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It was going to be a long haul until Monday, and I needed to get a grip.
CHAPTER THREE
MARK
It’s amazing how much better you can feel after a really great shower. The rainwater showerhead was a nice touch. I liked the fact that I could switch between it and a more forceful jet. As I towel dried my hair, I stared out at the view. I hadn’t even asked her what the rate was, and as I remembered the request for two thousand, I hoped that wasn’t my charge for a week.
Lingering in front of the window, I looked up at the Rockies and down to the valley below. Okay, maybe I wouldn’t mind if it was that for a week.
My T-shirt and jeans were in a pile on the floor of the bathroom, and seeing the hamper, I dropped them in. I didn’t expect laundry to be done, but I also didn’t want to put my dirty clothes in my backpack.
With fresh jeans and a V-neck T-shirt on, I stood looking at my sneakers and opted to go with socks. She said “home away from home,” and I liked bare feet when I was at home, but for someone else’s home, I’d put on socks.
Leaving my room and knowing I was the only other person here, I considered the other rooms. I could hear movement from below, and knowing I wouldn’t be caught snooping, I poked my head into each room.
They were all decorated in neutral tones, with solid furniture. The two single rooms that shared the bathroom were obviously for kids or younger adults. All had fantastic views, and when I got to Iris’s room, my hand hovered over the door handle, but I decided that I had breached enough boundaries today.
Going downstairs, I looked at the pictures and photographs on the walls. Some had Iris in them, some were obviously her ancestors, and I studied the ones of the guesthouse being built for a long time.
“You okay?” Iris was at the foot of the stairs, wiping her hands on her apron as she looked up at me.
“Yeah, sorry,” I said with a smile. “These photos of the place being built, they’re really interesting.”
I saw her eyes narrow before she realised I wasn’t being a sarcastic dick. “Yeah, I like them.”
Descending the last few steps, I grinned at her. “What’s cooking?” I asked as I looked at her in her apron.
“Well, I wasn’t expecting guests,” she said as she headed back to the kitchen. “So, burgers okay?”
“Absolutely.” I nodded enthusiastically. “I’m starving.”
“You ate a stack of pancakes,” she reminded me dryly.
“Have you tasted them?” I asked her as I followed her into the kitchen. “I’m sure they’re laced with opium or something, I’m addicted.”
Iris was staring at me with uncertainty.
“What?” I asked self-consciously.
“You’re in the kitchen,” Iris explained as she shuffled her feet. “Guests stay over there.” She pointed at the tables.
“Ah, boundaries,” I said with understanding. Walking around the island, I sat at the table closest to the kitchen.
She hesitated for a moment more, and then she went back to her food prep, and I took the opportunity to really study her. Thick curly brown hair, soft tawny skin with a slender frame. She wasn’t skinny like some of the girls I knew; it was clear she enjoyed food, given the way she was cooking, and I really appreciated that she did as I admired her curves.
With a tray laden with burgers and rolls, she flashed me a smile as she went out back, and I realised that was where the grill was. I sat for a few moments, and then I followed, hesitating at the door as I saw there was no clear path, just grass to the BBQ area, knowing my socks hindered me.
Iris saw that I had followed and lifted the lid. “You okay with this?”
“Yeah, go for it.”
With her back to me, I took the opportunity to admire the curve of her ass and her narrow shoulders, while her chocolate curls called for me to bury my hands into them.
Fuck. Cursing myself, I looked the other way. If I got a gun pointed at me for the third time today, I would definitely deserve this one.
“They don’t take long,” she said as she looked over her shoulder at me. “Medium or rare?” Screwing my nose up, I looked at her sheepishly, and she knew what I was going to say as she turned fully to look at me. “No!” she mocked me. “Charcoal?”
Laughing, I rubbed the back of my neck. “Yeah, I don’t eat food that a vet could bring back to life.”
