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“Already?” I ask in surprise, my eyes widening.
He laughs and rolls off me, tucking a stray piece of hair off my face. “It’s you. I can’t keep my hands off you, and all that talk of BOB got me worked up.” He climbs off the bed and adjusts himself before walking over to the window. He opens the drapes, and light floods the room.
I know without a shadow of a doubt he would do anything to keep me safe, and I’m beginning to think it isn’t because he’s paid to. I can feel how much he cares about me every time he kisses me, and I hope he knows I feel the same. I’m falling in love with him, and as much as that scares me, I pray to God he feels the same, and when all this is over, we can be together. I’m not sure I’d survive him walking away.
Thirty minutes later, we’re both showered and ready to head downstairs. My stomach chooses that moment to rumble, and Sawyer laughs. “Hungry, babe?” I nod, and he reaches for my hand. “Let’s get you fed.” I’m nervous as we make our way downstairs. Everyone was so nice to me yesterday. I have no reason to be nervous, but I can’t help how I feel.
“Do you think I’d be able to call Jess later?” I ask as we walk hand in hand down the stairs.
“Of course. You can use my phone.” He stops, and I turn to face him. “You can’t tell her where we are though, Hallie. The fewer people who know, the safer you are. Okay?” I nod, knowing he’s right but also knowing Jess would never give away where we were. As if reading my mind, he squeezes my hand. “I know you trust her, but it’s safer this way.”
“Okay,” I whisper. He leans down and brushes his lips across mine.
“It sucks, I know.”
“Who does know we’re here?” I ask, wondering ifanyoneknows where we are.
“Just Logan and Detective Wilmot.”
“And you trust them?”
“With my life, baby.” He gives me a sad smile before tugging on my hand, encouraging me down the stairs. “Enough shop talk. Let’s go eat and see what my sister has planned for us today.”
“Your sister has plans for us?” I ask in surprise. “How can she have plans for us? She didn’t know we’d be here.”
“Brooke always has plans. It likely involves the lake.”
“Can we go?” I ask, excitement bubbling in my stomach. “Is it safe?”
“Yeah, we can go. We’ll stay on this side of the lake and close to the cabin. It’ll be fine. Plus, I get to see you in a bikini again.” He wriggles his eyebrows, and I hit him gently on his arm.
“Pervert,” I tell him, laughing.
“Who’s a pervert?” a voice asks from behind, and my eyes widen as I realize Sawyer’s dad has followed us down the stairs.
“Me, Dad. I’m the pervert. According to Hallie anyway.” He laughs, and I want the ground to literally open up and swallow me.
“Sawyer!” I mutter, glaring at him.
“I don’t think I want to know,” Sawyer’s dad says with a smile on his lips. “Come on. Your mom’s made pancakes.” My stomach growls again, and they both laugh. “I think your girl needs feeding,” he says, slapping Sawyer on the shoulder.
Sawyer had been right about Brooke’s plans for a day at the lake. We’d barely sat at the kitchen table before she’s excitedly talking about swimming and sunbathing. Her excitement is infectious, and despite what had forced us to come to the cabin, I have to admit, I am looking forward to a day relaxing in the sun.
After eating far too many blueberry pancakes, Sawyer and I make our way back upstairs to change into something suitable for a day at the lake. I put on one of the bikinis Brooke brought to my room yesterday, and she also loaned me one of her cover-ups to wear.
When Sawyer comes to my room, he looks hot in his black swimming shorts, and I already can’t wait to be alone with him later.
Making our way outside, we head toward a path that winds through a small wooded area. It suddenly opens up, and a small sandy beach comes into view. A wooden jetty juts out, and a small rowboat is tied up and bobbing in the water next to it. It looks like something from a picture postcard. It’s that beautiful. It’s only now that I realize how isolated the cabin is. There’s only one other cabin edging the lake, and it sits on the other side of the water. It’s not a big lake, and you could easily swim from one side to the other, but it’s perfect.
“This is beautiful,” I say to Brooke, who had linked her arm with mine as we walked the short distance from the cabin. Sawyer and Liam, who are behind us, have carried armfuls of beach paraphernalia, including loungers and umbrellas.
“I love the lake. I don’t come here nearly enough. I forget how stunning it is.”
“I bet you had fun here as a kid.”
“We did. We spent every summer here. The Coopers owned the cabin across the lake, and they had two kids similar in age to me and Sawyer. We spent hours at each other’s places and down here on the lake.”
“Do they still live there?” I ask, glancing across the water at the impressive-looking cabin. It looks even bigger than Sawyer’s parents’ cabin.
