“Hi, little girl. I’ll admit finding you naked and wet is a fantasy come true.” He yanked off his T-shirt before unfastening his pants. “Did you have a major spill at school?”
Distracted by the amount of hot man he was revealing in front of her, Saylor stopped listening. When his hands stopped at his waistband, she realized she was staring. “What? Sorry, I must have missed something you said.”
“Did you have a problem at the university?”
“Well, kind of. Everyone in my room sounded like they’d caught typhoid—coughing, hacking, nose blowing. I decided to drown all the germs.”
“Good idea. How about if I play lifeguard?”
“Do you have a Speedo?” she asked, waggling her eyebrows.
“Would you like to see me in a skimpy bathing suit?” he asked, pushing his pants down to his ankles.
She swallowed hard as he stood up to step out of his clothes. “Or naked. That’s good too.”
“It is, huh?” Max prowled into the shower. He caged her against the tiled wall and leaned closer.
Saylor wrapped her hands around his waist as she lifted her lips to invite his kiss. To her delight, he pressed his mouth to hers. Her throat constricted in a coughing spasm. She turned her head quickly and coughed into her shoulder, trying not to spread germs on him.
When she could breathe again, Saylor apologized. “I’m so sorry. Surely, I didn’t pick up something from my class that fast.”
Max lifted a hand to her forehead and frowned. “Have you felt chilled today, little girl?”
“I always do in the air conditioning. It’s a necessary evil in the summer, but most of the time, it’s too cold.”
“I think you might be running a fever,” he said. His eyebrows drew together in concern.
“That’s silly. I’m hot from standing under the steamy water.” As soon as that excuse escaped her mouth, Saylor sneezed three times in rapid succession.
“Let’s finish your shower and get you wrapped up in something warm.”
“I’m okay. Maybe I’m allergic to Rexy.” Saylor grabbed at possible excuses.
“Are you sensitive to dog dander?” Max asked as she knelt before her to wash her legs.
“No.”
“I think we can take that cause for your illness off the list,” Max said, sounding amused.
“I don’t havean illness.”
“Chills, fever, sneezing, and coughing are all great indications that your body isn’t well, little girl. We’ll check on that when we get you out of the shower.”
Exhausted by the energy it took to pretend she was fine, Saylor nodded. “I probably need to sleep. We stayed up late last night,” she confessed.
“That’s possible. I think a nap is always a good idea for a little girl. Let me wash away the last of the suds.”
“I have junk in my hair too, Daddy.”
“Thank you for letting me know.” Max wrapped an arm around her waist and supported her as Saylor leaned her head back into the spray. She loved the feel of his powerful hands, rinsing the conditioner from her locks.
That sapped the last of her energy. “Tired, Daddy.”
“I know, baby.”
Max kissed her temple before turning off the water and wrapping her quickly in a thirsty towel. He supported her as he rubbed another over her head to soak up the excess moisture from her thick hair. When she sagged against him, Max scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom.
Juggling her easily in his arms, Max tossed the covers back and set Saylor on the bottom sheet. Instantly, she turned and curled up on the bed. Saylor closed her eyes with a sigh of relief as she tugged the covers up to her throat. Almost instantly, she started coughing.
