Page 35 of Lane's Destiny
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said, pulling her to a stop as she started to climb the back steps.
She turned to look at him. The way he was looking at her had her words catching in her throat. “Th... thanks. I’ve gotten used to it. Or at least I thought I had.”
“Why don’t we take a swim in the pool or better yet the hot tub?” he suggested.
Desi wasn’t anywhere near being comfortable enough showing skin around him. She started to shake her head but then stopped.Why the hell not? It’s not like he would ever be interested in me. “I don’t have a swimsuit...”
Lane pushed past her and unlocked the door. Stepping in the kitchen, he flicked the light switch and said, “So? It’s dark, go in the raw.”
Oh, hell no! She didn’t like the looks of her own naked body, no way would she subject it to a near stranger!
Lane burst out laughing at the horrified expression on her face. “I didn’t mean to scare you off. I know you’re not the type to strut around naked.”
That irked her. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
He shrugged while plugging his phone into the charging cable he found laying on the countertop. “Nothing. I just meant that you have more pride than that. Wear a jogging suit if it makes you happy.”
“I’ll figure something out,” Desi mumbled, as every outfit she owned flitted through her mind.
“Great,” he headed towards the staircase, “I’ll meet you out there.”
Desi stood there waiting a full 2 minutes before she climbed the stairs, stressing out on what to wear with every step.
Once on the second floor she all but ran the rest of the way to her room, closing the door with a thud, she leaned against it to catch her breath.
She moved away to the bed and looked at the bags that held her clothes. Grabbing one by the handles she dumped it on the bed. Nothing was there that would work as a swimsuit. Dumping the next one revealed all her underwear and bras. Snatching up a pair of high-waisted Spanx and her best black lacy bra, she quickly changed. The whole time she did, she kept telling herself she was nuts. If only she had a cover up that she could slip on, so she didn’t feel so... naked. Her eyes fell on the silk zebra printed robe that Ava had given her. Without another thought, she tore open the packaging and slipped it on. A heavenly sigh escaped past her lips when the silky smoothness settled against her skin. There was only one problem she discovered when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror that stood in the corner of the room. The robe stopped mid-thigh.... She might as well not wear it at all because it didn’t conceal anything!
“Stop!” she told her reflection. “So why worry about what he thinks!”
She tore open the bag of towels that Kim had given to her and grabbed two, with that she turned on her heel and left the room.
––––––––
LANE WAS ON HIS THIRDlap of the pool and was thinking that Desi changed her mind, when she came through the sliding patio doors then stopped. She was determined not to look at him. But the gold pendant that lay against his smooth skin, beckoned her eyes, as if saying ‘look this way’ and that’s all it took. And she certainly wasn’t prepared to see his muscled bare chest, glistening in the moonlight.
He knew why she did. The whole area was lit with soft lighting and not the darkness he claimed there would be. He was shocked when she didn’t turn and run back into the house but instead came down the steps to the sitting area.
“Is it cold?” she asked, as she held a towel in front of her like a shield.
“When you first get in,” he said.
She nodded her head. “Ah... could you turn around?”
When he did, she hurriedly stripped off the robe and jumped in. “Holy crap!” she shrieked.
Lane turned and looked at her and smiled, “I said it was cold.”
“Yes, but you didn’t say it was freezing!”
“Start swimming around, you’ll warm up.”
“I can’t. I don’t know how to swim.”
Lane looked at her. “Really? Why didn’t you say so?”
Desi raised a shoulder, “I don’t know.”
“C’mon, I’ll show you.”