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“I need to jump in the shower and get ready for the day,” he said, placing a kiss on her temple. “I’d love to stay in bed all day with you but duty calls.”
Levering up onto her elbow, she drank in his sleepy gaze and ruffled hair. His chin was covered with brown stubble, and his skin was golden from the Florida sun. She was sure no handsomer man had ever lived on this earth than Grant looked at this moment. Sort of boyish, but the heat in his eyes was all man. If he had been able to stay in bed with her, she was positive they wouldn’t be getting much sleep.
“I’ll make us a pot of coffee,” she said, sliding her legs out of bed. “I think we could both use the caffeine.”
“I don’t suppose I could convince you to shower with me,” he replied with a wolfish grin.
She was tempted. Oh, so tempted.
“I don’t want to be the reason you don’t do your job. I would feel terribly guilty about that.”
Sighing in resignation, he also climbed out of bed, stretching and yawning, and looking completely yummy. Did all of his brothers look like this? It ought to be illegal. Good thing he was the head lawman around here.
“You’re right. It’s going to be a long day though. Just stay on the resort grounds if you want to go outside. You can go down to the restaurant or you can order room service.”
“I won’t be venturing out of the room.”
If she wanted some fresh air, she could sit on the balcony that overlooked the Gulf of Mexico.
“Fair enough. The resort has generators and plenty of food so you should be fine.”
“Do you think the power went out?”
“It always does after a storm,” Grant said with a shrug. “The power company does a good job of hooking it back up quickly, but it might take a day or two. In the meantime, you’ll be comfortable here.”
They hadn’t really discussed her staying here, but he seemed to take it as a given since she’d said she’d let him help her. The nightly cost on this place had to be astronomical. It was - literally - the fanciest place she’d ever stayed in. Hands down.
Grant went into the bathroom while Mia made coffee in the kitchen. She flipped the switch and let it brew while she walked out onto the balcony, wrapping one of the plush robes from the closet around her.
The air was heavy with humidity and the beach was littered with palm fronds and a few small branches. There was a handful of people that had ventured out and were exploring the beach. A few of the resort employees were bustling about putting out lounge chairs and erecting the blue cabanas that would dot the sand in front of the building. It was going to be back to business as quickly as possible.
Out of the corner of her eye, Mia saw a tall blond-haired figure, and she immediately froze. Her breath caught in her throat, and her heart pounded against her ribs.
Then he turned around and she sighed in relief, her body sagging against the railing. It wasn’t Kevin. Just some man who happened to resemble him slightly from the back. Kevin wasn’t here.
Yet. All the fear and anxiety that she’d temporarily left behind came rushing back like a freight train, knocking her sideways and breathless.
Kevin was out there, hunting her down. He wouldn’t rest until he found her. That was a fact. He’d proved it before. She had to be smarter, more cunning, and far more secretive. She didn’t want anyone to be able to say that they’d seen her.
Mis ducked back into the room, and hurriedly pulled on a fresh set of clothes, stuffing her things into her backpack. The aroma of coffee filled her nostrils, but her panic had twisted her stomach into knots. If she had even a sip, it would come back up.
With Grant last night, she’d allowed herself to think about a life where she didn’t have any problems, where she was protected and cared for. But that wasn’t her reality. While Grant was sincere in his offer to make sure she was safe, this wasn’t his problem. He was a truly good and decent person, and if she stayed here, she was only going to drag him into her plethora of issues.
She couldn’t do that to him. He didn’t deserve it.
Mia cared about Grant, despite only knowing him less then twenty-four hours. It was like that sometimes. A person meets someone, and the connection was instantaneous and deep. It was like that for her with him, but that didn’t mean that she could mess up his orderly life for her own convenience. That would be selfish.
She had to go. Get back on the road and get out of there. Staying would only be about her, and she didn’t want to be that person. She never wanted him to think that she was a problem and a pain later when Kevin didn’t go away quietly. It was all a mess, and Grant Anderson probably had his own problems. He didn’t need to shoulder hers as well.
Slipping on her shoes, she slung her backpack over her shoulder, her car keys in her hand. For a moment, she hesitated on the other side of the bathroom door. The shower was still on, but he’d be done very soon. She didn’t have much time, and if Grant walked out before she left, she knew he would be able to talk her out of this. She didn’t want to go. She wanted to stay with him.
With tears burning the back of her eyes, she forced her feet to walk to the door, each step almost physically painful. She didn’t want to leave, but she couldn’t stay.
Ever so softly, she closed it behind her. The click loud in the silence as it shut. She had no key to get back in. She’d made the decision. This was it.
She was doing this for Grant. He might not thank her when he came out of the shower, but down the line, he would.
Could a human fall in love with another human in such a short time?
