Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 113272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Why didn’t she have anything to put on?
“I’m just going to go get some more clothes,” she said, moving toward the bathroom door.
But Horse let out another god-awful wail and she froze.
Darn it.
She had to get him out first.
“Thanks for checking on me,” she said, her arm still across her breasts. “I’m fine and so is Horse. You guys should go back to bed.”
“We’ll help you,” Eli stated.
“Oh, you really don’t have to. I’m not sure he’d like that.”
But Eli had already whipped off his sweater. He wore a black singlet underneath that showcased his very impressive biceps.
Holy yumminess.
Arabella knew she was staring but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. How could he be that muscular? And tanned?
And sexy?
“You’re drooling.”
Her gaze moved to Kellan as he spoke.
What?
Then his words infiltrated her brain.
Oh. God.
She wasn’t, was she? She couldn’t be drooling. She tried to move her hand up to brush it over her mouth, but then she realized that her arms were trapped in Eli’s oversized sweater.
“I am not,” she muttered as she attempted to get her arms into the holes. Unfortunately, the sweater wasn’t cooperating.
“Urgh! Why is this thing so hard to get on?” she cried.
“Here, let me help you,” Eli said calmly as Kellan grabbed the towel she’d dropped.
She watched nervously as he approached Horse, barely noticing that Eli was basically dressing her.
Eli slid her hands through each hole and she headed toward Kellan.
“Be careful. I don’t think he’ll like you touching him.”
To her shock, though, Horse didn’t complain as Kellan wrapped the towel around him, lifting him out of the bath. But as soon as his feet were on the floor, he padded over to her, pressing into her so heavily that she nearly toppled.
Eli placed his hand on her back to keep her from falling and Horse growled at him.
“Horse,” she said in exasperation as she started to dry him. “Really? Eli wasn’t hurting me. And you just let Kellan touch you.”
“Maybe he prefers me to Eli,” Kellan said dryly. “Most people do.”
Was that . . . was that a joke?
“Did you just make a joke?” she asked.
“He can’t have,” Eli replied. “He doesn’t know how to joke.”
Yeah, that’s what she’d thought.
But that meant he was delusional.
“Sometimes it’s best not to say anything,” Eli advised, as though he could read her mind.
Kellan sighed, rolling his eyes. “I know how to joke.”
“Uh-huh. Sure you do,” Eli said.
“Anyway, I don’t think it’s us touching him that he has a problem with. It’s us touching you,” Kellan told her.
Oh. That was actually a good point.
A wave of exhaustion ran through her. What she really needed to do was get some sleep.
“Thanks for coming to help. And again, I’m sorry that we woke you up.”
Eli frowned. “You’re sure you don’t need us to stay?”
She shook her head. “I’m fine. We’re just going to sleep now. Right, Horse?”
Horse gave a huff that she was taking as agreement.
“Come on,” Kellan said, taking hold of Eli’s arm as though he was preparing to drag him out. But Eli nodded and followed him out of the bathroom. She and Horse walked after them and she glanced at the door.
Wait . . .
“How did you get in here?” she asked.
“Oh,” Kellan said. “I have a keycard for this room.”
Eli grimaced and shot his brother a look. Kellan just stared back at him.
“What?” Kellan asked.
“You shouldn’t have told her that. It makes you sound like a stalker or something.”
“I just have it in case of emergency. The room is under my name.”
It was?
Okay, she understood why the hotel had given him a card. But not why he’d kept it.
“Give me the card,” she said, holding out her hand.
“Why?” Kellan asked.
“Because I don’t feel comfortable with you being able to enter my hotel room whenever you like.”
“I would knock,” Kellan told her seriously. As though that made everything all right. As though she should be able to sleep easy now.
Not that she really thought he would harm her. But she was a woman on her own and she had to be more careful with her safety.
More careful than you have been lately, anyway.
“Unless I thought you were in danger,” he added, totally taking away from what he’d just been saying.
“Card,” she said firmly.
“Kellan, you can’t keep a keycard to this room,” Eli told him. “And you know it.”
Kellan sighed and dug the card out of his pocket, handing it over to her. “I think I should keep it. Clearly, you have issues with asking for help. But, fine. If you need any more assistance, call. Or you will not like the consequences. Make certain that you are up and ready at eight.”
Eli sighed as his brother left. “He really is a good guy. He just sees things in black and white sometimes. He’s really intelligent and analytical, but not great with emotions.”