Page 22 of Double Booked

She came out in her pink, fuzzy robe with her hair in a messy ponytail. She glanced at the food and her eyes widened. “You did all this?”

“It was no big deal.” Based on her reaction it was, though. He wondered if Patrick had ever made breakfast for her.

“This looks great,” she said, sliding onto the stool.

“Dig in.”

For a while, they did just that. He didn’t revisit the subject of hiking until after she’d drunk most of her coffee.

“So, here’s my idea. There’s a trail in the park that goes around Bear Lake. It’s relatively flat and has awesome views. I thought it would be a good one for you to start with.”

“How long is the trail?”

It was encouraging that she hadn’t rejected him outright. “About a mile.”

“That’s all?”

He chuckled. “It’s not as easy at a higher elevation. The trail has some off shoots if you want more of a challenge.”

She eyed him warily. “Hiking around the lake will probably be enough for today.”

“Is that a yes?” He tried not to sound overly excited.

“How can I say no after you did all this?” She swiped a bite of pancake through the syrup and slipped it into her mouth.

He caught himself staring at her lips and forced himself to look away. “More coffee?”

“That depends. Is there a bathroom on the trail?”

He laughed loudly. “Um, no, but there are plenty of trees.”

She blinked a few times. “I better forgo the extra coffee, then.”

“Haven’t you ever peed in the woods?”

She gaped at him. “No, and I don’t plan on it.”

“We’ll see,” he said, amused.

She stood and took her empty plate to the sink, but he intercepted her. “Why don’t you go get ready while I clean up?”

She looked at him with something akin to awe. “Okay, thanks.”

“Make sure you dress in layers,” he said as she walked away.

“I thought it was supposed to be warm today.”

“It’ll be cooler where we’re going.”

“Okay.” She went into the bedroom and closed the door.

While he cleaned the kitchen, he heard her moving around the bedroom. There was the sound of drawers opening and closing, and the rustle of clothes. An image of her undressing slipped into his mind, and he shook his head to clear it. Do NOT think of her naked, he scolded himself. Of course, that had the opposite effect.

He vigorously wiped the counter, trying to erase the images of her naked at the same time. Having noticed her curves in her clothes, it was easy to imagine her out of them. Her breasts were full and would fit perfectly in his hands. Her waist dipped in before curving out at the hips, and her bottom was high and round. Stop it! He practically slammed the syrup bottle down on the pantry shelf.

“What was that?” Eden called from her room.

“Nothing,” he replied.