Page 20 of Risk

She sighed loud enough for me to hear before she agreed.

Since she was otherwise occupied, I grabbed the keycard I saw on the dresser and slipped it into my back pocket. Afraid that she might try to give me the slip, I took a quick shower. I didn’t bother to shave before I got dressed and slipped my Aviators on top of my head and went back downstairs.

Without knocking, I made my way inside her room. Aspen squeaked with her hand clutching her chest. “Are you out to give me a heart attack today?”

I rolled my lips in an attempt not to laugh. That was until I took in what she had on—or more like what she didn’t have on. The tiniest pair of sleep shorts I’d ever seen hugged her ass, and a white cami that was becoming see-through from her wet hair dripping down her chest left little to the imagination.

“Keep moving, Cal,” she growled out like a tiny kitten before she slammed the bathroom door closed.

Laughing to myself, I made myself comfortable on the couch and waited until Aspen slipped out of the bathroom, fully dressed and looking ready to go.

She looked at me warily before she grabbed her purse. “So, what’s the plan for the day?”

“Would you trust me if I said I wanted to keep it a surprise?”

Her eyes lit at the word surprise, and I was taken aback when she agreed after she’d been so distant the last month.

“I’ll tell you we’re going to eat breakfast at a little café just around the corner.”

Her stomach growled at the mention of food. “Good, because I’m not sure how much longer I can go without any food. I didn’t eat dinner last night, and now I’m famished.”

Placing my hand to the small of her back, I ushered her to the door. “Let’s not waste any time and get you fed then.”

The closer we got to the café, the louder Aspen’s stomach growled. It was comical, but it also reminded me of how she’d looked last night when I got to her room.

Holding the door open to the café, I watched as she practically salivated when the smell of croissants hit our noses.

Her eyes widened as she looked up at the menu over the counter. “Have you been here before?”

Pushing up behind her, I fought to keep my hands to myself. It was nearly impossible, but I managed to resist. There wasn’t a large selection, but nothing was in English. If you could order from smell alone, I would have ordered at least one of everything it all smelled so heavenly. “I have.”

“What do you suggest? I could eat a horse, I’m so hungry.”

“You probably shouldn’t say that while traveling because they might actually serve you horse meat.”

The horrified look on her face had me laughing.

“No,” she whispered.

“I can’t say it’s here in Austria, but it does happen in some countries.”

“Do not let me eat horse. If I find out you tricked me, I’ll kill you.” She poked me in the chest with each word.

With her eyes on the menu like she’d magically find the word horse in German, I put my hands on her shoulders and turned her around. “I won’t. I promise. Why don’t you go pick a seat outside, and I’ll order us an assortment?”

She nodded and mouthed, ‘no horse’ as she walked backward to the door. Why had I mentioned it? She’d probably freak out every time she ate from now on, trying to find it on the menu.

I ordered a dozen croissants with honey and a selection of jams along with two coffees before I went out to sit with Aspen as we waited for our food.

“Oh my gosh, I thought my stomach was going to eat itself while standing in there,” she held her hand to her flat stomach. “I’m so hungry.”

As if on cue, a little old lady walked out with a basket full of croissants and jars of jam and set it in the middle of our table.

“Is this normal?” Aspen questioned as she grabbed one of the buttery croissants and started to lift each jar to decide which jam to use.

“No,” I chuckled. “I wanted to bring some with us for my surprise destination, so I asked them for a to-go package.”

“Like a picnic,” she softly said as she opened the strawberry jam.

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