Instead of staring at the hard lines of his face, she studied his strong forearms, and the way the veins stood out on the backs of his hands.In addition to being anatomically gifted, he was a phlebotomist’s dream patient.Vanessa could draw blood from him with her eyes closed.He smelled like wet cotton and warm male skin.She wished he wasn’t quite so handsome.It was disconcerting.
After he demolished a second hot dog, he gave her an expectant look.She picked up the third dog and took a bite.The fire-grilled taste reminded her of childhood summers at the shore.She chewed and swallowed with relish.
“How was your boat ride?”she asked.
“Fine.”
She cracked open the soda to quench her thirst.The exchange they’d shared earlier about lemons seemed like a distant memory, or a figment of her imagination.He was still a brick wall, impenetrable.He also looked fantastic in wet shorts, with his shirt draped over one shoulder.She tried not to stare at his bare chest.
“I’m sorry about Emily,” she said, self-consciously.“I didn’t put her up to that.”
He frowned at her.“I know.”
She wished she’d brought napkins, because she had ketchup on her fingertips.She abandoned ladylike behavior and licked them.His eyes darkened as they followed the motion.She stilled at his perusal, which only served to drag out the moment.Flushing, she dropped her hand to her side.
“I have two nephews,” he said.
His volunteering of personal information surprised her.“What ages?”
“Eight and ten.”
“Emily is four.”
“Hm.”
Silence stretched between them once again.
“I used to come here when I was a kid,” she said, looking out at the water.She had to try to make him understand how much she needed this vacation, at this time, in this particular place.It was worth a shot.“We spent two weeks at the lake every summer.I haven’t been here since my parents got divorced.”
He didn’t ask any follow-up questions.
Vanessa continued, undeterred.“My dad is the sheriff of Lost Lake.”
“Your brother told me.”
“We don’t get along.He cheated on my mom.Like, a lot.”
Paul squinted into the distance.It was clear he didn’t want to hear this.
“After my parents split up, I went to live with my mother in Colorado,” she said.“I didn’t forgive my dad for a long time.We started talking again when I was in college.”
“Did he pay your tuition?”
“He did,” she admitted, though the cynical question irked her.“I got engaged shortly after graduation.My dad didn’t approve of my choice of husband, which was pretty ironic.He said that Bennett was a liar and a fake, and I’d regret marrying him.”
“Was he right?”
“Yes,” she said coolly.“He was.”
“Let me get this straight,” Paul said.“You’re mad at your father for trying to help you avoid catastrophe?”
“That’s a generous interpretation of his actions.”
Paul arched a brow.“He gave you good advice, and you didn’t take it.Now you won’t speak to him because you’re afraid he’ll say I told you so?”
“I know he’ll say it.He can’t resist saying it.”
“You’d rather continue to punish him than admit you were wrong.”
