Chapter 4

“I’m okay,” he assured his rescuer. “Only thing seriously injured is my pride.”

“Your pride shouldn’t be wounded at all. That was an impressive dive.”

The man grinned. Even beneath his thick beard, the sharp curve of his cheekbones and strong jawline were evident. Jesse felt his face heat up and sent a prayer of thanks to his genetics for blessing him with a tawny complexion that would not give away a blush.

“Glad you liked it,” he said, attempting to sound laid back. “Obviously, it was an intentional move, to show off my skills to the neighborhood.”

“Well, it definitely got myattention.”

The teasing note in the man’s voice pinged Jesse’s flirting senses, rusty though they were. He met the man’s gaze and grinned wider. “Good, because I might need help getting up.”

The man’s hand was still on Jesse’s back, warm and steady. He averted his eyes and let out a nervous chuckle, then removed his hand from Jesse’s back and held it out in front of him.