Page 56 of Stormswept Colorado

She sat up straighter, going to unbuckle her seatbelt. I beat her to it, pressing the button and gently lifting the cross belt. “Thanks,” she said softly. “I should’ve stayed awake with you. That’s like, a road trip rule.”

“I didn’t mind. But thereissomething we should still talk about. That email earlier. I might have some ideas for tracking down who sent it.”

She nodded. “Okay. Not tonight though. I’m too worn out to talk about that.”

“Later, then.”

The inn was all lit up. The entrance building had once been the old ranch house on this property. Stone and rustic timber, with a generous porch. But the building beyond it was a more modern addition. Snow blanketed the peaked roof line. Smoke puffed from the chimneys against the night sky.

But the instant Ayla spoke again, I forgot about everything else. “You really didn’t mind me falling asleep?” she asked. “You didn’t miss me?” Her tone wasflirty. Teasing.

Adrenaline and heat roared to life like a match struck against kindling.

I’d been getting tired those last miles, but now I was wide awake.

“Oh, I missed you. Had to keep my mind busy by replaying how you felt up against me.” I reached over and rested my hand on her thigh. Then lifted it to stroke her chin. “What your kisses tasted like.”

I was tempted to pull her into the backseat with me. We were late already, so nobody would know if we were out in the parking lot another half hour, right? How tired was she, really?

Except I didn’t want this woman in the backseat of a car if we could stretch out in a bed. And I certainly didn’t want to settle for half an hour if I could have her all night.

I imagined laying her out in front of a roaring fireplace. Kissing and touching every part of her while the flames cast dancing shadows over her naked skin.

Should I ask her to come to my hotel room after we checked in? I was so out of practice with this kind of thing.

She inhaled. “Teller?—”

The front door to the inn burst open, and Grace and Callum came charging out. Grace wore a parka with a fur-lined hood pulled up around her face. She and her brother both waved as they crossed the parking lot toward us.

Shit, the universe kept having the worst timing today.

They went to Ayla’s side of the car and opened her door. “You made it,” Grace said. “We’ve been so worried.”

Ayla jumped down, returning Grace’s hug. “I’m sorry. We went off the road and got stuck. There was no cell service.”

“No, it’s fine. We know all about it. Officer Nichols called with updates. But how crazy is this storm,right? Wait, why are you wearing Teller’s coat?” Grace slammed the door closed, so I didn’t hear Ayla’s response.

I dropped my head against the seat back.

After a few seconds, I realized Callum was staring at methrough the windshield, so I got out. “Long day?” he asked, rounding the vehicle with me to help me get the luggage.

“In some ways.” I’d draped Ayla’s coat in the backseat to finish drying, so I grabbed that too.

I needed to find a way to get her alone again. Pretty much my top priority at this moment, aside from breathing.

“You and Ayla were stuck together for a few hours there.” Callum’s tone held some kind of a question.

“Yep.”

“Looks like you both came out unscathed.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” I muttered.

NINETEEN

Ayla

The insideof the Last Refuge Inn was just as quaint as the outside. Lots of wood and warm, homey accents. Black and white historical photos adorned the walls. The place smelled like cinnamon and pine.

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