Eric’s gaze traveled the length of her throat and over the deep V of her sweater neckline, picturing her naked and under bubbling suds in his tub.

Damn, I have to get her out of here.

“Because what I have planned is better than that tub.”

Her eyes popped open, and she climbed out. “Not sure that’s possible, but tell me more.”

“I’d rather show you.”

Chapter Nineteen

“Ever notice how really romantic songs always mention moonlight and stars? Makes me think some of you folks looking for love should go camping every night.”- Miss Know-It-All’s Gossip Column.

Gracie’s heart pounded as Eric killed the headlights and rolled down the back driveway of Rejuvenation Hot Springs.

“This? Your adventure is to sneak onto private property and what?”

Eric put the car in Park and killed the engine, grinning at her in the moonlight. “And I thought we could sit and relax a spell in one of their private tubs.”

“How am I going to relax? You know Mr. Melvin keeps a loaded shotgun right by the door for trespassers! Plus, if he lets that giant Saint Bernard out, we’re toast! That dog weighs more than both of us combined!”

“That’s a bit of an exaggeration, Gracie Lou, even for you.” He opened his car door and wiggled his eyebrows beneath the gray brim of his beanie. “Besides, it’s not an adventure if there isn’t a bit of danger to it.”

Gracie shook her head but opened her car door and stepped out. She hadn’t done anything like this since she was eighteen and stupid Doug Dooley had talked her into sneaking onto the Andrews’ dairy to do a little cow tipping. Of course, that had ended with the Andrews’ cattle dog, Misty, chasing them both off the property and Gracie tearing her favorite pair of jeans. That was almost fourteen years ago. She was a grown-up now. You didn’t trespass, and you didn’t go skinny-dipping in the middle of the night like a couple of kids trying not to get caught.

He waited by the hood of his car, his breath fogging in front of his face. “You coming or what?”

“This is a bad idea,” she hissed.

Still, she came up alongside him and let him take her hand. The mood shone bright overhead, lighting their path brilliantly. He led her through the trees to the fence line. It was at least eight feet high, and she had no idea how they were going to climb over…

Suddenly, Eric grabbed a piece of chain link on the bottom and pulled it up at least two feet.

“Go ahead.”

She stared from him to the snow-covered ground in disbelief. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”

Gracie could practically hear his eyes roll. “Fine, you hold it for me, and I’ll go first.”

She muttered under her breath but did as he asked. When he stood on the other side, grinning, she jumped a foot in the air as a branch snapped behind her. She glanced over her shoulder, and her imagination took hold. She could swear she saw glowing red eyes and flashes of white teeth in the brush.

“Okay, okay, hold it up for me. I’m coming.”

She dropped to her stomach, gritting her teeth as she army-crawled across the hard, icy earth. Her jacket and shirt rode up, and she wheezed between her teeth as the snow stung her bared skin.

When she finally stood up, she glared up at Eric. “You suck.”

He threw his arm around her with a chuckle. “Come on, the worst part is over.”

Feeling every bit like the criminals they were, Gracie crouched low and followed him across the open yard until they reached one of the private tub buildings.

“See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Eric said.

She snorted. “Except now how are you going to get in there, genius? Aren’t they all locked?”

Eric pulled out his car keys and waved one of them at her. “Which is why one has a key.”

“How did you get that?”