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“I don’t have a towel or any other clothes,” she said.

“I have a drawer full of T-shirts just waiting for you.”

60

KITTY

After an arduous andslippery journey through the mud, Josh and Kitty made it back to the farm with Madonna. Kitty said nothing, but Josh held her hand all the way back. A quick call to Thea confirmed she was still stuck in the traffic jam but that the downed tree was almost cleared.

“I’ll need to dry Madonna off,” Josh said. “Why don’t you grab a shower at my place. There’re fresh towels in the bathroom and T-shirts in the top drawer, next to the bed.” Kitty’s eyes darted to his, the thought of his bed sending heat to her cheeks. For goodness’ sake! She was nearly thirty. She had to get a grip!

Josh reached down into his soaked pocket and handed his keys to her.

“I won’t be long,” he said, pulling her into his body and kissing the top of her head. Kitty’s arms snaked around him, and she rested her head on his chest.

“Don’t be,” she said before peeling herself from his arms and turning to walk the short distance to his cottage.

Halfway across the yard, Kitty stopped to drain her gumboots, putting one upside down on an upturned shovel, the other on a broom handle. She’d make it the rest of the way in her sodden socks alone.

She glanced over her shoulder to check Josh was really there, and her heart sang when he was staring after her, a contented smile on his lips.

Kitty entered Josh’s cottage after pulling off her dripping socks outside the door. She’d never been inside before, had never dared to call around on the off chance that he’d be there. Her hand drifted along the kitchen countertop that ran under the window. There was an old coffee cup there and a spoon. The everyday normality of it grounded her.

Putting the keys on the side, Kitty walked across the room towards a door that stood ajar. She nudged it, and it swung open to reveal a small, tidy bathroom. There was a pile of thick, fluffy towels on the dresser, and as she took one off the top, the smell of his laundry liquid hit her nose. Kitty smiled. She’d smelled it on him countless times.

Shutting the door behind her, she turned on the hot tap in the stall. She stopped for a moment and studied her reflection in the mirror. Dark hair hung around her shoulders in heavy strands, and her cheeks were a rosy red. Steam reached her from the shower, and after peeling off her wet shorts and knickers, she glanced up to see her nipples, dark and hard against her top.

Damn,Josh would have seen that. He’d have seen her boobs in all their glory. She wasn’t sure if she was more mortified or deliciously excited by the thought. Cursing the tingle between her thigh, Kitty decided it was the latter and flung off her top, jumping into the shower.

After attempting to scrub her wicked thoughts away, Kitty stepped out onto the mat and wrapped herself in the towel. If her cheeks had been flushed before, they were florid now. Looking for some talcum powder to temper their glow, she opened the bathroom cabinet and ran her hand along the line of bottles and tubes. Thankfully, there was nothing embarrassing in there. But she couldn’t help but sniff the bottle of cologne. As she inhaled, its fresh, spicy scent assaulted her, so familiar and sweet. Wanting nothing more than to cover herself in the smell of Josh, she dabbed a little at her neck and wrists.

After carefully putting everything back, Kitty picked up her clothes and padded back to the sitting room. Thankfully Josh hadn’t returned.She at least wantedsomeclothes on before she spoke to him.

Kitty dragged her fingers through her hair and headed to the door on the other side of the room. She found his bedroom and the chest of drawers he’d mentioned there. The room was neutral and bright, and she sang the hallelujah chorus in her head at the neatly made bed. She’d never have to grapple with the urge to do it for him.

Kitty sat on the edge of the crisp white duvet and pulled open the top drawer, selecting a pale blue T-shirt that drowned her. It skirted just below her crotch, which was far from ideal, but the thought of putting her wet knickers back on wasn’t appealing. There was nothing else for it but to put on a pair of Josh’s undies. She pulled on the handle of the second drawer, tentatively revealing its contents.

The drawer was full of trunks, and Kitty took out a pair and pulled them on. They looked ridiculous, slipping off her hips, so she searched the drawer for something smaller. Instead, she found a shiny rectangular packet tucked at the back. Without thought, she picked it up and examined it. The familiar logo and the words Durex, large and real feel, screamed out at her from the box. Kitty’s eyes widened. Well, at least he was locked and loaded... and from the claim on the box, packing something bigger than average.

The front door banged next door, and Kitty threw the condoms back into the drawer, closing it hurriedly. Her heart thumped, and she prayed that he wouldn’t see the glow in her cheeks and the guilt written on her face. Jumping up, she turned as Josh knocked cautiously on the bedroom door.

“Are you decent?” he asked.

Well, technically, no, not really. She’d just been rummaging around in his drawers uninvited, and all she could think about now was the size of his penis.

“Yes,” she said instead, steeling herself for theirtalk.

Josh opened the door and stood, leaning against the frame. Kitty’s heart thundered in her chest. He looked as perfect as he always did, his blond hair wet and in its usual disarray. Even from across the room, faint dark circles under his eyes were evident, but their striking blue still shone through. A muscle jumped in his jaw as if he held all the tension in the world, but his eyes burned with hunger.Kitty tugged down on her borrowed T-shirt and opened her mouth to speak.

“Josh, I….”

Kitty’s voice hitched in her throat as he slowly walked towards her. His eyes stayed glued on hers as he stripped off his wet clothing with each step. First to go was his T-shirt. At the sight of him, Kitty’s breath threatened to leave her body altogether, the knit-together muscles of his chest leaving her mouth dry. Next, he kicked off his boots and peeled down his jeans in a tantalising display of rock-hard thigh muscles. By the time he reached her, the only thing left on his body was a pair of tight black boxers. The second he was close enough, Josh took the top of her arms in his hands, looking into her eyes.

“What? I was a bit wet,” he said with a cheeky grin. Kitty’s mouth opened to speak, but Josh shook his head.

“Don’t say anything. I don’t want to talk. We can do that later.”

“But I need to tell you—”