Secrets from Her Past: Scandalous, Book 2 (9 page)

When she got back into the living room, she looked through the movies, but decided to forgo that plan and go sit on the porch for old times’ sake. Granted, in the past she’d always had her parents with her, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t do it alone. Storms still fascinated her.

She laid the flashlight on the small accent table just beside the front door and stepped out barefoot onto the concrete porch. Wind blew the rain and a slight mist sprinkled her face. She smiled as she tipped her head up, welcoming the refreshing rain and the sweet smell only it could provide.

Glancing over to Dylan’s house, she saw he only had one small light on in the living room, but as she squinted and looked closer, she saw him sitting on his porch swing. Apparently he hadn’t grown out of his love of the storms either.

And now she was faced with the same question she’d been asking herself since she’d come back to town and discovered him right next door. Did she stay, or did she go?

Chapter Seven

Dylan couldn’t believe the wind that had kicked up. Trees were really blowing and those small ones on the edge of his property were practically lying down from the gusts blowing through.

And all the rain pelting in onto his porch didn’t bother him in the least. Dylan absolutely loved the rain, love thunderstorms.

He glanced across the yard, and through the sheets of rain he could see someone else who had loved storms once upon a time.

A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky and a rumble of thunder soon followed. The storm was definitely moving closer and as much as he loved to be outside watching it, he also didn’t want to be struck in some freak accident.

Dylan started to go inside, but stopped when Cori darted across the yard toward his house.

“What the hell are you doing?” he yelled as she bounded up his porch steps and shook off water from her body.

“I can’t find any batteries for the flashlights. I searched the garage and the junk drawer in the kitchen.” She rubbed her hands up her arms and actually shivered. “Sorry to bother you, but could I bum a few?”

Dylan grabbed her arm and jerked open his storm door. “Get inside and dry off before you freeze.”

“I don’t need to go inside,” she yelled, yanking away from his grasp. “I just need a few batteries. I only found one candle and I’ll need more light than that.”

Dylan physically picked her up in a fireman’s hold and marched into his bathroom and grabbed a towel from the shelf beside the antique clawfoot tub.

“Here.” He thrust the towel in her face. “Dry off and I’ll go find some batteries.”

“Why would I dry off if I’m just going back home?”

He turned, meeting her gaze. “You’re not going anywhere. I’m getting the batteries for my own flashlights and you’re going to light some candles once you’re dry.”

Cori stood with her mouth wide open, water dripping from the ends of her hair and her lashes. Her T-shirt had plastered itself to her body, molded against her breasts and caused her perky nipples to stand at attention. Apparently she’d forgone the bra for this little visit…not that he was complaining.

“I’m not staying, Dylan,” she said, patting her face. “I need to get back home.”

“Why? The storm is moving closer and it’s insane to be running back and forth when there’s lightning flying through the sky.”

“I could’ve been back home by now if you’d just given me the batteries.”

Dylan laughed. “Yeah, you could’ve, but you’re not. So dry off, I’ll go grab some clothes and then you can light the candles. I’ll set out the matches on the kitchen counter.”

Before she could argue further, he stalked out. That damn body of hers was mocking him. He’d sworn to himself to keep his distance. The woman was leaving eventually so why get caught up in her again?

Okay, so he’d been caught up in every sense of the word when they’d had sex on the beach and he’d been pretty near getting caught up again this morning before his sister came in.

But he’d come to his senses and he refused to allow her to touch his heart again…or touch any other part of his body.

He grabbed a pair of sweats and a dark tee. Since she wasn’t wearing a bra he’d seriously considered handing her a white shirt, but he was going to be a gentleman about this and shut up his inner voyeur.

By the time he came back, she’d closed the bathroom door.

“I have some clothes for you,” he yelled through the door.

“Just leave them out there and I’ll get them.”

He laid the clothes on the small table next to the bathroom door and walked back into the kitchen. He grabbed his kettle and filled it with water then set it on the stove to heat. After pulling out a couple of mugs and placing them next on the counter, he waited for Cori to come out.

But when she stepped into the kitchen, he wasn’t prepared for how innocent she’d look, how adorable she’d be in his clothes, and how much it turned him on even more to know that she had nothing between her skin and his T-shirt.

“They’re a little big,” she laughed, glancing down to the pants that were rolled up enough to expose her tiny bare feet and the shirt that nearly fell to her knees. “But thanks. Much better than wet clothes.”

He swallowed and nodded. “If you want to light the candles, I put one in the living room, hallway, and a couple upstairs in the bathroom and my room. I’m making hot chocolate.”

Cori smiled, tilting her head and causing all her damp hair to move together across her shoulder. “Hot chocolate? You used to drink that all the time when we were younger.”

Dylan shrugged. “You were cold and I wanted something sweet, so I figured this was a good cure-all.”

“Thanks, Dylan.”

She stood in the doorway staring at him as if he was her hero or her great protector. Truth was, he was a man and he was having erotic male thoughts. If she had any clue as to the path his mind had traveled, she’d run back home and not worry about the storm.

A bolt of lightning flashed through the window, accompanied simultaneously by the thunder.

“Better go light those candles,” he told her.

She nodded, grabbed the box of matches from the counter and walked away.

The kettle started to whistle, and he poured chocolate into each of the mugs and topped it off with the boiling water, all the while cursing himself for inviting her to stay. Okay, so he hadn’t invited her. He’d manhandled her inside and taken charge, but damn it, he didn’t like the idea of her being alone over there during a storm.

By the time he’d added marshmallows and stirred everything together, Cori came back in.

“Ooh, with marshmallows.” She grinned as she picked up the mug and took a sip. “That’s so good. I’m pretty impressed you didn’t nuke this in the microwave.”

“Just because I’m a man doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate real hot chocolate.”

She studied him over the rim of her mug as she took another sip. As she set her drink back on the counter, she turned to look out the window.

“Looks really nasty out there. Thanks for letting me hide here.”

“I wouldn’t have let you stay over there alone. The electricity goes out around here so often when small storms come through, I’d say it’s a given tonight.”

She glanced back at him over her shoulder. “I would’ve been fine with working flashlights.”

“I know, but I still would’ve felt guilty.”

She looked back out the window to the rain beating against it. “I know the tension between us isn’t easy, but I do appreciate this.”

Dylan leaned back against the counter and had a flash of them earlier this morning—Cori’s head thrown back, her bare breast out of her dress, ready for him to take.

“Tension doesn’t bother me,” he told her.

“As uncomfortable as this tension is at times, it’s not the worst thing I’ve been through.”

“I imagine being arrested would rank higher.”

Her gaze darted back to his and he cursed himself.

“Damn it. I didn’t mean it like that, Cori. I keep speaking before thinking around you. I just meant that you really have been through worse than facing whatever this is between us.”

Something akin to pain flashed through her eyes. “Being arrested isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever been through either.”

Dylan stood straight up and crossed to her, resting his hand beside hers on the counter. “What?”

Cori’s eyes held his for a moment and he thought for sure she’d open up. But before she said a word, she smiled and shook her head. “It’s nothing, Dylan. Really. Let’s not dredge up the past. Okay?”

He couldn’t imagine what was worse than being falsely arrested and facing jail time, all while your career was tanking.

Though she had no clue he was aware of that last part.

“What do you say we watch a movie while we still have electricity?” he asked.

“What do you have? And please don’t say any of those stupid foreign movies where the lips can’t keep up with the words.”

Dylan laughed. “I have all of those stored away for safe-keeping. Actually I was thinking suspense.”

Cori smiled. “My favorite. Sounds good.”

She followed him into the living room and he was almost relieved she’d said not to bring up the past. That was the last thing he wanted, but at the same time he really wanted to know what was going on in her world. Not that he had any right, but, well…he just wanted to know. Damn his feelings. He’d told himself not to get wrapped up in her and his damn conscience wouldn’t let him keep a distance.

His lights flickered and Dylan set his mug down on a coaster on the coffee table and grabbed the flashlight beside the couch.

“Better just keep this close by,” he told her as he crossed the room to get the remote. “Have a seat.”

Cori settled into the corner of the couch, curled her feet beneath her and sipped on her hot chocolate. What he wouldn’t give to be the one to lick that frothy mustache from her upper lip.

Before Dylan could even turn on the movie, a crack of thunder and lightning hit so close it shook his house and Cori jumped, knocking her hot chocolate all over her hand and lap.

“Damn it.” He moved over to her and took the mug from her hand. “Are you all right?”

Chocolate dripped from her shaky hand. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s all over your couch. I’m sorry. That scared me to death.”

“Yeah, it hit something close.” He helped her up and pulled his T-shirt over his head to wipe the hot liquid from her hand. “Does it burn?”

“Not really. It had cooled down quite a bit where I’d been blowing on it.”

He glanced down to her clothes…well, technically his clothes. “Looks like I need to get you new things.”

Cori laughed. “This shirt is so long, it’s like a dress. Don’t worry about dirtying up more clothes. I’ll be heading home soon anyway.”

“With that racket that we just heard and felt? There’s no way in hell I’d let you walk out in that, even if it is just to go across the yard.”

She handed his shirt back to him and started tugging down the wet pants. Before he could stand there and stare like some moron or overly horny teen, he stepped back. “I’ll go grab a towel for the couch.”

God, how pathetic was he? Fleeing a room because Cori’s legs were getting ready to join the party? Smooth, Dylan. Real smooth.

He got a towel and by the time he came back in, Cori’s legs were sure enough out in full glorious force and she was using his pants to clean the sofa.

“Sorry,” she told him, “but they were dirty anyway and I was trying to save the cushions.”

“It’s fine,” he reassured her, taking the dirty pants and the T-shirt he’d left on the table. “Here’s a towel. I’ll go put these in the laundry room.”

Halfway down the hall, the lights flickered twice and finally went out.

Oh, Fate. You just leave us half-dressed and in the dark.
Now what would they do? God, this was not going to end with them naked and sweaty. He had to have willpower where Cori was concerned. He may be a man—a very turned-on man—but he also had feelings and the more time he spent around her, the more time he wanted to spend with her. He just couldn’t let himself get tangled up in someone who would hurt him again…especially the one who’d caused so much damage to begin with.

He tossed the dirties onto his washing machine and felt along the wall back down the hall. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness and the candles Cori had lit earlier were offering a nice glow throughout the front of the house.

In the living room she had turned on the flashlight and set it on the table.

“Looks like no movie,” she told him. “I think I managed to get the chocolate off your couch. Good thing it was leather.”

Even with the pale flicker from the candles cutting through the darkness, Dylan could still see those damn legs of hers. But it wasn’t just the sight of them that bothered him so much. It was the fact he could still feel them against his body, feel them clenching him.

“I’m going to check out the windows to see if I can see where that lightning hit.”

Cori nodded and eased back down onto the couch. “I’ll be right here.”

Dylan walked the perimeter of the interior and glanced out the windows, but with the darkness closing in and the sheets of rain, it was so hard to see what was happening out there.