said I had to help." She grabbed one end of the sign, and he got the other and together they successfully maneuvered it off the hooks. She stared at the wooden plank and laughed, releasing all her built-up tension. The sign to the beach house read Serendipity.
"Thanks for your help," Adrian acknowledged gruffly. "Now go back in. I'll be right behind you."
She didn't argue this time, but turned and ran for the house, feeling as if she were wading against the tide. The wind wrapped around her legs each time she took a step forward, then a gust would push her backward. The sand felt like tiny pins pricking her skin. Finally, she made it to the front door.
Adrian had really impressed her this morning when they had helped the McLeods get ready for the hurricane. He'd made sure they were safe and sound before ever touching their house--she meant his house. No, she meant this house, because she still wasn’t completely sure who the house belonged to. His abrasive attitude notwithstanding, maybe there was more to Adrian than she'd first thought.
She dried off as best she could, then finished taping the window. The task completed, she rummaged in the linen closet for towels for Adrian. Hearing the front door open, Dani rushed back out to the foyer. "Here, I thought you might need these."
She stifled a giggle at the sight before her. Adrian stood in the hallway, soaked from his battered head all the way down to his tennis shoes. She reached up to push the hair from his forehead, and that was when she recognized a strange sense of tenderness surging through her body. She pulled back and handed him a towel instead. The scratch on his forehead didn't bleed, but would probably leave a bruise.
Saying nothing, he accepted the towel from her. He was so wet that, in spite of his attempts to dry himself, he couldn’t keep up. The dripping water made such a puddle that Dani used another towel to dry his legs.
"You need to take a good hot shower," Dani said as she mopped up the water from his feet, then worked her way up his well-muscled legs to his jeans.
He didn’t respond.
"Did you hear me, or have you lost your voice?" Dani looked up at him just as his hands captured hers.
"Better let me finish that," he said huskily, and pulled her to her feet.
She hadn't realized just how far her hands had wandered up his leg, but when she did, her whole body flushed scarlet.
"I--I'm sorry. I was just trying to help. Y-- you've been out in that weather all day. A--and--."
"So you do care, sweetheart." He grinned at her in that devilish way she was coming to know . . . and love.
Danielle cursed herself for her embarrassment. She certainly wasn't going to let him get the upper hand. "I'd dry off a wet dog, too," she insisted stubbornly.
Adrian chuckled. "Well, I'm glad I rate so high on your list." He dried his hair then draped the towel around his neck. "I'm going to take a shower, and I suggest you do the same when I'm finished. It might be a while before we have hot water again. I also think we need to have a good dinner tonight. I'm sure we'll lose power before morning. How do T-bones sound?"
"Wonderful! I'm about to starve. I'll put the baked potatoes on and make a salad."
"Sounds good. I'll do the steaks after my shower."
Adrian watched Dani walk to the kitchen before he went into the bedroom, shut the door, and blew out a big whiff of air. Why in the world had he agreed to let a female stay with him? Hadn't he learned long ago that women always wanted something? They spelled trouble. His ex-wife had taught him that women were not to be trusted, no matter how pretty the package. And Dani Kapur was certainly a pretty package.
His wife had swept him off his feet. She'd been gorgeous, and she'd done and said all the right things. At first. She had seemed perfect. Too perfect. That should have been his first clue.
Her true personality
"Thanks for your help," Adrian acknowledged gruffly. "Now go back in. I'll be right behind you."
She didn't argue this time, but turned and ran for the house, feeling as if she were wading against the tide. The wind wrapped around her legs each time she took a step forward, then a gust would push her backward. The sand felt like tiny pins pricking her skin. Finally, she made it to the front door.
Adrian had really impressed her this morning when they had helped the McLeods get ready for the hurricane. He'd made sure they were safe and sound before ever touching their house--she meant his house. No, she meant this house, because she still wasn’t completely sure who the house belonged to. His abrasive attitude notwithstanding, maybe there was more to Adrian than she'd first thought.
She dried off as best she could, then finished taping the window. The task completed, she rummaged in the linen closet for towels for Adrian. Hearing the front door open, Dani rushed back out to the foyer. "Here, I thought you might need these."
She stifled a giggle at the sight before her. Adrian stood in the hallway, soaked from his battered head all the way down to his tennis shoes. She reached up to push the hair from his forehead, and that was when she recognized a strange sense of tenderness surging through her body. She pulled back and handed him a towel instead. The scratch on his forehead didn't bleed, but would probably leave a bruise.
Saying nothing, he accepted the towel from her. He was so wet that, in spite of his attempts to dry himself, he couldn’t keep up. The dripping water made such a puddle that Dani used another towel to dry his legs.
"You need to take a good hot shower," Dani said as she mopped up the water from his feet, then worked her way up his well-muscled legs to his jeans.
He didn’t respond.
"Did you hear me, or have you lost your voice?" Dani looked up at him just as his hands captured hers.
"Better let me finish that," he said huskily, and pulled her to her feet.
She hadn't realized just how far her hands had wandered up his leg, but when she did, her whole body flushed scarlet.
"I--I'm sorry. I was just trying to help. Y-- you've been out in that weather all day. A--and--."
"So you do care, sweetheart." He grinned at her in that devilish way she was coming to know . . . and love.
Danielle cursed herself for her embarrassment. She certainly wasn't going to let him get the upper hand. "I'd dry off a wet dog, too," she insisted stubbornly.
Adrian chuckled. "Well, I'm glad I rate so high on your list." He dried his hair then draped the towel around his neck. "I'm going to take a shower, and I suggest you do the same when I'm finished. It might be a while before we have hot water again. I also think we need to have a good dinner tonight. I'm sure we'll lose power before morning. How do T-bones sound?"
"Wonderful! I'm about to starve. I'll put the baked potatoes on and make a salad."
"Sounds good. I'll do the steaks after my shower."
Adrian watched Dani walk to the kitchen before he went into the bedroom, shut the door, and blew out a big whiff of air. Why in the world had he agreed to let a female stay with him? Hadn't he learned long ago that women always wanted something? They spelled trouble. His ex-wife had taught him that women were not to be trusted, no matter how pretty the package. And Dani Kapur was certainly a pretty package.
His wife had swept him off his feet. She'd been gorgeous, and she'd done and said all the right things. At first. She had seemed perfect. Too perfect. That should have been his first clue.
Her true personality
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