Chapter 13 #2
A shiver ran up my spine as I parked and ran for the cabins.
Within seconds I was soaked. My curls flattened.
My tank clung to my skin. Cold water slid down my spine.
I fumbled in my bag for my key but came up empty.
I crouched near the door, panic rising. Maybe I dropped it in the car, or the bar.
Lightning flashed again. I crouched lower, turning on the flashlight on my phone and scanning the ground.
Rain soaked through my jeans. My fingers were numb.
“Claire?”
I startled so hard I nearly dropped my phone.
Asher was standing a few feet away in the rain.
He took one look at me kneeling, soaking and shaking.
“What are you doing?” he asked, his tone filled with confusion. “Did you just get back?”
“I can’t find my key,” I said, my teeth chattering slightly.
He stepped closer, rain sliding down his hair.
“There’s no way I’m waking everyone up at the main house to get a spare at this hour,” he hissed.
Thunder cracked again. He looked at me for half a second longer before nodding toward the path.
“Come to my cabin,” he stated matter-of-factly. It’s not like I had a million other choices, and he wasn’t the type of guy to just leave me out here. He caught my hesitation.
“You’re freezing.”
That wasn’t a question. He reached down and pulled me gently to my feet. His hand was warm. By the time we stepped inside his cabin, I was shaking harder.
He grabbed a towel first, then a thick blanket, wrapping it around my shoulders without hesitation.
“Sit,” he said.
I did. He crouched in front of me, searching my face.
“What happened?” he asked gently. The concern in his voice cracked something in me.
“Nico—” My throat tightened. “He admitted they took her.”
Asher went completely still.
“Took?” he repeated quietly.
“He said they didn’t want to. That his boss had a soft spot for Sophie’s mom. Said he needed to help her escape a bad man.”
The storm rattled the windows. Asher’s jaw flexed.
“What else?” he asked.
“He told me to stop looking,” I whispered. “He raised his voice. He scared me. I know it sounds stupid. He took me into a backroom. He remembered me being there that night. It wasn’t Nico that hurt Sophie. I’m almost certain.”
“He’s a criminal. They can be good liars,” Asher’s hands curled into fists at his sides. “You should’ve never gone alone,” he said, but there was no anger in it. His voice was tight with worry.
I looked down at my trembling fingers. “I thought I could handle it.”
He moved closer without thinking, adjusting the blanket tighter around me.
“You don’t have to handle everything alone,” he said quietly.
The storm thundered outside. But inside his cabin, under the warmth of the blanket and the weight of his steady presence, I finally felt safe enough to breathe.
My teeth began chattering. “I know but in the past everyone who I tried to talk to about this case refused to listen. Even my prof was sure I’d hit a dead end. Only tonight taught me something new.”
“What’s that?” he asked.
“My gut tells me that Nico isn’t all bad. He isn’t the one who killed her but I think he knows who did.”
Asher clearly didn’t like that. “You need to let it go. For your safety and your sanity.”
“I can’t,” I whispered.
“I had a feeling you’d say that,” he retorted dryly. “For now you need a warm shower. Let me give you some dry clothes. You can sleep here tonight and take the bed. I’ll take the floor.”
“I can’t sleep in your bed.” I shot up to my feet.
“Why not?” he asked like he was insulted. “I’m not going to leave you outside in the storm. Unless you want to call Soleil. Although her and Elise sometimes have friends stay over.”
“You’re going to catch a cold if you stay in those clothes. I’d offer to leave the cabin, but I’m not going outside in that mess,” he laughed.
“I wouldn’t expect you to. I trust you,” I said to him.
His gaze locked on mine, and I felt my breath hitch.
“Go take a shower,” he insisted. He walked over to his dresser and pulled out a large grey sweatshirt and a pair of flannel pajama pants. “These will help you warm up. You’re shivering, for goodness’ sake.”
He wasn’t wrong. I was freezing cold.
“Thanks,” I said to him. I took the clothes.
He passed me a large white bath towel that was fluffy, and I went into the bathroom.
His cabin was larger than the others, but that made sense with him being the boss.
The bathroom was big with an actual tub and a shower.
It had been a long while since I had taken a bath, but I wasn’t going to sit in there and relax.
That would be weird, even though I was wound up from that interaction with Nico.
He didn’t give off murderous vibes. He looked hurt to hear what had happened to Sophie’s mom, Celine.
I took off my clothes and turned on the hot water.
The steam filled the bathroom. I got under the shower spray and my entire body shivered at first, until the hot water thawed me out.
I used Asher’s shampoo to wash my hair. His body wash smelled of fresh cedar and as I washed my body it felt like Asher was everywhere.
I pictured what he’d look like in the shower, with his medium-brown hair wet and those dark eyes closed as hot water rushed over his sun-kissed skin, over his sculpted muscles and those sexy tattoos that ran down his arms. I felt my nipples pucker against the stream.
Desire tightened low in my body. I just needed to take a deep breath.
I inhaled slowly and tried to calm down.
I could admit to myself how attracted I was to Asher.
I knew he didn’t get involved with his employees, but something happened between us the other night.
There was a spark, no, it was already a fire.
A fire he fought hard to put out. It took everything in me to walk away from him.
The fact that I told him I had no experience was insane.
I’d never admitted that to a man before.
I’d kissed my share of frogs, but nothing ever went further because the kiss taught me there was no attraction there.
Asher was different. There was something charged about him, but he was also protective and sexy.
My mind drifted to the fight, and my breathing turned ragged.
I needed to come undone, but that couldn’t happen with him in the next room.
What if he heard me? After I washed up, I got out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel.
Then I did the boldest thing I’d ever done…