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I scared the shit out of myself for a fucking podcast.
“Fuck. My. Life.”
“You good?” he asks, stroking his hands down my arms now I’m stable enough to stand unaided.
“I’m good,” I reply with a relieved sigh. “Are you sure there wasn’t anyone else around there?” I clarify, peeking around him. “I need to get the steam room and sauna going, I forgot, but it’s not worth my life if there is”
“Yeah, I’m sure. It was just me.” He shrugs. “I’m sorry to disappoint, or not, I guess. Do you want a hand?”
“Yes, please,” I agree, pushing the panic way back down as he turns, the two of us making our way around the corner to the wooden building and the supposed relaxation inside. “So, yeah, that’s why I’m out here alone, apparently scaring myself half to death unintentionally. What on earth are you doing out here anyway?”
“Emptying the bins,” he says, gesturing around the side of the building as we stop at the double entrance.
“Of course.” I sigh.
He talks me through the instructions, doing it as he goes, and before I realise it, the job is done.
“Give it half an hour and you’ll be ready to go.”
“You’re amazing,” I reply, my relief evident. After all the drama of getting to it, setting the steam room and sauna going is reasonably straightforward, even if the instructions are pure rubbish. Next time, I’ll just ask him to do it for me and save on the drama of crossing paths with people alone and away from the house.
What an idiot.
“Thank you for all your help,” I continue. “Now I just need to get Ruby on board with the whole thing.” I sigh despondently.
“That’s your Little Sister, right?” he confirms, his hand on the small of my back, butterflies swarming in my stomach as we head down the path towards the pool.
“I’m beginning to think there’s more to her than the grumpy persona she’s been putting forward,” I admit.
Maybe it’s just the adrenaline rush from thinking someone was attacking me and him being my saviour, so to speak, but I can’t help but notice the sparks flying between us, there’s more to the kindness he’s shown me this afternoon.
“Always,” he agrees with an easy smile, a twinkle to his eyes that takes me back to that night after the masquerade party, the night where he kissed me. “Do you want some backup?”
“In the sauna?” I confirm, my mind going to one place and one place only. “Are you trying to suggest that half-naked men are the ultimate distraction to your woes?” I ask, thinking of us all squashed together in the steam room, sweat slicking over his glistening skin.
His eyes hold none of the concern they did just five minutes ago, heat kicking up between us despite the slight chill in the air.
“Well, I’m fully dressed right now, but I guess that could be accommodated…” He smiles, and it sucks all the air out of the nearby vicinity.
My mouth going dry.
“It’s supposed to be a girls’ afternoon,” I say, attempting to convince myself as well as him that this isn’t a good idea, but what could be bad about him and the rest of the guys joining us for a sweaty half an hour?
“What brings girls together better than hot guys at your beck and call?” He grins, knowing he’s won this round as we stop by the side of the pool.
“So true,” I agree, expecting him to be joking.He’s joking, right?““So, I’ll take three shirtless butlers, pronto!” Ireply playfully..
“Only three, huh?” he ponders, his hand rubbing along the scruff on his square jaw. “Okay, I’ll see what I can do. You’d better get your ass back in there,” he says, gesturing through the bushes to the pool house. “I’m sure they’re missing you by now.”
“Yeah, probably,” I agree, eying the path warily. Sure, those panicked butterflies took flight for an entirely different reason once I realised it was Wyatt and not some pseudo stalker-killer, but heading back through the bushes alone feels like a step too far right now. Crossing paths with him in the way I did raised more panic than I thought it had, and it’s hard to push back down.
“How about I walk you back?” he asks, way more intuitive than I expect. “That was I can make sure you’ll be home when your waiters arrive.”
“Sounds good,” I say with a small smile, his hand coming to my waist as we walk the short distance back to the pool house, the sound of the water splashing the only noise, until I slide the doors open, laughter spilling out into the peace.
“Once again, thank you for your help,” I say, my hand resting gently against the heat of his forearm, attraction sizzling between us.
“Any time.” He winks. “And keep an eye out for those waiters, I’m sure there’ll be some hot ones loitering around.”
