“What the heck…” I look up at Jared.
A key dangles from his thumb and index finger.
I hold up the key in my hand.
They’re both unusual keys with a long silver arm and a deep cut at the base.
And they freaking match.
“What…” I say weakly.
“Funny thing…” Jared leans his shoulder against the wall of the cabin—mycabin. “Declan told me I would be living in cabin eight.”
I have no idea where he’s going with this until he tilts his head toward the wall where he’s leaning.
Number eight is stenciled to the left of the open front door.
“Oh, crap.” I shake my head. “No way. This is a one-bedroom.”
“Are you sure?”
“Mia told me specifically. She said she hoped I wouldn’t need a bigger space because their two bedrooms were all being used this month.”
“I heard that this is the only vacant cabin.” Jared steps inside the door. “Come on in, and we’ll check it out.”
I follow him inside reluctantly. I don’t want to get attached to the place when clearly I can’t stay here. Because I know Jared. He’s not so gentlemanly that he’ll offer to leave. Instead, he’ll suggest we cohabitate. And cohabitating is the last thing I feel capable of doing with Jared Storm.
“Where’s your kitty?” I ask him as we pass through an open-concept living room and small but complete kitchen.
“She’s at the main house in Luke’s office. Chase is allergic, so it’s short-term.”
I pull up short when we turn down the narrow hallway to the bedroom and bathroom across from it.
“Definitely a one-bedroom,” I say awkwardly as I stare at the king-sized bed with rustic bedframe and multi-colored quilt. “That’s all you and your kitty cat.”
Jared catches my wrist as I turn to leave. The electric current that passes between us is so intense I suck in a loud breath.
His eyes darken.
Great, so he felt it, too.
It’s not like I’ve never felt any kind of vibe from Jared. I know he finds me attractive. I just also know he finds a lot of women attractive. I’m special to him for what we shared as kids and for the fact that he trusts me when he doesn’t really trust anyone. But I’m not naïve enough to think that I’d be any more special to him in the bedroom than the next girl he decides he wants.
I gently detach my wrist from his warm, large hand, and step back. “Come on, J. This isn’t an option.”
“What isn’t an option?”
“Us. In this cabin together.”
“Question.” He beckons me out to the living room where he takes a seat on the l-shaped couch.
I sit at the other end, as far away from his sexiness as possible.
“Why can’t we do this until I find a new place?” he asks me. “We’ve slept in the same bed together many times before.”
“We were kids!” I say.
“We shared a bed as teenagers too,” he reminds me.
