“This sounds serious.” There was a teasing glint in his eyes, but she didn’t feel like he was downplaying her career; he was just teasing her. He made her feel light, like she was her old, happy self again.
“It is. Don’t move.” She winked at him.
“I wouldn’t dare.” Isaac chuckled and splayed his hands. The muscles in his biceps flexed as he did, and Cosette felt a little unbalanced.
She hurried away to her room, grabbing a small bag of samples. She found a clean washcloth and wetted it, then grabbed a handful of cotton balls and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Returning to the kitchen, she smiled when she saw that he hadn’t moved from his seat. “Okay, are you ready for this?” she asked.
“To be irresistible to you? For sure.”
Cosette’s breath caught in her throat. Was he interested in her as a woman? She still felt like damaged goods from Vance, but she was betting one kiss from Isaac could restore her. Her face flushed. She couldn’t let herself think about kissing Isaac, or she might obsess about it nonstop. If only she could call Mar for some advice.
“Okay.” Her voice was shaky as she sat down close to him, piling the supplies on the table. “First, we need to clean off your cologne.”
He nodded, his gaze not wavering from her face. Cosette’s hands trembled as she put some hydrogen peroxide on the cotton ball and leaned in close, dabbing at his neck with it. Isaac’s pulse thrummed visibly. When she glanced up at him, his blue eyes held her captive and she froze for a second. If she moved just a few inches, their lips would align, and she could see exactly what his lips would do to her.
Vance’s taunts about her horrible kissing ability rang through her head, and she broke from Isaac’s gaze and picked up the wet washcloth. She softly rubbed it across his neck a few times, not letting herself meet his eyes again. “Do you, um, put your cologne anywhere but your neck?”
“I spray it on my shirt,” he said in a husky voice.
“Oh.” The implication washed over her. This wouldn’t work if he had cologne on his shirt. Unless he … “Oh!” Her face flared hot, and she couldn’t meet his eyes.
“Do you want me to take it off?” There was laughter in his voice now.
Cosette’s gaze darted up to his again. He was smiling at her, but instead of a twinkle in those blue eyes, there was a mixture of mischief and desire. She felt none of the mischief but all of the desire.
Without waiting for her to respond, Isaac pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on the nearest chair. Cosette gasped and stared. The muscles in his arms, shoulders, chest, and abdomen were … delectable. They were defined and thick and so tempting that she lifted her hand and almost touched his rounded pectoral muscles before stopping herself. She was breathing heavily, and she couldn’t meet his gaze or test scents on him like this.
“You need to put a shirt on,” she said, her voice trembling. Was she revealing exactly how awkward she was?
The silence stretched between them. Both of them were breathing much more quickly than was normal for sitting at a table. The only other sounds besides their breath was the breeze rustling the palm tree leaves and the water rolling onto the sand—no crashing waves here. Cosette’s gaze darted outside then dropped to the table. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Isaac or ask again.
Isaac didn’t say a word. He stood and walked to his bedroom. Cosette let herself stare again. The muscles in his back were just as impressive as the front. As he pulled the door open and his arm muscles flexed, the breath whooshed out of her. He glanced over his shoulder at her, and she almost fell off her chair. Had a man ever been that appealing, that perfect?
Once he’d disappeared, she leaned back in the chair and took slow breaths. Where was Mar when she needed her? Mar might tease with her about her lack of exposure to the male species, but she’d patiently answer Cosette’s questions about what to do with these feelings. Yet Isaac was so much more than some man to her, and she wanted to experience these feelings with him.
Isaac walked back out of the bedroom, and she averted her gaze and opened her samples bag. He sat down, his knee brushing hers. “Cozy,” he murmured.
She forced herself to meet his gaze so he didn’t think she was a complete wimp. He’d pulled on a blue T-shirt, and she admired how it complemented his eyes and showcased that chest she’d gotten a glimpse of.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Sorry?” Giving her that glimpse of his perfect chest was nothing to be sorry about. It wasn’t his fault she’d reacted so awkwardly.
“You’re so innocent and pure. Have you never seen a man’s chest before?” he asked quietly.
Oh, great. They were back to him thinking she was a child. She was confirming it with her overreaction to his beautiful shape. “Well, I, um … yes!” she got out with exasperation.
His gaze said he didn’t believe her. “Then why did you react so … intensely?”
“I’ve seen chests, all right, at the beach and pool and stuff. I’m not some innocent simpleton.” She blew out a breath, not wanting to tell him why she’d reacted the way she had. They were on day one and might be here for many more. How in the world was she going to survive without attacking him?
“When I said innocent—” he began.
“No, it’s fine.” She held up a hand, not wanting him to kindly explain how she’d acted like a child. “So, let’s try out my Athletic Man scent first.”
“All right.” He didn’t say anything more about her reaction or tease her about her lame “innocence.” As he leaned closer, his warm leg brushed hers again, and warmth sparked in the pit of her stomach. At least he was wearing a shirt now. That helped temper the desire … no, it really didn’t.
Focusing on her colognes, she unstopped the vial and put some on her finger. She started talking in what she hoped wasn’t a nervous rattle. “The base note in my Athletic line is a woodsy citrus scent with top notes of ginger and musk balanced by a wave of fresh grass.”