Page 13 of Rescued

There was also a half-full plastic bucket in the middle of the living room floor. Breanna looked up and saw the water stain overhead.

She shivered.

Switch said to her, “Are you okay?” His tone was gentler than she expected, considering he really didn’t want her here.

“It’s just a little cold in here.”

He looked around, like he was surprised. “I don’t usually notice.”

To her shock, he immediately went over to the woodstove and started making a fire. Crumpled paper, kindling, logs—he worked with quick efficiency. When he had the fire going, he stood up, absently rubbing his soot-streaked hands on his jeans and looking really uncomfortable, like now that the practical stuff was over, he didn’t know what to do or say.

Neither did she. Reaction had set in, and all she wanted was somewhere to rest. Just for a little bit, while she figured things out.

“Okay, well. The bedroom is there.” Switch pointed to a short hallway. “Um. There’s no clean sheets because there’s only one set, but I just washed them, like, two days ago?”

At this point Breanna didn’t care. She just wanted to curl up and hide under the covers.

“That’s fine.”

“Okay. Good. Do you want to take a shower or something? You can. There’s hot water.”

That sounded amazing, but… “I don’t have anything to change into—I didn’t have time to pack. I only have this.” She gestured at her red dress and shoes. They were both caked with mud from her gakking on her hands and knees in the field.

Despite how she must look, she saw heat flash into his eyes as he looked her up and down, and probably imagined her in the shower. She stifled a sigh. Here it comes. The ‘I don’t mind you naked at all’ proposition.

But he just said, “I’ll find you a t-shirt or something.” He walked off toward the bedroom.

Wow. Breanna didn’t know whether to be relieved or insulted. Not that she wanted to be coerced into sex, but she was part of Jackson’s string because she was beautiful. Desirable. Hardly any girls passed muster for that—only the top tier. If she didn’t have that, what did she have?

She followed him down the hall, passing the bedroom to get to the tiny bath. In a minute, Switch appeared with a black t-shirt with flames on the front. It said, “It Was Already on Fire When I Got Here.”

That would have made her smile if she wasn’t so cold and tired, and trying so hard not to show how scared she was.

Switch left her in the bathroom, and she shut the door and leaned against it, closing her eyes for a minute. The single towel hanging on the bar next to her smelled like Switch, which meant it probably hadn’t been washed in a couple days either. But it smelled good. And also… comforting, somehow.

Even though this was not a place where she should feel comfortable—or safe. She could almost feel the wolves in the dark outside, prowling.

To them, she was nothing but prey. But then, in the city she’d been nothing but prey either. At least the wolves were upfront about it.

And Switch was—she didn’t know what to make of Switch. Every time she thought he was going to come on to her, he didn’t.

She took a quick shower, washing her hair even though she didn’t want to, because the cabin was still cold. But—crusted vomit. Yecchhh.

She dried herself with Switch’s towel and put on her underwear and his t-shirt. That was clean, at least, and big, but she was tall, so it still only just covered her butt.

It didn’t matter tonight—she was going straight to bed. Maybe tomorrow Switch would lend her some shorts or sweats or something.

She picked up her bag and went out of the bathroom into the tiny hallway—and ran smack into Switch. He’d obviously washed up at the kitchen sink—his hair was wet and he wasn’t wearing a shirt, just a dish towel around his neck.

His muscles were hard under her hands, but his skin surprisingly soft. She had to stop herself from stroking it.

He’d grabbed her upper arms reflexively to balance them both—but he didn’t let go. His eyes were a piercing blue, and he looked down at her like he was trying to see into her soul.

Breanna felt her breath catch.

She almost didn’t want to move away from him—he was so warm and solid. But that was crazy, right?

He was still staring at her. “Um,” he said. “Bed?”