“No, I’ll be good. I think I’m going to go take a quick bath, my shoulders are tense, and then I’ll get dressed.”
“Okay. If you need me to rub your shoulders, just let me know.”
His hands all over my body is the last freaking thing I need. I can only imagine my reaction to that.
Panting.
Sweating.
Moaning.
No, thank you.
Do not come near me unless you plan to do so naked.
“I’m good,” I say as I slip by him. “Uh, smells good in here, by the way. Real magical.”
His brow creases. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Quite right, quite right,” I reply in a British accent, which only causes his brows to rise higher.
I don’t blame him.
I’m just as confused as he is.
And there is absolutely no use in explaining any of this to him because I wouldn’t know where to begin, so instead, I turn toward the hallway and leave the confused man behind me.
Just take a bath and walk it off, Penny. You have to get it together for dinner tonight.
Chapter Twenty-Two
PENNY
“Wow, that’s, uh . . . that’s a dress,” Eli says as he moves his hand over his mouth, surveying me.
“If I ever learned anything from Rachel Green, it’s that I have to wear things that I won’t be able to wear when my pregnant belly gets too big.” I smooth my hands down my skintight black dress. Yes, it might be too much for dinner with my parents, but when I slipped out of the bathtub, I was feeling really sexy, and I wanted to keep that feeling. So I slipped on this little number.
“Well, you look, uh . . . really good,” he says, his voice breaking.
I smile and squeeze his forearm. “Thank you.”
While in the bathtub, I relaxed, took care of business—if you know what I mean . . . with the showerhead—and then spent a very long time lotioning my body so I smelled like heaven.
His eyes are still scanning me when he asks, “Is there anything I need to know about your parents?”
“You’ve met them before. No need to be nervous.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t meet them under these circumstances.”
I adjust the straps of my dress and grumble, “These boobs of mine are making things difficult. I think they get bigger by the minute.”
Eli clears his throat just as there’s a knock on the door. “Do you want me to get that?”
“No, I got it,” I say while shifting my boobs one last time. I give Eli a quick smile and then open the door to reveal my parents. My mom has chosen one of her many floral vest-turtleneck combos, while Dad is wearing the classic Agitators polo that Pacey gave him one year for Christmas. He now has four and rotates through them whenever he’s in town.
“Oh my, look at you,” Mom says, pulling me into a hug. “You look fantastic.”
“I feel fantastic,” I say, speaking the truth. The nausea has disappeared for the first time in a while, and I actually feel like I’m glowing. I know people say that about pregnant women, but I actually feel that now.
Dad steps up to Eli and holds his hand out. “Eli, good to see you.”
“Good to see you, Mr. Lawes,” Eli says, his voice sounding nervous.
“Joseph is fine.”
Mom then pulls Eli into a hug and says, “Ooo, I forgot how tall you are. And before you call me Mrs. Lawes, Tina will do.”
He chuckles. “Good to see you, Tina.”
When Mom pulls away, she sniffs the air and says, “Did someone cook?”
“I did.” Eli raises his hand and then sticks it back in the pocket of his jeans. “Hope you like lasagna.”
Dad pats his stomach just like a dad would and says, “Always room for lasagna.”
“Good, I made a large pan of it.”
Dad claps Eli on the back, and together, they walk into the kitchen while Mom hangs back with me.
Whispering, she says, “He made dinner? That’s impressive.”
Quietly, I say, “He wanted to show you guys he’s as he said, more than a talented hockey player with a credit card.”
“He’s so adorable.” Mom watches as Dad talks to him about the series. Always hockey on his brain. “And my God, honey, is he handsome.” Tell me about it. “Are you sure you two are just friends?”
“Positive,” I say just as Eli looks up and our eyes meet. He smirks at me and then goes back to cutting up the garlic bread in the kitchen.
“Are you sure? Because that look he just gave you doesn’t really say friends.”