body wanting to feel the silky softness in his fingers, but she was out of reach, thankfully.
He made up his mind. She tried to keep her distance and he needed to respect that. He had a feeling he could change that if he wanted to but he still didn't move. His body and his brain waged a war and he had no idea which side would win.
Sleep deprivation.
The thought came out of nowhere. Ah, that had to be it. All these hormones making him feel like a teenage boy had to be a result of lack of sleep… and food. He never did eat any dinner either. Low blood sugar and lack of sleep—that made sense. Kaiden needed to get his game face back on and remember he had a job to do. He would grab a shower and forty winks and when he woke up he would be back to his old self. Agent James, Homeland Security. Confirmed bachelor.
***
She hadn't expected the hotel bed to be so comfortable. Katie curled up under the comforter and listened to the sounds of Kaiden in the bathroom.
Kaiden looked like he wanted to die of embarrassment when she caught him stripping. She didn't believe his story about shorts for a second.
If he had tried to seduce her in the shower she wouldn't have put up much of a fight. She remembered his last night in the hospital way too clearly. The memory had permeated her dreams over and over again causing her a considerable amount of guilt during her relationship with Nathan.
She suspected Kaiden to be twice the man of Nathan, not that she would ever have the chance to find out.
It's for the best, Katie. Nothing could really happen with Kaiden. If it could have, it already would have. He was the one who left and never tried to contact you.
Of course, they lived five hours apart at the time. Maybe long distance wasn't his thing.
You aren't long distance now.
No, they weren't. And she and Nathan were done. But she was still annoyed with Kaiden for treating her like a defenseless child. The little spat between Kaiden and Officer Ramsey had really gotten under her skin.
Let it go already. He's a good guy and he was defending you.
The water turned on in the bathroom. Her aggravation slipped away as her mind began to picture the bathroom quickly filling with steam. She tried to ignore the images her brain conjured up of Kaiden under the hot spray. Her body tingled all over, the desire to rip her own clothes back off overwhelming.
You hardly know the man.
Her body didn't seem to care what her brain said at the moment. Her very cells screamed out for his touch.
She stayed there in the bed, a battle waging between the logical part of her brain and the rest of her.
Frustration growing, Katie threw the covers back and jumped from the bed. She had her hands at the hem of her tee shirt when the bathroom door opened and Kaiden entered the room wearing only a towel slung low across his hips. Katie froze, her shirt halfway up her abdomen.
"What are you doing?" Kaiden grinned as he asked her the same question she had posed to him earlier. The sparkle in his eyes told her he knew exactly what she had been about to do.
"Umm—changing my shirt. This one was bothering me."
"Right."
"Why are you only wearing a towel?" Despite her best efforts to resist, her eyes travelled over the hard planes of his chest. Kaiden caught her glance and held it, his own as hot and steamy as the fog leaving the bathroom behind him.
"Well, I don't usually wear clothes when I take a shower. Do you?"
"Of course not." Katie realized she was still holding her tee shirt up as she caught Kaiden eyeing the bared skin. She let the fabric drop and threw her hands on her hips instead.
"I forgot to take my shorts in the bathroom with me. You can turn away if my towel offends you." He teased her with a wink.
"I've seen men in a lot less!"
"Don't I know that." Kaiden dropped his voice to low, husky tones as he dug through his bag and came up with another pair of black boxer briefs.
Why did I say that?
"I am a nurse you know!"
So much for back-pedaling.
He made up his mind. She tried to keep her distance and he needed to respect that. He had a feeling he could change that if he wanted to but he still didn't move. His body and his brain waged a war and he had no idea which side would win.
Sleep deprivation.
The thought came out of nowhere. Ah, that had to be it. All these hormones making him feel like a teenage boy had to be a result of lack of sleep… and food. He never did eat any dinner either. Low blood sugar and lack of sleep—that made sense. Kaiden needed to get his game face back on and remember he had a job to do. He would grab a shower and forty winks and when he woke up he would be back to his old self. Agent James, Homeland Security. Confirmed bachelor.
***
She hadn't expected the hotel bed to be so comfortable. Katie curled up under the comforter and listened to the sounds of Kaiden in the bathroom.
Kaiden looked like he wanted to die of embarrassment when she caught him stripping. She didn't believe his story about shorts for a second.
If he had tried to seduce her in the shower she wouldn't have put up much of a fight. She remembered his last night in the hospital way too clearly. The memory had permeated her dreams over and over again causing her a considerable amount of guilt during her relationship with Nathan.
She suspected Kaiden to be twice the man of Nathan, not that she would ever have the chance to find out.
It's for the best, Katie. Nothing could really happen with Kaiden. If it could have, it already would have. He was the one who left and never tried to contact you.
Of course, they lived five hours apart at the time. Maybe long distance wasn't his thing.
You aren't long distance now.
No, they weren't. And she and Nathan were done. But she was still annoyed with Kaiden for treating her like a defenseless child. The little spat between Kaiden and Officer Ramsey had really gotten under her skin.
Let it go already. He's a good guy and he was defending you.
The water turned on in the bathroom. Her aggravation slipped away as her mind began to picture the bathroom quickly filling with steam. She tried to ignore the images her brain conjured up of Kaiden under the hot spray. Her body tingled all over, the desire to rip her own clothes back off overwhelming.
You hardly know the man.
Her body didn't seem to care what her brain said at the moment. Her very cells screamed out for his touch.
She stayed there in the bed, a battle waging between the logical part of her brain and the rest of her.
Frustration growing, Katie threw the covers back and jumped from the bed. She had her hands at the hem of her tee shirt when the bathroom door opened and Kaiden entered the room wearing only a towel slung low across his hips. Katie froze, her shirt halfway up her abdomen.
"What are you doing?" Kaiden grinned as he asked her the same question she had posed to him earlier. The sparkle in his eyes told her he knew exactly what she had been about to do.
"Umm—changing my shirt. This one was bothering me."
"Right."
"Why are you only wearing a towel?" Despite her best efforts to resist, her eyes travelled over the hard planes of his chest. Kaiden caught her glance and held it, his own as hot and steamy as the fog leaving the bathroom behind him.
"Well, I don't usually wear clothes when I take a shower. Do you?"
"Of course not." Katie realized she was still holding her tee shirt up as she caught Kaiden eyeing the bared skin. She let the fabric drop and threw her hands on her hips instead.
"I forgot to take my shorts in the bathroom with me. You can turn away if my towel offends you." He teased her with a wink.
"I've seen men in a lot less!"
"Don't I know that." Kaiden dropped his voice to low, husky tones as he dug through his bag and came up with another pair of black boxer briefs.
Why did I say that?
"I am a nurse you know!"
So much for back-pedaling.
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