the dark and jogged toward
her cabin. She’d thankfully left the door unlocked, saving him the trouble of going
to his place for the key. Once inside, he found the half-empty bottle of wine and
a cupcake wrapper. The roasted chicken he’d sent over looked untouched. He set her
computer tablet on the counter and grabbed a large towel from the bathroom.
He hustled back outside, finding she had followed his instruction, something that
gave him more pleasure than it should have. He handed her the towel. “Clean off what
you can, then I’m carrying you the rest of the way. You may have sprained your ankle.”
“I don’t need to be carried. I’m fine.”
“This isn’t a negotiation. You’re injured and drunk.”
She raised a finger to him. “I am n—”
He cocked his head, giving a pointed glance at her muddied state, and she clamped
her mouth shut. With unsteady movements, she wiped off her bare legs and cleaned her
arms and hands.
He looked over her shoulder toward the fields, trying to do anything but watch her
spread that wet mud along that freckled skin. “What were you doing out here anyway?”
“The Internet signal sucks. Thought if I got close enough to your cabin, I could catch
your wireless if you had it.”
“You could’ve called me.”
She gave him a warning glance, no doubt anticipating a hindsight lecture, but he kept
quiet. Some things didn’t need to be said.
Once she’d cleaned off what she could, Grant bent and put an arm beneath her knees
and under her back, lifting her with one swift movement and catching her by surprise
based on the hitch in her breath.
“You’re going to throw out your back, you know?”
He gave her a wry look. “I’ve carried injured men on the battlefield. I can handle
one little sports reporter.”
“Little?” She snorted. “I’m almost six feet tall.”
“You’re small to me. Live with it.”
She kept quiet the rest of the walk back to the cabin, though he wished she would’ve
kept chattering—anything to take his mind off the fact that she was pressed up against
him and that she clearly had no bra on under that wet T-shirt. Those pert nipples
would fit so perfectly in his mouth, would look so pretty in clamps. He forced himself
to keep his eyes forward.
“It’s not good to stomp around here in the dark,” he said, his voice coming out gruffer
than he intended. “We’re not in the city, freckles. A twig gotcha this time, but there
are animals out here,too—coyotes, bobcats, snakes. They keep away from the lit areas of the resort, but
you never know what you’ll find over here in the shadows.”
“I had only planned to be out for a minute.” She rested her head against his shoulder,
and he wondered if she even realized she was doing it or if the wine was softening
her.
He bumped open the cabin door with the toe of his boot and turned sideways to fit
them both through the door. “And look how much trouble you got yourself into with
only a minute in your pocket.”
“The half a bottle of wine didn’t hurt,” she said, the words sliding off her lips
like lazy raindrops. “Made me forget about my shitty day for a little while, too.”
He set her down gently in the slate-tiled bathroom and opened the door to the walk-in
shower to turn on the spray. He wanted to ask her more about her day, but he’d already
tried that earlier and she’d instantly shut down. He kept his back to her and adjusted
the knobs. “The water takes a minute to heat, but it should help sober you up at least.”
He started to turn around, but the sound of wet cloth smacking hard tile was like
a sonic boom in his ears. His feet rooted to the spot as he caught the faint reflection
in the shower glass of Charli bending and slipping off her shorts. Another plop as
the boxers hit the floor. The steam fogged the glass before she straightened, but
he had no doubt she was standing naked behind him.
her cabin. She’d thankfully left the door unlocked, saving him the trouble of going
to his place for the key. Once inside, he found the half-empty bottle of wine and
a cupcake wrapper. The roasted chicken he’d sent over looked untouched. He set her
computer tablet on the counter and grabbed a large towel from the bathroom.
He hustled back outside, finding she had followed his instruction, something that
gave him more pleasure than it should have. He handed her the towel. “Clean off what
you can, then I’m carrying you the rest of the way. You may have sprained your ankle.”
“I don’t need to be carried. I’m fine.”
“This isn’t a negotiation. You’re injured and drunk.”
She raised a finger to him. “I am n—”
He cocked his head, giving a pointed glance at her muddied state, and she clamped
her mouth shut. With unsteady movements, she wiped off her bare legs and cleaned her
arms and hands.
He looked over her shoulder toward the fields, trying to do anything but watch her
spread that wet mud along that freckled skin. “What were you doing out here anyway?”
“The Internet signal sucks. Thought if I got close enough to your cabin, I could catch
your wireless if you had it.”
“You could’ve called me.”
She gave him a warning glance, no doubt anticipating a hindsight lecture, but he kept
quiet. Some things didn’t need to be said.
Once she’d cleaned off what she could, Grant bent and put an arm beneath her knees
and under her back, lifting her with one swift movement and catching her by surprise
based on the hitch in her breath.
“You’re going to throw out your back, you know?”
He gave her a wry look. “I’ve carried injured men on the battlefield. I can handle
one little sports reporter.”
“Little?” She snorted. “I’m almost six feet tall.”
“You’re small to me. Live with it.”
She kept quiet the rest of the walk back to the cabin, though he wished she would’ve
kept chattering—anything to take his mind off the fact that she was pressed up against
him and that she clearly had no bra on under that wet T-shirt. Those pert nipples
would fit so perfectly in his mouth, would look so pretty in clamps. He forced himself
to keep his eyes forward.
“It’s not good to stomp around here in the dark,” he said, his voice coming out gruffer
than he intended. “We’re not in the city, freckles. A twig gotcha this time, but there
are animals out here,too—coyotes, bobcats, snakes. They keep away from the lit areas of the resort, but
you never know what you’ll find over here in the shadows.”
“I had only planned to be out for a minute.” She rested her head against his shoulder,
and he wondered if she even realized she was doing it or if the wine was softening
her.
He bumped open the cabin door with the toe of his boot and turned sideways to fit
them both through the door. “And look how much trouble you got yourself into with
only a minute in your pocket.”
“The half a bottle of wine didn’t hurt,” she said, the words sliding off her lips
like lazy raindrops. “Made me forget about my shitty day for a little while, too.”
He set her down gently in the slate-tiled bathroom and opened the door to the walk-in
shower to turn on the spray. He wanted to ask her more about her day, but he’d already
tried that earlier and she’d instantly shut down. He kept his back to her and adjusted
the knobs. “The water takes a minute to heat, but it should help sober you up at least.”
He started to turn around, but the sound of wet cloth smacking hard tile was like
a sonic boom in his ears. His feet rooted to the spot as he caught the faint reflection
in the shower glass of Charli bending and slipping off her shorts. Another plop as
the boxers hit the floor. The steam fogged the glass before she straightened, but
he had no doubt she was standing naked behind him.
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