she hadn’t. The effects of the margaritas were still with her; she teetered halfway between still drunk and hungover. Easing herself out of bed gingerly, she used the bathroom, brushed her teeth to get the horrible taste out of her mouth, and splashed cold water on her face.
She looked at her trembling reflection in the mirror as she patted her feverish skin dry with a towel. The dream had been very disturbing, and her heart continued to beat too fast while in the back of her head the threat of a major headache loomed. She needed to calm down, she realized, and maybe avoid the oncoming hangover a little bit longer. Her mind on the lingering details of the dream, she made her way to the dim kitchen and opened the fridge.
“Rain?” a voice said from behind. She jumped and gave a quick scream. It was Jason, standing in the doorway to the porch. His dark form was an impressive silhouette in the moonlight.
“Oh my God, you scared me,” she breathed, clutching the top of the open refrigerator door with one hand and putting the other one over her hammering heart. “What are you doing up?”
He came toward the kitchen, glancing at the closed bedroom doors to see if Allie or A.J. had been awakened by Rain’s startled scream. “Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. “I couldn’t sleep.”
She quickly surveyed the contents of the fridge and wrapped her shaking fingers around a beer. Holding the icy bottle up to her flushed forehead, she lifted her hair off her neck with the other hand and closed her eyes. Calm down, she ordered herself.
Opening her eyes, she caught Jason staring at her exposed midriff with an intense gaze. She lowered her arms self-consciously and tried to ignore the pleasant tingle that his look created in her belly. “I had a terrible dream,” she said, brushing by him to reach the bottle opener mounted on the kitchen island. “And then, of course, you scared the life out of me.”
Jason walked over to the sink. He filled a glass with water and handed it to her, taking the bottle away. “Here, you should drink some water. Beer’s not going to help hydrate you, you know.” He smiled and took a sip of her opened beer.
“Hey!” She gave him a pouting look, but drank some water. “You’re probably right, but I feel like I need something to help me calm down. It was a seriously awful dream.”
“In that case, how about another shot of tequila, Miss ‘Cactus juice doesn’t scare me’?” Jason teased.
Rain closed her eyes and grimaced. “Yeah, that was a fantastic idea. I’m pretty sure I’m still drunk.”
“I’m sure you are. It’s only a little past midnight, you weren’t asleep very long.”
“And how is it that you’re fine?” She raised an eyebrow at him.
“I’m still feeling it a little. But I’m a lot bigger than you, for one thing. You’re all of, what, 5’5’’ and 100 pounds?”
She smiled and took another sip of water. “I weigh a lot more than that, but thanks.” She combed her fingers through her hair and sighed. “I don’t know how I’m going to go back to sleep.”
Jason’s eyes locked with hers for a moment, then he shrugged and pulled another beer from the fridge. Opening it, he handed it to her and said, “Here you go. But don’t blame me in the morning.” He gestured toward the open sliding door. “Why don’t we hang out on the porch for a few, the lake looks beautiful. Then maybe we can try to sleep again. We have a busy day tomorrow. Oh, wait, no we don’t. We have nothing going on tomorrow.”
She laughed and followed him out to the porch, noting the graceful, sinewy lines of his bare back. Powerful shoulders that tapered down in a V shape to a narrow waist. Not an ounce of fat on him. But the tops of those shoulders were burned red from the sun, and she playfully pushed her fingers into the tender skin from behind. “Oops, sorry, does that hurt?”
He flinched a
She looked at her trembling reflection in the mirror as she patted her feverish skin dry with a towel. The dream had been very disturbing, and her heart continued to beat too fast while in the back of her head the threat of a major headache loomed. She needed to calm down, she realized, and maybe avoid the oncoming hangover a little bit longer. Her mind on the lingering details of the dream, she made her way to the dim kitchen and opened the fridge.
“Rain?” a voice said from behind. She jumped and gave a quick scream. It was Jason, standing in the doorway to the porch. His dark form was an impressive silhouette in the moonlight.
“Oh my God, you scared me,” she breathed, clutching the top of the open refrigerator door with one hand and putting the other one over her hammering heart. “What are you doing up?”
He came toward the kitchen, glancing at the closed bedroom doors to see if Allie or A.J. had been awakened by Rain’s startled scream. “Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. “I couldn’t sleep.”
She quickly surveyed the contents of the fridge and wrapped her shaking fingers around a beer. Holding the icy bottle up to her flushed forehead, she lifted her hair off her neck with the other hand and closed her eyes. Calm down, she ordered herself.
Opening her eyes, she caught Jason staring at her exposed midriff with an intense gaze. She lowered her arms self-consciously and tried to ignore the pleasant tingle that his look created in her belly. “I had a terrible dream,” she said, brushing by him to reach the bottle opener mounted on the kitchen island. “And then, of course, you scared the life out of me.”
Jason walked over to the sink. He filled a glass with water and handed it to her, taking the bottle away. “Here, you should drink some water. Beer’s not going to help hydrate you, you know.” He smiled and took a sip of her opened beer.
“Hey!” She gave him a pouting look, but drank some water. “You’re probably right, but I feel like I need something to help me calm down. It was a seriously awful dream.”
“In that case, how about another shot of tequila, Miss ‘Cactus juice doesn’t scare me’?” Jason teased.
Rain closed her eyes and grimaced. “Yeah, that was a fantastic idea. I’m pretty sure I’m still drunk.”
“I’m sure you are. It’s only a little past midnight, you weren’t asleep very long.”
“And how is it that you’re fine?” She raised an eyebrow at him.
“I’m still feeling it a little. But I’m a lot bigger than you, for one thing. You’re all of, what, 5’5’’ and 100 pounds?”
She smiled and took another sip of water. “I weigh a lot more than that, but thanks.” She combed her fingers through her hair and sighed. “I don’t know how I’m going to go back to sleep.”
Jason’s eyes locked with hers for a moment, then he shrugged and pulled another beer from the fridge. Opening it, he handed it to her and said, “Here you go. But don’t blame me in the morning.” He gestured toward the open sliding door. “Why don’t we hang out on the porch for a few, the lake looks beautiful. Then maybe we can try to sleep again. We have a busy day tomorrow. Oh, wait, no we don’t. We have nothing going on tomorrow.”
She laughed and followed him out to the porch, noting the graceful, sinewy lines of his bare back. Powerful shoulders that tapered down in a V shape to a narrow waist. Not an ounce of fat on him. But the tops of those shoulders were burned red from the sun, and she playfully pushed her fingers into the tender skin from behind. “Oops, sorry, does that hurt?”
He flinched a
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