washed his hair. Then he turned the water off and wrapped a towel around his waist. He padded barefoot to the kitchen, downed a tall glass of water, and then made his way into the bedroom.
He tossed the towel in the hamper and collapsed onto his bed. Graysen surrounded him. The scent of her body lotion lingered on the sheets and his pillows. “Damn it. She should be here sleeping in my arms instead of halfway across the ranch.” He wrapped his arms around the empty pillow and inhaled warm vanilla as he drifted off to sleep.
***
The next morning, Graysen woke up still snuggling the dress she wore last night. She clutched it tightly to her chest and inhaled deeply. It smelled like his shaving lotion. She could still feel him on her body. The mild ache between her legs made her smile because it was a reminder of what Colt and she had done last night. She relived those moments over and over again as she made her way through the cabin to the bathroom where she peeled off her robe and giggled. If anyone knew what she was doing in that sundress last night they wouldn’t believe her. She turned on the shower above the vintage claw-foot tub and pulled the curtain around on the rod.
Graysen returned from her icy shower and found Harper sitting on her bed, brushing her hair.
“Gray, can I ask you something?” Harper wasn’t her usual cheerful self. She was quiet, which was never a good sign.
Great … it’s Harper’s version of the Spanish Inquisition. Graysen shook her head in a back-off-now way, but she might have well been dealing with a deaf, blind, mute.
Frowning and oblivious to Graysen’s apparent desire to avoid the conversation, Harper continued, “Late last night, I got up to get a drink.”
It was just Graysen’s luck that something like this would happen. Sneaking out in the middle of the night hadn’t been the most well-thought-out plan, but driven by desire last night, she wasn’t thinking objectively about it.
“And?” she asked Harper casually. She wasn’t about to incriminate herself, and chose to feign ignorance until her younger sister played her hand.
“And ... you weren’t in your bed, sleeping. I went out to the kitchen to get a drink. You were nowhere to be found. I stayed awake, wondering if I should wake Mom and Dad, and then I heard you slip into the bedroom.”
“Did you tell anyone?” Graysen looked concerned.
“No ... But what’s going on, Gray? It seems like you are always staying at the cabin or disappearing somewhere. I thought you had a migraine. Where did you go last night?” Harper stood up from the bed and set her hairbrush down, her hazel eyes brimming with concern. She put her arms around Graysen and gave her a hug.
“Harper, do you swear you won’t tell anyone?” Graysen knew she needed to tell her sister something to make her back off.
“Yes, I cross my heart and hope to ….” She rolled her eyes. “… Die. Spill it, Gray! You know I won’t tell a soul. I’ll pinky swear if you want … Geesh.”
Graysen sighed and gave in. If she was going to be involved with Colt it would be wise to have someone in her corner. “I met a guy, here at the ranch. I was with him last night.”
Harper’s eyes widened, and her face lit up. “Oh my god! I knew it! Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Is he hot? Wait a minute! I know exactly who it is! It’s that handsome ranch hand, isn’t it? It’s Colt!”
“Shhh … Harper! Keep your voice down!”
“Oh, Graysen! He’s unbelievably gorgeous, I’m so jealous!” she squealed.
“Carson thinks he is too old for me, so he is definitely way too old for you,” Graysen laughed.
“Wait, what did you guys do last night?” Harper’s voice burned with curiosity.
Graysen let her have all the unexciting details of her evening. “We just went for a walk.” Colt had walked her back to the cabin, so she wasn’t really misleading her sister.
“So do you like him?” Once Harper started chattering away
He tossed the towel in the hamper and collapsed onto his bed. Graysen surrounded him. The scent of her body lotion lingered on the sheets and his pillows. “Damn it. She should be here sleeping in my arms instead of halfway across the ranch.” He wrapped his arms around the empty pillow and inhaled warm vanilla as he drifted off to sleep.
***
The next morning, Graysen woke up still snuggling the dress she wore last night. She clutched it tightly to her chest and inhaled deeply. It smelled like his shaving lotion. She could still feel him on her body. The mild ache between her legs made her smile because it was a reminder of what Colt and she had done last night. She relived those moments over and over again as she made her way through the cabin to the bathroom where she peeled off her robe and giggled. If anyone knew what she was doing in that sundress last night they wouldn’t believe her. She turned on the shower above the vintage claw-foot tub and pulled the curtain around on the rod.
Graysen returned from her icy shower and found Harper sitting on her bed, brushing her hair.
“Gray, can I ask you something?” Harper wasn’t her usual cheerful self. She was quiet, which was never a good sign.
Great … it’s Harper’s version of the Spanish Inquisition. Graysen shook her head in a back-off-now way, but she might have well been dealing with a deaf, blind, mute.
Frowning and oblivious to Graysen’s apparent desire to avoid the conversation, Harper continued, “Late last night, I got up to get a drink.”
It was just Graysen’s luck that something like this would happen. Sneaking out in the middle of the night hadn’t been the most well-thought-out plan, but driven by desire last night, she wasn’t thinking objectively about it.
“And?” she asked Harper casually. She wasn’t about to incriminate herself, and chose to feign ignorance until her younger sister played her hand.
“And ... you weren’t in your bed, sleeping. I went out to the kitchen to get a drink. You were nowhere to be found. I stayed awake, wondering if I should wake Mom and Dad, and then I heard you slip into the bedroom.”
“Did you tell anyone?” Graysen looked concerned.
“No ... But what’s going on, Gray? It seems like you are always staying at the cabin or disappearing somewhere. I thought you had a migraine. Where did you go last night?” Harper stood up from the bed and set her hairbrush down, her hazel eyes brimming with concern. She put her arms around Graysen and gave her a hug.
“Harper, do you swear you won’t tell anyone?” Graysen knew she needed to tell her sister something to make her back off.
“Yes, I cross my heart and hope to ….” She rolled her eyes. “… Die. Spill it, Gray! You know I won’t tell a soul. I’ll pinky swear if you want … Geesh.”
Graysen sighed and gave in. If she was going to be involved with Colt it would be wise to have someone in her corner. “I met a guy, here at the ranch. I was with him last night.”
Harper’s eyes widened, and her face lit up. “Oh my god! I knew it! Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Is he hot? Wait a minute! I know exactly who it is! It’s that handsome ranch hand, isn’t it? It’s Colt!”
“Shhh … Harper! Keep your voice down!”
“Oh, Graysen! He’s unbelievably gorgeous, I’m so jealous!” she squealed.
“Carson thinks he is too old for me, so he is definitely way too old for you,” Graysen laughed.
“Wait, what did you guys do last night?” Harper’s voice burned with curiosity.
Graysen let her have all the unexciting details of her evening. “We just went for a walk.” Colt had walked her back to the cabin, so she wasn’t really misleading her sister.
“So do you like him?” Once Harper started chattering away
Similar Books
