“Bathroom’s across the hall,” he rumbled. “Kitchen’s at the front if you need anything.”
“Thank you.”
The window rattled in its frame as he turned to go, wind gusting against the glass.
I shivered as I looked out into the dark, rainy night. “The storm’s really picking up.”
He paused in the doorway, his bulk blocking most of the light from the hall. “This little storm? This is just a baby. We get some serious downpours on Red Oak Mountain. Mother nature likes to keep us on our toes up here. It’s the cost of living in paradise.”
My mouth dropped open as I tried to figure out how to respond to that.
Paradise?
From what I’d seen of the town, it was exactly the kind of place I’d fled earlier in life. Who would willingly choose to live in a backwater town like this?
Evidently, a man like him. I studied Clayton, surprised to notice he appeared to be studying me, too.
Then his voice lowered, deeper than before, and his eyes flicked away. “I’ll leave you to it.” He nodded once and turned to leave.
“Wait!”
Clayton turned back again, curiosity in his eyes.
Pulling out my purse, I shuffled around for my wallet, then pulled out a crisp bill. “Can you break a hundred?”
“Uh… I can get change for you in the morning.”
“That will work. Thanks again for the room!” I said, more cheerfully than before, but my attempt at being casual didn’t seem to land. It never did.
Then he was gone, and the warmth of his gaze disappeared with him.
I unpacked stiffly, hyperaware of every sound in the house. I hated staying in inhabited rentals, and I avoided it whenever possible.
There was nothing like having my own space while I was on the road. My hotel rooms were my sanctuary in life, always changing, but forever present.
Here, I was surrounded byClayton.
His presence was in everything in this house. I could hear his footsteps in the hallway, followed by a door closing somewhere as I changed out of my wet clothes and into a brand new pajama set.
Kicking off my high heels had never felt better.
Even though I desperately wanted to take a bath to warm up, or even a shower, I wasn’t going to do that tonight. I felt too out of sorts.
Not that Clayton scared me. He didn’t.
But he’d given me strongyou’re-the-bad-guy vibes.
I was used to getting that kind of reception from the homeowners I met. I didn’t need it in my off hours, too.
Nobody loves a claims adjuster.
A floorboard creaked as he moved through a room down the hall, and then I heard the sound of clanking metal. The man must be tinkering with something.
I needed to get my mind off the grumpy hottie and finish my work for the day. I still had reports to submit.
Shoving on socks, I hopped into bed, pulling the blankets over my lap. Then I cleaned my glasses before popping them back on my face.
The temperature in the bedroom dropped steadily as I worked, my laptop balanced on my knees as I finished the reports for the claims I’d assessed earlier that day.
