Page 30 of Bad Boy Crush
She turned to find Ant sitting in a huge metal tub filled chest-deep with water. Upon closer inspection, she noticed the ice cubes. “Ice bath?”
“Yeah.” He wore his hat but no shirt, his thick arms resting on either side of the massive oval tub.
“I didn’t know you had an outdoor bath.”
“It was supposed to be a planter. Might have to keep it as an ice bath if you make me compete every year.”
“I made you?” She folded her arms, prepared to argue with him, but he stood up and the fight flew out of her. Water poured down his chest, coasting along each and every muscle. She followed the trail of water, her gaze freezing when she reached his wet black boxer briefs.
“You made me. And don’t look down there. This water is cold as fuck.”
She tried to roll her eyes but only managed to flutter her lashes. “I didn’t expect you to be taking an ice bath or I would have called first.”
“I didn’t expect to be taking an ice bath, but apparently being thirty-seven is a far cry from being twenty-seven.” He rotated one round shoulder and winced.
After all he’d done today, she was surprised he wasn’t in bed, dead asleep. She would be if she’d thrown axes, tossed tree trunks, and split logs in the unforgivingly hot summer sun.
He wrapped a towel around his waist. “You want a beer?”
“Sure.” She’d come here to talk about the kiss. A beer might make that easier.
He padded barefoot to his shop, exiting a moment later holding two bottles of light beer by the necks. He unscrewed the caps and gestured to the large bench swing freestanding in the shade of his gloriously private yard. “Wanna sit?”
“Sure.” She accepted her beer and took a fortifying swig. He held the swing steady as she sat and then he sat down beside her and let out a low exhalation. She could literally feel the chill emanating off his arm. “Aren’t you freezing?”
“Not anymore. I was at first. It’d better help. I have to do this shit again tomorrow.”
She laughed. “Who knew you could be this serious? You’re usually so laid back.”
“You haven’t seen me fight for something I want.” His dark eyes slid to hers for a beat before he looked away. “What are you doing here, Lourdes?”
“You didn’t let me congratulate you on your win!” Not a lie, but not the primary reason she’d come over. “You ran off into the crowd and left me sitting in the hot sun alone.”
“You were having photos taken. You weren’t alone.” He pressed a finger into her arm. Her reddened skin went pale before turning red again. “You should be the one in the ice bath. Want some help getting in?” He reached for her, and she shrieked. The very idea of being that cold was so unappealing. The swing rocked when he leaned back and grinned. “When have you known me to toss you into a body of water?”
“Never,” she admitted.
“Well?” He lifted his eyebrows. “Congratulate me.”
“Congratulations. You should be very proud of yourself. I had no idea you could split logs so efficiently.”
“That I can do with my eyes closed.”
“Clearly.”
“Now tell me why you’re really here or I will put you into that ice bath and not think twice about it.”
After he hadn’t thought twice about kissing her in front of everyone, she believed him. She took another guzzle of light beer. “Why did you apologize for kissing me?”
His eyebrows rose again, this time disappearing behind the brim of his fedora. “Did I?”
“Yes. You said ‘sorry’ and then you walked away. And then you threw three axes into Donovan Pate’s wooded lot.”
“I, uh, I guess I figured you didn’t appreciate it.”
“Did I act like I didn’t appreciate it?”
He regarded his beer bottle for a few beats before he looked up at her. “No. You acted like you liked it. I liked it. Too much. So much, I couldn’t concentrate on anything else afterward.” He frowned. “You looked at my mouth. I thought maybe you were thinking about it too, so I just…dove in.”