It was early. Her alarm had gone off at seven o'clock sharp, and Piper was instantly awake. The room was cold. Someone had either turned the heat off or turned it too far down. Huddling under the blankets, she contemplated hitting the snooze and going back to sleep. But she wanted to be up before everyone else. Morning was her favorite time of day. She loved the quiet solitude it provided as she sipped that first cup of coffee.
She peeled back the heavy covers and climbed out of the cozy nest of the bed. Frost had grown on the windows overnight, the icy tendrils beautiful in the early white light. Matt didn't even stir.
In the cold, she dashed about, gathering her clothes for the day, her toes turning into mini icicles. She couldn't wait to get into the shower and turn on the hot water. Then she could make some coffee and try to rebuild the fire.
The bathroom was just as cold as the bedroom. She shivered, not looking forward to taking off her flannel pajamas, even if she would only be out in the cold for a few seconds before getting under the hot water.
A blast of steam greeted her when she turned on the shower. Instant heated water. Nice. The cabin might be rustic, but someone had gone to a lot of trouble to add a few extra touches. Slipping out of her pajamas, she hopped into the shower. The heat was delightful. And being that it was such a small bathroom, it warmed up rather quickly. After scrubbing her hair clean, shaving her legs, and soaping down, she shut off the water and reached outside the curtain for her towel.
Nothing.
No towel.
The counter of the bathroom sink was empty.
Dang it, she forgot to grab her towel drying over a chair in the bedroom.
She slid back the shower curtain to get another towel out of the cupboard, when the adjoining door opened and Jacob walked in.
All she saw was his green eyes scanning her naked body.
She froze.
Like a fawn startled by a hunter, she jumped back into the tub and yanked the curtain across.
"What in the hell, Henderson?" he asked. "Have you not heard of locks?" His voice cracked.
The blood pounded in her ears. Oh, my God. Jacob had seen her naked. In her mind, it had never happened like this. It was always romantic and sensual and ... "Get out of here!"
"Hey, I'm not the one who left the door open."
He didn't seem to be going anywhere.
"I thought I'd locked it. Could you hand me a towel, please?"
"Now why would I do something like that?"
"Because I'm naked in the shower, and you're a gentleman."
"Who said I was a gentleman? If I knew you were putting on a free show..."
"It's not a free show!"
"Well, if that was just a taste, I'd pay money to see more." His voice became growly and low.
Was he serious? Or was he just teasing her again? Making fun of her. She started to shiver behind the curtain. She wasn't sure if it was from the cold or from the desire that throbbed through her. Memories of the noises coming from his bedroom last night ran through her head. There was no way he was serious. He had that big-breasted bimbo in there. She couldn't compete with her. "Could I have a towel, Jacob, please?" She didn't know why, but she was on the verge of tears. Her words came out thick and slow.
She heard a shift in his voice. "I've got one. Here you go." His hand appeared behind the curtain with a fluffy yellow towel.
She took it from him and wrapped herself up tight. Then she sat on the inside edge of the tub, not daring to move or to breathe. If she said one more word, she thought she might burst into tears.
"I'll go make some coffee. Heaven forbid I should let you do it." The teasing quality to his voice was back. It was the old Jacob. The safe Jacob.
Before she could thank him for the towel, she heard the door close.
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