Читать книгу Smooth Moves - Carrie Alexander, Carrie Alexander - Страница 11

“HI,” SHE HEARD herself say almost normally, “I’m your neighbor, Cathy Timmerman.” Breathe. “I’ve leased the Colton’s house from Allie Spangler. And Kay Estress sold me her craft shop.” Keep talking. Be friendly. “The place on Central Street? It’s been renamed Scarborough Faire….”

“So I’ve been told,” Zack said. His smile was kind, but there was something in his eyes, a mischievous glint perhaps, that made her remember every excruciating detail of the previous night’s performance. “The grapevine, you know.”

She blinked. “Oh. Right. The grapevine.”

“You’re wetting my shoes.”

“I’m wetting your…?”

She looked down at herself, both hands clenching reflexively. Water spurted in a hard stream from the nozzle of the hose, blasting Zack’s shoes and jeans. With a sharp exclamation, she threw away the hose and the sponge. The nozzle bounced on the pavement and landed trigger-down in the grass, its angle such that the spray fanned in a wide arc, dampening each of them with a fine mist.

“Yikes.” Holding up her hands to block the spray, Cathy darted toward the hose.

“I’ll get it,” Zack said, reaching for it at the same instant. They grabbed it from opposite sides, making the cold water spurt through their fingers and onto their faces. Cathy let go. Zack redirected the spray, pressing the rusty trigger until finally it sprang back to the off position.

“Oh, gee, I’m sorry.” She backed away a step, wiping at her chin. She’d soaked him. His face was streaming. His faded purple Kingpins T-shirt showed a darker splash pattern around the shoulders and his jeans—

Don’t think about the jeans.

She already knew what he looked like in wet jeans.

“No problem,” he said. “Just like old times. Allie’s family left the garden hose snaked over the lawn all summer long.” He grinned as he swiped the back of a wrist over his face. “I’ve been doused by this hose more times than I can remember.”

The corners of his lips curled tightly when he grinned, carving dents in his cheeks. Not dimples. Just shallow dents. His eyes crinkled, too, and his warm brown irises were glinting at her again, sharing the joke, asking her to laugh. She was utterly charmed, but she couldn’t quite manage a laugh. There was too much of him. Too much tall, handsome, strong, healthy male.

She had to say something. The group had coached her on how to engage him in conversation, but they hadn’t foreseen a renegade water hose. It seemed prudent to jump straight to the invitation. “Umm, since you’re so wet anyway, want to help me wash my car? You look like you’d be good at rubbing bumpers and…” Heavens, this was embarrassing! “…p-polishing headlights.”

Surprise flashed across his face. His gaze dropped to her wet T-shirt, then quickly back up to her face. “Sure,” he said, somewhat quizzically. “I’d be glad to rub your bumper.”

Cathy’s next line was supposed to be even more suggestive, but darned if she’d say it. There was no way on earth she’d seduce him sounding like a bad Mae West imitation. Instead she pointed at the front bumper. “Be my guest.”

He kicked off his shoes and threw them into his own yard with a natural athletic grace, the muscles in his shoulders flexing beneath the clinging shirt. She blinked, realizing that wet T-shirts worked on both sexes.

“They were squidgy,” he explained, intercepting her stare.

He’s not squidgy.

“The shoes?” she blurted. “Sorry.”

“They’ll dry.” He grinned again, making her brain swim, every rational thought slipping out of her grasp like an elusive goldfish. She was not worthy. Heck, she wasn’t even capable.