Again, she dove back into her closet, searching for anything remotely acceptable for him to wear out in public. There, at the bottom of the closet in a pile of “lightly worn” items lay her favorite pair of boyfriend jeans. They were several sizes too big and incredibly comfortable, a dark wash denim that went with everything.
Tempest held them up to show Reed and he tilted his head to one side, as if trying to visualize how to get into them.
“You put one leg in each side, like this,” she demonstrated, holding them in front of her.
Ignoring her tutorial, he whispered in a deep rumble. “Will you show me? I like when you help me.”
Her heart raced and her face flushed as she debated just how dangerous it might be to acquiesce to a request like this. Tempest bit her bottom lip, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse not to. She supposed that it was literally his first timeever putting on clothes, and of course that meant he wouldn’t know what he was doing.
Steeling herself against his handsome face and electric charm, she rolled one pant leg up and held it out to him.
“Stand up. Good,” Tempest did her best not to look at his abs as she waited for him to obey. “Now put that foot through this hole.”
She most certainly did not notice the rippling muscles that ended in a ‘v’ just above his little white shorts.Nope, not at all,she thought.Focus, Tempest.
He placed one hand on her shoulder, trying to maintain his balance. “Like this?”
“Careful,” she chastised when his grip on her shoulder became too tight.
“My apologies,” he hurried to redistribute his weight and offered her a wry smile. “I hope to get better at this soon. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
They repeated the steps with the other leg and Tempest helped him shimmy into the pants, showing him how to tug the zipper into place. A sigh of relief escaped her as he stood on his own two feet again.
That, she thought,That doesn’t look half bad.
She stepped back a bit to get a better look at him. The tshirt might have been considered a bit tight, but not unreasonably so. Some guys wore their shirts fitted like that. With the jeans, it almost looked intentional.
More than that, he lookedgood. Like stupidly attractive. Too handsome for words. His broad shoulders and muscles were on full display in this outfit. The jeans hugged his lower half, fitting him exactly right.
When he shifted, a small strip of his taut, tan stomach flashed where the t-shirt rose up.
“Well, that should be fine,” Tempest managed, clearing herthroat. “Shall we get going?”
“Huh…it feels strange,” he tugged at his clothes, trying to adjust.
Despite his obvious discomfort at his new layers, Reed followed her to the front door. She offered him a pair of her flip flops, figuring they would be good enough for around town. It wasn’t like she had men’s shoes lying around her house, after all. It would have to do.
Tempest grabbed her purse off the hook on their way, tucking it over one shoulder as she held the door open for Reed. He stepped out onto the porch and she followed, shutting the door behind them.
When he reached over to take her hand as they began their walk, she didn’t pull away. Her heart sped up at the feel of his steady hand wrapped around hers.
The whole way to the Boardwalk, he asked her questions about the human world. She answered them to the best of her ability. It brought their conversation through a variety of topics, shifting when he thought of something he had wondered about before.
“Oh, at the market, I had the most delicious food I’ve ever eaten,” Reed said as the Boardwalk came into view, picking up his pace.
“Do you remember what it was called?” Tempest asked, smiling at his childlike wonder.
“A chocolate croissant!” he said, his smile lighting up his face. “I have dreamt of it every night since.”
She nodded. “I’m sure they were from the Driftwood Cafe. I get breakfast there every weekend. Would you like to get another?”
“Can we?” his excitement radiating off of him in waves.
Tempest nodded, her smile growing. She led him to the cafe and Reed held the door for her. Before she could ask about it, he gestured for her to lead the way.
“I saw someone do this earlier for their partner,” he whispered as she passed by. “This is how a man should behave on a date,isn’t it?”
“A-a date?” she stammered, turning red.
