Just One Kiss (Very Irresistible Bachelors 2)

I waited until they left before heading out to find my woman.

Chapter Thirty

Heather

The pool was exactly as I remembered it, only it wasn’t as popular as in my childhood. A newer pool with a slide had been built downtown. As a result, this one was empty.

I removed my cutoff shorts and tank top. I laid them on one of lounge chairs before entering the water.

I swam energetically, bringing one arm in front of the other as fast as possible. I was out of practice though. I turned on my back, moving at a slower pace. I’d always been able to just half float, half swim like this for hours.

Being in the pool brought back memories of long, lazy summers, where my biggest worries were whether the town’s only movie theater would run the newest movie early enough that I could return home before my curfew. But then thoughts of Ryker entered my mind, and I became jittery again. Holy shit! Why had he called Mom?

Right... change of plans. Swimming wasn’t helping. If anything, I was even more worked up than before. I needed to know what they’d talked about and was determined to find out no matter what. Mom was even more stubborn than I was when she wanted to be, but I just had to be more creative, that was all.

Goose bumps broke out on my skin as I got out of the pool. I headed to the lounge chair where I’d put my clothes.

Wait a second, where were they?

I could have sworn I’d placed them here. I inspected the tiles around the chair... maybe a gust of strong wind blew them away. No such luck, there was barely any wind today. But my clothes were nowhere to be found. Had someone stolen them? Impossible. I mean, as a kid we’d played this prank on each other from time to time, but there were no thieves around here. Or, well, shit. Maybe there were. And I was supposed to walk like this to Mom’s house? I groaned. My ass was hanging out. My boobs were practically on display through the soaked bikini bra.

A low chuckle sounded behind me. A bolt of heat danced along my nerve endings, because it was very familiar. Ryker was here? I turned around slowly, heart beating at a million miles an hour. He stood there, in the flesh, gaze trained on me... and holding my shorts and top.

“Oh my God,” I exclaimed. “You’re here. When did you fly in?”

I didn’t give the man a chance to speak though, because I practically jumped his bones. I nearly slid on the wet tiles in my haste to get to him. Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I soaked my clothes and Ryker’s shirt. I stepped back, blushing. “I can’t believe you’re here. When did you arrive?”

“Just now.” Ryker smiled widely, looking me up and down slowly. I felt as if I was wearing absolutely nothing.

“I should probably get dressed,” I murmured.

“I disagree.”

“Ryker!”

“If you insist....”

“I do.”

He stepped closer, handing me the clothes. I tried to ignore the current of awareness that jolted through me when our fingertips to

uched. He’d only been here for a few seconds, and yet I was already overwhelmed by the intense feeling of longing.

“Where’s your towel?” Ryker asked.

“Don’t have one.”

“You’re just going to put clothes on over your wet bikini? You’ll get sick.”

“I’ve done this my whole childhood, no worries.” I quickly dressed while asking him, “How did you know the address?”

“I spoke to your mom.”

“Ah, so that’s what you called her for.”

“Yes... among other things.”

“What things?”