And Trey was going to be there any second.
Desperate, she lunged over to the sink and hastily washed her hands before splashing water on her face to cool herself. When his knock came on her door, she was tossing a few random items in a drawer to straighten the countertops and wiping her damp face off with a paper towel at the same time.
Trey knocked again.
“Damn,” she muttered heatedly and threw away the paper towel.
THIRTEEN
She flung the door open. For a few seconds, he just stood there, a little stunned by her abruptness. She wore a pair of gray shorts and a Northwestern T-shirt that was slightly damp around the collar and in the valley between her breasts. He jerked his gaze off the vision of her full breasts snugly encased in cotton. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and this time, it was gloriously obvious. She panted slightly, and her smooth, golden skin was dewy with perspiration. Her long brown hair was pulled into two pigtails.
She looked adorable, not to mention sexy as hell.
She also appeared worried.
“What’s wrong?” he asked tensely.
Her green gold eyes widened. “Nothing.”
“I’m sorry for not calling first. I still don’t have your—”
“Phone number. I know. It’s okay.”
“I’m catching you at a bad time, aren’t I?’ he asked, regret and disappointment swooping through him. He pointed toward the elevator and started to edge toward it. “I should go.”
“No.”
He blinked and halted at her terse command. She flinched in embarrassment. “Why are you leaving? You just got here.”
“I caught you in the middle of something.”
She shook her head. “No you didn’t. I just finished exercising.”
He waited two expectant beats, but she just stared at him with those big, expressive eyes.
“And there’s also the fact that you haven’t asked me in yet,” he added pointedly.
Her eyes widened and she started back. “I’m sorry, I was just a lit
tle surprised. Come in.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, absolutely,” she insisted.
As often was the case with her, he was getting the strangest mixed signals. How was it that she could be such a skillful seductress at times, and others, come off like she did right this second: like an awkward, adorably sexy Mouseketeer? She looked so innocent and undone. He felt a little guilty for leching after her at that moment just as much as he did when she seduced him so ruthlessly.
He followed her down a short hallway to the kitchen. “Can I get you anything to drink? I was just going to have some water,” she said.
“I’ll have the same, thanks.”
He watched her while she moved around the kitchen, admiring her from the back. She kept pouring the water from the pitcher into the second glass when it reached the top. It overflowed and splashed onto the counter, making her jump back in surprise. He snapped a towel off the stove and went over to dry her off.
“Here,” he said. She turned toward him. He grabbed her hand and wiped off her wrist. He slowed when he noticed her looking up at him anxiously. “Why are you so jumpy, Eleanor? You want me to go, don’t you?”
“No,” she insisted, shaking her head forcefully and making her pigtails rustle against her shoulders.
“Why are you acting so nervous, then?” he asked her quietly, enfolding her captive hand in both of his.