Page 60 of Radar

The man focused on Radar, then lifted an arm. “Yeah, no, just confused. Too much to drink.” Then he stumbled up the path with the gait of a sober man, trying to feign inebriation.

Xander shut the door, threw the bolt, and watched through the window until the man was out of sight.

And only then did he process how damned cold he was.

“Good job, Radar.” Xander gave his dog a thorough belly rub, then pointed to the bed. “Radar, load.”

Elyssa was out like a light. She was wearing his shirt, and his suitcase zipper was loud, so Xander rubbed his hands over his bare skin to warm himself before getting back in bed to keep from startling her awake.

It was good that one of them was getting some sleep.

Chapter Twenty-One

Elyssa

Sunday

Lumberjack, Alaska

Her watch, buzzing on her wrist, woke Elyssa.

That alarm meant she had thirty minutes to get out the door and over to the parking lot where her ride would pick her up.

It was too soon.

Elyssa wanted more time to get to know Xander Belov. He made her feel special, cared for, and most of all, respected.

She’d spent a wonderful night with him—yeah, everything about their time together was incredible. She felt amazing.

Elyssa could use more nights like last night in her life.

Couldn’t every woman?

Lying in Xander’s arms with Radar at her feet had a magnetic pull, keeping her in bed, clinging to every moment she could stay here, and regretting the medical condition that was forcing her onto an early flight home.

Despite her POTS condition, Elyssa wasnota dainty flower by any stretch of the imagination.

Yes, she had a delicately featured face, and she preferred romantic clothes and long hair. But for real, Elyssa had never led a rose-petal lifestyle.

She was, even after the sunset on her athletic career, a woman with defined muscles, and muscle was heavy. That, coupled with her height, which was the same as the average U.S. male, gave her privileges her smaller friends didn’t enjoy. She felt safer doing things like declining to fawn and pet the Gastonsof the world. There were, after all, only so many men who could physically lift her. Especially since, as Xander had pointed out during their chat in the lodge, men often skipped deadlift-butt day.

Xander could lift her with ease.

What an amazing sensation Elyssa enjoyed when he tossed her around the bed like she was a rag doll.

It was glorious! And fun. And weirdly freeing.

Up until her sexy time with Xander, Elyssa couldn’t imagine the appeal. But now, she understood why her friends raved when they found a man who could manhandle them (in the best sense of that word).

It had set off something primal and wild in her psyche.

Exquisite, what other word could she choose?

Addictive.If Xander is a drug, shoot it straight into my veins.

Her watch buzzed her again.Ugh.

Decisions had been made when hitting the snooze button. Possibly poor decisions, but Elyssa had now waited until the very last minute before she needed to leave Xander’s arms.

---