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Recalling Kelsey’s version of the story, she closed her eyes and reimagined the ending of that afternoon…

They entered the house soaking wet, their clothes plastered to their skin and their hair matted down. They looked at each other and smiled as water dripped off them and onto the rug.

Nick reached out and brushed the wet hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ears. His touch was warm and gentle, yet it stirred her with desire. Just as quickly, he pulled his hand away.

“We should probably get out of these wet clothes,” he said, his voice vibrating through her skin.

“I don’t have anything for you to wear, but I can give you some beach towels to wrap up in while your clothes dry.”

“That’ll work.”

“Follow me.”

She led him through the kitchen and up the stairs, acutely aware of his presence behind her. She stopped in front of the linen closet and took out two large, striped towels. Pointing to the bathroom across the hall, she said, “You can change in there.”

He took the towels, went into the bathroom, and closed the door. She padded down the hall to her bedroom, pulled some dry clothes out of the closet, and went into the master bathroom to change. After she closed the door, she realized she’d forgotten undergarments.

Anxious to get out of her wet clothes, she decided not to bother. Nick would never know anyway.

She dried off with a bath towel and used another one to dry her hair. Then she put on the dry clothes. Satisfied that her nipples weren’t showing through the sweatshirt, she draped her wet clothes over the shower door and went back out to check on Nick.

When she opened the bathroom door, she was shocked to see him standing in her bedroom, wrapped in the towels. He’d draped one towel around his neck, and the other hung low on his hips. A sliver of his bare chest showed down to the strip of dark hair that disappeared under the towel at his waist.

It took a moment to find her voice. “What are you doing in here?”

“The door was open, and I was curious.”

“About what?”

He stepped further into the room. “I wanted to see what your bedroom looked like.”

She swallowed hard.

“You put on the new bedding already.”

“Yes.”

He moved closer to the bed and trailed a hand over the comforter. “Feels nice. Soft.”

She moved forward, almost as if she were pulled by an invisible force. Her nipples hardened underneath the sweatshirt, and she wondered if he’d notice.

“I haven’t lain on it yet.” If that sounded suggestive, she didn’t care.

“Maybe you should,” he said, his gaze locked on hers.

She stood there, mesmerized by the sight of him, practically naked and in her bedroom. She could hardly believe this was real.

Then, with a swift movement, he removed the towel from around his neck, revealing his bare chest to her hungry gaze. “Is it me, or is it warm in here?” he said, his eyes sparkling.

She wished she wasn’t wearing a sweatshirt, but unlike him, she couldn’t just whip it off. “I’m warm too.”

He backed up and sat on the edge of the bed. “You’re wearing a lot of clothes.”

“Not as many as you think.”

His thick eyebrows rose, and then his gaze roamed down her body, pausing at her breasts, where her tight nipples poked against the fabric.

“Come sit with me,” he said, his voice sounding strained and gravelly.