My hand was on the hem of her dress when my phone rang. I took my hand from her hot body and prepared to hurl the phone across the room. Then, I saw the caller and sat up.
"Shit. It's work. I have to take this," I said.
Corsica sprang up from the bed and headed to the door. "You're right. We should stick to business."
CHAPTER TWELVE
Penn - 12
I leaned on the counter and listened to the bacon sizzle. My coffee was cool, but I still sipped at it as I tried not to watch the door. I shifted and paced the length of the kitchen.
Cooking wasn't really my thing and breakfast had never been more than a granola bar. I walked back and jabbed at the bacon, telling myself it was just normal insomnia. It had nothing to do with Corsica storming out of my room.
She had been there, laid out across my bed, and the image of that had tortured me all night long.
I cracked eggs into the pan and scrambled them. Why not make toast, too? It was something to do since I couldn't sleep. I thought of all the mornings I had lounged around in bed reading the news and wondered if I would ever get back there.
Corsica was a morning person. Her door opened at almost the same early hour every morning and she went straight out the front door on a run. Then she came back smelling of salt air and the delicious musk of her own sweat.
My mouth watered as I dumped the bacon and eggs on a plate and ignored them. All I was doing was waiting for Corsica, and admitting it twisted something in my gut.
"Wow, it smells fantastic in here," she said, bursting in the front door.
"Go ahead, I'm not really hungry," I said.
"Up late working?" Corsica asked with a cool lift of her eyebrow. She snagged a piece of bacon off my plate and crunched it. "I didn't take you as an early riser."
Her hair was damp with sweat at the temples, her cheeks bright and warm, but her body was loose and relaxed. I kneaded at my own tight neck and felt the knot in my stomach cinch. Corsica was irresistible. She crunched the bacon and frowned as she fiddled with her pedometer and I wanted to press my lips to the faint crease in her forehead.
"Need a hand?" I stepped around the kitchen island and cornered her between two stools.
Corsica's nostrils flared, but she held out the device. "I like tracking the mileage, but somehow I lost today's run."
I took my time working through the menu and screens. The data was easy to retrieve, but I couldn't pry myself away from the warm sheen of her skin. "Here it is."
"Thanks," Corsica took her pedometer and moved to scoot around me.
I ignored her hint. "I never understood running."
Her soft lips frowned. "What's not to understand? It's a great workout with minimal equipment. And, you burn the most calories in a short amount of time."
"Sure, sure, it's practical. Are you really always so practical?" I caught her eyes.
Corsica tossed her hair. "As if you don't work out."
I liked the way she eyed my arm muscles, but when her gaze raked across my abs, the knot inside me burned. "I just like to have fun when I do it. There are plenty of fun ways to burn more calories than running."
"I don't have time for anything but running," Corsica said. She pushed past me and grabbed another piece of bacon. "My letters of recommendation came in. I have to polish up my resume and make sure my cover letter puts me on the top of the pile. I've got to send it in this morning."
I flipped my fork into my hand and picked at the scrambled eggs. "So, you're not going to the audition?"
Corsica's eyes narrowed. "What audition?"
"Check your phone. I called the resort and booked you an audition. Bill got in touch with that trumpet player and he'll be there, too. Just in case you inspire him to put his trio back together."
Her cool facade burned off like morning fog. Corsica bounced back to the kitchen island and leaned across it. "You can't be serious. Are you?"
"What if I told you that was the phone call I took last night?"
Corsica studied me. "Liar. Nice try, though."
I groaned. "Fine, you caught me. But I'm not working now. Maybe we should finish what we started?"
She laughed in my face. "Sorry. Can't. I've got to get ready for my audition. I've got to pick a song and practice! This takes singing in the shower to a whole new level."
"I could help with that," I flung out.
Corsica rolled her eyes. "Stop teasing me. I have to concentrate. Do you think it would be too cheesy to sing one of his songs? Yeah, probably. Though, I was really enjoying that album last night."
"I'd be happy to play it for you again." I knew there was a hint of desperation in my voice, but I didn't care. There was no way I would be able to get anything done until I got Corsica out of my system.
She lifted herself across the counter and kissed my cheek. Before I could catch her hands and turn it into a real kiss, she slipped away with a bright smile. "Thank you for getting me the audition! I know you probably just want to get me out of your hair so you can work, but I really appreciate it."
"That's not-" It was too late. Corsica was already bounding away on her long legs. "How about I come with you to the club? Take you out afterward to celebrate?" I called.
She didn't answer, and I sunk against the counter. I knew she was excited, but I couldn't believe she wouldn't even make plans with me. I slashed at the scrambled eggs. Corsica was right: now I had time to work. I dumped the eggs into the garbage. Too bad work was the last thing on my mind.
I needed fresh air. More than that, I needed to get away from the siren song of Corsica practicing in the shower, and the slick and torturous images that brought to mind.
An hour later, I thanked all the powers that be for my job. Each breath was a hot fire as I pushed the pedals faster, but the new road tires were holding up well.
It wasn't so much work as a perk of my job that I got to test out the latest technology, and the newly designed bike tires were the best excuse to get outside that I could find. It didn't make a difference if the course I chose dropped me onto the same drive as the resort.
The images of Corsica were still bright in my head. Her surrendering onto my soft bed, her skin flushed pink from her morning run, and the teasing bounce as she left me in the kitchen all flashed through my head as I pulled into the parking lot. So what if I was just in time to catch the tail end of her audition. I was out testing the new road tires and just happened to end up in the same place.
Just to prove that I was not in a hurry to see Corsica singing, I snatched my phone out of my pocket. The quick conversation with my techs about the tire performance took less than a minute. Satisfied, I climbed off the bike and started up the front steps of the resort. Maybe I could clean up before ducking into the lounge and hearing Corsica's final song.
"Penn? How great to see you. I was wondering if you were planning on dropping off the face of the earth," Alicia simpered before she was within five feet of me.
Once she closed in, Alicia reached out to wrap an arm around mine, but I stopped her. "Sorry, I was out testing some equipment. You caught me all sweaty."
She fought her distaste and smiled. "How very manly. How do I know you weren't out chasing me? Seems like a coincidence to find you here right after my weekly massage."