dragged over both of them. Held in his
arms and wrapped in linens smelling of expensive fabric softener and
something vaguely floral, she drifted toward sleep.
It would have been perfect if only
she could have banished the terrifying possibility that she'd
destroyed any chance of having that sweet, emotionally charged sex by
moving too fast.
Wes awoke with Addie sprawled across
his chest, snoring lightly. Every exhalation tickled his neck, and he
smiled as he shifted her slowly and carefully until he could
extricate himself without disturbing her.
There were no windows in the break
room to help gauge the passage of time, and he wasn't sure he trusted
his internal clock, not under the circumstances. A glance at his
watch told him that it was just after six, and he tilted his head,
listening to the quiet. It would seem the storm had blown over.
Assuming they could quickly find a seaworthy boat, they could be back
on the mainland in an hour.
He watched the gentle rise and fall
of Addie's chest as he pulled his boots back on and tightened the
laces. She was gorgeous, smart, and so stubborn she'd argue with a
fence post. It was a deadly combination, and all of the reasons he'd
had for not asking her out before now seemed ridiculous and
overblown, especially in light of the way they'd spent the night. He
hated to think of the time they'd missed, time he could have spent
figuring out everything she ever wanted and giving it to her.
Of course, his mother would say he
was counting his chickens before they'd hatched, assuming that they
were going anywhere at all. Twelve hours of moony, longing looks and
one night of scorching sex didn't make for matrimony.
He stifled a choking cough and stood
abruptly, reaching for his pants. Matrimony ?
They hadn't even started the dating yet. Sure, they'd known each other forever and a day, but he didn't
know what her favorite color was, or how she felt about kids, or any
of the things she wanted to do before she died.
The woman had broken his head.
A soft noise drew his attention back
to the couch, where Addie stirred sleepily. Both hands went over her
head as she stretched, her eyes popping open when her hands
encountered the arm of the couch. Her gaze darted around the room
before falling on him, and her expression cleared. "Hey."
"Good morning," he smiled
as he tugged on his boots then glanced up. "Sounds like the
storm might be over. Want to go up and have a look?"
Addie tossed the blanket aside and
laughed self-consciously when she realized she was still naked. She
snatched up the discarded bathrobe and wrapped it around her body
with a shiver. "Maybe I should get some clothes on, first. My
shoes, especially, if there's glass up there."
"Go ahead and gather all of
your stuff," he told her, strapping on his belt. "If it's
cleared up, we're getting out of here. With the amount of rain we
probably got, the bridge will still be flooded out, but there's no
reason we can't take a boat."
"If we can find a boat." She rose to her feet and smiled. "I'll meet you
upstairs."
"I've got a better idea. Why
don't you look through the emergency supplies and have an energy bar
while I fetch your clothes?"
She opened her mouth—to
protest, it looked like—but she closed it again and smiled.
"Okay. Thanks."
"Excellent. You'll need your
strength for later, I think." He grinned and left before she
could throw something at him.
Wes found himself whistling as he
walked down to the laundry room. Getting Addie to agree with him
might have been a small victory, at best, but he'd take what he could
get. He checked the dryers, finally finding the one with her clothes
in it. They were still a little damp, but the electricity didn't
appear to have been restored yet.
"You might have to go naked,
after all," he told her as he nudged the door back open upon his
return. "Your clothes didn't get dry."
The look Addie gave him was
downright dangerous. Her hands landed on the belt of her recently
donned bathrobe
arms and wrapped in linens smelling of expensive fabric softener and
something vaguely floral, she drifted toward sleep.
It would have been perfect if only
she could have banished the terrifying possibility that she'd
destroyed any chance of having that sweet, emotionally charged sex by
moving too fast.
Wes awoke with Addie sprawled across
his chest, snoring lightly. Every exhalation tickled his neck, and he
smiled as he shifted her slowly and carefully until he could
extricate himself without disturbing her.
There were no windows in the break
room to help gauge the passage of time, and he wasn't sure he trusted
his internal clock, not under the circumstances. A glance at his
watch told him that it was just after six, and he tilted his head,
listening to the quiet. It would seem the storm had blown over.
Assuming they could quickly find a seaworthy boat, they could be back
on the mainland in an hour.
He watched the gentle rise and fall
of Addie's chest as he pulled his boots back on and tightened the
laces. She was gorgeous, smart, and so stubborn she'd argue with a
fence post. It was a deadly combination, and all of the reasons he'd
had for not asking her out before now seemed ridiculous and
overblown, especially in light of the way they'd spent the night. He
hated to think of the time they'd missed, time he could have spent
figuring out everything she ever wanted and giving it to her.
Of course, his mother would say he
was counting his chickens before they'd hatched, assuming that they
were going anywhere at all. Twelve hours of moony, longing looks and
one night of scorching sex didn't make for matrimony.
He stifled a choking cough and stood
abruptly, reaching for his pants. Matrimony ?
They hadn't even started the dating yet. Sure, they'd known each other forever and a day, but he didn't
know what her favorite color was, or how she felt about kids, or any
of the things she wanted to do before she died.
The woman had broken his head.
A soft noise drew his attention back
to the couch, where Addie stirred sleepily. Both hands went over her
head as she stretched, her eyes popping open when her hands
encountered the arm of the couch. Her gaze darted around the room
before falling on him, and her expression cleared. "Hey."
"Good morning," he smiled
as he tugged on his boots then glanced up. "Sounds like the
storm might be over. Want to go up and have a look?"
Addie tossed the blanket aside and
laughed self-consciously when she realized she was still naked. She
snatched up the discarded bathrobe and wrapped it around her body
with a shiver. "Maybe I should get some clothes on, first. My
shoes, especially, if there's glass up there."
"Go ahead and gather all of
your stuff," he told her, strapping on his belt. "If it's
cleared up, we're getting out of here. With the amount of rain we
probably got, the bridge will still be flooded out, but there's no
reason we can't take a boat."
"If we can find a boat." She rose to her feet and smiled. "I'll meet you
upstairs."
"I've got a better idea. Why
don't you look through the emergency supplies and have an energy bar
while I fetch your clothes?"
She opened her mouth—to
protest, it looked like—but she closed it again and smiled.
"Okay. Thanks."
"Excellent. You'll need your
strength for later, I think." He grinned and left before she
could throw something at him.
Wes found himself whistling as he
walked down to the laundry room. Getting Addie to agree with him
might have been a small victory, at best, but he'd take what he could
get. He checked the dryers, finally finding the one with her clothes
in it. They were still a little damp, but the electricity didn't
appear to have been restored yet.
"You might have to go naked,
after all," he told her as he nudged the door back open upon his
return. "Your clothes didn't get dry."
The look Addie gave him was
downright dangerous. Her hands landed on the belt of her recently
donned bathrobe
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