Embracing Today, a firefighter romance: (The Trading Yesterday Series, #3), Kahlen Aymes [essential reading txt] 📗

the feeling that filled me, but it was a mixture of gratitude, jubilation and something deeper. “Um, it doesn’t make sense for you to pay for a room. There are two beds in here and I can deal if you can.”

There was a moment’s hesitation. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. If you’d come all this way to help me, I think I can trust you with my virtue.” It was the truth. “I trust you, Ben. Plus… I feel safer with you here. I’m in room 406.”

“Okay, I’ll be right up. Thank you.”

A small smile graced my mouth as I replaced the phone into its cradle. Why was Ben thanking me after he’d done so much for me? He was truly amazing.

I pushed back the covers and started to stand up, realizing that the towel I’d wrapped around me after the bath had fallen off and was still laying between the sheets. I pulled it out and wrapped it back around me. It was still warmly damp.

I rushed into the bathroom and quickly began to redress. I didn’t quite make it before there was a soft rap on the door.

“I’m coming, Ben!” I said. I didn’t have time to put on my bra, and so shoved it and my panties, into the pocket of my shorts. I couldn’t look at my reflection, but I knew I had bed head like crazy and probably a pillow imprint on my face.

I hurried to the door and quickly opened the double lock. When the door opened, his tall broad-shouldered frame filled the doorway. He stood there with a big duffle slung over his shoulder and an angry look on his face.

My instinct was to hug him, but his expression stopped me cold.

“Don’t you ever open a door without the safety on again!” he commanded.

I stared at him at a loss for words. He was right, of course, but I was so happy to see him, I was hurt by his disposition, and it must have shown on my face.

“But… I knew you were coming up…” I offered.

Instantly, his features softened. “Look, I’m sorry, but I’ve been worried sick.”

I nodded and stepped back from the door as a new sort of rush overtook me. “Come in. I took the bed by the bathroom. Is the other one okay?” For the first time I felt awkward in his presence.

“Sure.”

The minute Ben entered the room it felt about half the size. He was tall and his lean, muscular body seemed to tower over me. The smallness of the space emphasizing that this was the closest I’d ever stood to him.

He moved past me and threw his bag on the bed before turning toward me. “Are you okay?” he asked again, his expression concerned.

“Yes, though I don’t have my suitcase, so I just have this one set of clothes.”

His eyes skated over me standing in the low light. “Did you know this family was like this?”

I shook my head. “No. Carter didn’t mention them much. In fact, hardly at all.”

Ben nodded. “Maybe because they were so shady. He probably was ashamed of them and didn’t want you to know.”

Or he was one of them, my mind protested. “Probably,” I agreed.

“I’d just like to get a quick shower and then get some sleep,” he said, unzipping his bag and rummaging through it.

“Of course. There are plenty of clean towels.”

“Great.” He pulled out a small pile of clothes and handed me a white T-shirt. “You’ll probably swim in this, but at least it’s clean. You can use it for sleep.”

Gratefully, I took the soft cotton shirt, and folded my arms around it. “Thank you,” I said softly. “For everything.” I meant it. “I didn’t expect you to do all of this. I’ll pay you back for the plane ticket.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it. What are friends for? You’d do the same for me, right?”

The corners of my lips lifted in a faint smile. “You know what? I would.”

Ben’s white teeth flashed, and he nodded. “I know.”

I didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but I needed to know about Gem and my horses. “What about Gem?”

“Davis is taking care of the horses and the pup went home with him. I was going to bring her with me, but then…” he hesitated briefly, seeming to struggle with the admission. “I just… needed to get here sooner than driving would allow. You were in trouble, and even the flight took too long.”

I nodded. Heat rose beneath the surface of the skin on my face. “I understand.”

“I trust Davis. I promise.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.” Ben said, then headed toward the bathroom.

I felt embarrassed. The tub was still full of the cold bathwater. “Oh, Ben, I’m sorry, I forgot to drain the tub. I sort of fell asleep as soon as I got out.”

“No worries. I’ll drain it. I have a sister. She did crap like this all the time.” He laughed, then disappeared into the bathroom.

As soon as I heard the door lock, I slipped out of my shorts and shirt and slid into the soft white T-shirt Ben had provided. He was right, it was huge on my smaller frame, but it felt like a big hug from him. I wrapped it around me and crawled under the covers of my bed.

As soon as the warmth of the covers started to permeate my body, my eyelids drooped. I was so sleepy, and now with Ben here, I knew that I could rest easy; I was safe.

BEN

I slept like a log. Once I saw that Marin was safe it was as if my entire body physically uncoiled.

She was sound asleep when I’d come out of the shower and I’d fallen, exhausted, into the second bed after I’d thrown on a clean T-shirt and a pair of loose-fitting knit shorts. I used them for working out, and I figured I could sleep, then drive back to Jackson, in the same set of clothes. I’d barely had time to gather anything before I drove to the airport.

I wasn’t sure