Free A Love Worth Saving (Forever Yours Book 2) by Anna James

thick, plush linen and closed her eyes.
    Ashley woke to a bright, sunlit room. She rose and peered out the floor to ceiling windows overlooking Lake Michigan. Rays of light glinted off the water rippling in the gentle breeze. She opened the sliding glass door, stepped out onto the wooden deck, and drew in a deep, satisfying breath. A girl could get used to waking up to this view every morning.
    She wouldn’t. While she was grateful to Reed for caring for her over the last couple of days, she wasn’t under any illusions that his compassion would last now that she was better.
    She sighed, went back inside and into the en suite. Lord, this room was just as nice as the master. Very contemporary with a white wood vanity and black granite countertops. Double sinks with Chrome-finished hardware, and, oh, a sunken tub with a view of the lake.
    While a long soak would be heaven, all she wanted right now was to wash away the sweat of the last two days. She touched the hi-tech control panel and set the water for a balmy ninety-nine degrees, then stepped under the steamy spray and sighed. Grabbing the Irish Spring from the soap dish, she cleansed her skin, then poured some of Reed’s shampoo into her hand and washed her hair.
    After rinsing off, she padded back into the bedroom and opened the top dresser drawer looking for something to wear. She couldn’t put the clothes she arrived in back on. She’d sweated in them for two days. For now, she’d borrow something of Reed’s and toss her items into the washer and change later.
    She grabbed a pair of black silk boxers, slipped them on, and rolled over the waistband three times in a feeble attempt to make them fit. Comfy. The smooth silk was soft against her skin. She could see now why he wore them. Another drawer held T-shirts so she grabbed one and put it on, then went in search of Reed.
    “Morning, Ash.”
    She turned. Reed stood, his long, lean frame propped against the doorframe leading from the hall into the bedroom. He was dressed in a pair of casual khaki cargo shorts and a slate blue polo shirt. He looked good, damned good.
    “Feeling better this morning?”
    She wanted to march over to him, grasp his head and drag it down to hers for a mind-blowing kiss. She didn’t. “Yes.”
    He ambled over to her and placed his palm on her head. “No fever. Good. Are you hungry?”
    Oh yeah. For you. No. Stop it. Damn. This is why she’d vowed to keep her distance. She couldn’t control her wayward hormones around him and that wasn’t good for either of them.
    “How about some chicken soup?”
    “You have chicken soup?” she asked.
    “Made it myself this morning.”
    Her eyebrow winged up. “You. Made chicken soup?”
    “Yes. And it’s really good.”
    “When did you learn how to cook?”
    His eyes hardened. “When I was a teenager and had to fend for myself most of the time.”
    She nodded. Finally, an explanation for the anger and resentment he held for his parents. When they hadn’t been using him to get back at each other, they’d ignored him. Her heart ached for the boy he’d been and the man who stood before her.
    She offered a tentative smile. “Actually, soup sounds great. I’d love some.”
    He turned, and she followed him into the kitchen.
    “Sit.”
    He gestured to one of the four high decorative metal-backed bar chairs placed at the granite island in the center of the room. She gazed around while he ladled the soup into a glass bowl. Traditional wood cabinets in white lined the interior rear and right adjacent walls along with a massive refrigerator. The sink sat in front of a sizable glass window and, oh, what a view.
    “Go ahead and eat.”
    She dragged her eyes back from the sparkling water and smiled. “Sorry, I got sidetracked. I can’t stop checking out the view. It’s magnificent.”
    He grinned and damn if her heart didn’t give a little kick.
    “It’s one of the things that drew me to this place when I first visited.”
    “I can see