Page 26 of Love on the Run

When the water was running, he went back to get Anna. She opened her eyes when he knelt beside her.

“Are you ready to move?” he asked.

She nodded, and he took that as his cue. Sliding his arms behind her back and knees, he gently lifted her to his chest, leaving the wet towel on the couch. Her arms wound around his shoulders, and her head rested against his shoulder.

In the bathroom, he lowered her into the water, careful to set her down easily. Once she was settled, Beau quickly pulled his arms away. Being close to Anna, touching her, worrying about her—the closeness tangled his thoughts into an anxious knot.

“You okay?” he asked, stepping away from the tub where Anna wore nothing but a tiny, hot-pink bikini.

“Yeah. I’m feeling a lot better,” she whispered,raising her knees until they propped up out of the water.

“I’ll be right back.” Beau quickly jogged to the minibar and grabbed a bottle of water. Remembering Travis’s suggestion to eat, he picked up the room service menu before heading back to the bathroom.

The color was returning to Anna’s cheeks, and she gave him a soft smile as he handed over the water.

“Thanks. Sorry I caused so much trouble.”

She had caused trouble, just not the kind she thought. “You scared the life out of me,” He sank to the floor, resting his back against the wall beside the tub.

Anna swiped her hands over her face, leaving water droplets racing down her skin and dripping from her chin. “Sorry again.”

Beau held up the menu and opened it. “What do you want to eat?”

“We just ate,” she reminded him.

“Yeah, but Travis said you need food.”

“What about the dessert?” she asked.

“I don’t think that’s the kind of food that’s going to help you recover from overheating.”

“But it’s the kind of food that’ll taste good,” she pointed out.

Beau pushed to his feet. “Fine. We can start with dessert.”

He grabbed the bag from the counter and took it into the bathroom. He opened the container with the cake, then the separate bowl with a lid on it.

“The ice cream is melted, but the cake looks good,” he said as he handed her the spoon.

She slid the spoon through the soft cake and lifted the bite to her mouth. Her eyes drifted closed as she chewed.

The skin on Beau’s neck heated. How did she make something as simple as eating seem attractive?

“Where’s yours?” she asked.

“My what?”

“Spoon. You’re eating this with me,” she said firmly.

Beau shook his head and sat down beside the tub. “Nope. That’s all you.”

“You promised.”

Her soothing voice had a way of turning off the rational part of his brain. How did she do that? Whatever she said seemed to make sense. It was as if she turned the volume down on his logic.

When he didn’t move to get another spoon, she scooped up another bit of cake and held it out to him.

“Nope. I’m good.”

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