“Are you in a hurry to leave us?” heasked.
I whirled the chair to face him, surprised. “No! Once Griffin lost his hateful attitude, and not counting the fiasco with Hunter, this could’ve been an enjoyable little escape from reality. But I’m afraid to say that I’m ready for a vacation from this vacation.” I laughed to show him I was mostly joking. I was more than ready for a few days ofcalm.
“So you’re going to go back to your normal life now? Being a traveling nurse?” Chandlerasked.
“Honestly, I don’t know.” I was tired. The constant travel had begun to seem unappealing. “The wreck, kidnapping, then attempted kidnapping, it all adds up. And it could’ve happened anywhere, at any time. I was lucky I wrecked in the front yard of three men who would treat me so well. Griffin’s earlier attitude excluded, ofcourse.”
Griffin chuckled. “I’m sorry. Not only for how I treated you at first, but for what happened in mybedroom.”
Hold the phone. “Which part of what happened in yourbedroom?”
“Maybe we can go talk about this somewhere else?” Griffin asked with an uneasy look at hisfriends.
“Don’t be shy on my account. Now, what are you apologizing for?” If he was apologizing that it happened, I might have smacked his face. If he was apologizing for running out of the room when he was done, that I’dforgive.
“I really enjoyed what went on between us,” he said. “But I don’t want you to think I took advantage ofyou.”
“That’s too bad, because I took advantage of you.” I used him for his sexy body, and well, pretty much for that. I shrugged. “You’re telling me you weren’t lonely andhorny?”
Ellion stared pointedly at his computer monitor. Chandler, on the other hand, watched the interaction between Griffin and me like we were a fascinating soapopera.
Griffin drew up and puffed out his chest, outraged. “I got caught up in the moment!” He crossed his arms. “Is that a crime? I didn’t see youcomplaining.”
“Not until you walked out and left me half naked on your bed!” I’d masked the pain with anger, but it really had felt like rejection when he’d walked out. “I’d enjoyed our mutual using of each other until you stormedout.”
“Before you came here, I was fine. I was alone, and I was fine with my house, and my friends, and my memories. Why’d you wreck in my front yard?” Damn it all, he was hot when he wasmad.
“You know what? I was driving along and thought, I need to wreck my carright here. I’m quite sure there’s someone inside who needs their life turned upside down by me.” I resisted the urge to flip the bird and left the room. “One more day,” I muttered to myself. “Then he’ll be a story I tell when I’m old and want to scandalize mygrandchildren.”
I returned to the bathroom to brush my teeth. When I spat, little flecks of blood hit the sink. I sucked in a deep breath and calmed myself. No sense in taking out my frustrations on myteeth.
With the knowledge that my family wasn’t worrying and the psycho was locked up tight, I crashed the moment my head hit the pillow. The stress with Griffin could wait formorning.
Anoiseoutside my window jerked me from my sleep. I pressed myself into the corner of my room and looked out by moving the curtains as little as possible. The snow had stopped, and the moonlight reflected off of the fallen snow to make a rather brightscene.
A polar bear and two cubs were rolling around in the yard, playing. I gasped, amazed to see the rare creature so close tocivilization.
I bolted from my room and ran straight to Chandler’s. I didn’t even knock, I was so excited. I barged my way into his bedroom. “Wakeup!”
Chandler bolted out of bed, wearing nothing but boxer briefs. I momentarily forgot why I ran into his room as I ogled his body. In clothes, he was almost too skinny. But naked, it was apparent that he spent a lot of time sculpting his muscles. He just wasn’t a bulkyperson.
Coming to my senses, I ran to his window. “Come here!” I was afraid to jerk open the curtains—if the polar bears noticed us, they might try to getus.
I peered out of the smallest crack I could make in the curtains. “You have got to see this,” Iwhispered.
Chandler pressed himself against my back to be able to look over my head. I tried valiantly to ignore the feel of his hard body pressed against the softness of mine. It didn’twork.
“They’re beautiful,” he said. “This is a raresight.
I shifted from one foot to the other, unintentionally rubbing my back on his front. He sucked in abreath.
“Sorry,” I said. I tried to slide out from under his arms, but they came down on either side of myshoulders.
“Where are you going?” he asked. “You don’t have toleave?”
I turned in his arms and gazed up into his brown eyes. “Things are already pretty complicated. I’m not saying I don’t want to stay, I’m saying it’s not a good idea at this point.” I tried not to, but I ended up staring at hislips.
His lips were supple, like he moisturized them and always had a tube of lip balm in his pocket. I really wanted to feel those lips again. I put my arms around his waist and gave him a hug—and lamented all the action I wouldn’t be seeing that night. I’d promised myself less drama in life, and my one-night stand with Griffin was quite enough drama for oneweek.
