Free Cross Country Christmas by Tiffany King Page B

trance.
    What was I doing here? Talk about playing with fire. Everything in me knew I was asking to get burned. It was time to get a grip. "Um, bathroom," I reminded him, seeking to get a little distance between us. As nice as it was to languish in his arms while I admired his physique, it was hard to want to go any further without wondering if I would only get hurt in the long run.
    "Right," he said, heading for the bathroom. It didn't surprise me to see how luxurious the bathroom was in our suite. Admittedly, I was a definite bathroom slut and this one didn't disappoint. A large granite counter with grey smoke-colored glass bowl double sinks lined one wall. The best feature was the old-fashioned claw-footed tub that begged for long bubble baths, especially for two, judging by the size. This whole suite was like an aphrodisiac.
    Grant placed me on the counter between the sinks, pulling my eyes from the tub where I was picturing us naked together. I was acting like a walking sex-deprived disaster. If I didn't come to grips with my feelings I would drive myself nuts. "I'll get your bathroom stuff," Grant said, seemingly oblivious to my erotic thoughts.
    "Can you manage okay, or do you need my help?" he asked, returning quickly. He looked comfortable with either answer.
    "I got it," I gulped. Even if I did think sharing a hot bubble bath together was a possibility, I couldn't imagine the best way to get us in the mood would be for him to help me use the potty.
    "Just be careful. With your luck these last few days, it wouldn't be a far stretch for you to fall and really break something this time."
    "Bite your tongue," I muttered, even though it was hard to deny his observation. Never in my whole life had I ever had such a string of bad luck. Maybe it wasn't me. He could be the bad luck charm for all we knew.
    He laughed at my words and closed the door to give me my privacy. It took a lot of hobbling on one leg, but I was finally able to brush my teeth, wash my face, use the toilet and fix my hair so it no longer resembled a bird's nest. By the time I finished, I almost felt like I had completed a workout. I was ready to cut off my foot so I wouldn't have to deal with the pain.
    Grant was standing patiently outside the bathroom when I opened the door. I was both disappointed and relieved to see that he had put on clothes. He had also opened the heavy drapes that I didn't realize covered a long bay window with a built-in window seat. The sky was still covered in clouds, but I could tell the sun was beginning to rise. Of course, it was still snowing. Grant carried me back to the bed, which he had made while I was in this bathroom. It was seriously too bad he had commitment issues, because he would make someone an amazing husband someday.
    "Are you hungry?"
    My stomach growled in response to his question, making him smile. "I'll take that as a yes. You should be hungry since you snored through dinner."
    "I don't snore," I retorted.
    "Are you sure about that?"
    "No one's ever mentioned it before," my voice trailed off. Did I snore? It had been a long time since I had an overnight guest.
    "Probably because I made it up," he said grinning at me as he headed for the door. Grabbing a pillow off the bed, I chucked it at the door, even though he was already long gone. He would never outgrow teasing me.
    I switched on the lamp on the table and picked up my phone that Grant must have charged for me since my battery was at one hundred percent. It was still too early to call my parents, but I would have to in a little while. I didn't relish breaking the news to my mom that for the first time ever, I would not be home for Christmas. Scrolling through my social media apps, I made sure I hadn't missed anything in my absence. For the most part, everything was quiet on that front. I guess everyone was in holiday mode, which was fine with me. It was kind of nice to take a break from it all.
    Setting my phone to the side, I laid back on the pillows.