latter were closest, she glanced around in search of the source.
Tyler was rolled up in the spare blanket on the floor, the other pillow from her bed beneath his head. His hair was rumpled for a change, and she was quite certain he had no shirt on. She could see a glimpse of bare shoulders and back where the blanket fell off. He was as golden-brown there as he was everywhere else. She wondered what it would be like to touch him. The thought was very tempting. He had such wide shoulders, and they bulged intriguingly. Her gaze drifted down to his blanket-covered hips and stopped. What if... ?
She wasn't given a chance to wonder long. As the noise outside grew rowdier, Tyler stirred. With a practice swipe, he rubbed the hair out of his eyes with the back of his arm while reaching beneath his pillow. The blanket fell back, and he was on his feet with revolver in hand before Evie could follow his intent.
He wore trousers. Stifling an irrepressible giggle of disappointment, Evie reached for the robe that had been shoved into her valise last night. Tyler Monteigne without his shirt was more man than she could deal with at this hour of the morning.
Without a word, he grabbed the shirt he had flung over the chair and pulled it on. Not bothering to fasten it, he eased open the door, taking in as much of the scene below as he could from this angle. Evie could see the tension in the muscles of his back as they stiffened against the linen. She wished she'd had more time to see the other side of him.
To her surprise, Tyler gave a piercing whistle. A moment later, he stepped back and Benjamin pushed Daniel through the door. They slammed it and threw the bar while the commotion continued out on the dock.
"Evie!" Daniel glanced in horror from his sister's state of undress to Tyler in his unfastened shirt.
He missed the other man's lifted eyebrows at this new name, but Evie didn't. She gazed swiftly at the soft V of curly hair on Tyler's chest, then turned to her shocked brother. "Don't be silly, Daniel. Now look what you've done." She tightened her robe and swung her feet out of bed. "Benjamin, I hope you brought Mr. Monteigne a clean shirt. Maybe then he can be persuaded to put it on properly."
Benjamin grinned and leaned against the door as he watched Daniel square off against the man eyeing him askance. Keeping a cautious gaze on Daniel, Tyler aimed his words at Evie. She'd let her loose braids down around her shoulders, but she was wearing half a dozen petticoats beneath her morning robe. He couldn't see as much of her as she of him.
"Evie, is it? Have you any more secrets to unveil before the boat moves out, Miss Peyton? Or is it Peyton? I thought we'd reached an agreement last night."
That took some of the wind out of Daniel's sails. He threw Evie an apologetic glance.
"The name is Peyton, and you may continue to call me Maryellen, Mr. Monteigne." She drew out the word tauntingly. "Now if you will all excuse me, I would like to dress. No thanks to a certain someone, my gowns are all rumpled no matter what I wear."
Daniel put his fists down and shoved them in his pockets. Tyler looked as if he might scalp her.
Ignoring her command, he turned to Ben. "I take it that's Dorset out on the dock."
"He turned the inn upside down at daybreak. Me and the boy here came down the back way." Benjamin turned to Evie. "Your trunks are all loaded, ma'am. You'll just need to tell a porter which ones you want in the room." He turned an inquiring look to Tyler. "Shall I have your bags sent up here, too? Dorset's telling the captain he can't leave until the sheriff has searched the boat."
"The captain will throw him overboard before he allows that. I can hear the boiler warming up now."
Evie watched Tyler throw Daniel a considering look. Apparently knowing when to walk away, he shrugged his shoulders and gave up any thought of sharing the elegant stateroom.
"I'll join the two of you downstairs, and we can leave the lady to her ablutions," he said.
Before Evie had time to express relief, Tyler turned in her direction. "You and I are going to have a long talk as soon as we get some food in us. Don't