AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’ve done all right.” His flat tone echoes with that hollow note I’d noticed in the diner when he talked about his career.
I both want and don’t want to know the undercurrents of his story. The more I learn about him, the more I’ll feel for him, and my feelings are already getting dangerous.
We walk to the room, and he ushers me inside first. Putting my backpack on the desk, I glance around. It’s big, with a wall of windows overlooking a view of the twinkling city lights, and two queen beds.
While I fully expected he wouldn’t leave me alone in my own room, the realization that we’ll both be sleeping here—even for just a few hours—causes a fresh wave of nervousness.
“Come here.” He takes the first-aid kit out of his bag and goes to the sink, which is separate from the shower stall and toilet. “I want to change your bandage.”
I follow him and hold out my arm. He unwraps the bandage and cleans the wound with a gentleness at odds with his brawny demeanor.
“How did this happen?” I brush my fingers over the thick scabs on his knuckles. His hands are dry, rough, and worked over, but so strong—like he uses them to dig craters, scale mountains, and break apart tree trunks.
He shrugs and takes another packet out of the kit. “Here’s another bandage. Put it on after your shower, but make sure the cut is dry.”
I get my nightshirt and toiletries, then go into the large bathroom. The stall has both a handheld and a rainforest showerhead, plus an array of shampoos, body wash, and lotion.
I select one of the shampoos but use my lemon-oil soap. The hot water feels heavenly, and I stay under the spray for a good twenty minutes. I lather up twice, wash and condition my hair, and refuse to think about how I’ll ever get out of my current circumstances.
All I know is that there’s a way. There has to be. Hannah Clark wasn’t put on this earth to take a bad rap and get sent to prison for God knows how many years.
I’m not exactly sure yet why I was put on this earth, but it doesn’t involve doing industrial loads of laundry and sleeping in a locked cell.
After finally pulling myself out of the shower, I dry off and put on my nightshirt. I drag a comb through the tangles in my wet hair, reapply the bandage, and put my toiletries away before returning to the main room.
Dane sits by the window with a pen in one hand and his attention on a folded newspaper.
I stop. “Are you doing a Word Jumble?”
“Yeah.” He writes a word into the little squares on the paper and slants me a look. “You sound surprised.”
“I just didn’t expect the big, bad bounty hunter to have such a wholesome pastime.”
“What kind of pastime did you think I have?”
“Wrestling alligators or parachuting into volcanoes, maybe.” I edge closer, eyeing the paper. “How many words have you unscrambled?”
“All but one.” He holds up the paper. “The riddle isWhy did the girl want to be an archaeologist?Last word is…wait a sec.”
He studies the final word. His profile looks different than it has for the past few hours—the lines around his eyes and mouth are smoother, and the tension lining his jaw has relaxed. He looks younger, more at ease.
A warm, soft tenderness unfurls inside me. I curl my fingers against the urge to slide my hand into his thick, dark hair and stroke my palm over his stubble-roughened cheek. To press my lips against the top of his head.
“Butter.” He writes out the letters enclosed in the bubbles.“Because she really dug it.”
I laugh. He winks at me, then tosses the paper onto the table and turns in my direction. His nose twitches.
“Damn,” he breathes. “What is that? Lemon?”
“It’s from my line of soaps and lotion called Lemonade,” I confirm. “Cocoa butter, lemon oil, and coconut oil for hydration.”
“Makes me want to lick you all over,” he mutters.
I shiver at the thought of him licking me anywhere, much lessall over. He tracks his gaze to my breasts, his expression shifting into one of awareness and heat. Sensation blooms through me, like stars are waking up in my blood.
Hannah. Be careful.
I drag in a breath. As much as I crave Dane’s touch and long to be on the receiving end of all his hot expertise and lust, I can’t feel anything more than physical attraction to him.
