left his cell phone and wallet in the car, not wanting them to get wet. Besides, he’d wanted to unplug today.
“Okay.” She tucked her phone away and took his arm, her hand resting lightly on his forearm, warming him on the spot. Her nails were polish-free. He didn’t know why he found that so appealing, he just knew that he did. She felt real.
He turned to her. “You might want to put your cell in your car.”
“That’s okay. I was dropped off.”
“I can put it in my car. You don’t want it to get wet.”
She stiffened. “Wet?”
“I thought we’d go paddleboarding before our picnic.” He gestured over to the river. “It’s nice and calm. Have you paddleboarded before?”
She let go of his arm and pulled her cap down even further, securing it all around the edges. “No.”
He peeked under her cap. “It’s an hour rental. A three-and-a-half-mile route under the bridge and out to some small islands. There’s supposed to be a fantastic view of the Long Island Sound.”
She looked down at herself. “I’m not wearing a swimsuit.”
“I’ll make sure you don’t get wet. I’ll help you on and off the board. It’s really stable.” He elbowed her gently. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”
She rocked on her heels. He sensed she was leaning toward trying it, so he made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. “If you get even one drop of water on you, I’ll let you call me foxy for the rest of the day.”
She laughed. “Oh, you will? What an honor!”
“I know, right? Just trust me. I wouldn’t steer you wrong.”
“I don’t even know you. How can I trust you?” It wasn’t a no. And she was smiling.
He raised his palms. “I’m book-club approved. How many guys can say that?”
“You’re the only one I’ve heard of.”
“There you go.” He gestured for her phone. “I’ll put it in my car for you.”
She looked at him for a long moment. He wiggled his fingers. She bit back a smile, powered down the phone, and handed it over.
“Be right back.” He jogged over to his rental car and stashed it with his. He returned to her side and offered his arm.
“Such a gentleman,” she said in a teasing voice, but he could tell she liked it. She rested her hand lightly on his arm.
They crossed to the shed marked Boating Rentals, where a guy with thinning white hair sat, watching a boxing match on a small TV.