"It's a thirty-gallon tank. And old as dirt."
Obviously, he meant the hot water tank. But he was wrong on both counts. The tank wasfiftygallons, not thirty. And it was nearly brand new, installed just last month according to my cousin.
I frowned.Yes. Thatcousin.
The deadbeat who'd stood me up.
My frown deepened.Cripes, maybe he'd been lying about the hot water tank, too.
The stranger continued, "So do the math."
I didn't get it. "What math?"
"I'm just saying, you've got three minutes, maybe less, 'til the water runs cold."
I liked math, with one exception – story problems. I hated them. I always had. Or maybe I just hated the stranger, whether he deserved it or not.
Not only had he scared the crap out of me, he sounded way too cocky in his calculations, which was especially annoying considering that he didn't look like any math wizardI'dever seen. Math and muscles – theyweren'tknown for going hand-in-hand.
I repeated, "So?"
"So, you can stall if you want," he said. "But if you stall too long, you're gonna freeze your ass off."
As if he cared.Stubbornly, I said it again. "So?"
"So youwanta cold shower?"
"No. Do you?" As soon as the words left my lips, I wanted to take them back.
I was naked.
He wasn't.
And I'd be smart to keep him that way. Quickly, I added, "And just so you know, thatwasn'tan invitation."
He gave something like a laugh. "Good thing."
I shook my head. "What?"
"That shower – it's narrow as hell."
He didn't need to tellme. I was the one inside it, after all. "So?" I said for the umpteenth time.
"So I'd need a crowbar to squeeze myself in."
I gave his imposing silhouette a good, long look.He was right.He would need a crowbar – unless his stupidly hot body was slippery with soap, in which case….Oh, for God's sake. What on Earth was wrong with me, anyway?
And now the idiot was laughing – not loud, but loud enough for me to hear it, even over the sounds of the running water. His laughter was warm and almost contagious, which made everything ten times worse, because the sound of it was lulling me into a false sense of security.
I wasn't secure.
Far from it.
And the fact that I'd almost let down my guard showed a shocking lack of common sense.Seriously Arden, get a grip, will ya?
I told him, "And stop laughing. Thisisn'tfunny."
Sounding more amused than ever, he said, "Two minutes."
