Free Catch 'n' Kiss (Are You Game?) by Rhian Cahill

stood perfectly still and watched as she pulled clothes out of her suitcase. She tossed them on the bed behind her. The one he’d crawled out of not ten minutes ago. For someone who’d had a jumble of thoughts in his head, he suddenly found himself with a clean slate. Nothing except the sight of Jody lowering the zipper on her dress filled his mind.
    She let the simple sheath slip from her shoulders and drop to the floor, leaving her in only a skimpy pair of bikini pants and bra. Her back was to him and he clenched his hands as the urge to walk over and run his fingers down her spine stole through him. He didn’t breathe, didn’t make a sound as he watched her turn and scoop up the top she’d thrown on the bed. For a split second, Dan had the glorious view of Jody from the front. One second of sheer bliss before she went perfectly still then screamed loud enough to wake the whole damn hotel.
    “Fuck.” Dan slammed his palms over his ears and ducked when she threw what was in her hand at him. “It’s me. Dan!”
    Jody froze on her way to the bedside table and he could only assume she’d planned to toss the lamp at him next. “Dan?”
    “Who the fuck else would be in our room?” He bent to pick up the shirt she’d lobed at his head. “Surely you hadn’t forgotten I was here?”
    “Um, no, but…” She looked at the bed behind her, the one in front of her. “I thought you were asleep.”
    Thought? More like hoped. “Obviously I’m not.”
    He stepped up to the bed and dropped the shirt. It was at that moment he remembered how unclothed they both were. Her gaze lowered to his groin and bounced away quickly. Dan thought about covering up but dismissed the idea. He had nothing to hide, whether physically or emotionally, he wanted her to know where he stood. And some parts of him were standing very tall right now. She fidgeted, bare feet shuffling on the carpet, and looked everywhere apart from his direction. Figuring he had nothing to lose, he threw out the question burning in his throat.
    “Were you with Mooney all this time?”
    Her gaze snapped to his. “What? No.”
    Everything he was wanted to believe her. “Then where were you?” He had no right to interrogate her, but for the life of him he couldn’t stop himself.
    She sighed, her shoulders drooping with the release of air. “In the garden.”
    In the garden? “With who?” he demanded.
    “No one.” She reached over and grabbed her shirt, quickly tugging it over her head before continuing. “I was hoping to avoid this.”
    “What?” Him?
    “You. Naked.”
    Ah. He’d always been comfortable without clothes on, so he couldn’t understand why others were embarrassed when it was he who was on display, but he accepted most people couldn’t handle nudity when they weren’t intimately involved. “Does my nakedness offend you? Surely you’ve seen a naked man before.” God, he hoped so. She’d been married for Christ sake.
    Jody laughed and headed for the bathroom. “Yes, I’ve seen a few in my time.”
    A few? What the fuck? The bathroom door banged shut. “Who other than your ex have you seen naked?” he yelled at the closed door.
     
    Jody leaned against the door and took a deep breath. My God, the man was breathtaking. Every sculptured inch of him. She’d seen him earlier with just a towel, but that was nothing compared to the sight of a completely naked Dan. Her mouth watered along with other areas of her anatomy. He hadn’t shown one single shred of self-consciousness about his nudity either. If anything, he’d been more commanding—more compelling—than he appeared when clothed. She had to face it. The man did it for her.
    Trouble with a capital T. That’s where she was. Sighing, she shoved off the door and got ready for bed. She’d left her sleeping shorts in the room but the T-shirt she wore came past her thighs so the essentials were covered. Her bra was digging into her sides and she popped the catch through her shirt