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“I see. So, you choose the horses over me.”

“Zachary, honestly. I can’t blush this early in the morning.”

I leaned in, whispering in her ear, “I can do one better. I can make you come right now.”

She nearly choked on her food. A split second later, I realized she truly was choking. She put the plate down, bending slightly over the table.

“Fuck, I’ll get you some water.”

I grabbed one of the bottles Felicia had put in the basket and opened the cap, handing it to Grace. She took a deep breath and then downed some water.

Once her fit had passed, she glared at me. “You are dangerous for me, Zachary. Quite literally.”

Leaning in, I tugged at her earlobe, but she stepped back. I could feel that she was pulling away. Last night, we’d both givenin to our impulses and our needs, but this morning, something had changed. I straightened up and waited patiently, looking at her.

“You want to talk?” I asked.

She sighed. “We should, right? But I feel like I need to get my bearings first so I can put my thoughts in order. I’ll hop in the shower.”

“Sure. I’ll go in after you.”

I took a step back, watching Grace move around the couch once more, gathering her clothes.

After she went into the bathroom, I decided not to waste any more time. I did part of my morning workout routine right there on the floor of the cabin. It consisted of push-ups and jumping jacks. I wasn’t even paying attention to my surroundings until I heard Grace whistle.

“Well, well. That’s a sight I love walking out of the bathroom to.”

She stood in the doorway, watching me without shame. I stopped in the middle of doing a crunch and immediately pushed myself up to my feet.

She licked her lips before tugging at the lower one with her teeth. “How can you be so damn sexy, hmm? Especially wearing just boxers?”

“I, for one, think I’m overdressed. I can drop these, too, but I want to shower first. I worked up a sweat.”

She stepped away from the bathroom door. I winked at her before going in and jumping into the shower.

While the water ran over me, I thought about the conversation ahead. Grace had fun last night—I was sure of it. So why was she retreating now? I wasn’t used to playing games. Granted, I usually just went on casual dates and had one-night stands that I wasn’t interested in repeating.

But now I wanted a repeat—very much so.

After stepping out of the shower, I heard Felicia’s distinctive voice and realized we were no longer alone in the cabin. I wanted to throw her out and just keep Grace prisoner here for a few more hours.

I opened the door, and Felicia looked straight at me.

“Perfect. If you’re both ready, we can head out. It’s a gorgeous day! Poor Starlight got a right scare yesterday and needs some loving.” At the last part, she looked pointedly at Grace, and I smiled.

Grace looked over at me. “By the way, your phone kept ringing while you were in the shower.”

I immediately grabbed it from the couch and checked the messages.

“Damn it. I forgot I had a big meeting scheduled today. If I leave now, I should make it in time.” How the hell did I forget?

Felicia’s face fell. “Right. Grace, are you still staying?”

“Yes, of course. Starlight needs me, and I’d really love to spend more time here before I head back.”

“Fantastic. Then I’ll wait for you outside. I want to check if there was any damage to the cabin during the storm.”

That sounded like a bullshit excuse, but she must have realized that we needed a moment together. I wondered if she could tell what had happened here last night.