“Sure.” He holds out his hand. “Keys?”
I search my pocket, retrieving the rental key for him. His eyes are locked on my actions. On me. Like he’d like to get tangled in the sheets of my fantasy with me. I drop the keys in his open palm, making sure not to touch. I’ve barely spoken to him and already I’m mentally climbing him like tree.
“Be back.” He spins and darts out the door.
I follow him, pausing in my open doorway. He’s headed away from the stairs to the last door on the opposite side of the hall. He opens the door with a key similar to the one Amy gave me. After a brief disappearance, he’s back in the hallway without his tools. He freezes when he sees me staring. A brief moment and then he rushes past me to the stairs. I’m like a hungry cat staring at a bird feeder when it comes to his ass.
I come to my senses. Standing in an open doorway, staring at an empty hallway is not something I want to explain. Back inside my room, I close the door and wait. Crap. This is harder than I thought it would be. My carry-on has my toiletries. Rather than risk dirtying the pristine white bedding, I bend down and unzip my bag on the floor. The bathroom is beautiful. A claw foot tub calls to me. The paint above the white tile running halfway up the wall is a shade or two darker than the bedroom. A stack of white fluffy towels on a painted wicker chair adds to the air of country luxury. My kind of fancy.
I could get naked right now. Run a bath and leave my door ajar. Too obvious. Too desperate. Too wrong.
I return to the bedroom at the exact moment Alex knocks. Without missing a beat, I open the door and smile and an image of us in the tub fills my gaze with steamy heat despite my repeated warnings to myself.
“Here you go.” He has my huge suitcase next to him and he’s not even breathing hard from bringing it up the stairs.
I step back, inviting him in.
He pushes the bag over the threshold. “Have a nice stay.”
Before I can say anything else, he spins on a boot heel and races back to his room. At least one of us still has blood making it to their brain. The snick of his lock echoes down the hall. Damn. I’ve been here five minutes and already I’m scaring people with my insatiable sex drive. Sex is not on the agenda. Writing my book. Changing my life.
But first, a long soak.
My phone rings before I can take a step.
I pick it up from the bedside table. Uncle MD.
“Hi, Uncle.”
“Sarah Jane, are you at the inn?”
“Yes. It’s beautiful and my trip was great. That four hour drive through the mountains though. That was rough.” Why did he pick a place so far away? Only now do I wonder, and it’s too rude to ask, like looking a gift horse in the mouth. But then, the receiver gets the dental bills. Yeah, I need a bath and to relax. My brain is getting squirrely.
“I’m glad you got in okay. I saw the charge on my card and assumed you must be there.”
He reminds me that I wouldn’t have this opportunity without him and even though I’m wrung out from the trip I should express my gratitude. “Thank you, Uncle MD. This is beyond kind of you. I can’t believe I get to write my book. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
“While you’re there let me know if you meet a fellow named Alex Craig.”
What? “Why’s that?”
“I don’t know if you remember, but your cousin was dating him in high school and after he was charged with a crime, he disappeared. Been looking for him for years and finally got a possible hit.”
My gut twist the tiniest bit. Why is he bringing this up now? And yes, I met an Alex but I don’t know if he’s Alex Craig. Even with the accent. And Alex seems like a nice man. A thread of doubt about what I’m doing here in Colorado winds around my throat. I cough to chase away my nerves. “You think he’s workinghere?” Where you sent me by myself?
“He shouldn’t be working anywhere. He should be in jail for ruining your cousin. Ruined her life. Ruined our family. He had her tied up for God’s sake.”
Like bondage?
“But you can help me out, right Sarah Jane?”
“I don’t know how I would?—”
“It’s no big deal. Find out his name and I’ll take it from there. I think you might owe me one small favor. Don’t you?” His voice is kind, but the reminder of what he’s done for me from is enough to have me fighting my instincts and agreeing.
“Yes, sir.” I should have known my uncle’s offer was too good to be true, instead it has strings attached. But once again I fell for a great story. I drop onto the bed unable to hold myself upright any longer. It must be the long day of travel. Not the dread of getting involved with making a man pay for his crime. I came here to follow my dream and write my book, but I can give my uncle a hand.“I’m on it. I can do this.”
My uncle softens his tone and gives me some encouragement about writing my book before he hangs up but the tendril of sick dread remains.
