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As Londyn slid out of her seat, her feet missed the running board.
Nash’s hands caught her around the waist as she pitched forward and slammed into his chest.
For a long moment, he held her there. Then he eased her to the ground.
“Thanks,” she said, heat rushing up into her cheeks. “I’m not usually so clumsy.”
“No worries. I’m here to protect you.”
“From someone trying to hurt me,” she said, pulling his leather jacket close around her. “Not from my two left feet.”
His hands left her waist, but one remained on her arm to steady her in the gravel. “I’ll provide any form of protection you need while I’m on the job.” He waved his hand toward the cabin. “My guy Swede got us the last cabin available.”
“Well, thanks.” She looked up at the cabin. “Does this place have running water, a soft bed and warm blankets?”
“That’s what I’m told.” He grinned, transforming his battle-scared face into something special.
Londyn’s heart skipped several beats and then raced to catch up. She had to force herself to look away from the man or risk falling into his sexy brown eyes.
“I must be more exhausted than I thought,” she murmured to herself.
“Then let’s get you inside, through the shower and into bed. I’m sure Haynes has a full day of filming for you tomorrow.” Nash reached into the truck’s back seat, grabbed a duffel bag, slung it over his shoulder then came to stand beside her.
“Ready?”
She nodded.
He rested his free hand lightly against the small of her back and guided her up the wooden steps. Once on the porch, he dropped the duffel bag and fished his cell phone from his pocket. He switched on the flashlight and handed it to Londyn. “If you can hold that, I’ll get this lock opened.”
Standing close enough to the man that she could smell his aftershave, Londyn held the cell phone over his hands, the light shining down on the combination lock box. He smelled so good it was affecting her senses, causing her pulse to quicken.
Nash rolled the four numbers one at a time, then pulled on the box. It opened. A shiny silver key lay inside. He fit the key into the door lock, twisted it and pushed open the door. When he reached inside with one hand and flipped a switch, soft light filled the one-room, compact cabin.
“You can have the first shower,” Nash said as he stepped inside and held the door for Londyn.
She stared into the cabin, her feet firmly planted on the wooden planks of the porch. “Is this your cabin or mine?”
His lips twitched. “Swede was only able to secure one cabin. It’s yours. But if you don’t mind, I would like to make use of the shower.”
She frowned. “If there’s only one cabin, where are you going to sleep?”
“I have a sleeping bag in my truck,” he said. “I’ll sleep on the porch.”
Londyn shivered at the thought of the man sleeping on the porch. “Do you realize how cold it gets at night?”
He nodded. “I’m familiar with this area of the country. I grew up near Whitefish, Montana. My bag is rated for extreme cold weather. Come in off the porch. I’ll check the place out, then it’s all yours.”
Her eyebrows rose as she stepped through the door into the cozy room that served as a living room and kitchen, all in one. A large, overstuffed leather sofa took up most of the space in front of a potbellied stove. Beyond the sofa was a kitchenette with a tiny stove with two burners, a refrigerator, a sink and a small table with two chairs.
Nash closed the door behind her and twisted the lock. Then he crossed the short distance to the only other door in the room and disappeared inside. He was back out three seconds later. “Clear.” He stepped past her, his shoulder brushing hers, and opened the door, grabbed his duffel bag, dropped it on the floor beside the sofa and turned back to the door. “I’ll get my sleeping bag out of the truck. Make yourself at home.” He left through the door, closing it softly behind him.
Londyn passed through the narrow door on the far wall into a bedroom with barely enough room for the queen-sized bed, a single nightstand, a small chest of drawers and a little closet. Another door led into a tiny bathroom with a toilet and a shower-tub combination. Fresh towels hung on a rack near the shower curtain.
Sore and dirty from the explosion and the layers of makeup and hair product they’d used on her, Londyn couldn’t think of anything she’d like better than a long, hot shower.
She stepped into the bathroom, closed the door, and turned on the water in the tub. After she adjusted the temperature and rerouted the water to the showerhead, she stripped out of the clothes she’d worn all day and kicked them to the side.
Tired and aching, she stepped over the side of the tub and stood beneath the spray, letting it run over her hair, face and shoulders, the heat soothing her aching muscles. After several long minutes beneath the healing waters, she looked around, realizing she’d brought nothing with her but the clothes on her back. Thankfully, there were travel-sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner in the cubby and a small box with a bar of soap. Not knowing how big the water heater might be, she quickly washed her hair, face and body, then applied conditioner and rinsed the remaining dirt and dust from her body. The water was still warm when she turned it off and reached for one of the towels on the rack beside her. She patted her skin and hair as dry as she could and wrapped the towel around her.
