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And how could she get it back to delicious?
She sighed, and Jim bumped her shoulder with his. “Would you rather I stay at a hotel tonight and leave you in peace?”
“Peace? What’s that?”
“I’d do it, except I don’t think you should be alone in that cabin—not with everything that’s going on right now.”
“I don’t want to be alone, Jim.” She turned to him and traced a finger along the seam of his jeans running along his thigh. “I have an idea.”
She’d lowered her voice to almost a whisper, and he dipped his head to the side to catch her words. “Tell me.”
“There’s a nice, shiny hotel in the new area of town near Evergreen. It has a hot tub, a bar—for me—king-size beds, and the best thing of all? No dead bodies outside and no fire circling the building.”
He paused at the intersection, the tick-tick of the turn signal breaking the silence. “Would you feel safe at this hotel?”
“With you, yes.”
He bumped the indicator down with his fist and made the left turn instead of the right. “Take me there.”
She called out directions to the hotel until he pulled into the parking lot.
“Looks nice.”
“It’s a little pricey, but much better than the dumps near the center of town.”
Jim used his credit card to check in and, after Scarlett made sure the hot tub was still open and the bar was still serving, they made their way to their room on the third floor.
Jim shrugged out of his jacket and hooked his thumb through his belt loop. “You keep mentioning this hot tub, but as far as I can tell neither one of us has a swim suit.”
“Shh.” She put her finger to her lips. “I think we can sneak down there and wear our underwear. There won’t be anyone there at this time of night.”
“I always knew you were a rebel.” He sat on the edge of the bed and wasted no time pulling off his boots.
Scarlett grabbed two thick towels from the bathroom, slung one over her shoulder and tossed the other to Jim. “Just in case there aren’t any at the pool.”
Barefoot, in their jeans and T-shirts, they made their way to the lobby on the first floor and turned the corner for the gym and indoor pool, and for the first time in a long time, Scarlett really did feel like a rebel.
She cupped her hand above her eyes and pressed her nose to the glass, peering into the pool area. “Empty—just the way I like it.”
Jim swiped his card key at the door and pushed it open when the green light blinked at them.
The moist air settled on Scarlett’s skin, and she dipped a toe in the pool as she walked along its edge. “The water’s warm.”
“That water’s warmer.” Jim pointed to the hot tub, in the corner, steam rising from its surface.
Scarlett rested her hand on the tile and poked her head inside the hot tub enclosure. “Nice and private, too.”
“Let’s keep the towels close by, just in case.” He dropped his towel on the edge of the hot tub and glanced over his shoulder before peeling off his T-shirt.
The steam from the hot tub warmed her cheeks, or maybe it was just the sight of Jim’s muscled torso—battered and scarred, but still beautiful.
“Let’s get this party started.” He twisted a dial on the wall and the jets churned the water in the tub.
Jim yanked off his jeans and slid onto the top step in one fluid motion, his boxers floating above his thighs.
“You’re fast.” She slipped her arms from the sleeves of her T-shirt and then tugged it over her head. Her bra, nothing fancy, actually covered more than a bikini top would. So why did she feel so bare beneath Jim’s hungry gaze?
“Here goes nothin’.” She pulled off her jeans and stepped into the hot tub, the thin material of her underwear clinging and molding to her body as she submerged herself in the water.
Her knees bobbed against his, and he reached for her hands. “Join me on this side. This way we can both keep an eye on the door.”
Her body floated in the bubbling water as he pulled her to the other side. She settled on the step beside him, resting the back of her head against the edge of the hot tub.
The jets pummeled her lower back and she stretched her legs and wiggled her toes against the bubbles across the tub.
