Page 18 of One Kind Soul

Nicole surveyed the room which was indeed cozy. The walls were painted a soft tan and long, gauzy curtains draped over the sliding glass door at the back of the room. One queen-sized bed with a sage green comforter took up most of the room with end tables on either side. Across from it was a low chest of drawers with a TV on it. Two sage green armchairs huddled around a round wooden table in the corner of the room and a bathroom was across from the closet where Christian had left her luggage.

He walked to the sliding glass door that led to a balcony where the city’s lights shined back at them. “Bleck. City view.”

“Not a fan?”

“Nope. I prefer the darkness of Maplehaven’s woods.” When he turned back around to face her, Nicole had to admit the lights didn’t look right behind him. Mountain men cowboy farmer types definitely needed a more natural backdrop. It didn’t take much to imagine what he looked like on his farm under moonlight.

Shit. She liked that image too much.

“Snacks.” She plucked the 513 card from his hand and gave him the 515 card. “I’ll be back in a few.”

She scurried out of there before Christian could say anything. She raced to the elevator, jumped into it, and hit the lobby button. As soon as the doors closed, she slumped to the back wall as Christian had done on their ride up. This snack run had to be a head-clearing mission. She’d grab the grub, toss it at Christian, then lock herself in her room where she couldn’t get into any trouble.

It would be a cheese-curls-and-licorice night. Nothing more.

****

Christian was more interested in snacking on Nicole than he was in cheese curls or licorice. He stood in her room, still thinking about the way her tight ass had swayed when she’d exited. She’d been adorable asking for two rooms downstairs at the front desk. He would have been fine with one, as a money-saving move of course, but he got the sense she didn’t trust sharing a room with him.

He raked his hand through his hair. That was probably wise of her because he shouldn’t be trusted. He liked her more than he should considering he’d only known her for half a day. He definitely wouldn’t mind if she wanted to feed him cheese curls and licorice though.

Naked.

Shaking his head, he left her room and went into his own next door. This room was set up the same as Nicole’s, but its walls were a light green and the comforter and chairs were tan. The same city view greeted him out the sliding glass door and when he stepped out onto the balcony and took in a deep inhale of night air, it didn’t smell anything like the air back in Maplehaven. One day away from the woods, mountains, and farm and he longed to be back in Vermont.

Being stranded with Nicole wasn’t the worst thing though. She was great company and was truly concerned about his injury.

Christian angled his leg so he could see the row of neat stitching the doctor had given him. Everything looked tidy there although his skin was red and irritated. And his jeans were ruined, having been cut to tend to the gash in his calf. He wished he had something to change into, but he hadn’t planned for an overnight stay in Boston. A shower definitely sounded good though, so he stripped off his T-shirt, briefs, socks, and his tattered jeans after removing his work boots and headed for the bathroom.

The hot shower water beating down on his body felt wonderful. His leg ached slightly, but it was the rest of his muscles that were fatigued after being tensed since that van had squealed around the corner. He wished someone had caught that license plate. Careless drivers such as that one had no place on the road. It also would have been nice to have someone to scream at for totaling his truck. Christian had slated any extra money to the remodel of the farmhouse. Buying a new truck right now hadn’t been on his list of purchases.

Guess it is now.

Sighing, he soaped up and washed this weird day off as best as he could. He toweled off after stepping out of the shower then froze when a soft knock sounded on the bathroom door.

“Hey, Chrissy?” Nicole called.

He secured the towel around his waist, considered yelling back a response, but . . . opening the door would be more fun. Just to see what her reaction would be.

The doorknob turned in his hand and he opened the door a crack.

“Stop right there!” Nicole yelped. “I see your clothes out here, which means you don’t have clothes in there.”

“Correct, but you knocked, Nicki.”

“I did. To give you these.”

Fabric wedged into the door crack and Christian grabbed it, pulling until a pair of sweats and a black T-shirt fell against his chest.

“I picked those up because I know your jeans are a wreck. I also think they will be comfortable to sleep in.”

“Thanks.” Christian couldn’t remember a time a woman had been so considerate. Thinking about what he might need.

“I’m heading to my room for a few minutes, but I’ll be back with snacks, okay?”

“Sure.”

He waited until the adjoining door clicked opened and closed before letting the bathroom door swing all the way open. He couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if he’d come out in just the towel. Would she have enjoyed the show? He pictured her getting all flustered and he had to admit to liking that image.