Page 7 of Wild Rush Of Love
When he popped the lid and held it out she muttered ‘thanks’ again before taking it in both hands and slugging back a few big gulps.
“All good now?”
“Yeah.” Reena sighed. “Sorry about that. You scared the crap out of me.”
“Didn’t mean to. I thought you saw me.” His smile kicked up higher on the left side and his blue eyes rivaled the sky above them. “You stopped right next to me.”
“I did?” She’d been too busy trying to catch her breath. From the trek up here and then the mountains and lake… She pointed at the view behind him. “Guess I was a little distracted.”
He turned to look over his shoulder. “Yeah, it just grabs you and holds on, doesn’t it? You never get used to it.”
It wasn’t the only thing grabbing her. Now that she’d gotten a little more oxygen to her brain, she was noticing more than the gorgeous view. The man crouched before her was gorgeous too. And all man.
He looked like a lumberjack.
Well, what Reena imagined one would look like. Jeans, flannel shirt, thick muscles filling out both, dark scruff covering a strong jaw, that lopsided smile, and those sparkling blue eyes combined to make one hell of a view in her opinion.
“So.” He turned back, held out a hand. “Rush.”
“What?” She took his hand. “Rush?”
He grinned. “My name. Rush. Rush Whelan.”
“Oh! Reena. Sabreena Howe.” She returned his grin with one of her own. “Nice to meet you, Rush. Is that a nickname?”
“Nope, it’s what’s on my driver’s license.” He grinned.
Chapter Three
After a day of lying around—inbed and in the scandalously decadent tub—Reena finally managed to pull on some clothes and headed out of her room.
She’d woken this morning with so many aches and pains she’d barely—and yes, she’d crawled—made it out of bed to use the bathroom.
Pain meds and room service had been the order of the day. And when the meds eased some of the discomfort she’d hobbled back to the bathroom and filled the tub with water so hot her skin was still pink.
But it worked. It had taken the better part of the day and three different sessions soaking in the tub but finally,finally, she could walk without looking like she’d broken every bone in her body. Or whimpering in pain.
She wasn’t up for a walk into town but she was able to make her way downstairs to the Bar and Grill, the Lodge’s onsite restaurant and bar.
The place was quiet when she walked through the wide wooden archway. A couple sat at a table in one corner, two men—not together—sat on stools at the bar. She was debating where to sit when a woman in black pants and white shirt beneath a red apron headed toward her.
“Good evening. Table for one?”
Smiling, Reena nodded.
“Right this way.”
Following, she scanned the room. Lots of wood and a smaller rock fireplace similar in style, and she was sure built from the same stone, as the one in the Lodge’s main room held her gaze as they stopped beside a two-seater on the other side of the space.
“Oh, would you like to sit by the fire?”
“Can I? I love the one in the main room.”
“You could eat out there if you want; we serve there too.”
“No, that’s all right. If I can have one of the tables close to this one that would be great.”
“Sure.” The woman made quick work of getting her settled by the fireplace and taking her drink order. “I’ll be back with your hot cocoa.”
