Perfumy bubbles billowed in the tub as I pulled off my snow boots and winter clothes. I piled them neatly in the corner. Even with fragrant steam filling the bathroom, the chill in the air coaxed me to pull on the silky robe Coco had hung in the closet. It was a shimmery pale pink and I had to admit, it went nicely with my olive complexion and brunette hair, almost as if Coco had planned it that way. Which, at this point, would not be the least bit surprising.

Through the bathroom door and the roar of the water, I heard a knock on the bedroom door. "Coming, Coco." I clamped shut the robe and hurried through the bedroom. I swung open the door. It was not Coco.

"Holt," I said on a stunned breath. I clasped together the top of the robe but it hardly mattered. The shimmery, thin fabric clung to every inch of me, giving my unexpected visitor a good image of me naked, only wrapped in pink silk. And he wasn't missing one curve.

He tilted his head slightly to the side and boldly looked at me from head to toe. "That answers the mystery of what was hiding beneath that down filled coat and snow pants. Nice."

I tried to act miffed and even added in a chin lift, but it was hard because he was so much that man I'd been dreaming about. And not in my regular, old weird dressing the neighbor's cat in my sweater and jumping into a vat of butter type of dream. The full on sex dreams where I woke up flushed and wanting to fall back asleep for more.

"Did you need something? I've got a bathtub running."

"I just wanted to give you back your keys. I didn't want to lose them."

I held up my hand, and as I did, a panel of the robe slipped open, stopping just short of my nipple. It didn't escape his notice, and if I was being honest with myself, I was a little disappointed it hadn't slipped farther. His earlier, appreciative gaze had awoken some physical stirrings, and something told me they weren't going away anytime soon.

I curled my fingers around the keys. "Thanks. I'm sorry you had to come all the way back."

He shrugged. "Wasn't that far." He looked back down the hallway. "About ten feet, give or take a few steps."

I leaned my head out. "What do you mean? Are you staying here too?"

"I'm in the next room. I stay here on my days off when I'm not working at the forest ranger station. We trade off shifts every three days."

"Forest ranger? You don't look anything like a forest ranger. When I think forest ranger, I think of a chubby little man with khaki trousers, thin belt and a big round hat, like the guy in the Yogi Bear cartoons." I waved my hand in front of him. "This is not that. At all."

"And this"—he waved his hand in front of me—"was not how I pictured a video game designer. Far from it." Uninvited, he stepped into the room. And with the way his hot gaze was warming me, I didn't have the strength to protest. His nearness was knocking me rather senseless.

Again, his black lashes dropped as he surveyed my flimsy robe with unabashed appreciation. When his green eyes lifted to my face, it was almost as if he'd hypnotized me into thinking I needed to drop the robe. My fingers clutched the tie around my waist, but I didn't untie it.

Fragrant steam floated into the bedroom, snapping me out of my haze. "The bath will overflow. I'm looking forward to a hot soak."

Holt nodded. "Want some company?"

I should have been stunned, and I should have responded with a slap or at least a scowl. But, apparently, my trip into the Twilight Zone had left me without any shred of propriety. Not that I had much of that to begin with, as my mom liked to remind me quite often.

I looked him up and down, in much the same manner he'd been using on me. I twisted my bottom lip in consideration. "Nope. Won't work. There's this little thing called water displacement, and I'm afraid you would send my entire bath, bubbles and all, over the edge of the tub." And that was when it struck me. I was in a cozy inn miles from—well miles from reality—and I was alone, away from people I knew, people who could gossip about me on the virtual water cooler. I was away from friends and parents who would think it their place to scold me for bad decisions. As far as I was concerned, whatever happened at the Silk Stocking Inn, stayed at the Silk Stocking Inn. And with that, I dropped my robe in the middle of the bedroom and sashayed into the bathroom, leaving the magnificent giant of a man stunned and speechless behind me.