sleeping with her boyfriends after sex, but this just felt right.
The rainstorm had finally abated, and it was quiet outside—apart from all the night creatures that howled, chirped, and squeaked through the darkness. Julia had never felt so much at peace. Both her body and her mind were in harmony for the first time in years.
How could she possibly have thought he’d be forgettable? That one night with him would be enough to satisfy her desires for the rest of her life? She stroked her fingers through his chest hair and reminded herself of all the reasons why they couldn’t be together. They argued all the time, he teased her too much, she got in his face . . . none of those things were good indicators of a stable and lasting relationship. She craned her neck to check the time on his watch and considered getting up, but that would mean the end of their idyll, and she wasn’t quite ready for it to be over yet.
With a sigh, she pressed her cheek against his warm skin, pulled the sleeping bag back over her shoulders, and allowed herself to enjoy the uniqueness of Kaiden Miller for as long as he kept sleeping.
The next time she woke she was alone in the bed, and sunlight from the opened window slanted across the cabin. There was no sign of Kaiden, but he’d obviously been busy. The fire had been raked out and was stacked with wood again, there was a kettle of water steaming on the stove and a protein bar sitting on the table had her name written on it.
Julia got out of bed, wincing at her own stiffness, and walked over to the window. Outside, Kaiden was already busy changing the tire on her truck. She considered rushing out there just to remind him that she was perfectly capable of doing it for herself, but something stopped her. For the first time in about twenty years she didn’t feel sure of herself. What the heck was she going to say to Kaiden? God, what did she even want to say?
She hurried back to the bed and discovered that he’d picked up her clothes and set them in a neat pile beside the fire. The kitchen had been scrubbed with something that smelled lemony and he’d also set out a bowl and washcloth for her beside the kettle. Despite his easygoing attitude, he was a surprisingly organized and tidy person.
She had a quick wash, shivering as she uncovered each portion of her skin, and climbed into her clothes, not caring they weren’t fresh because she was so glad to be warm. She stuck the protein bar in her pocket and eyed the door. She needed the bathroom, which meant she’d have to walk past Kaiden and at least acknowledge his presence.
“This isn’t high school prom, Julia,” she muttered to herself. “Grow up, get out there, and just be your normal self.”
Except she didn’t feel like her normal self. She felt super aware of everything, the rasp of the washcloth against her skin, the slight swelling on her lip where he’d accidentally bitten her as he climaxed, the languorous ease of her limbs . . .
“Stop it,” she said firmly. “You really need to pee.”
Just before she went out the door, she grabbed the dish mop and brought it out with her to deal with any spiders.
“Hey,” Kaiden called out to her as she came down the steps.
“Hey, sorry I slept in.” She raised her hand to shield her eyes against the sun to try and see him. “I’ve just got to use the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”
She scurried off, scolding herself for the totally fake cheerfulness of her voice, knowing that he wouldn’t miss it. She was horribly aware that unless she wanted to spend the rest of the day with the spiders she’d have to come back out at some point and talk to him.
When she did return, he had his back to her and was busy jacking up her father’s truck. He’d already removed the spare tire that had failed and had the new one standing by.
“Anything I can do to help?” Julia went toward him.
“Yeah, can you find my other glove? I must have dropped it when I moved the tire.”
Julia glanced around and discovered it beside his open toolbox.
“Here you go.”
“Thanks.” His attention was all on the positioning of the jack, which she quite understood. “Can you put it down beside me? I’ll have this