Into The Fire (The Ending Series) by Lindsey Fairleigh, Lindsey Pogue Page B

close to another person,
let alone a man who made me feel so giddy.
    He tensed up, clenched his jaw, and looked away. Abruptly,
he stood, leaving me cold and alone where we’d been warm and cuddling only a
moment before. “Of course. I’m sure you want to shower, hot water and all,” he
said dismissively.
    At the words “hot water” I nearly drooled. All thoughts of
Gabe and beds evaporated as I imagined standing beneath a steaming stream of
hot water. Oh my God…or soaking in an oh-so-hot bath…
    Without another word, I stood and zipped past Gabe into the
hallway and up the stairs, ignoring my aching head the entire time. It only
took me a few seconds to find the master bedroom. Its oak furnishings were as
tasteful as those on the ground floor, and there was a queen bed covered in a
fluffy, bronze-colored down comforter and a wide window fitted with lowered
bamboo blinds. The adjoining bathroom was spacious, including two sinks, an
oversized tub, and a separate stall shower. Definitely a bath ,I
thought blissfully while I toed off my tennis shoes and peeled off my borrowed
sweats. I left the door cracked open a few inches, wondering if Gabe would see
it as an invitation. And yes, it was an invitation.
    I fiddled with the hot and cold knobs on the edge of the
tub, thankful that hot water poured from the faucet within seconds. Glorious
steam floated up from the water’s surface, enticing me to sink in even though
the large tub was only a few inches full. I almost did, but after a quick
glance around the ledge of the bathtub, I noticed an extreme lack of
toiletries. Soap, at least, was a necessity.
    Hopeful, I padded to the cupboards beneath the sinks on the
opposite side of the bathroom, closed my eyes, and whispered, “Please have some
shampoo and conditioner.” I cracked my eyes open to peek into the far right
cupboard and found only cleaning supplies.
    “Damn.”
    The middle cupboard was jammed full of toilet paper and
boxes of tissues. Useful, but not what I’m looking for. Crossing my
fingers, I opened the left cupboard and sighed. Bottles of several types of
shampoo, conditioner, and body wash fought for space with boxes of bar soap,
cans of shaving cream, loofahs, and razors.
    I was going to take a hot bath and shave my legs. “Oh
God,” I groaned.
    “What?” Gabe called from the other side of the door. Evidently,
it hadn’t been a very quiet groan.
    I frowned. He was in the adjoining bedroom, but apparently
he wasn’t planning to cross the doorway and join me in the tub. My pride would
have been wounded if the slight hadn’t been vastly overshadowed by my
excitement about the gallons of hot water awaiting me.
    “Nothing,” I replied. Glancing at the empty towel rack, I
added, “Can you find me a towel? There aren’t any in here.”
    “Sure.”
    While I waited, I searched through the various bottles in
the cupboard, finally settling on some herbal-scented hair products and a
vanilla body wash. It wasn’t bubble bath, but that didn’t stop me from using it
as such. I drizzled the thick, pearly liquid near the faucet, watching the
water churn it into a frothy foam that smelled like vanilla icing. And then I
stepped into heaven. Oh God…
    The moment I sank into the sudsy water, I could have died from
contentment. Closing my eyes, I savored the sensations, comparing the luxurious
heat of the bath to the icy water I was used to…and then I sat bolt upright.
Water splashed against the sides of the tub, spilling over the edge in a few
places. I turned off the faucet. When was the last time I bathed —and
where? I couldn’t remember, exactly, but I had the feeling it had been
outside. I could almost feel the stinging sensation of water from a frigid
mountain creek gliding down my bare skin, but I couldn’t actually remember. What
the hell?
    Taking a deep, soothing breath, I settled back into the hot
water, rested my head against the porcelain edge, and closed my eyes.
    “You decent?” Gabe