Throwing on that cloak of bravado again, she said, “I’m still naked here, you know.”

“You certainly are,” he stated, his pleasure at her naked state clear and up front.

Why wasn’t she more irritated with him?

Or, more to the point, why wasn’t she scared?

He was big. Way bigger than she was. His hands could do incredible damage to her. Not to mention other parts of his body that could hurt her.

And yet…she wasn’t afraid of him. At first, she’d been wary about getting into his car, but then, when he’d started talking about his family, that wariness had disappeared. She’d tried to force it to reappear in the kitchen when he’d insisted on looking at her cheek, but the truth was, she hadn’t been running because she was afraid he’d hurt her.

No, she’d wanted to run because of a different kind of fear entirely.

She’d been frightened of her response to him. Of how strong—and immediate—it was.

And now, here she was, naked and wet in rapidly cooling water, still feeling that response. More than ever, in fact.

Irritated with herself for this strange weakness, and with Chase for being such an obstinate guy, she said with no small measure of sarcasm, “You don’t take a hint very well, do you?”

He grinned, a beautiful smile that did funny things to her stomach. “I’m better with direct requests.”

“Get out.”

He grinned again, a good solid laugh coming alongside it. “Want a towel first?”

“So by better you meant terrible?”

His response was to move farther into the room rather than out of it. He pulled a thick, plush towel off the heated rack. “Here you go.”

He held out the towel just far enough away that she’d have to stand up, step out of the tub, and walk over to him to reach it.

Stalling, still trying to figure out just why she was going along with this crazy game the two of them were playing with each other, she said, “So what happened to the other naked girl? Still waiting for a three-way?”

“I sent her home.”

Deciding there weren't a whole lot of reasons left to hold back her sassy mouth, she made a little face and let loose with, “Poor thing. Was she disappointed by how fast you got off?”

A muffled laugh came from Chase. “I’m afraid this wasn’t her lucky night. She found her clothes and left right after you did.”

Hmm. Well, that was surprising. She didn’t know many men who could send home a beautiful naked woman without first taking what was offered.

Why wasn’t he leaving her alone, too?

And, more to the point, why didn’t she want him to?

Both of them knew that if she started screaming, that if she really wanted him to go, he’d go. Instead, they were playing this little game.

A game she was having way too much fun with.

So much fun, in fact, that if it went on much longer she was bound to do something really stupid.

Really, really stupid.

No.

She was done with stupid. Her marriage had been made entirely of it, after all. And look what that had gotten her. A big, ugly bruise on her face, her car in a ditch…while she hid out in a stranger’s house and tried to ignore the fact that she still needed to figure out how to deal with it all.

The frustrating thought had her forgetting all about the game she and Chase were playing, just long enough that she stood up to grab the towel before she realized what she’d done.

Stunned, she stood before him, shockingly aware of each bead of water as it slid across her skin and back down into the tub.

Chase’s green eyes dilated almost to black as he looked at her. “My God, you’re lovely, Chloe.”

She wasn’t sure he was aware that he’d said the words aloud, but the reverence in them shook her. No one had ever looked at her like that, like he’d never seen anyone or anything quite so pretty.

No. Not pretty.

Lovely.

Maybe it was the power of that one word, when up until now she’d only ever heard hot and sexy, that kept her standing there, still naked and dripping.

Waiting.

Anticipating.

Wanting.

She knew exactly what was going to come next, could practically choreograph what every single guy on earth would do in this situation. Chase was going to charm her into agreeing to have sex with him, and in the morning she’d hate him for taking advantage of her sensual weakness when her heart wasn’t at all in it. But, mostly, she’d end up hating herself.

Only, as the seconds ticked by in time with the overly loud beating of her heart, even though Chase clearly wanted nothing more than to rip off his jeans and join her in the tub, he didn’t. Even though they both knew he was big enough and strong enough to be inside of her before she took her next breath, he didn’t so much as move an inch closer.

Chloe couldn’t believe it. She hadn’t given him permission to touch her. And, amazingly, he wasn’t taking it anyway, wasn’t taking whatever he could from her just because he was bigger and stronger than she was.

A sharp pang landed right behind her breastbone, right in the center of that heart that had been so bruised and battered.

Was it possible that, for the first time in her life, she’d actually met a man who wouldn’t ever touch her, who wouldn’t even try to make a move...unless she let him? Was it actually possible that despite the intense desire in his dilated pupils and the way the muscles in his jaw were jumping at the self-control he was using to remain right where he was, Chase would never lay a hand—or his lips—on her unless she outright asked him to touch her? Could it be possible that he’d never press his lips against hers unless she begged him to kiss her, until she was ready and desperate for his touch, for his lovemaking?

Visions of that desperation shouldn’t be so clear to her, shouldn’t already be running through her mind like a sexy videotape. But they were so ridiculously clear—and potent—that it took every ounce of self-control she had to force herself to shove them away before pushing the words from her heaving lungs.

“I’ll take that towel now, thanks.”

There’d never been a less sexy statement said between a man and woman.

So then, why did she suddenly feel so breathless?

* * *

Holy hell.

Chase had done his fair share of crazy things, been party to plenty of acrobatic sex sessions.

But none of those nights had anything on seeing Chloe come in the bathtub.

And there wasn’t a single model’s body that had an ounce of the sensuality that infused every cell on Chloe’s lovely naked body.