Chapter 11

Tulia’s heart pounded. The Econo Motel they were at had one room with only one double bed left, and according to the reception clerk, it was right next to the elevator. The Super Stay down the road had been fully booked. A romance writer’s convention in the area had filled every hotel and motel for miles around.

“What do you want to do?” Austin asked her, his hand still on his wallet.

The woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties—Rachel, according to her name tag—stuck her breasts out, making the tiny white buttons on the company blouse she wore strain at the seam. A dark fury churned in Tulia’s chest at the blatant display. She wanted to let her claws poke through and take a swipe at that pretty, little made-up face, wiping the sultry smile the woman cast Austin’s way off in the process. She tapped her fake nail on the counter, no doubt another attempt at getting his attention.

“It’s fine. I’m exhausted, honey. Let’s just get to bed.” It wasn’t a lie. She was beyond tired. Her muscles ached from the long flight, and she wanted to sleep for a month.

Austin’s lips quirked up as he fought his grin, but in the end, it broke free and sent her heart aflutter with it’s sexy brilliance.

“Okay, we’ll take the room,” he told the attendant, pulling out a credit card and slipping it on the counter without once breaking his gaze from Tulia’s.

The woman pouted as she took the card and turned to her computer screen, her long acrylic nails clicking noisily on the keyboard. That’s right. He’s mine. The thought, less than twenty-four hours ago, would have sent fear streaking through every part of her. Maybe it was because she was too tired, or maybe her dragon had worn her down, but the idea of him being hers wasn’t so terrifying anymore. Had he meant her harm, he’d had more than enough opportunity to hurt her. She’d been paralyzed for goodness sake, and he’d been nothing if not a perfect gentleman.

She held his gaze until the woman spoke again, asking for his signature and information. “Just put my cell number down. His has spotty service,” Tulia cut in, giving the woman a fake number when she asked Austin for his with a sly smile on her face.

“Good thinking, Sweetness,” Austin said, then took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers.

“Okay, you’re all set. Room seven-twenty-one. Have a great stay. If you need anything at all, just call down.” The last she said to Austin, looking up at him through her lowered lashes.

A growl rumbled deep in her chest, and Austin coughed. “Let’s go, gorgeous. I’m beat,” he said as he tugged on her hand, taking her away from the desk and toward the elevator. He didn’t say another word until the doors closed behind them.

Tulia stared at the flashing numbers. She could see his chest shaking in her peripheral vision, and she bit her lip to keep a giggle from bubbling up. The more she tried, the harder it became to contain it. When it finally slipped free, Austin, too, laughed out loud.

“You were jealous. Of her?”

Tulia wasn’t going to deny it. She had been jealous, and it had been obvious to anyone who could see and hear. “I may not have decided what I was going to do with you yet, but that doesn’t mean anyone else is allowed near you in the meantime.”

“Oh, honey, there’s no one else I would want near me ever again. You don’t have to worry about that.” Although he was still laughing softly, there was a truth in his voice, and more, when she finally looked at him, it was in the depths of his eyes.

The elevator came to a stop on the seventh floor with the usual ding, saving her from having to respond as they stepped out. Their room wasn’t huge, but it was clean. The promised double bed was expertly made and begged for her to lie in it. Flanking it were two simple bedside tables, and on each, the usual hotel type lamps. A bar fridge sat on a shelf in the corner, and a small flat-screen TV was mounted on the wall opposite the bed. It would do.

“Why don’t you go ahead and shower, and I’ll hunt down a vending machine and get us some water,” Austin said as he dropped his bag on the floor in front of one of the bedside tables.

A shower? Just the thought of it had some of her energy ramping up again. She hadn’t had a hot shower in weeks. Washing in gas station restrooms or in a lake just didn’t quite measure up. “Okay. I won’t stay in there long so you can have one, too.”

“Take your time. I have the key with me so that I can get back in,” he said with a smile as he opened the door. “Did you want anything else while I’m out?”

She shook her head. “Water is fine, thank you.”

He closed the door with a soft click. Tulia didn’t waste any time. She dug through her pack for what she hoped was a somewhat clean T-shirt. She hadn’t brought much with her. The clothes on her back, a change of underwear, another shirt, a toothbrush, and toothpaste. She hadn’t had room in her pack for shampoo or conditioner. The rest of her toiletries, including her hair brush, had stayed in the car to make room in her backpack for her shoes and clothes when she shifted.

She pulled the T-shirt out and sighed. In her rush, she hadn’t bothered to put it in the plastic-lined section where it would have been kept dry when she went for her evening swim a few hours ago. She’d have to put the same shirt she had on to sleep in. The one she’d just pulled from the pack was damp and smelled bad. It needed a good wash, along with the rest of her things. She shuddered to think what Austin’s first impression of her had been.

With a heavy sigh, she headed into the bathroom. Her depressing thoughts didn’t last long, though. As soon as that hot water hit her skin, she all but melted into a puddle at the bottom of the tub. Closing her eyes, she moaned as she poured half of the tiny shampoo bottle’s contents into her palm, then lathered her wet hair. She left the rest for Austin. The conditioner, however, she used. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy to fuss over his hair, but if he wanted some, she’d go down to the front desk and ask Rachel for more. Tulia sneered at the thought. She had no desire to set eyes on that lecher of a woman again, but she would—for Austin.

She took her time washing every inch of her body, ridding it of the grime and dirt of the past couple of weeks, and by the time she was done, she felt a million times better. She’d left her toothbrush and toothpaste on the bedside table when she’d gone in for her shower. Unwilling to put her dirty clothes back on just yet, she listened at the door. The room was silent. Surely, if he’d come back already, he would have turned the TV on. She waited a few more seconds just to be sure. Nope. Nothing. Wrapping a towel around her, she opened the door and peered into what she could see of the room before dashing out.

She made it around the corner before noticing two things. One, his shoes were sitting by the door, and two, she was heading straight for a collision with Austin, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

“Woah,” he said as his arms shot out to steady her just as she crashed into his chest.

In an instant, her whole body heated from the inside out. His scent curled around her as the wave hit, making her breath catch in her throat. She took a quick step back, only to come closer again as the towel she’d wrapped around herself fell at her feet. Ignoring the fact that her now naked breasts brushed against his chest—as well as his corresponding moan—she reached down, snatched the towel from the floor, then covered her front with it.

Crap. Could she be any clumsier? She took a couple of steadying breaths before looking up at him. Austin’s face was pinker than normal, and his gaze flitted about, finally coming to rest behind her somewhere close to the ceiling.

His gaze was so intent on that spot that she peered over her shoulder to see what he was looking at. That’s when she noticed the mirror, and her very naked ass on full display.

“I didn’t look, I swear,” he said, his voice strangled and a little rough, his jaw tense. A muscle ticked in cheek.

“I’m so sorry,” she muttered as she tried to angle away from him without giving him more of a show.

“I, ah, I got you something. There’s a T-shirt on the bed. The vending machine was broken, so I went to the 24-hour supermarket across the road. It’s nothing fancy, but I thought you might like something new to sleep in.”

She glanced over, and sure enough, there was an oversized black T-shirt on display. On the front, a pair of red lips and the question: Where’s my goodnight kiss? in big, bold letters under them.

As embarrassing as the entire situation was, she couldn’t help but smile. “If you’ll close your eyes, I’ll pull it on and try to salvage my dignity.”

He released a long breath and did as she asked.

She didn’t think he’d peek, and to be honest, at this point, she wasn’t sure she’d care so much if he did. With fingers shaking a little, and a boldness she wasn’t used to, she took the towel from her body and placed it in his hands. He drew a sharp breath, but kept his eyes closed. The T-shirt smelled like a department store, but it was soft, and most of all, clean. She pulled it over her head.

“All done. Thank you,” she said when she was sufficiently covered again. “I, um… There hadn’t been any noise in here, so I thought it was safe to come out for my toothbrush.”

He looked around and spotted it on the nightstand. “Ah. Sorry about that. I’ll be sure to be louder next time.” When he looked at her again, his easy-going expression was back in place, and a smile graced his full lips.

Tulia tried but failed to keep her nervous giggle from erupting. “I’ll be sure not to parade around in a towel.”

At that, Austin shook his head. “I’m going to shower. Go ahead and get comfy. If I promise to keep my hands to myself, can I sleep on the bed with you? If you’re not cool with it, I’ll take the floor.”

He’d proven time and again that he was honorable. After all he had done for her, there was no way she was making him sleep on the floor. “We’ll both sleep on the bed.”

Austin nodded before going into the bathroom. A moment later, she heard the shower going. Releasing the breath she’d been holding, she crawled into bed. On either bedside table sat a fresh water bottle with the lids already popped. So thoughtful. She took a long drink and settled in.