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“Can you sleep here with me?”
One corner of his mouth turned up in a grin. “Sounds like a dream come true.”
That made me laugh. He came in and shut the door, then stripped down to his boxer briefs. His body was muscular and toned and I let my eyes flick down from the dusting of chest hair to the trail leading below his waistband.
Dream come true indeed.
I took off my robe, revealing my tank top and shorts. I could see the heat in his eyes, but I also knew I was safe with him, no matter what we were wearing.
We got into bed and he pulled me close, my back to his front. The cadence of his deep breathing and his arm draped over my waist felt natural, like we’d been made for this all along.
And as I drifted off to sleep, I wondered if it had all been a crazy dream.
Change of plans
BRIELLE
The cabin door opened abruptly, letting in a blast of cold air. Brielle gasped and instinctively pulled the throw blanket up to her chin, as if she could hide beneath it.
But it was only John.
He shut the door and she popped up from the couch. She’d made banana bread for him that morning, hoping he’d come visit her soon enough to try it.
“Go upstairs and pack your things,” he said before she even got to the kitchen to unwrap the loaf.
She stared at him for a second, confused. His brow was furrowed, his dark eyes angry.
“Is someone coming?”
“No. There’s just been a change of plans.”
“Well, if no one’s coming here, can you try my banana bread first? I made it for you.”
“Just go pack.”
“Oh.” Her shoulders drooped. “Where are we going?”
“Seattle.”
Her eyes lit up. “Really? How long are we staying?”
“I don’t know yet.”
There was something wrong. She could see it in the set of his shoulders, the tension in his forehead. She stepped closer. “What’s wrong?”
He hesitated, raw anger flashing across his features. “My girlfriend thinks she can break up with me. She’s wrong. But I need to get out of town for a little while, so I’m taking you with me.”
His words hit her like a slap. Girlfriend? John had a girlfriend? What was he talking about? She staggered backward, her stomach hurting and tears blurring her vision.
“Girlfriend?”
He groaned with frustration. “It’s not important, just go upstairs and pack.”
“But… I thought… How could you have a girlfriend? I thought you didn’t. I thought I was.”
He regarded her with a look she knew all too well. Just like the expression her mother used to give her when she’d asked too many questions. Annoyance. Frustration. As if he were thinking, why do I have to deal with you?
But he took a deep breath and his face changed. His eyes softened and he unclenched his fists.
