Free Racing the Hunter's Moon (Entangled Bliss) by Sally Clements

was a chill in the air.
    They were high in the mountains now. On the way up, the sun had set, painting the sky every shade of blue and pink in the process. The mountains were heather mauve and dark denim blue in the curved dips between the peaks. As night fell, birds scattered, settling on their roosts for the night. Betty had pointed out the fluttering outlines of bats against the night sky as they left civilization behind and headed deep into nature’s heart. This land was so different from the smog-filled cities Joe knew. Here, they were one with nature. He had even rolled the window down to breathe in the cold, crisp air—until Betty’s protests had forced him to close it again.
    They stopped at the final control point and got their time recorded, then parked outside a large wooden hotel that looked more like a giant log cabin than anything else. Smaller cabins were attached to it on both sides, forming a square with a central courtyard garden. A table of drinks was set up at the entrance.
    A waitress smiled as they walked over. “What can I get you?”
    “Champagne sounds good,” Betty said.
    “Make it two.” Joe turned to Betty.
    “So that’s it for today, huh?”
    “Yes.” She took a sip. “There’s a meal at seven thirty, and we don’t start off again until ten tomorrow morning.” She rotated her shoulders and tried to stretch her aching back. “I don’t know about you, but I’m dying to get out of these clothes.”
    Joe smiled. Raised his eyebrows.
    Heat flooded Betty’s face. He was only teasing, but still the idea held a certain appeal.
    “I’m dying to climb into a hot bath. Alone . To ease my muscles.”
    “Yeah, I know, I was just messing with you.” Joe drained his drink. “Let’s go check in.”
    Reception handed them keys, and gave them directions to their rooms, which were in the main hotel. Joe followed her to her room, then when she had unlocked the door, turned away. “I’ll come get you at seven thirty, then.”
    …
    Joe’s luggage and laptop were stacked neatly on a luggage rack in his room. They would be spending two nights at the hotel, so he unpacked his suit and tux, and stacked his spare clothes in the drawers.
    The room was dominated by a huge four-poster bed. Joe tested the mattress, then strode in to check out the bathroom. Along the back wall was a claw-foot tub, and to the side a small shower enclosure. His body ached from being stuck in the car all day, and the thought of a long, hot bath was appealing, but he needed to check in with Bond—find out if they’d had any luck tracing any of the new names in Charmers’s hidden bank account—so a shower would have to do.
    He stripped off his clothes, left them lying on the floor, and climbed into the shower.
    The complimentary bottles of shampoo were tiny. And the soap was barely bigger than a pack of matches. Joe did the best he could with what was available. At least the shower pressure was good and the water hot. As he soaped his chest, his thoughts turned to Betty, next door.
    Right about now, she’d be luxuriating in a huge tub. A tub big enough for two . There had been a flash of awareness earlier when he’d teased her about getting naked. And the way she’d kissed him this morning had been above and beyond what was needed to maintain the pretense of a fake relationship. All day he’d tried to keep on track, not just in the race, but in his head. The car had been full of her scent, and the way she glanced across the close confines of the car at him, the intimacy of working closely with someone with a shared goal, had eroded his defenses.
    The more time he spent with her, the more he liked her. For years he’d been alone, hiding his true identity and purpose from everyone. God knows he hadn’t wanted to reveal himself to her, but the circumstances of their meeting had forced him to, and the time they’d spent talking had brought them closer.
    She felt guilt for not looking out for her mother. He’d