The Protector (Game of Chance, #1)(37)

Now that she was more aware, Carlise could indeed hear the hum of the generator outside. After the silence of the forest, it did sound a little out of place.

“You can shower first,” he said. “It’ll take another ten minutes or so for the water to heat, but I’ll get the coffee started and plug in your laptop so it’ll be fully charged. You want me to charge your phone too?”

Carlise forced herself to sit up. The air in the cabin wasn’t nearly as cold as it had been when Riggs got up. She thought about his question for a moment, then shook her head.

“You sure?”

“Can I even get service?”

Riggs shrugged. “Probably not.”

Carlise shook her head again. “My mom will be okay for a few more days. The last time I talked to her, I told her I was going offline for a while.”

“If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure,” Carlise told him. She wasn’t ready for real life to intrude. She wanted to pretend she was simply on vacation.

Well . . . the truth was, she was scared to death that when she turned on her phone, she’d have dozens of scary messages and texts from her stalker. She wasn’t ready to deal with that yet. Wanted to live in a fantasyland with Riggs for a little longer.

“Okay. Whenever you’re ready, just let me know. I thought maybe we could take a walk today.”

Carlise stared at him with a frown. “Um, there’s, like, two feet or more of snow out there, Riggs.”

“I know,” he said with a smile. “But I’d like to check out the area, see if there are any trees down that I need to deal with. And the sun is out. It’s probably at least twenty degrees warmer without the wind blowing. It’ll be fun.”

“So says the man used to Maine winters,” Carlise muttered.

“Yup,” Riggs said without any hint of embarrassment. “I’m thinking Baxter will like the chance to stretch his legs too.”

“You think he’ll follow us?”

“I think anywhere you go, he’ll go,” he said with a nod.

“I don’t know about that. He’s used to being on his own,” Carlise said, although pleasure bloomed at the thought of Baxter liking her enough to want to follow her around.

“There’s an old saying that goes something like, ‘If you save a life, you’re then responsible for it.’ He saved you, so he feels as if you’re his now. Besides, you gave him food when he was starving, blankets when he was freezing, and you’ve talked to him in a soothing, loving tone. I have a feeling that dog would do anything for you.”

The pleasure at the thought of Baxter liking her faded as she thought about what would happen once she left.

“What? What’s wrong?” Riggs asked, stepping closer to the bed.

“I just . . . I’ve never had a dog. I don’t know what to do with one. He’d be better off attaching himself to you.”

“Too late, sweetheart. Don’t borrow trouble. Things will work out.”

He sounded so sure. Carlise had a million questions but didn’t want to be a pest, not after all the nice things he’d said about her the night before. “Okay.”

“Okay. If you get up and get me the things you want washed, I’ll get a load ready for after our showers. By the time you brush your teeth and stuff, the water should be ready for you.”

For the first time, Carlise realized that she’d be naked behind the bathroom door. And she didn’t remember seeing a lock on it. Riggs could burst in while she was in the shower and—

No.

He wouldn’t do that. She knew that down to her toes. She forced herself to push back the comforter and climb out of the warm sheets. She went to her backpack and took out the last clean outfit she had. She’d loved wearing Riggs’s sweats, but now that he was awake and aware, it felt too intimate, so she’d gone back to wearing her own things.

She was relieved her clothes could be washed but felt a little weird about handing over her underwear to Riggs. Of course, he didn’t even blink at the bundle of clothes. He simply dumped them into the hamper she’d seen him use earlier before picking it up and heading over to a wide closet she hadn’t bothered to investigate.

He pulled back the pocket door, and Carlise saw a small stacked washer and dryer. The appliances almost seemed out of place in the cabin, especially after all the days of only using the fireplace as a source of light. “I’ll add the clothes you’ve got on after you shower,” he said as he leaned over to grab a bunch of clothes to put into the washer.

Carlise couldn’t help but stare at his ass. It was a thing of beauty. Round. Tight. And her fingers itched to touch.

At that thought, she spun and headed for the bathroom. Being around Riggs was hell on her libido. But the last thing she wanted was to make him uncomfortable. Women had to hit on him all the time. He was that beautiful. And she didn’t want to do anything that would make him regret letting her stay here.

She glanced at the doorknob as she brushed her teeth and saw she was right. There was no lock. But she didn’t feel any fear. After brushing her teeth, she turned on the shower and was delighted with how fast the water warmed. She stripped her clothes off as fast as she could and was under the warm spray before she had a chance to even worry about being naked with only a flimsy door between her and Riggs.