He had lost the last person he’d been supposed to protect. The guilt he felt over that failure welled up and threatened to overwhelm him as he carried Michelle back to the warmth and safety of his cabin. What if I failed again? If he lost her, if he let her get hurt, he’d never forgive himself. So what’s the alternative, Leave? Could I forgive myself if I left her to face this alone? He knew the answer was no. He wouldn’t leave her, not when she needed him. Like it or not, he was back in the protection business.

Once inside he set her down carefully and then picked her right back up again when she winced as her feet hit the floor. “Feet hurt?” She nodded, and he felt a wave of protectiveness wash over him as he noticed how pale she was, the arms around his neck trembling slightly from cold and shock. “We’ve got to get you warmed up.”

He carried her to his bedroom and settled her gently on the bed, her feet dangling over the side. Snagging the quilt folded at the end of the bed, he wrapped it around her. He was pleased to see her half smile of thanks as he reached around and drew out her soaking wet hair, leaving it above the quilt to dry. “I’m going to go get the first aid kit, I’ll be right back.”

Her smile warmed up a little more and a faint spark gleamed in her eyes as she nodded. “I think I can manage for a few minutes alone.”

“Glad to hear it, but believe me, now I have you back in bed I don’t plan to leave you here alone for very long.”

Her laughter followed him as he ducked back out into the main cabin, and it made him glad to hear it. If she was already laughing, she was well on her way to getting over whatever scare had sent her running from her cabin. He grabbed the first aid kit and some towels. Then he filled the biggest bowl he could find with warm water and took everything back to the bedroom, setting it all down on the floor by her feet.

“Warmer?” he asked before giving into temptation and leaning in to kiss her gently. Her mouth was soft against his, and he forgot everything else as he kissed her again. The second kiss was deeper, and then he was lost as her lips parted and she moaned into his mouth. He felt her cool fingers sliding into his hair as she tugged him closer. Her tongue flicked over his lips, tasting and tempting and he began to answer in kind. He cupped her head in his hand, and the cool, wet touch of her hair brought him back to reality, fast.

“You’re distracting me from what I’m supposed to be doing.” He scolded her gently as he sucked in a lungful of air. He stood up again, his hand still cradling the back of her skull. “And you never answered my question, feeling warmer now?”

“After that kiss?” Her smile made his pulse rate jump as she looked up at him with total trust. “Oh yes, I’m much, much warmer.”

He slid his hand forward, brushing her cheek with his fingertips before letting her go and dropping to his knees on the floor at her feet.

“What are you doing down there?”

“Relax, baby, this isn’t a proposal. I need to look at your feet, remember?” Where the hell did the idea of proposing come from? He glanced up and realized her eyes were wider than they’d been a second ago, something unreadable in those sweet blue depths.

He dropped his gaze and grabbed the bowl of warm water and a towel before cupping his hands lightly around her left foot. He dipped it carefully into the water, cleaning each injury as gently as he could manage with the wet towel. Apart from the occasional wince or hiss of breath as he uncovered another cut or bruise, she showed no sign of the discomfort he knew she was feeling. When her left foot was done, he switched to her right and repeated the whole process. Once he had her cleaned up, he treated each cut with ointment, being as gentle as he could be as he smoothed it into her injuries. It was obvious that she was going to be limping for a few days, and he wished there was something else he could do to help.

“You’ve got some pretty good cuts there, but nothing that needs stitches.” He wiped his hands on the last clean towel and looked up at her for the first time since he’d mentioned proposing. “You’re going to be sore for a day or so.”

“Are you trying to find a reason to keep me in bed, Sinjin Heath?” Her colour had returned, and there was a wicked edge to the smirk she was currently giving him. The way his name flowed from her lips made his groin ache, and he was on his feet and kissing her before he had time to think.

“I’m hoping I’ve already given you a few reasons to want to stay in bed with me,” he murmured between kisses, his hands peeling back the quilt just enough to let him past to the soft, bare skin beneath.

“Oh, you did, believe me.”

“Good, then it’s decided. You’re staying with me. Whatever the hell it is that’s going on, I’ve got no intention of letting you out of my sight.” He drew a finger under her chin and tipped her face up so she was looking into his eyes. “I need you to understand something, Michelle. If you want my help, then you have to do as I say, when I say it. No argument, no questions.” He knew he was pushing things, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t going to lose anyone else because they wouldn’t listen to him. Not ever again.

Her eyes widened slightly, and she didn’t answer right away. When she finally nodded in agreement, he felt the knot in his chest loosen. “I’ll do as you say. No arguments.” She flashed him a half smile, but behind it, he sensed a new wariness.

“But before you agree to help me, you should probably know what I was running from.” She took a deep breath and then blurted out, “What do you know about ghosts?”

“What?” He knew he was staring at her, but he couldn’t help it. “What do you mean, ghosts? This might go better if you started at the beginning, baby.”

She took a slow breath, before saying, “I thought maybe I was losing my mind, but you heard it, too, and if you did, then we’re both hearing the voice of a dead man.”

“That can’t be the beginning,” he pointed out as he tidied up the towels and repacked the first aid kit. “I’m going to put this away, and when I come back you can explain what the hell is going on, and why you think we’re hearing a dead man talk.”

She watched him leave the room, unable to tear her eyes away from his beautifully sculpted back and the lines of muscles that vanished into the waistband of his gray track pants.

He’d come running to her rescue half-dressed, and she was going to reward him by dragging him into the nightmare her life seemed to have become. It didn’t seem fair, but she didn’t have much choice. It had taken everything she had to get away from Robert when he was alive, and she had no idea at all how she was going to escape from his ghost.

Sinjin returned with two opened bottles of beer and handed her one with an apologetic shrug. “I don’t have much in the way of supplies, and I figured we could both use a drink.” He kicked off his shoes and went around to the far side of the bed, stretching out on his side with his head propped up on one elbow as he faced her. “Come here, sweetheart, and tell me what you think is happening to you.”

She took a drink of the beer and rearranged herself beneath the quilt so she was facing him, her position mirroring his. “Until a month ago I was living with someone. When I left… he, well, let’s just say he didn’t take it well. He was rich, arrogant, and used to getting his way. He had a really bad temper.” Her mouth went dry as she recalled just what Robert’s temper had been like. She took several quick swallows of her beer before she started speaking again, part of her noting with surprise that her hands were shaking as she held the bottle to her lips.

“He hurt you?” Sinjin’s voice was soft, but there was something about his expression, a gleam in his eye that made her feel certain he didn’t like hearing she’d been hurt.

“He hurt me,” she confirmed simply, a nightmare’s share of memories summed up in those three short words. “He’d hurt me, and then I’d try to leave and he’d always be so apologetic, so sorry. He always promised me he’d never do it again. He’d swear that he’d get help, that he loved me. He always found me. Always wore me down. And I always went back to him. I was such a fool.” Anger rose up in her again as she talked. She was angry at him for the lies, and at herself for believing them.

“No one deserves to be treated that way.” Sinjin reached out and took her hand, his strong fingers curling around hers, offering comfort.

“No, they don’t. I finally realized that he was never going to change, and I started planning a proper escape. It took me some time to arrange everything. I worked at one of his companies, so I needed a new job. I had to find a new place to live, somewhere he wouldn’t know to look for me. I went to see a lawyer and found out what I should do to get a restraining order, how to protect myself legally, the works. I even ditched the cell phone he paid for. He had used it to track me down before, so I knew I had to get rid of it. I left one day while he was at an out of town meeting. I just packed my things and ran.”

“What did he do when he found out?”

“Apparently, he went crazy. He called all my friends demanding they tell him where I’d gone. Not that I had many friends left. He’d made sure I’d cut ties with most of them. He phoned the police and tried to report me as a missing person, but I hadn’t been gone long enough for them to take a report. I had my lawyer file the restraining order the next morning, and he let the police know what was going on. They were the ones who told him about the missing person report. I stayed hidden, and after a few days, he stopped calling my friends. I guess he realized I was really gone for good. It all seemed like it was going to be okay, and then last week I got a call from the police department. Robert killed himself. He left a note saying that he couldn’t live in a world where I wasn’t with him, and that I was all the joy he’d had in his life.”

“What a bastard.” Sinjin shook his head in obvious disbelief. “He offed himself and made sure you felt guilty about it? Unbelievable! So why do you think he’s haunting you?”

“I don’t feel guilty, not really.” Michelle’s denial came out sharper than she’d wanted, but she needed Sinjin to believe her. “I felt a little guilty, of course I did, but mostly I felt relief. If he was dead, then I was free. I wouldn’t have to hide from him anymore. His funeral was yesterday. I didn’t go. When I got back from a run, there was a letter waiting for me. A letter he’d written to me before he died. There was no postage, so he must have had someone deliver it. He’d found me again. He said he forgave me, and that he’d be watching, waiting for another chance for us to be together.”

“Son of a bitch,” Sinjin swore and took a long pull on his beer. “Your ex was one sick puppy.”

“Oh, it gets worse.” Michelle was surprised at how much better she felt to say it all out loud. Weeks of worry and fear eased as she shared the full story for the first time. “Right after that, Robert’s mother arrived at my building. I have no idea how she tracked me down, but she did. She was fresh from the funeral no less. She blamed me for her son’s death and kept going on and on about her precious Bobby. Then she tells me he left everything to me, changed his will just days before he died. She was furious.” Michelle shuddered at the memory. “That was when I realized just how similar mother and son were. The Tanners are not a family to mess with.”

Sinjin blinked at her, his mouth open in shock. “Bobby Tanner? As in Robert Tanner III, Vice President of Tanner Entertainment?”

“That would be him.” She wondered how he’d known, Robert had been big money locally, but he was hardly a household name.

Sinjin blew out a low whistle. “You were with Robert Tanner. Damn, it’s hard to see the attraction.” He grinned and threw up a placating hand. “I mean, I see why he wanted you, but what in the hell did you see in him? He was a nasty piece of work.”

“You knew him?” Michelle felt her jaw drop. “How?”

“I work for White Knight Security. I’m a security advisor, which is a fancy way of saying I’m a very well-paid bodyguard. Your ex was a former client.” Sinjin shrugged. “I didn’t like him much, and the feeling was mutual. We ended our contract with him over a year ago, which is why you and I never met.”

His fingers tightened around hers. “If we had, I’d have felt the need to talk you into getting away from him. I knew what he liked to do to women, the coward.”

“Small world.” Michelle’s heart was racing now. What were the odds of her running into someone who knew Robert? Who knew what he was really like?

“Sometimes it seems very damned small indeed.” He squeezed her hand again. “So you inherited everything? Why do you think he did that? His mother must have had a complete breakdown when she got that bit of news. She’s old money, isn’t she?”

“When she told me, I was in shock and all I could think was that this was his way of trying to make me feel guilty. That he was still trying to control me somehow. Now though, I think he had another reason. I think he’s still here in some form. He’s still trying to be with me.”

“He’s dead, Michelle. How is that even possible?”

“You heard him outside. He said ‘mine.’ Well, that’s not the only time I’ve heard him. Last night I woke up to someone calling my name, and then when I went outside to clear my head I heard him whispering to me, and something touched me. I thought it was the wind at first, but it was more like a caress. I got scared and headed back inside. I told myself it was just stress. I came up here to get away for a few days.” She drew her legs up to her chest. Just talking about what had happened in the bathtub made her feel exposed again. “Tonight, when I was taking a bath, I dozed off, and woke up because I felt something was in the water with me. It was stroking my leg and uh, higher.”

She blushed and curled her legs up even tighter. She was afraid he’d think she really was crazy. “When I tried to get out of the bathtub, I couldn’t. It was like the water had turned solid. I couldn’t get out. That’s when you heard me screaming. I heard Robert’s voice calling my name. He was calling me Chelle, his personal nickname for me, one I hated. He was telling me he was going to be with me forever. I dragged myself over the lip of the tub and started running and didn’t stop until I ran smack dab into you.”

“You don’t think it was just a dream?” Sinjin asked softly, but she couldn’t hear any doubt in his words, just sincere curiosity.

“You heard it, too, so no, I don’t think it was a dream. It was horribly, terribly real.”

“Let me see your stomach, baby.” He set his beer aside and moved closer. His hand was resting on the quilt, waiting for permission to move it away. When she nodded, he pulled the blanket back to reveal her stomach, and he made a small noise of sympathy when he saw the red line of newly forming bruises that spanned her midriff.

“I didn’t realize I’d done that.” She was amazed to see how much damage she’d done to herself getting out of the bathtub.

“Adrenaline will do that to you.” He reached out and stroked her skin tenderly. “Tomorrow, you’re going to really feel that. But it proves your story. You don’t get bruising like that without a hell of a lot of force, and just getting out of a tub normally wouldn’t do it. You had to be fighting against something.”

She felt relief as he told her he believed her, and the moment she relaxed, an ear-splitting yawn came over her and she had to cover her mouth to hide it.

“You’re exhausted.” He sat up, kissed her gently, and then stood, tugging back the covers before coming around to her side of the bed again. “You need to rest.” He picked her up, quilt and all, and carried her around to where he’d been lying. Very gently he settled her into the bed and unwrapped the quilt from around her so she could curl up beneath the covers. Once she was comfortable he spread it out over top of her and tucked her in with a smile. He then slid his track pants off unselfconsciously and grinned at her as he claimed the side of the bed she’d been lying on. “And here I thought I was going to have to wait until tomorrow to get you back in bed.”

With that, he turned out the light and moved in beside her, curling his larger body around hers protectively. “Go to sleep, Michelle. I’ll take care of you, I promise.”

She snuggled in close, grateful for his warm, solid presence next to her. “Thank you, Sinjin. If you hadn’t believed me, I don’t know what I would have done.”

“I’m glad I was here for you.” She felt his lips brush against her hair as she drifted off to sleep at last.

She woke up, stretched, and yelped as her bruised stomach protested the movement. “Ow,” she muttered instinctively covering where she was sore with her hands.

“Good morning, my bruised beauty.” Sinjin’s voice was by her ear, a mix of sympathy and amusement in his tone. “How are you feeling?”

“Sore, but I’ll live.” Michelle reached behind her, stroking up his hard, muscled thigh as she carefully wiggled backward until she felt his body pressing into hers. “Did you sleep well?”

“Very well.” His voice held a note of surprise. “The best I’ve slept in weeks.” She felt him stroke back her hair from her neck, nuzzling his lips to her newly bared skin. “I want you, but I don’t want to hurt you,” he whispered.

“We’ll just have to go slow,” she whispered back, desire already sizzling through her at the mere thought of having him inside her again.

“I can do slow.” His words thrummed with promise and conjured up images that made Michelle’s thighs clench together, her pussy suddenly wet with need. He shifted behind her, and then she could feel his cock, already hard, resting against the back of her thighs. “Lie still.” He nibbled lightly on her neck, and she had to bite back a moan as his tongue danced over her skin and around the curve of her ear. Forgetting his instructions, she arched her hips back against his cock and winced as the ache across her stomach flared again.

“You aren’t very good at taking orders, are you, baby?” He chuckled near her ear and smoothed his hand to her hip, holding her still as he rubbed his body along hers. “Trust me. I won’t do anything to hurt you. All I want to do is make you feel good.”

She nodded and his hand moved off of her hip to stroke gently down to her knee. Then he lifted her leg so that it rose up over his, opening her thighs. He positioned her so that her calf dangled behind his leg and then blew a soft puff of air across her ear. “Yes?”

“Yes,” she sighed in answer, reaching back to brush her fingertips over the tip of his cock. She felt him twitch as she touched him, and the faint hiss of air that escaped his lips told her he was as on edge and aching as she was.

“Two can play at that game,” was all the warning he gave her as his fingers dipped between her legs and into her folds, sliding over her clit to plunge straight into her already slick pussy.

“Oh god!” she moaned as his fingers filled her, scissoring to stretch her wider. The moment she moved her hips, he stopped, his teeth nipping her earlobe just enough to sting. “Stay still. No moving.”

“Easy for you to say,” she muttered in frustration. Her clit ached to be touched. Her skin was on fire, and she wanted him, now.

“Tell me what you need, Michelle. Tell me and I’ll give it to you.”

He moved his hand, his fingers withdrawing and then entering her again, and then again. “Tell me, Michelle,” he coaxed her, insistent.

“I—I need you to touch me, please, Sinjin.” Her heart slammed harder in her chest as she made her whispered confession. She’d never asked for anything before, never had a lover who wanted to know what she needed.

“Touch you where? Tell me where, baby.”

“My clit, please touch my clit.” She could feel her cheeks flare hot, and she closed her eyes as she waited for him to laugh at her or tell her no, but instead he did just as she asked. He stroked her clit with his thumb, pressing down hard enough she saw stars behind her eyelids. His fingers delved deep, moving in time to the slow, stroking pressure of his thumb on her clitoris. She had to fight to stay still, and she trembled with the effort. She ached to grind herself against his hand and make herself come.

“Patience, baby, stay with me. I promise it’s worth the wait.” He slid his other hand beneath her and reached around to tweak her nipple, rough fingers sending a jolt of raw pleasure straight through her body and making her inner muscles grip him hard. “I love the way you react when I touch you,” he whispered in her ear. “It’s sexy that you’re so responsive.” He pinched her breast again, pressing down hard with his thumb on her clit at the same time. Pleasure blurred into exquisite pain, and she moaned as an orgasm started to build and build. She couldn’t think past the incredible sensations coursing through her. Every touch of his fingers made her quiver, and soon even breathing seemed a nearly impossible task. He curved his fingers up high inside her and tapped the inner walls of her channel. Her orgasm came on with the fury of a storm, sending her senses reeling as she came hard, screaming his name.

“Now that was truly beautiful.” His voice brought her back from the hazy fugue she’d been drifting in as the waves of pleasure slowly receded. “Ready for me? I don’t think I can wait any longer.”

“Mhmm,” she tried to answer, but all that came out of her mouth was a sultry moan of confirmation.

“Thank god, I am dying here.” He shifted his body lower, arching his hips so that his cock slid up and inside her in one smooth stroke. “Hell yes, that’s better,” he groaned, and she shuddered around him as his thick pole stretched her to her limits.

“So good,” she murmured, clamping her walls around him in welcome.

“Baby, if you keep doing that this is going to be a very short run.” His voice sounded nearly feral as it rumbled in her ear.

“This?” She couldn’t resist teasing him as she did it again. She clamped down and released him in a series of short, sharp squeezes that left him panting.

“Mother of—yes, that.” He laughed and withdrew until he was barely inside her. Then his hand settled on her hip, and he gripped her firmly before driving himself home, filling her again and sending her lust into overdrive. “Don’t tease a man like that unless you’re ready to face the consequences.”

“What if I like the consequences?” she gasped and tightened her body around him a third time. “Then you might just be the perfect woman for me.” He nipped her shoulder, his hand keeping her still as he took his pleasure from her one thrust at a time. With her leg draped over his and his hand pinning her in place, Michelle found herself at his mercy. She’d never been taken like this before, unable to affect any part of their lovemaking.

His fingers toyed and teased at her breasts as he fucked her, and the sensations were amplified by the lack of distractions. There was nothing to do but enjoy it, and as his breathing grew rougher and his thrusts harder, she found herself losing the last of her inhibitions.

“Touch yourself.” His voice held a note of command and she reached between her legs obediently, finding her clit and pinching it. She could feel his cock against her fingertips, the slick flesh pounding into her as she rolled the sensitive nub of her clitoris hard between her fingers.

Her walls clamped around him as she brought herself to the brink of release and he panted words of encouragement. “Just like that, yes. That’s my girl. Come for me, baby.”

The pace accelerated, his breath coming short and sharp behind her as he drove them both higher and higher up the scales of pleasure and then finally pushing them both over the edge.

Her release was gentler this time, blooming deep in her pussy and spreading outward like a stone tossed into a still pond. The ripples tingled all the way to the tips of her fingers as she felt him finish just a few strokes later, impossibly hard and deep as he groaned her name and came at last.

“I like the way you start your mornings,” she finally found energy enough to say, turning her head so she could catch sight of his handsome face from the corner of her eye.

“I haven’t started my morning that way in a very long time.” He leaned over her to kiss her softly. “It’s better than coffee and a hot shower any day.” He gently lifted her leg off of his and settled her back onto the bed as he eased out of her and then curled himself around her again.

“I know you promised me breakfast, but I think I’ll cook today. You aren’t going to want to be on your feet too much. How do bacon and scrambled eggs sound? I’ll carry you to the bathroom and you can get cleaned up while I cook.”

“Bacon sounds amazing, and I’ll owe you a breakfast.” She felt a sweet, glowing warmth in her stomach at the idea of the big man behind her actually cooking for her. “And much as I am enjoying this, I think at some point I should probably find something to wear.”

“I suppose you should,” he grumbled, and she could almost swear he was pouting at the idea of her getting dressed. “I’ll lend you a T-shirt and some socks for now, and I’ll get you back to your cabin after breakfast.”

His mouth grazed over her shoulder, drawing a trail of openmouthed kisses down her arm. “I really, really don’t want to get up, but we still need to eat.” He sighed against her skin before adding, “And then we have to figure out what we’re going to do about your very persistent ex.”

“Not until after I’ve eaten.” She felt a pall come over the day as she let herself remember last night and just how she had gotten herself battered and bruised.

“Deal.” He sat up and came around to her side of the bed. Giving her a very enjoyable eyeful of sculpted abs and virile male anatomy lightly scattered with scars, some clearly new. As he scooped her into his arms, she let her hand brush over the scar she’d seen the other day. “You’ve heard all about why I’m hiding up here, but I still don’t know why you are. Do these scars have something to do with it?”

She felt him tense up, and for a moment, she wondered if she’d pushed too hard, but then he planted a kiss on the tip of her nose and carried her out into the hall.

“The scars are part of the reason, yes. Why don’t we add that to the things we need to talk about after breakfast, my curious little cat.”

“Deal.” She mimicked his agreement of a moment before and then braced herself as he carefully lowered her to the floor, letting her stand on her own for the first time. The cuts stung as the skin stretched, and she could feel every bruise clearly, but it wasn’t so bad she couldn’t stand up. “I’m okay,” she told him after a quick assessment. “I won’t be going running for few days, but it’s not too bad.”

“I’ll bring you some towels and something to wear in a few minutes.” He leaned in and kissed her. “If you need help, ask.”

He closed the bathroom door behind him, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She limped over to the shower and turned it on, grateful that she wouldn’t need to climb into a bathtub. She was pretty sure she wouldn’t be ready to do that again for a very long time. As she ran her hands through the tangled mess of her hair, she groaned in horror. If her oh so very manly lover didn’t have a decent conditioner among his toiletries, she was in for a very unpleasant detangling session later.

“Well, what do you know?” she exclaimed a minute later as a quick inventory of his toiletries revealed a bottle of salon brand shampoo and a matching one of conditioner. “Somebody has very expensive taste!” she chortled to herself and turned on the water. The moment she stepped in, her feet started stinging again, but it faded quickly. She was nearly finished when she heard the bathroom door open.

“Fresh towels and something to wear.” Sinjin’s voice called to her as the tantalizing scent of frying bacon wafted into the steam-filled room. “You okay in there? I could come wash your back?”

“Thank you, I’m fine. And if you wash my back, then that heavenly smelling bacon is going to burn, and that would be a crime.”

“Good point. Don’t be too long. Breakfast will be on the table in twenty minutes.”

“I’ll be there,” she called as the door clicked shut again. She’d never had a lover like him before. Generous, gentle, and actually able to cook! He was something quite different than what she was used to. Not that you know him that well, her inner voice chimed in with a cautious reminder. He was clearly a soldier, or had been, but he could also be so kind. His hands were callused, and his manner rough around the edges at times. Yet he had high-end hair products and two-hundred dollar cologne in his medicine cabinet. The man was full of contradictions.

She hadn’t dated much when she was younger. She’d been too tall, too gangly for the boys of high school, and she’d gone to work straight afterward. First working as a receptionist and later as a personal assistant to one of the high-powered executives employed at Tanner Entertainment. That was how Robert had found her in the first place. Before him, there hadn’t been much time for more than casual dating, and after that, he’d swept her off her feet and into his world at a dizzying speed.

Robert had started off charming and confident, but his confidence seemed hollow now she’d met Sinjin. Sinjin wasn’t just sure of himself. He was truly capable, giving off the impression that there was nothing in the world he couldn’t handle. Robert suffered from the comparison. What she’d once taken for ability now seemed like empty arrogance, and his charm was just gilding that hid a very ugly core. Sinjin was rougher, more real, but he’d treated her injuries and taken care of her in ways no other man had since she was a little girl and her father could set the world right with just his smile.

Dad would like him. The thought popped into her head unexpectedly, and she was surprised at where her mind had gone. This was just a fling, wasn’t it? A week together, if he didn’t drop her like a hot potato the next time Robert’s ghost came calling. She knew he wouldn’t though. He’d promised her he’d help, and he was a man of his word. She trusted him.

Realizing she’d lost track of time, she rinsed the last of the conditioner from her hair and shut off the water. Reaching out the shower door, she could easily grab one of the towels he’d left for her, and she laughed as she spotted the My Little Pony characters frolicking across the fabric. Clearly, this must have been stored here at the cabin and hadn’t been one he’d brought with him. As promised, a T-shirt and an extra thick pair of socks were laid out beside the towel, and she got dressed. The gray shirt he’d lent her came to midthigh, with the words “Property of the US Marine Corp” stamped on the front.

She combed out her hair and left it loose, wondering if he had a hair dryer stashed somewhere. His hair was almost as long as hers, so it was a possibility. She pulled on the socks last, her bruised stomach aching again as she leaned over to tug the socks over her abused feet. Yep, I’m a mess. She straightened up very carefully and headed to the main cabin, the smell of bacon, eggs, and toast making her mouth water.