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“I think I know who’s gonna win that contest!” A voice shouted.
“Shut the fuck up!” Chad said. “Leave her alone.” He turned back to Catie. “Come on, I got you.”
In her haze, she walked to the ladder, still coughing from the pool water. As soon as her chest left the water, Chad had her covered with his shirt. “Come on, sugar. Let’s get you dried off.”
“Ch-Chad.” Her teeth chattered, and she wondered why. She wasn’t cold. Nerves. Had to be nerves. The laughter and jeering met her ears with force. All eyes were on her. She must be turning thirteen shades of crimson.
“What?”
“It was an accident.”
He chuckled, the warmth of his arm around her shoulders a comfort. “I know that.”
“I just didn’t want you to think—”
“That you’d orchestrate a stunt like that to get attention? To help win the contest?” He shook his head as they entered the hotel.
The air-conditioning hit Catie with a snap. Now she shivered even more.
“Some of those girls might try something like that, but not you. You’ve got too much class. Don’t think I didn’t notice how you tried your damnedest to stay away from Zach, Dallas, and me, while most of the other contestants were falling all over themselves to serve us. That doesn’t hold water with me. Or with Zach and Dallas. We’ll pick our winner based on merit. Fair and square.”
“Oh. Yeah, I know you will.” Her teeth chattered again. She’d grind them down to stubs if this kept up.
“Come on, let’s get you taken care of.” He headed toward the elevators, dragging her along.
“Where are we going?”
“My room.”
“You have a room here?”
“Yeah. I decided to stay in town tonight. In case I imbibed a little too much at the party.” He pushed the button. “Tenth floor.”
“But…I need my clothes.”
“Are they in your car? I’ll have the bellhop get them.”
“Uh, yeah. Yeah, that’d be fine.”
“I’ll make sure someone gets your bikini top, too.”
She scoffed. “Really, I couldn’t care less. I doubt I’ll ever wear the thing again.”
“Now sugar, for you not to wear that thing again would be a crime against nature. You sure looked pretty.”
Her body heated with his words.
“Course you look prettier without it.” The elevator doors closed, and Chad opened his shirt and burned his gaze onto her breasts. Heat blazed on her body, especially between her legs.
“You are so damn beautiful, Catie. I couldn’t keep my eyes off you when you were strutting on that stage. I wanted to punch both my brothers right there for looking at you.”
“They weren’t looking at me.”
“The hell they weren’t. They may be happily married, but they appreciate a beautiful woman as much as the next man does. In fact, I wanted to punch every man there. No man should get to see you like that.”
“It’s beachwear, Chad. Women wear it all the time.”
“Not my woman.”
