“Don’t shoot,” she said and shut off the water.
Joe laughed. “Naked people taking showers aren’t usually dangerous, so you’re safe.” The old, wooden panels surrounding the shower needed to be torn down and replaced. One of the many things of his list of things to do for the property. One panel hung crooked, some boards were missing. From where he stood, he couldn’t see anything but the vague shape of a person inside. When she stepped out and faced him, he sucked in a shocked breath.
The woman before him couldn’t be older than his daughter—mid-twenties. She had long, dark blonde dreads that reached to her waist and huge, pale blue eyes that seemed to take up half her face. Her skin was the color of smooth caramel, and she’d covered up with a thin, brightly colored sarong that clung to her body. Her left arm was tattooed in brightly colored flowers from shoulder to wrist. She had a nose piercing and more earrings and bracelets than he’d ever seen on one person.
“Hi,” she said. A smile came with the words. “Thank you,” she pointed a thumb towards the stall, “for the use of your shower.”
He cleared his throat and found his voice. “As I said, you’re trespassing.” She tied the sarong just above her breasts and arranged the clinging fabric so that she was covered, but with the way the material stuck to her body, she was far from decent. She was small and curvy. In a word, stunning. But way too young, he reminded himself.
“I know the owner.”
He hadn’t expected that. “Really?” He decided to go along to see where she’d go with this.
“Sort of,” she qualified. She took a step towards him. Her bracelets jingled as she held out her hand. “I’m Soleil.”
The French for sun—it suited her. Joe took her hand, and something like an electric current traveled up his arm. “Joe.”
She squeezed his hand. “Oh! Joe Stanton?”
“Right.”
She released his hand and crossed her arms. “I didn’t recognize you, but it’s been a while.”
The action of her crossing her arms lifted her breasts. The sarong separated revealing the generous curve of her breasts. “Have we met?” he managed.
“I’m an old friend of Caroline. We went to school together, but you weren’t around much then.”
“Right.” He’d spent his career in the military traveling the world clearing and reconstructing disasters. It had been too much for his wife, and they’d divorced, amicably, when the kids were young. His interactions with his children had been as often as he could manage it, but now that he was retired, he hoped to spend more time with them.
Her sweet laugh sounded like a melody. “See, I do know the owner.”
Joe folded his arms as well. “That doesn’t explain why you’re using my shower.”
“I needed a place to park my camper. When Caroline asked me to photograph her wedding, we made a deal. In lieu of payment, she said I could park my camper at the back of your property.”
“Really.” He was skeptical, but what she said made complete sense except for the fact that his daughter hadn’t asked him if this arrangement was all right with him.
Soleil nodded. “You see, I’m in town to do a job for a conservancy to highlight their work in the Everglades. I’m going to be here for several months, and this location is perfect for me. Caroline assured me that the place was vacant.”
“It was, but I’m back now.”
“Oh, okay. Caroline didn’t mention that.”
“Just a minute,” Joe said, pulled out his phone, and dialed his daughter.
“Hey, Daddy!”
“Hi, hon.”
“What’s up?”
“I’m back in Florida.”
“Oh, cool. Let’s get together. How long are you staying?”
“Well, I wanted to surprise you, and didn’t mean to tell you over the phone.”
“Tell me what?”
“I’m back for good. I took a job with the reserve, but as a consultant. I won’t deploying.”
“Oh my gosh! That’s fantastic! Oh, wait. There’s a slight problem.”
Joe glanced back at Soleil. She was pulling the cloth away from her body, trying to get it to dry a bit and unwittingly providing a peek-a-boo show. He looked away. “Yeah. I just met your friend.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You should have told me.”
“I didn’t think you’d mind.”
And he wouldn’t have if he’d been away, which he always was. “I get it. And you’re right, it would have been fine except, I’m back and it was, well, a surprise—finding someone here.”
“She’s super cool dad. I’m sure the two of you can work something out. Hey, I gotta run. Call me later, and we’ll get together.”
His daughter disconnected the call, leaving him staring at a dead phone. He put the cell in his back pocket. “It seems we have a dilemma.”
“You won’t know I’m here,” Soleil said.
“Except for when you need to shower?” The shower was near the house. He’d hear the water running anytime she used it, and then he’d have to imagine her out her, naked. And that was a problem.
She stood there, a serene look on her face. She emanated calm. “I can go back to showering at the campground if it’s a problem for you.”
The nearest campground had to be more than half an hour away. Shit. He hated disappointing his daughter, and clearly her friend was down on her luck. “How long do you need to stay?”
“Couple of months.”
“A couple of months!” A couple of weeks, he could see. But a couple of months? That was more like having a tenant.
“I’d be happy to help you out around here.” Her clear blue gaze swept the dilapidated condition of the property, it seemed, without judgment. “I can be pretty handy.”
Her words sparked an image of her hands on his body. He shook his head to clear the inappropriate image. He was had to be twenty-five years her senior.
Soleil let her gaze slide down Joe Stanton’s long, lean body. He’d been the dad that all the teenagers had drooled over in high school. He hadn’t been around much, but when he had been, all her friends had sighed over him, especially when he wore his uniform. To say he’d gotten better with age would be a gross understatement. His crew cut was still dark, but sprinkled with gray as was the shadow on his firm jaw. He had classic bone structure with high cheekbones and beautiful hazel eyes she imagined changed colors with his mood or the color he wore. His dark tan showed he spent a lot of time outdoors.
Older men did it for her. Always had. Staying here and hanging out with Joe Stanton could be quite interesting. She moved closer to test the waters. “What do you say,” she said softly. He’d been checking her out earlier, and now his nostrils flared as he took in her scent, his heart rate changed—she could see the artery in his neck moving. He didn’t move away when she’d gotten in his personal space. All good signs. “Were you planning to stay here?”
“I had hoped to.”
“We could do a trial run. See how it goes,” she suggested. Her meaning included more than just camping on his property, but he might not get that just yet.
His gaze dropped to her lips and his eyes darkened. “What are you proposing.”
Soleil put a hand on his chest and went up on tiptoe, but still she couldn’t reach his lips. She bumped his chin with her nose, inviting him to help her out. When he lowered his head, Soleil put her lips to his, tentative at first. She watched him and saw his eyes flare with surprise, but then he put his hand on her hip. So, she put her hand behind this neck and teased the line of his lips with her tongue. When he opened to her, she got her first taste of him and sighed her pleasure. Closing her eyes, she let herself feel. A first kiss only happened once, and she wanted to savor it.
Also by Deborah Grace Staley
NOVELS
Angel Ridge Series (Tame): Only You
Angel Ridge Series (Tame): A Home for Christmas
Angel Ridge Series (Tame): What the Heart Wants<
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Angel Ridge Series (Tame): I’ll Be There
Angel Ridge Series (Tame): Unforgettable
Wilde Dunes Series (Flame): Simmer
Wilde Dunes Series (Flame): Smolder
NOVELLAS
Scandalous Moves (Flame): Dared
Scandalous Moves (Flame): Played
Scandalous Moves (Flame): Ridden
COMING SOON
Scandalous Moves (Flame): Exposed * Coming Sep. 7, 2017
Also part of the Brotherhood Protectors Kindle Worlds Series
SHORT STORIES
Sweeter Than Tea
Aphrodite’s Garden (Tame)
The Trip (Tame)
The Wedding Quilt (Tame)
Ridden (Scandalous Moves Book 3) Page 14