tingle ran up my arm. There was definitely something in the water, and I hoped it was good that my body reacted the way it had. I really didn’t want to die again so soon.
Moving across the yard, I took in the small guest house. It was a mini version of the main house with the same rock siding, but only a single story and with much smaller windows. It sat higher up on the hill, though, so I assumed the view would be just as impressive.
The door opened up into a small living room that included two couches, a TV on the wall, and a coffee table in the middle with an assortment of board games tucked underneath it. Immediately to the left was a small kitchen with barely any counter space. Major cooking would definitely be taking place in the main house.
Off to the right was a short hallway and three doors. Opening the first one, I entered a bedroom with a double bed, dresser, and small closet. A smirk lifted on my face. Jordan was going to hate this place. The closet wouldn’t even fit her shoes.
I found the second bedroom to be the exact same, and the bathroom was nothing to write home about until I caught my reflection in the mirror. Moving into the small space, I held on to the counter as I peered closer. Cheese and rice, my ears were pointy. Okay, not like those of an elf, but there was a noticeable change.
Running my fingers through my hair, I realized it was silky and wavy in all the ways I had always wished. After spending however long in the water, it should have been a tangled mess. Even my skin had a slight glow to it, but thankfully, my eyes were still the same.
Deciding I’d dealt with enough for the first part of the day, I headed back to the first room and plopped down on the bed, not even bothering to remove my shoes before I passed out.
When a weight dipped onto the bed and I realized it was pitch black in the room, I was momentarily pissed my parents had let me sleep all afternoon and evening. That was until the body next to me was pulling the comforter back and I couldn’t see a damn thing.
Moving over, I assumed Jordan was getting into bed with me, but when there was a grunt followed by a hand around my throat, I quickly realized that was not the case.
Using the skills that I’d worked almost a year to hone, I grabbed the wrist of my attacker and twisted before flipping him onto his back. “What the hell are you doing in here?” I snapped while pinning his arms above his head.
I only knew it was a guy, because he wasn’t wearing a shirt and a muscled chest was barely visible as my eyes adjusted in the tiny bit of moonlight that peeked through the closed curtains.
“I was about to ask you the same thing.”
I recognized Ryland’s voice from earlier in the day, and I was once again thankful he wasn’t a relative considering I was straddling him, but that didn’t last long. He ripped his arms from my grasp and, with little effort, grabbed my waist to toss me back on the other side of the mattress before rolling off the bed.
“Are you staying here?” he asked as he turned on the bedroom light.
“Of course, I am. It’s my parents’ house.”
He glared as I moved from the bed to stand level with him. “No, this is their guest house. A house I normally stay in when they’re home. Why don’t you stay in the main house?”
“Because they offered it to me. Not that it’s really any of your business,” I retorted. He smelled of alcohol, and gone was the kindness he’d shown me earlier. A scowl marred his face, and I was not awake enough to deal with his diva attitude. “So, run along to your own house,” I added when he continued to glower.
Besides the similar eye color, Ryland had tanned skin and russet hair that fell over his forehead in that natural messy way I’d always found appealing. His broad shoulders and muscled abs were also on full display, and I let my gaze wander until he cleared his throat.
“Enjoying the view?” He smirked, which was better than his previous surly attitude, but still not something I wanted to deal with after being rudely woken.
“Nope. Just sizing up the