Page 14 of In Love with a Ranger

Gideon swallowed, raised a hand slightly from his crutch, and waved. He wasn’t sure what to say or do – because he was effectively trapped – and seeing her standing there in that towel?

He was more than okay with being stuck here with her.

Christina.

5

* * *

CHRISTINA

Standing there in her towel, Christina couldn’t tell who was more shocked. Oh, she was expecting a roommate all right. She and Daphne had been hinted at it several times and flat out told today, but she never imagined it would be a man nor did she picture him like this. When Jill and Houghton left, she immediately went to soak once more in the luxurious bath while there was privacy. It was her favorite thing to do each evening, and she knew that when the other person got here, that enjoyment would come to an abrupt halt. She certainly didn’t expect the couple to return so quickly… or this.

He was staring at her like a man spotting an oasis in the middle of the Sahara. His dark eyes must have looked her up and down at least twenty times like he was searching for a pattern, an answer, or some clue as to what to do next, and he was huge. I mean, not like Fabio-huge on the weathered and worn romance novels you saw at thrift stores and garage sales for a nickel, but this man certainly filled the doorway.

A stranger was filling the doorway to her cabin – and she was here in a towel. This was insane and a heck of a greeting, and she froze. This was a greeting, right? Not some weirdo who snuck onto the property and took a wild guess at her name, or was about to attack her.

“Who are you?”

“Gideon Beck – and your roommate.”

“You’re a guy.”

“You’re definitely a woman.”

That husky timbre of his voice made her pause as her hand holding the knife at him trembled. Oh yes, he was certainly noticing her, and she was well aware of him.

He had a presence to him, some sort of energy that made her stop. This man was all business, looked like he didn’t smile much, or was a complete sourpuss when it came to life, and that seemed like a shame. Even for someone as driven and dedicated as her toward her degree, she always took time to hollow out a few moments to just be ‘real,’ to allow herself to be normal, relaxed, feminine, or downright girly – which was why she was pampering herself in the bath.

“You stay here,” she ordered bluntly, wagging the knife at him. “Don’t move…”

“Oh, I’m not – and not because of that little ‘sticker’ you’re shaking at me.”

“Huh?”

“You think you can hurt me with that thing?”

“I could slow you down.”

“Christina, you’d barely scratch me with that knife,” he uttered softly, almost as if he was daring her and relishing the sound of her name. “But if you want to try – I’m game.”

“Stop it,” she snapped. “Wait outside while I get dressed.”

“You told me to stay here.”

“Fine. Whatever. Turn around.”

“That would require me moving,” he said simply – and his lips twitched. The blasted man was toying with her and thought this was funny. Seeing the humor flick across his face along with a light in his eyes, well, that only made him more attractive, and he was already a problem

“Shut up,” she growled in frustration.

“I’m not saying anything.”

“But you did – and you’re laughing at me.”

“This is quite an amusing situation we find ourselves in,” he said simply, hesitating and pointing at himself. “Am I overdressed for this meet and greet?”

“Arggghhh,” she growled, tossing the knife onto the counter and flinging her hands in the air as she walked off, yelling at him. “Stay there!”

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