Page 67 of Echoes of Him

“I’m gonna run out for a little while.”

My head snaps up, and I stare at him as he grabs his keys off the kitchen counter. Kael’s changed his clothes. He’s put on a clean T-shirt, and now he’s wearing long shorts instead of jeans, and flip-flops instead of black boots.

“You’re leaving me here?”

“I’m just running into town for a bit. It’s not far from the bottom of the mountain. I’ll be back in about an hour. I want to pick up a few things at the store. You need anything?”

“Can I come with you?”

“Not this time,” he tells me with a wink. “We’ll go exploring tomorrow. I want to show you the lake and a couple of hiking trails.”

I am confused, and a little hurt that he doesn’t want me to go with him. If he’s only going to the store, why can’t I go with him, and isn’t the sole reason I’m here to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t get into trouble?

Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Sienna.

I watch him walk toward the door that leads to the garage, and then he pauses, looking back over his shoulder at me. “I won’t be long. Relax. Watch some television, whatever you want. Make yourself at home.”

I’m still standing in the same spot when I hear the Chevy roar to life again, the deep rumble of the engine disappearing down the driveway, waning as he drives farther down the mountain road.

I can’t sit still. I tried watching television for a while. I played on my phone for twenty minutes, but nothing held my attention, so I eventually gave up. I sent a text message to Bailey to see if he was having a good time. He responded with just one word…

Bailey: Yes

And the entire exchange took up approximately eleven seconds of my time.

I think about texting Andrea again, but decide against it. I’m hoping the rather heated chewing out I gave her after the whole Ashton disaster the other night has left her shaking in her boots. That’s not entirely true. Okay, maybe it’s a little bit true.

I even thought about tiptoeing up the stairs to see what was up there, but I decided not to. Let’s pretend I didn’t toss a coin to make the decision. Because that would be crazy. Right?

So, eventually, I take a sheet of notepaper from a drawer and scribble out a quick noteJust freshening up,and I leave it on the end of the kitchen counter for Kael to find when he gets back to the house.

I’ve been lusting after Kael’s bathtub since I set eyes on it this morning, so I grab some clean clothes from the overnight bag in my bedroom and then head for the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

Stripping my T-shirt off over my head, I fold it neatly and set it down on the marble vanity, and then I reach behind me to unclasp my bra, before unbuttoning my jeans and sliding them down my legs, along with my underwear.

I tie my hair up into a messy bun, and turn on the taps, waiting for the water to heat up.

Noticing a set of black speakers in the corners of the room, I ask Alexa to play something soothing, and I swear the woman has exceptional taste because next thing I know canned music streams softly in the background, and I couldn’t be more pleased with her choice.

Once the water is deep enough, I step over the edge of the bathtub and a small moan of pleasure slips through my lips as I sink slowly beneath the surface.

Oh, this is heaven.

Casting a quick glance toward the door, I take Kael’s body wash off the shelf and pop the lid. I squeeze it gently, making little suds bubble up around the lid, and then I close my eyes, bringing the bottle to my nose. It reminds me of leather, cedar wood, and the barest hint of citrus.

It’s totally him.

Absently, I squeeze a drop of the soap into my hands and rub my hands together, before lathering the creamy bubbles across my chest.

Oh, yeah, I’m totally in heaven.

This bathtub is the best place in the whole wide world. Nothing compares to this. And frankly, I have no plans to ever get out. I’m perfectly content to just laze away what’s left of the afternoon, watching the sun sink slowly beyond the horizon.

It’s so beautiful here in the mountains.

I totally understand the appeal. If I could afford it, I wouldn’t mind living up here myself. Bailey would love it here, too. He’d love all the open space, the slower tempo, the fresh mountain air. I just know he would.

I wonder briefly if they have time shares up here. If I saved really hard, worked a few overtime shifts every week, then maybe I could—

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