Say It's Forever (Redemption Hills #2)(6)

The man was nothing but a tease and a trap.

“There you go.” He tipped his head toward the row of three doors on the opposite side of the room. “Guest room is third door on the left. Get yourself a shower.”

Our fingers touched when he passed me the stack. Shivers raced, a flashfire across my flesh.

He angled in, his voice so low and rough, “You need to get warmed up, darlin’. You’re cold.”

A fingertip trailed my wrist where a rash of chills lifted.

He eased back, those obsidian eyes sparking with mirth.

Jerk.

He knew exactly what he was doing to me. Still, I mumbled, “Thank you.”

“My pleasure, gorgeous. Like I said, make yourself at home. I’m going to grab a shower, too.”

I leaned down and twisted the stupid heels off my feet so I didn’t leave a trail of pockmarks on his floors. I dangled them from my fingers and clutched the pile of clothes in the other hand. I padded as quickly as I could across the floor in the direction of the door he had pointed to, feeling the warmth of his gaze on me the whole time.

This was insane, but truth be told, I was freezing, the trembling starting from deep within.

It didn’t help when the AC came on and started to pump cold air into the space.

At the doorway, I paused to peer back. The man remained across the room.

His stare intent. His being profound.

There was something about him that was so big and overwhelming, and it didn’t have a thing to do with his size.

No doubt, I should fear it, so I figured it was a big, big problem that I suddenly felt comfort under his watch. Safety in his refuge. Damned stupid.

I knew better than to trust anyone, and here I was in this stranger’s house, and not a soul knew where I was.

I tore myself from the hook of who he was and rushed the rest of the way into the bedroom. It was dark inside, and I shut the door, quick to lock it. I turned and rested against the door, struggling for a breath. To get myself under control. To shake myself out of whatever fantasy I felt like I might be falling into.

But there was something about tonight that made it feel like none of this was real.

Outside reality.

Because I didn’t do things like this. Was never so reckless. The last four years had been lived in complete caution. One foot moving and one eye over my shoulder. No room for mistakes or missteps.

But my brother had convinced me it was safe to come to this small town where he’d brought our grandmother to live three months ago.

Years had passed.

Years of running.

Years of barely existing.

He’d insisted it was time, and we couldn’t keep on the way we had.

My chest clutched, and I rocked my head back against the wood of the door.

God, I had to believe him. Had to cling to the hope of that truth.

Laughing off the confusion of it, I pushed from the door and moved to the en suite bathroom.

I flipped on the light.

It was every bit as ostentatious as the rest of the loft.

Exposed white brick walls with reclaimed wood floating counters that had been stained black. The fixtures were roughened gold, and the floors and the entire back wall behind the shower were a matrix of white and black. The shower was clear glass, open on one side with a rain shower hanging from the ceiling.

Well then.

I set the clean clothes on the counter and rushed to turn the faucet all the way to hot. I peeled off my drenched clothes and left them in a wet heap on the floor as steam began to fill the bathroom.

I stepped into the heated spray, and a moan whimpered free at the feel of the water hitting my skin.

At the chills that raced from the contrast of hot and cold.

I blew out a relieved sigh.

Suddenly…thankful.

So extremely thankful.

I always expected the worst in people, and in the luxury of this shower, I couldn’t help the thought that this guy might actually be nice.

Genuine and good.

I steeled myself against it.

Trusting only made you vulnerable. Put you in a position where you could be hurt.

And I didn’t have the time or space for that.

Besides, I was pretty sure it didn’t take much for that boy outside this room to have girls falling at his feet, and I was even more certain my heart wasn’t up for a fling or even a one-night stand.

But damn, would an orgasm I didn’t give myself feel nice.

Visions flashfired at that.

Those big, big hands and that flirty mouth and that massive body.

Squeezing my eyes closed, I tried not to imagine him in the next room over, naked and beneath the heated spray.

Nope. Nope. Nope. Do not go there, Salem.

Get clean, get dry, get out.

That was my goal tonight.

But still, I stayed under that relaxing cascade for probably a little too long and let my mind drift a little too far.

But could you blame a girl?

This place was like a fantasy.

The man a fantasy, too.

A wicked fantasy where it’d be so easy to get lost.

Finally, I shut off the shower. I stepped out onto the plush white mat, and I grabbed the fluffy towel. It completely engulfed me when I wrapped it around my body, and there was nothing I could do but take one end and push it to my face and inhale the scent—the same scent that had taken me over when I’d slipped onto his bike and found my nose at the back of his neck.