When she smiles, with a faraway look in her eyes again, I get the same feeling I used to on Christmas morning—joyful anticipation.
No matter how she got here or why, she’s here now. I don’t know how to convince her that she’s right where she belongs, but I have until her car is fixed to figure it out.
Hopefully some more Christmas magic will help me out.
CHAPTER 5
HOLLYN
I search through my bags one more time. At this point, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve rifled through everything. When I set out on this road trip, I was very careful when I packed. That way I knew what bags to grab anytime I stepped into a hotel.
But it looks like the small bag I had my toothbrush and toothpaste in isn’t here. It must have fallen out of my overnight bag, the one I always grab.
Breaking down in Storyville has really thrown me for a loop and I’m all out of sorts. Yeah, it’s Storyville and has nothing to do with Elwood.
I don’t understand the man. He’s an interesting mix of contradictions. It’s clear he gets to the gym often. His arms should have scrapbooks dedicated to them. They’re strength personified and thick.
He’s lucky I haven’t taken a bite out of them yet.
It might still happen. He really should watch out. Not that I’m going to warn him.
My head falls back, and I stare up at the ceiling. The ceiling in the house of a man who I don’t really know, the same housewhere I’m staying for the night. After my car broke down on the edge of a small town that I know nothing about.
Oh, and no one knows I’m here. Yes, I texted Montana to tell her I stopped in Storyville, but I didn’t give her any more information than that.
Because I didn’t want to worry her.
This sounds more and more like a plot to a horror film the more I think about it.
When I can no longer ignore my lack of a toothbrush and toothpaste, I tiptoe to my door and peer around it and eye the bathroom. I know the primary bedroom has its own bathroom, but I’m really hoping I’ll find what I need without getting Elwood involved.
My steps are silent as I sprint down the hall and slip into the bathroom. The colors are neutral, and everything is clean. Honestly, it’s more than I could have hoped for considering meeting someone tells you nothing about their cleaning skills.
Rifling through the vanity leaves me empty handed.
“Well, fuck,” I mutter to myself as I slide out of the bathroom.
As I look toward Elwood’s room, I gnaw on my bottom lip, unsure if I should go down there and knock or just wait. It’s not like he would even know I need something from him; it’s not going to appear in front of me without me doing something about it.
Damn it.
This is when telepathy or magic would really come in handy.
The last thing I want to do is knock on Elwood’s bedroom door. But I have no other choice.
As I come to a stop in front of his door, I press my ear up against the wood. I don’t hear a damn thing. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
“Fine,” I whine under my breath as I lift my hand and knock on the door.
The seconds tick by without a response or the sound of movement from the other side of the door. The only thing for me to do is crack the door open and peek in.
Which is exactly what I do.
I’m tempted to close the door behind me when I’m in his room because that’s the polite thing to do, right? But I don’t get the chance.
Not when I lift my gaze and become frozen in place by the sight in front of me.
I can clearly see Elwood in the bathroom. In the shower. Behind a clear glass wall with a fancy as hell looking shower with a rain showerhead that looks like paradise.
