Page 64 of Stud Ranch

He let the water wash over his fingertips. “Almost warm enough.”

“I’m sure it’s fine, Shaw.”

“You don’t know these bungalows. The water sometimes takes a bit to heat up.”

“I’ll be okay.” Her tone told him as much too, but he still didn’t want to let her out of his sight, even to get in the shower.

He tested the water one more time before stepping back to allow her into the water. She dropped the towel and stepped under the spray. The low moan of pleasure she issued had his cock stiffening.

Dylan appeared in the doorway with a bottled water that he insisted she needed to stay hydrated. When he entered the bathroom, they both stared at the glorious woman stretching behind the glass door.

Suddenly, she turned her head and looked out. Their figures were probably blurry to her, but she saw they weren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

“I’m fine, guys. I promise. You don’t have to babysit me.”

Shaw moved the basket of expensive soaps and bath oils from a low stool in the corner and took a seat on it. Dylan leaned against the vanity, obviously not budging either.

She twisted back into the spray of water. When she pumped some bodywash into her palm, the scent carried on the steam and hit Shaw in the gut.

God, if anything happened to her, he never could have lived with himself.

He and Dylan waited for her to finish. Shaw was ready with a towel. She took it from his hands, looking up into his eyes for a brief second that stabbed him with even more desire to take her into his arms and shield her forever.

After she dried off, Dylan held up a fluffy spa robe. She came forward and slipped her arms into it. When he turned her to him and knotted the belt around her, she gazed at him for a heartbeat.

“All right, guys. Really—you can quit watching me. I’m not going to collapse. I wasn’t hurt. Search and rescue even checked me out.”

Shaw reached for her. Clasping his hands around her elbows, he drew her closer to his chest. “If search and rescue had taken any longer to reach you, we were prepared to free you ourselves.”

Her sweet lips popped open in surprise. “What were you going to do?”

“We were prepared to pile branches on the mud until we could reach you. Then we were going to smash out a window to pull you out of the car.”

Dylan nodded in agreement. Those minutes they had to wait had been some of the worst of Shaw’s life, and Dylan’s too, if he had to guess.

They all fell silent. Shaw took her by the hand and led her into the bedroom.

She moved to the bed and sank onto the edge. Her small toes curled into the area rug, and she folded her arms around her torso. “I’m going to get a flight out as soon as possible.”

In one swift move, Shaw dropped to his knees in front of her. She sucked in a gasp, eyes round.

“Don’t go, Sloane. You’ve got a few more days booked here. Stay. Rest. Recuperate. Have all the facials and hot stone massages and mud baths—”

“I think I’ll skip the mud.”

Dylan chuckled. “He’s right, though, baby. You need a little recovery time after what happened. You don’t have to leave just yet. If you want…we won’t bother you.”

A tiny crease appeared between her brows. She shifted her gaze from Shaw to Dylan and back again. After an endless second, she shook her head. “I don’t want that. Do you?”

“No,” he said swiftly.

“Hell no,” Dylan added.

She issued a shaky breath. “I want you both. I realized it when I was trapped in that car. Shaw…I’ve always loved you. I knew long ago that I was never going to stop—I’d just have to live with going on without you in my life. And Dylan…” She reached out, and he moved to her side, cradling her hand in his.

“Yes, baby?”

“I’ve been falling in love with you since the minute you greeted me on that dock.” She shook her head again. “That’s only going to grow.”

---