With her purchase made, Lea headed back to her place. Soon Xander would be gone and then she could relax. She glanced at the time. The once-a-day ferry would be arriving at lunchtime and he could hitch a ride back to the mainland. Whatever he’d hoped to accomplish by coming here wasn’t going to happen.
He had his life.
And she had hers.
Could they stay in contact for their child? If he wanted. She didn’t have any qualms about updating him on the progress of the pregnancy.
And that was exactly what she planned to tell him when she entered the bungalow. She dropped her purse on the living room couch and moved to the guest room. She knocked on the open door but got no response. It was then that she noticed the sound of running water. She moved to the bed, hoping to leave the clothes there and get out before he came out of the shower. She’d just placed the bag from the boutique on the bed when Xander emerged from the bathroom.
A billow of steam surrounded him like he was some Greek god. His hair was still wet and spiky. His face and shoulders were damp. And beads of water trailed down over his muscled chest before being absorbed by the fluffy pink towel slung low over his trim hips.
Lea swallowed hard. It was like having her very own hot-guys calendar come to life—not that she had such a calendar. But after seeing Xander, the idea was tempting. So long as he was in it. But then she knew she’d never switch the month. It’d always be Xander’s month.
He cleared his throat, drawing her gaze upward. “Is that for me?”
Heat rushed from her chest to her face, scorching her cheeks. With great reluctance, she glanced away. “Yes, there are some, uh, clothes. They should fit.” And then realizing she shouldn’t be here at this particularly awkward moment, she said, “I’ll, um, wait for you in the living room.”
“There’s no need for you to run off.” A knowing smile lit up his face.
But Lea didn’t look back and didn’t pause until she’d reached the kitchen sink. Noticing that her mouth was parched, she grabbed a drinking glass from the cabinet and filled it with some ice-cold water from the fridge. She downed the entire thing in one long gulp, but it did nothing to cool her down. Thankfully he would soon be on that boat and out of her space. Not much longer now.
“Thanks for the clothes.” Xander’s voice came from behind her. “But you didn’t have to.”
“It’s the least I could do—” The words died in her throat as she turned to him. On second thought, she should have gone with the sweat suit. Then he’d be just as uncomfortably warm as her.
The T-shirt barely fit him as it was pulled tight over his broad shoulders and chest. The man could probably lift one of her in each hand without breaking a sweat. His waist was narrow. And the shorts didn’t hang as low as she’d have thought. She definitely had a view of his legs—legs that weren’t tanned. Her gaze moved to his arms. They weren’t tanned, either. The man definitely spent too much time in a suit.
She could ask him to stay. He obviously needed some downtime in the sun. But that was not a good idea. She did not need any more complications.
He moved to the couch and sat down. “No more distractions. We need to talk.”
He was right. It was time to get it all out there in the open. “I don’t expect anything from you if that’s what you’re worried about. I can take care of the baby.”
He patted the couch cushion next to him. “Come over here.”
She didn’t trust herself being so close to that sexy hunk of a man, but she refused to let on that he still got under her skin. She forced her feet one in front of the other. She perched on the edge of the couch, leaving as much space between them as possible.
She could still remember how good his kisses were and how his hands created the most arousing sensations wherever he touched. The mere memories sent her heart racing. When her gaze met his, there was a challenge reflected in his eyes.
She glanced at the clock on the stove. “If you don’t hurry, you’ll miss the ferry. It’s the only one today.”
“Is this the way it’s going to be?”
She turned her full attention to him. “How what is going to be?”