floor.
Rose’s heart jolted. Was he—
Then he lifted to his elbows and toes, his body perfectly straight, parallel to the ground.
She knew this exercise. The Plank.
And God, was he strong. Strong and beautiful, his back muscles standing out in relief, his biceps bulging. In her head, she counted out the seconds as she watched sweat drop from his face to the floor.
Then he faltered, his arms seeming to give out all at once and he landed on the mat with a thud.
Rose gasped, leaping forward. “Are you all right?”
He rolled, wiping sweat from his brow. “Go away,” he snarled.
She fell back a step. “Are you hurt? Can I call—”
“Don’t call anyone. Christ, Rose. Don’t stare.”
Her face heated. “I’m sorry. I came to bring you water…”
“Leave it. Leave it and then leave me alone.”
Rose obeyed, not sure if he was mad at her or at himself or some combination of the two. While she kept busy in the laundry room and the kitchen, she finally heard the shush of the shower in the master bath.
She set out his lunch on the kitchen table, then returned to the laundry room where she attacked a massive pile of towels that needed folding.
Then she heard Payne in the kitchen. Not long after, he appeared in the doorway nearby, a green apple in hand. “Sorry,” he said.
She glanced over. “That’s all right.”
“It’s really not,” he said, then hesitated. “I’m tired of being an invalid.”
Turning, she made a show of looking him over. He was barefoot and in worn jeans. A T-shirt molded his broad shoulders and revealed muscled arms. His hair was damp and from here she could smell the clean scent of him. “You are so not an invalid.”
His grin flashed, on then off. “Yeah? Well, Reed beat me at pool yesterday.”
She pulled a towel from the pile and held it to her breasts. “Pool requires a level of physical fitness?”
“The way I play it does.”
Rose squeezed the fabric to her suddenly pounding heart. She could imagine Payne leaning over a table, his focus concentrated on the next play. He’d look that same way hovering over a woman in bed, his blue eyes fierce, his attention on her face, her body, her pleasure.
He made a noise then.
She twitched, coming back to the moment. “What?”
His chin lifted, a subtle point in her direction. “That’s why all my clothes and linens smell like you.”
Glancing down, she realized she was clutching the towel like a lover. Flustered, she shifted and smoothed out its wrinkles. “Are we putting time in at the salvage yards today?” she asked, trying to sound casual.
“Nah. I’ll be working on the database here at home.”
She blew out a small relieved breath. It saved her from having to make some excuse to get them back in time for Cami and Mystery Man’s visit.
Later, though, she wondered if she should have given him warning that she expected his sister and another visitor. When the doorbell rang, he was the one to answer it, though she hovered a few feet away.
“Cam!” he said, surprise evident in his voice.
“Hey.” She crossed the threshold to buss his cheek, dragging in a man behind her.
“Who’s this?” Payne asked.
His sister smirked. “Say ‘welcome,’ why don’t you? This is my friend Dustin.”
“Your friend?”
Rose ventured nearer and could see Payne was giving the other man a thorough inspection. It didn’t seem to faze him though. Dustin held out his hand and delivered an easy smile along with his handshake. A couple of inches shorter than Payne, he had a shock of brown hair and friendly eyes that crinkled at the corners.
Cami’s gaze shifted over her brother’s shoulder. “Rose, here’s someone I want you to meet.”
More introductions were made. Aware of Dustin’s regard, she tried not to trip over her feet. When she offered up refreshments, the men went to the back yard while Cami followed her into the kitchen.
“Well?” the other woman demanded.
Rose made a face. “I just met
Rose’s heart jolted. Was he—
Then he lifted to his elbows and toes, his body perfectly straight, parallel to the ground.
She knew this exercise. The Plank.
And God, was he strong. Strong and beautiful, his back muscles standing out in relief, his biceps bulging. In her head, she counted out the seconds as she watched sweat drop from his face to the floor.
Then he faltered, his arms seeming to give out all at once and he landed on the mat with a thud.
Rose gasped, leaping forward. “Are you all right?”
He rolled, wiping sweat from his brow. “Go away,” he snarled.
She fell back a step. “Are you hurt? Can I call—”
“Don’t call anyone. Christ, Rose. Don’t stare.”
Her face heated. “I’m sorry. I came to bring you water…”
“Leave it. Leave it and then leave me alone.”
Rose obeyed, not sure if he was mad at her or at himself or some combination of the two. While she kept busy in the laundry room and the kitchen, she finally heard the shush of the shower in the master bath.
She set out his lunch on the kitchen table, then returned to the laundry room where she attacked a massive pile of towels that needed folding.
Then she heard Payne in the kitchen. Not long after, he appeared in the doorway nearby, a green apple in hand. “Sorry,” he said.
She glanced over. “That’s all right.”
“It’s really not,” he said, then hesitated. “I’m tired of being an invalid.”
Turning, she made a show of looking him over. He was barefoot and in worn jeans. A T-shirt molded his broad shoulders and revealed muscled arms. His hair was damp and from here she could smell the clean scent of him. “You are so not an invalid.”
His grin flashed, on then off. “Yeah? Well, Reed beat me at pool yesterday.”
She pulled a towel from the pile and held it to her breasts. “Pool requires a level of physical fitness?”
“The way I play it does.”
Rose squeezed the fabric to her suddenly pounding heart. She could imagine Payne leaning over a table, his focus concentrated on the next play. He’d look that same way hovering over a woman in bed, his blue eyes fierce, his attention on her face, her body, her pleasure.
He made a noise then.
She twitched, coming back to the moment. “What?”
His chin lifted, a subtle point in her direction. “That’s why all my clothes and linens smell like you.”
Glancing down, she realized she was clutching the towel like a lover. Flustered, she shifted and smoothed out its wrinkles. “Are we putting time in at the salvage yards today?” she asked, trying to sound casual.
“Nah. I’ll be working on the database here at home.”
She blew out a small relieved breath. It saved her from having to make some excuse to get them back in time for Cami and Mystery Man’s visit.
Later, though, she wondered if she should have given him warning that she expected his sister and another visitor. When the doorbell rang, he was the one to answer it, though she hovered a few feet away.
“Cam!” he said, surprise evident in his voice.
“Hey.” She crossed the threshold to buss his cheek, dragging in a man behind her.
“Who’s this?” Payne asked.
His sister smirked. “Say ‘welcome,’ why don’t you? This is my friend Dustin.”
“Your friend?”
Rose ventured nearer and could see Payne was giving the other man a thorough inspection. It didn’t seem to faze him though. Dustin held out his hand and delivered an easy smile along with his handshake. A couple of inches shorter than Payne, he had a shock of brown hair and friendly eyes that crinkled at the corners.
Cami’s gaze shifted over her brother’s shoulder. “Rose, here’s someone I want you to meet.”
More introductions were made. Aware of Dustin’s regard, she tried not to trip over her feet. When she offered up refreshments, the men went to the back yard while Cami followed her into the kitchen.
“Well?” the other woman demanded.
Rose made a face. “I just met
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