He jolted when the cold stream flowed down his body and inwardly cursed at a vulnerability he’d never had before when dealing with a woman -his difficulty to resist sexual cravings for Eden. Never in his thirty years had he wanted a woman to the point where he craved her.
He’d been around beautiful women before, numerous times. However, until now, there had never been one he hadn’t been able to ignore, once he’d set his mind to it. This was the only time his body wouldn’t follow what his mind was telling it to do. His libido was leading the charge. And at the moment, he knew of no way to fight the hostile takeover.
He stayed in the shower longer than usual, though not longer than necessary. Then he stepped out and began drying himself off. He needed a plan to handle the unexpected flaw he had developed regarding Eden. He didn’t want to seem as if he was blaming her for their predicament. It wasn’t her fault. No, all the blame could be placed at her father’s feet.
Besides, it had been his idea that she come here with him. At the very least, he could avoid developing an attitude. He couldn’t rightly blame her for the condition his body was in. He should have had more control than he was exhibiting. He now felt refreshed and renewed, back in control. He could handle this.
Slipping into another pair of jeans, he was about to walk out of the bathroom shirtless, which was his usual routine after a shower. More often than not, when he was not expecting company, he walked around in his boxer shorts. After all, a man’s home was his castle. But he wasn’t alone now, so grabbing the shirt he had placed atop his duffel bag, he walked out of the bathroom and paused outside the door to put it on. As he did up the buttons on his shirt, he glanced out the huge window. It had gotten dark, but the way the lights reflected from the lodge onto the water made him stand there and simply admire the beauty of it. Moving forward, he heard the hum of the washing machine and felt the warmth of the fireplace as he entered the living room.
Drew figured Eden was in the bedroom and was crossing the floor to place his duffel bag next to the sofa when he heard a sound. Glancing toward the kitchen, he saw her. She had her back to him as she looked in the refrigerator. It seemed she had removed her boots and leggings, but had kept on that top that barely covered her thighs. Or, at least, it looked that way because of the way she was bending over, looking into the refrigerator. He was certain that if she bent over any further, he would see her panties…if she was wearing any.
She had been wearing jeans every day since they met -tight jeans that had molded unerringly to her hips and thighs. This was the first time he had seen her bare skin, and this glimpse of it pushed all his buttons. His body began to throb. Her backside was curvy, and her long legs were the stuff of fantasies. He could just imagine seeing men in the audience drooling as she showcased designer outfits on the runway.
When he had stopped at the market to use the phone booth, he had gone inside for a second to pick up a few more granola bars for her. He had also grabbed a copy of Vogue magazine -the last one on the rack. He tried not to let it annoy him thatthe two men standing in line ahead of him had picked up copies as well. He would surprise her with the granola bars later, and during a private moment, he would read the article about her in the magazine.
However, for now, he needed to let her know of his presence or else he might need to take another cold shower. Moving into the main area, he asked, “What are you looking for in the refrigerator?”
She jerked around.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said.
“No problem.”
“So, what were you looking for?” he asked.
“Nothing in particular. But I was surprised to find it stocked.”
He lifted a brow. “Stocked with what?”
“All kinds of fruits and vegetables you can snack on, like carrots, celery, and tomatoes. There is also a container of romaine lettuce, in case I want to make a salad. There are plenty of juices-apple, orange, pineapple, and cranberry.And there are yogurts and cheeses. One thing is certain, we won’t starve,” she said, grinning.
He wished she wouldn’t do that. With her standing there, looking all happy and wearing that short top, she was playing havoc with his senses. “I take it you ordered real food, right?”
She laughed. “Yes, I ordered real food, Drew. But you have to admit, what’s in the fridge is healthy food to snack on.”
The only thing he wanted to snack on was her. Walking over to the sofa, he retrieved a bag that he had inserted in an inside compartment of his jacket. Making sure to keep the magazine intact, he pulled out the four granola bars. “I might as well give you these.”
She walked toward him. “Granola bars? Had I known you had these, I would not have ordered dinner for myself.”
“I figured as much, which is why I didn’t mention it earlier. You need to learn to eat real food and stop starving yourself. Over-eating might not be good, but under-eating is often worse. Besides, men like women with a little meat on their bones.”
She put her hands on her hips. “Men might like them that way, but photographers do not.”
“Then get a photographer who appreciates you for what you are bringing to the table, which, in my opinion, is a lot. You are a very beautiful woman, Eden.”
Hell, he hadn’t meant to say all of that, but he had and wouldn’t be taking anything back. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Thank God… “I’ll get it. That’s probably our food.”
Charlie had told him when he registered that there were two people, who could be trusted to keep their privacy, assigned to take care of their room—a man named Prentis and a woman named Jamie. When he opened the door, he found Prentis with their dinners on a serving cart. Drew stopped him when he was about to roll it in. “I’ll take it from here,” he said, then handed Prentis a tip that made the man beam.
“Thank you, sir.”
“You are welcome.”
The food smelled good, and Drew was hungry. Rolling the tray toward the table, he noticed Eden had lit the candles in the center. When his gaze shifted, he saw her leaning up on tiptoes, reaching into one of the cabinets for something. If he thought seeing her bending over, looking into the refrigerator was torturous, then seeing how that top had inched up over her shapely behind was about to make him trip over the cart he was pushing. He saw enough to know she was wearing a pair of blue lace panties.
Drawing in a deep breath and then releasing it, he asked, “What are you looking for, Eden?”
She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Plates.”
