brown eyes studied her. “I’m betting that guys have pursued you.”
“Yeah, a few.” She looked at him. A thrill went through her body. She became suddenly aware of just how alone they were, how isolated. And how close he was to her.
She had the afghan wrapped around her legs and she was curled up on the couch as they talked.
“But you’re not interested in being in a relationship right now or what?” he pressed.
She thought about what the truthful answer was. She hated that everything seemed to revolve around lies. He thought that she was a student in grad school, but in reality her life seemed to revolve around this new job and trying to prove herself.
And basically she wasn’t dating anyone currently because she’d been waiting for someone who actually cared about her, rather than some guy who just wanted to have a good time. In Vegas, that was a pretty tall order.
“I guess I haven’t found the right one yet,” she shrugged.
“Lame answer, Krista.”
“That’s the real answer, Gunner.” She smirked at him.
“I doubt it.”
“What about you, huh?” She sat up a little bit and tried to stare him down, but his dark eyes didn’t waver one bit.
“What about me?”
“Are you seeing anyone?”
He folded his arms, and each bicep expanded like a python. “No, I’m not.”
“Why not?”
“Because,” he said, “I found that I couldn’t trust any of the women I met in Las Vegas.”
That comment hit home like an arrow to her chest. She felt it physically, a blow that nearly knocked her backwards. Her smile faded. “That makes sense,” she muttered softly.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his brow creasing.
She put a hand to her head. “I just got a bit of a headache.”
“Look, it’s been a long day,” he said, standing up now. “Why don’t you go to bed?”
“I’ll stay on the couch.”
“No, Krista. Come on, you can stay in my bed and I’ll crash out here.”
She felt awful. He was being amazing to her, and here she was continuing to lie and lie and lie. It just wasn’t right. But how could she possibly come clean to him now, after so many lies?
Her head really had begun to pound.
Gunner showed her to his room, which was small and sparse and relatively neat.
There was a bed that was large enough for Gunner to sleep in it, a dresser, and a large chest in the corner of the room.
“Come on, lie down,” he urged her.
“I don’t even have a change of clothes,” she whined. She felt like a little kid—
cranky, wounded, upset. She wanted vaguely to throw a tantrum. She wanted to cry and stomp her feet.
“I’ll give you a t-shirt, and my clothes are big enough that it should do nicely as a nightgown.”
“Okay,” she said, falling into bed and crawling up towards the pillow. She was so tired and mentally worn down that she didn’t even care anymore if Gunner thought she was being silly.
The bed smelled like Gunner, and she really liked that. She smiled a little, snuggling into his pillow, grateful that he was letting her sleep there after all.
Gunner rummaged through his dresser drawers and found a t-shirt, tossing it next to her on the bed. “You can wear that for tonight,” he told her.
“Thank you,” she sighed. “Thanks for everything, Gunner. You amaze me.”
He laughed. “Okay. Get some rest, now.”
“I’m going to.”
He chuckled again, leaving the room and closing the door.
It was mostly dark now, but Krista could hear him moving around in the cabin, and it made her feel safe and comforted. Although she was completely spent, she pulled off her clothes and slid on his t-shirt.
The t-shirt made her feel even closer to him. She was completely bare underneath it, and she wrapped herself in his blankets and pressed her face into his pillow, wishing that he could be here with her, holding her close as she fell asleep.
***
Someone was yelling outside.
Krista startled awake, her heart pounding, the darkness of the bedroom confusing her
“Yeah, a few.” She looked at him. A thrill went through her body. She became suddenly aware of just how alone they were, how isolated. And how close he was to her.
She had the afghan wrapped around her legs and she was curled up on the couch as they talked.
“But you’re not interested in being in a relationship right now or what?” he pressed.
She thought about what the truthful answer was. She hated that everything seemed to revolve around lies. He thought that she was a student in grad school, but in reality her life seemed to revolve around this new job and trying to prove herself.
And basically she wasn’t dating anyone currently because she’d been waiting for someone who actually cared about her, rather than some guy who just wanted to have a good time. In Vegas, that was a pretty tall order.
“I guess I haven’t found the right one yet,” she shrugged.
“Lame answer, Krista.”
“That’s the real answer, Gunner.” She smirked at him.
“I doubt it.”
“What about you, huh?” She sat up a little bit and tried to stare him down, but his dark eyes didn’t waver one bit.
“What about me?”
“Are you seeing anyone?”
He folded his arms, and each bicep expanded like a python. “No, I’m not.”
“Why not?”
“Because,” he said, “I found that I couldn’t trust any of the women I met in Las Vegas.”
That comment hit home like an arrow to her chest. She felt it physically, a blow that nearly knocked her backwards. Her smile faded. “That makes sense,” she muttered softly.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his brow creasing.
She put a hand to her head. “I just got a bit of a headache.”
“Look, it’s been a long day,” he said, standing up now. “Why don’t you go to bed?”
“I’ll stay on the couch.”
“No, Krista. Come on, you can stay in my bed and I’ll crash out here.”
She felt awful. He was being amazing to her, and here she was continuing to lie and lie and lie. It just wasn’t right. But how could she possibly come clean to him now, after so many lies?
Her head really had begun to pound.
Gunner showed her to his room, which was small and sparse and relatively neat.
There was a bed that was large enough for Gunner to sleep in it, a dresser, and a large chest in the corner of the room.
“Come on, lie down,” he urged her.
“I don’t even have a change of clothes,” she whined. She felt like a little kid—
cranky, wounded, upset. She wanted vaguely to throw a tantrum. She wanted to cry and stomp her feet.
“I’ll give you a t-shirt, and my clothes are big enough that it should do nicely as a nightgown.”
“Okay,” she said, falling into bed and crawling up towards the pillow. She was so tired and mentally worn down that she didn’t even care anymore if Gunner thought she was being silly.
The bed smelled like Gunner, and she really liked that. She smiled a little, snuggling into his pillow, grateful that he was letting her sleep there after all.
Gunner rummaged through his dresser drawers and found a t-shirt, tossing it next to her on the bed. “You can wear that for tonight,” he told her.
“Thank you,” she sighed. “Thanks for everything, Gunner. You amaze me.”
He laughed. “Okay. Get some rest, now.”
“I’m going to.”
He chuckled again, leaving the room and closing the door.
It was mostly dark now, but Krista could hear him moving around in the cabin, and it made her feel safe and comforted. Although she was completely spent, she pulled off her clothes and slid on his t-shirt.
The t-shirt made her feel even closer to him. She was completely bare underneath it, and she wrapped herself in his blankets and pressed her face into his pillow, wishing that he could be here with her, holding her close as she fell asleep.
***
Someone was yelling outside.
Krista startled awake, her heart pounding, the darkness of the bedroom confusing her
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