One Snowy Night (Heartbreaker Bay #2.5)(17)

“Yes.”

She glanced at him. “You going to knock first?”

He studied her for a long moment and then stepped into her a little bit, enough to make her breathing hitch and her heart skip a beat. His fingers stroked a rogue strand of hair from her temple. “Worried?”

Yes. She was worried that he wouldn’t come over at all.

“Listen,” he said. “Let it all go for tonight, okay? I mean what’s the worst that could happen—-you wake up and go back to worrying in the morning? Because maybe life’ll surprise you and everything’ll be fine.”

She gave a rough laugh and he smiled. “It could happen,” he said.

“Not in my world.”

His smile faded. “There’s a first time for everything, Rory. Shut and lock the door. You know where to find me if you need me.”

He said this lightly but she had a feeling he was hoping she wouldn’t need him. Which was fine. She didn’t need anyone, thank you very much. So she did as he said. She shut and locked her door and stared at the small but neat room. She set down her duffle bag and then eyeballed the connecting door to Max’s room.

The walls were thin. She could hear him unlocking his door and then the padding of Carl as he trotted in.

“Stop,” Max said and Rory froze.

“Don’t drool on the windows.”

Rory had to laugh at herself and then imagined Carl at the window, up on his back legs so he could see out into the night.

“You wouldn’t believe the security deposit I had to put down for you,” Max said, tone warning, “and I want it back, every penny.”

There was a thump. Probably Max’s duffle bag hitting the floor. And then the interior door, her connecting door, rattled a tiny bit.

He’d unlocked his connecting door, she realized as her heart took a good solid leap.

He wanted her to be able to get him if she needed him.

“Don’t even think about the bed,” Max said. “I’ve got dibs. I’m taking a quick shower first. Don’t eat anything while I’m gone, you hear me?”

There was a silence and then the sound of a door shutting and water coming on.

Max in the shower.

A thought that gave Rory a hot flash. The guy went to the gym. He ran. He kicked ass at work. He was all solid, lean muscle, and knowing he was stripping down and stepping into a steamy hot shower had her pulse rate in overdrive.

She tried to remind herself that he didn’t like her very much but she had to admit, his actions toward her didn’t support that theory. He’d given her a ride. He’d looked out for her, finding her an alternate ride when his truck had failed them. He’d gotten her a motel room. He’d been protective, if not exactly the “gentle” that Willa had asked him for, and he’d certainly been kind.

And then there’d been the kiss that had led to a make--out session for the record books. Just thinking about it had her nipples hard again and started that tingle in her thighs.

She liked him, she really liked him.

And she always had.

“Dammit,” she whispered.

Get some sleep, he’d said. But she knew she wouldn’t. She couldn’t.

She’d cost him a scholarship.

She’d ruined his life.

No, she wouldn’t sleep. Not until she knew she’d done her best to make things right.





Chapter Eight


MAX STOOD IN the shower, hands flat on the tile wall, his head bent so that the hot water could beat down on him.

My family and I have a rocky relationship. I’ve flaked on them, a lot. I’m . . . undependable. I wanted to change that this year. . .

It pissed him off that Rory’s family didn’t see her for the incredible woman she was. She deserved support from them. Shaking his head, he turned off the water and grabbed a towel.

I’m still not leaving you out here alone in this storm on the side of the road . . .

He still couldn’t believe how amazingly fierce she’d been, standing there in the crazy storm, teeth chattering and still, refusing to leave him alone.

Not the sign of a flaky woman, one who didn’t care about anyone other than herself. In fact, she was the exact opposite of that.

Running the towel over his wet head, he stepped out of the bathroom and heard a sharp gasp.

Definitely not Carl.

Lifting his head, he met Rory’s shocked gaze as it ran down the length of his nude body.

“Um,” she said.

He arched a brow. “Didn’t hear you knock.”

“Um,” she said again but didn’t, he couldn’t help but notice, look away.

He walked to the duffle bag on the floor, squatted low, and rifled through for a clean pair of jeans. Straightening, he pulled them on and turned back to her.

She blinked. “You’re . . . commando.”

“And you found your words again.”

She rolled her eyes so hard he was surprised they didn’t come out of the sockets. “I’m just discombobulated because we didn’t get home,” she said just defensively enough to make him grin.

“And here I thought it was me naked.”

“Fine,” she said, blushing. “Maybe it was a little bit you naked.”

“Yeah, if you could not use ‘little’ and ‘naked’ in the same sentence about me,” he said and smiled when she found a laugh.