Free This Perfect Kiss by Christie Ridgway Page B

child. That was a fine, southern California, psychobabble excuse.
    And then there was his gut-deep certainty that something was about to go wrong anyway.
    So just get it over with . A devilish voice whispered sultry temptation in his ear. Go ahead and drop the damn anvil yourself .
    It seemed like a hell of a good idea. One quick way to dissolve the dread for all time.
    Two hard paddle strokes. Three, and then they pierced the cold apron of the water. Iris laughed and the water clattered like a thousand wet tap dancers against the aluminum canoe, and by the time they made it through, all three of them were completely drenched.
    Satisfaction waved over Rory, a satisfaction that didn’t die even when he brought the canoe back to shore and even though Jilly hadn’tuttered one word. Just to be on the safe side, though, he avoided looking at her for the entire return trip in the golf cart. Certainly she’d expect some sort of logical, reasonable explanation, and he didn’t have one that would make sense to her. Yet he was glad he’d taken care of the hovering problem himself.
    But when they were back on land and within squinting distance of the rear terrace, that satisfaction suddenly evaporated and he felt his gut fall toward his sopping shoes.
    Dammit. A collection of suits. Just like his premonition, the Blue Party strategic team, including, most likely, the “forceful” Charlie Jax, was early. They were waiting for him on the terrace. He slid a glance Jilly’s way and groaned. Shrink-wrapped clothes, all right. The dousing had made her white blouse nearly invisible and he could see the lace-edged outline of her bra and the rise of remarkable flesh almost bursting out of it.
    Beneath his own clammy jeans, his body hardened and he broke out in a sweat.
    “Who’s that, Rory?” Iris asked, pointing at the dark-suited group.
    Jilly pushed a wet, squiggly strand of hair from her face and raised her eyebrows in question too.
    “That’s some people I’m meeting with. A political team.” God. He and Iris looked like wet seals and Jilly the voluptuous mermaid that watched over them. Nothing close to the straight-arrow image the Blue Party wanted for its candidates.
    He dragged his gaze away from Jilly’s breasts. “They’re here for an important meeting and…and I’m an idiot.” A horny idiot.
    Jilly shot him a look. “I’ll second that.”
    He winced. Damn. What had he been thinking? It had seemed inevitable at the time, but now his actions were quite obviously asinine. He drove a hand through his wet hair. Blame these bad decisions and bad ideas on being back at this place. Because he was usually so smart, so focused, so unswayed by a pretty face…or a to-drool-for body.
    “Listen,” he said to Jilly quickly. “These people hold my future in their hands. I’m being considered for candidacy in the U.S. Sen—”
    “I heard,” she interrupted, frowning as if the idea brought a sour taste to her mouth.
    He ignored her expression. “It’s really important I make the best impression I possibly can.”
    “Dry would have been a huge improvement, then,” she said sarcastically.
    Ouch . So she wasn’t going to be a big help right now. He could hardly blame her.
    Still determined to salvage the situation, he gazed in the direction of the wide flight of steps leading up to the terrace and the team, excuses and explanations parading through his mind. “There’s got to be some way to fix it,” he muttered. If not, the Blue Party strategists might strategize his ass right out of the candidacy.
    A thought struck him. “How about this.” He paused and turned around to face Jilly and Iris. “What if we say I saved you both from drowning?”
    Jilly rolled her eyes. “We’ll say you’re a big fat liar, won’t we, Iris?”
    The little girl grinned. “Big fat liar,” she repeated gleefully.
    He winced again. “Okay, fine. But how about if—”
    “Greg!” Iris suddenly shrieked, staring over Rory’s