“The camper did?” Daron asked.
“No, his... Oh, hush.” While Daron snickered, Maris filled another cup of coffee and reached over the counter to hand it to Cooper. “The guy was horrified, but luckily he didn’t yell at the poor dog, who he said was still being trained.” As she headed back to the kitchen, she said over her shoulder, “I promised him it wasn’t a problem.”
“We’re pet friendly for most breeds,” Cooper told Phoenix, right before he stripped off his shirt and laid it over the back of a booth seat. Using the fluffy towel, he dried his impressive body—at least, impressive to her. No one else seemed to pay any attention.
Yet Phoenix couldn’t look away. Dark hair sprinkled his chest between his brown nipples, thickest in the middle between pronounced pec muscles. His skin was taut, firm over his midsection, more muscular at his abs. The hair teased around his navel, then cut into a thin line that disappeared into his low waistband.
Realizing where she stared, she desperately grabbed her own coffee to give herself a different focus.
Something other than his sleek skin, his firm muscles, his scent—and his overwhelming presence.
Did no one else feel it?
She glanced up again as he raised an arm, still drying off. Why did it feel so intimate to see the lighter skin on the underside of his biceps, the tufts of hair there? Lightning flashed through the windows and only a second later, thunder shook the floor, drawing her from her fascinated scrutiny.
Baxter lifted his coffee in a toast. “Looks like I’m off for the morning, too.”
Cooper moved to a window to look out. “Damn, it’s really coming down. Hopefully it blows over.” The wet waistband of his jeans hung low, and she could just see the top of dark, snug boxers. The tanned skin of his back glistened from the dampness.
Her palms tingled at the thought of touching him...
“More ogling?” Daron whispered, leaning close so no one else heard him.
Phoenix jumped as if goosed.
“I won’t tell,” he said, then grinned hugely.
“Nothing to tell,” Phoenix whispered back, but damn it, she knew her face was red.
“Uh-huh. That was a hungry look I saw, almost as if you were imagining him nekkid.” He tsked, his tone playful. “Does he know you’re—”
“Daron.” Neither of them noticed Cooper’s approach until he spoke. “Get hold of Joy and see if she can get some extra stuff set up in the lodge.”
“Sure thing.” He pulled his cell from his back pocket. As he stepped away, he said, “I’ll see if she needs any help, too.”
Phoenix had only met Joy Lee, the entertainment director, a few times. Her impression was of a tall, elegant woman with light brown hair, vivid green eyes and a cute five-year-old son that she adored. Joy took great pleasure in organizing activities for adults and children alike, and she did it with flair.
Baxter said, “I need to email folks that we’re canceled for this morning and iffy for the afternoon. After that, just let me know what you need.” He withdrew his own phone and headed to the back of the store to the dining tables.
Left alone with Cooper, Phoenix struggled to keep her gaze on his face, but it wasn’t easy. Even after toweling off, his skin looked dewy and his sparse chest hair fascinated her. It looked soft, a little darker than the hair on his head, but then, his brows and lashes were dark, too.
“Phoenix?”
It’d be easier not to stare if she wasn’t eye level with his chest.
Someone turned on music, and suddenly one of Kid Rock’s country songs filled the air. The way Daron grinned, she assumed he was the culprit. Even as he spoke on the phone, he winked at her.
The music ensured she and Cooper wouldn’t be overheard while speaking, and that somehow made his closeness more intimate.
Needing a distraction and fast, she dared a quick look up at Cooper. He stared down at her as if they weren’t in the middle of the camp store with three other people. His wet eyelashes created a compelling frame for his direct, amber eyes. He said nothing, just continued to look down at her.
Almost like he might kiss her.
Whoa. The air got thick enough to choke her.
Obviously, nothing in his lambent gaze would help her heartbeat slow down, so she hastily removed her glasses on the pretext of cleaning the lenses on the hem of her T-shirt.
While she couldn’t see him clearly, she asked, “I was thinking of helping Maris, unless there’s something else you want me to do?”
“Such a loaded question.”
She peered up at him, seeing only a blurred outline of his face. “What?”
“Never mind.” She sensed his smile as he shook his head. “Are you any good on the computer?”
Her tech skills sucked, but she could type, copy or print, so she said, “Depends on what you want done.”
Suddenly his fingertips touched under her chin, freezing her to the spot. “Are you going to put your glasses back on, or clean them until I leave?”
The challenge helped her catch her breath. She slipped on the glasses, then frowned up at him. “Better?”
“Definitely.” His voice deepened as he tipped her face up even more. “At least now I know you can see me.”
Yes, she saw him, and crazy as it seemed, she couldn’t stop thinking about leaning into him.
“Damn,” he whispered. His thumb brushed her jaw, then he withdrew his hand and looked around, almost as if he just realized they weren’t alone.
More thunder boomed. With a disgusted look at the window, he snagged his coffee and took a long drink. “Mmm, I needed that.”
Given the direction of her thoughts, he sounded far too sensual saying that. She cleared her throat. “Maris makes good coffee.” It’s why she often joined her instead of making it in her cabin, or so she told herself. But maybe the truth was that she didn’t want to drink her coffee alone.
Not anymore.
She picked up her own cup and sipped.
After half a minute, Cooper seemed to recollect himself. “If you wouldn’t mind, once Joy has a plan, you could put it on a flier and print out fifty copies. We’ll leave a stack up here on the counter for anyone dropping into the store.”
If he could be business as usual, then by God, she would, too. She forced a bright smile. “Great idea.” She glanced at Daron again, hoping he’d have the details from Joy, but he had a shoulder braced on the wall and was still talking—or, knowing Daron, it was more like flirting. “Soon as he lets me know what to print, I’ll take care of it.”
“Sounds good.” He finished off his coffee. “Will I see you at the lodge?”
The lodge aka rec center aka activity center was the largest building in the park. It was the main site for all activities from weddings and dancing to crafts and yoga. But that involved large groups of people and she preferred the solitude of her little cabin.
Before she could answer, Cooper said, “We could use your help tonight. It’ll probably be busier than usual.”
He’d just put her on the spot, and she had a suspicion he’d done so on purpose. Of course, she did work for the park, so it made sense that he’d want all hands on deck. “What if the weather clears up?”
“You still won’t be able to do more than clean up debris. The ground is saturated.” He crowded closer and lowered his voice. “I know you’re not keen on joining in, but it would be helpful.”
He didn’t leave her much choice. “Then of course I’ll be there.”
Daron joined them. “Joy has it under control.”
“Took you that long to find out?” Cooper asked.
“Nope. But after I hung up with her, I got another call.” His mouth tipped into a crooked grin. “Now that I have a date, I know how I’ll be getting through the storm tonight.”
“Tonight,” Cooper repeated, “but today we’ll need you around.”
“Count on it.”
The first group of people dashed in, five of them together.