The warm water soothes me as I stand under the shower spray, gathering up the energy to actually wash myself. Once I lather up, the floral fragrance of my soap breathes life into my weary body. I feel relatively human by the time I step out and reach for a towel.
My bathroom is one of my favorite parts of this space. It’s large with white and gray tiles all around. The glass doors of the shower help maintain the open feel, and a large freestanding tub sits under the window overlooking the back of the property.
Stepping out of the shower, I wrap my hair in a small towel before drying myself with one of my fluffy, oversized bath towels. I wrap it around myself, tucking the end so I can apply my usual moisturizers.
The distinct sound of tires crunching over gravel pulls my attention to the window. I don’t have a clear view of the driveway from my bathroom, so I ditch my towel and pull on a bathrobe so I can investigate. The floor plan is completely open, so there’s no such thing as tiptoeing from the bathroom to peek out the window. Especially when I don’t believe in curtains.
I make it to the door in time to see Hayden step out of his truck and shut the door.What the hell?Pulling the front door open, I step outside and fold my arms around myself.
“What are you doing here?” I ask once he makes his way over to me.
“I just dropped Sierra off to your mom for her first lesson. I was going to go home, but it’s only going to be an hour. Figured what’s the point.”
I blink at him, still not understanding why he’s here. “Okay?”
Hayden lets out a low laugh. “Your dad isn’t home, and I didn’t want to stand there watching, since I get the feeling Sierra asked your mom for the lessons so she could have some space.”
“Oh,” I breathe, understanding finally setting in. “Come on in and sit. Just give me a few minutes to get dressed.”
I open the door and allow him to step inside before gesturing toward the living room and closing the door behind us. He’s never been inside my house before, and I try not to panic at the thought. Without another word, I make my way up the spiral staircase and to my bedroom.
I pull on the first items I see when I open my drawers: a simple long-sleeved shirt and some gray sweats. He’s already seen me in my pajamas. We’ve already shared a bed. And we’ve had sex. I remind myself of that as I take a quick look in the mirror before heading downstairs.
“Coffee?” I offer, doing my best to sound unaffected by his presence.
“Coffee sounds good.”
It’s silent as he follows me to the kitchen, and I make two single cups of coffee. It feels strange having him here in my house, so I suggest we sit outside on my patio. I feel like a teenager, afraid of getting caught with a boy in my room. Notto mention, all I can think about is what happened the last time we were completely alone together…
Hayden sits on the chair, and I take my normal seat on the loveseat and watch him over the rim of my cup, waiting for him to finally explain what he’s actually doing here. As I watch, I begin to study him closer, appreciating the way his shirt is stretched tight across his broad chest. His normally short beard is a bit longer than usual, with just a few sprinkles of silver. When he still doesn’t explain himself, I set my mug down and stare at him.
“What?” he asks after a long moment.
“You showed up here unannounced. It makes sense to not drive all the way home, but…”
He flashes a crooked smile before setting his own cup down. “With Sierra taking riding lessons from your mom, we’re going to be around each other. Hell, we were going to have to be around each other anyway, but now it’s certain. So, we should try to figure this thing out so it’s not awkward. Maybe we can be friends? Since we already got everything else out of the way…”
Seriously? Out of the way?I fight a wave of disappointment. There’s no way I’m the only one who’s still thinking about what happened between us. Nothing is out of my system. If anything, I want him more. I haven’t gone a single day without thinking about Hayden or fighting the memories of the way hetouched me. The way he filled me like no other man ever has. I can still feel the way his rough hands felt on my heated skin. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I force a smile.
“Oh. Okay, yeah. Friends. We can do that.”
Chapter 22
Miranda
Friends. Sure. We aren’t even one week into this plan of being friends, and I’m already questioning if I can do this. Seeing Hayden in passing at the ranch is one thing. But as soon as I get near him, there’s no stopping the flood of memories from our one night together.
Was it stupid to extend him an open invitation to hang out during Sierra’s riding lessons? Absolutely. But it’s too late to do anything about it now, as I head to my patio with snacks in hand, ready to spend the next hour with him. I set the plate of cheese and crackers on the table right as Hayden comes walking across the path and to the patio at the side of my house.
“Hey,” he says as he approaches. “How’s it going?”
I paste a smile on my face and try with everything I have to appear casual and relaxed as I take in the man before me. “It’s going. How are you? Haven’t seen you around the past few days.”
Hayden fixes his brown eyes on me and shrugs. “Yeah, bronc-riding school is over, and with schools getting back, most practices and coaching sessions are in the evenings now.”
I gesture to the chair before taking my normal spot in the corner of my loveseat. We sit in a surprisingly comfortable silence for several minutes. It’s a nice night. Chilly, but not so cold that we need to move things inside. I’m sure my mom is busy with Sierra, but it would still feel strange inviting Hayden inside. Alone.
Opening my mouth to speak, I’m silenced when Hayden’s fingers graze my exposed wrist. My skin tingles, and there’s no ignoring the spark of electricity that zips through me just from the simple touch. With a sharp breath, I snap my head up, and my gaze collides with Hayden’s. The heat now radiating in his eyes is palpable.
