Chapter4
Priya wasno stranger to waking up in the middle of the night. Stories broke at all hours of the day, flights needed to be caught first thing in the morning, and once in a blue moon, she’d pretend to enjoy getting in some exercisebeforework.
But there was somethingcruel about having to get up in the dark while onvacation.
Technically not vacation.She shoved that thought away as her alarm beeped again. Eyes still closed, she reached for her phone—and her fingers wrapped around a warm, strong forearminstead.
Oh. She snapped hereyesopen.
Grady grinned at her from where he was kneeling beside her bed, his arm outstretched. He’d beensetting a Thermos of what she hoped to God was coffee on the table next to her pillow. “Morning,” he said, his voice low and far too sexy for…quarter to six in themorning.
She groaned. “Yeah.I’mup.”
“There’s sugar and a couple of creamers if youtakethem.”
She pushed herself up to sit and gratefully doctored up the elixir of life. “Thanks. This is nice. You didn’t havetodothat.”
“I was getting myself someanyway.”
She rubbed the heel of her hand into her eye before shoving her glasses onto her face. “What time did yougetup?”
“Anhourago.”
“Wow.”
“Well, when you rack out at nine-thirty at night…” He grinned, a lopsided, easyexpression.
“No, wedidnot.”
He nodded. “We did. Well, you did. I read for a bit,but I was lights outatten.”
“I’m an embarrassment to all city girlseverywhere.”
He winked. “It’s thefreshair.”
She was pretty sure it was more than that and equally sure he knew it, but it was polite of him to pretend. “Is itcoldout?”
“A bit. What were you thinking ofwearing?”
“Shorts, but I do have hikingpants.”
His gaze dropped to her stillblanket-covered legs, and she felt the heat of his inspection through the fabric. “Shorts will be fine. Maybe a sweatshirt,though.”
They needed serious boundaries between them. So why did she have a little thrill at the thought of him enjoying her legs inshorts?
He’d enjoyed them wrapped around his waist, too.Damn it. She dropped her attention to her travel mug and took a long,slow sip ofcoffee.
Perfect.
“How muchtimenow?”
“Elevenminutes.”
“Damn it.” She took one last sip of coffee, then climbed out of bed and grabbed clothes to change into. She dashed into the bathroom and quickly washed up, then put on the barest of makeup before reaching for hercontacts.
As she opened the case, a loud rap sounded on the front door of the cabin,and she almost dropped the lens into the sink. “What was that?” shecalledout.
“We, uh, have visitors,” Grady said from the other side of the bathroom door. “Tegan’s here. And she’s notalone.”
