Page 54 of Double Booked

They slowly lowered themselves into the water up to their necks. The water gurgled and steam rose into the air, adding to the tranquil setting. For a while, they sat in silence, and then she turned toward him.

“I wanted to thank you,” she said.

“What for?”

“When I first came here, I was a bit of a wreck, but I’m feeling better now, and you deserve some of the credit.”

He shook his head. “I didn’t do that much.”

“Yes, you did. You listened to me ramble on about my problems. And you distracted me with hiking, Scrabble, Dirty Dancing—”

“What about the kissing?” he teased.

“That too,” she said softly.

He shifted on the seat, a wave of heat surging through him that had nothing to do with the hot tub.

“Speaking of kissing, why did you stop earlier? I thought we were both enjoying it.”

“I was, but…” She moved closer, and he lost his train of thought.

“Then why did you stop?”

He sighed. “Eden.”

“It’s because of him, isn’t it?”

They both knew who she was referring to, but he was glad she didn’t say his name.

“You think I’m still hung up on him?”

“Are you?”

She gazed directly into his eyes. “No.”

He desperately wanted to believe her, but he still had a lingering doubt. “What if he showed up here, got down on his knees, and begged your forgiveness?”

“Still no.”

“Okay. Aside from him, there are other issues.”

“Such as?”

She moved even closer, so their bare legs touched. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could carry on a conversation, when what he really wanted to do was pull her into his arms and ravage her.

“We live on opposite sides of the country,” he said, striving to be the voice of reason.

“Not right now, we don’t.”

“This is only temporary.”

“Someone taught me to enjoy every minute.”

“Me?”

She chuckled. “Yes, you.”

“What about when it’s time to leave?” It was hard to imagine not being with her, even after knowing each other for a short time.