27. Sydney
CHAPTER 27
SYDNEY
By the time we find a hotel, the adrenaline has worn off. It’s not a fun, exciting adventure anymore. I’m cold. I’m wet. I want my mom and a hug. West offering his arm for warmth was unexpected, and it made me want to latch onto him and not let go. I refrained because I didn’t want to scare him into jumping from a moving taxi.
I stare at the carpet in our hotel room, where my sweatshirt has managed to summon up a few more drips of water to splat on the ground.
West takes off his shirt and drops it on the desk, then presses a hand against his collarbone as he stretches.
“Are you alright?”
He closes his eyes and nods. “Not the worst fight I’ve been in.”
“We’re going to be okay, aren’t we?” I ask. I don’t like how shaky my voice sounds.
West’s eyes fly open, and he looks at me for a minute, then takes his hat off. “Come here.”
He holds a hand out toward me.
The tattoos wrap around that forearm, and a strong, capable hand is extended toward me.
“Why is one of your arms red?” I ask as I stare at those muscles.
West looks down, comparing his forearms to each other. He looks annoyed. “It’s the arm I rest on the wheel. It got a little sunburnt. Now come here.”
He holds out his hands again.
I find myself stepping closer, reaching out with my hand.
Is he going to give me that hug I so desperately need right now? A bare-chested hug from West? I’ll take it.
But when he pulls me close, he releases my hand and reaches for my sleeve. He slowly tugs my arms loose from the wet sweatshirt then grabs the hem at my waist and slowly pulls it off.
Unfortunately, damp clothes don’t like to separate from each other, and there’s a moment of panic as I feel air touch my bare torso.
He yanks the sweatshirt off the top of my head, and my shirt flies off with it.
My eyes widen as I glance down at my bare torso, then I look up to see if West is horrified.
He’s not.
“Oops.” His eyes are on my face as he drops my wet clothes onto the desk next to his. Warm hands clasp my arms. “You need to go take a warm shower. The world seems like a dim place when you’re freezing.”
I nod, but I don’t move.
I really think I might already be frozen here if it weren’t for the warm look in his eye. “We need to get rid of the drive. I should do that first.”
West grabs my arm and leads me to the bathroom, where he starts the shower, even setting a clean towel on the hook closest to the shower door.
“Get warmed up, then come out, and we’ll talk. Let me worry about what to do with the drive.”
“West?”
He tenses then looks at me. We stare at each other.
“Thanks for keeping me alive.” I hate that my eyes are misting right now. It makes me feel weak. He sighs then takes a step toward me with his arms opened wide.
He’s offering me a hug. And I’m not about to turn it down. I step into his embrace and wrap my arms around his waist.
My cheek rests on his bare chest, and his arms are tight around me. Who knew that West would be such a good hugger? He’s even got that perfect circle-back-rubbing motion down. I melt even more when he runs a hand over the back of my head. Dang, he is good. I feel safe. Protected. Like it’s going to be okay.
I’m shivering, and I can see goosebumps on his skin, so I force myself to step out of his embrace. “Thank you.”
He visibly swallows and gives a jerky nod.
With that, he flips the lock on the bathroom door and slips out of the bathroom, closing it after himself. I’m frozen in place while I process the fact that West just saw me shirtless but acted like it was no big deal.
I’m not sure if I should be pleased or offended.
I peel off my wet pants and underwear. I can feel the warm steam coming from the shower, and I know I will feel better once I’m in there.
Opening the curtain, I’m hit with a stronger blast of warmth. I fight for my life, trying to get out of my wet jeans and bra.
I step under the warm spray. “Ouch!” I yell. The water burns my shoulders, and I have to dance away. “Do you normally shower in hell?”
If I didn’t know better, I’d swear I can hear a laugh on the other side of the door. I adjust the temperature to a reasonable heat level and enjoy the warmth. After twenty minutes in bliss, I realize that West was right. The world is dim when you’re cold.
But when you’re standing in a steaming-hot shower, the world is full of possibilities. And I can think of thirty million possibilities.