Page 94 of To Catch a Latte Thick as Thieves

“I’m sorry, too,” she said, following Jared out of the woods. “I guess you just sounded so much like Cameron that it got on my nerves. He’s forever worrying about me. I appreciate it, but sometimes it’s a bit smothering.”

“Well, I’ll try not to smother you.” Jared grinned. “Unless, of course, you snore.”

Cat caught her breath at his smile. A smile like that would be banned in Boston. It was charming and lethal and made her clothes long to fall off her body. Surely, she couldn’t be imagining the spark between them. Could she?

She couldn’t help but wonder, as she crept back into the motel behind him, what kind of worries had etched the tiny lines around his eyes? What painful lessons had he learned in his life that left him mum? And how could she get him to open up?

Jared eyed the room with renewed claustrophobia. He just couldn’t sleep this close to a woman he’d seen practically naked. It wasn’t right. Especially when the urge to share one bed was becoming increasingly tempting.

While Cat excused herself to the bathroom to change, Jared paced the room like a caged tiger. He switched on the television for distraction, but it was no use. Fearing she’d exit the bathroom in something sheer and lacy that would destroy his resolve completely, Jared yanked his bedspread off his bed and rigged it to hang like a curtain between the two beds.

It wasn’t much, but it was something, he reassured himself as he sank down onto his own bed. He heard the bathroom door open and shut and felt his blood thud through his veins while he listened to Cat make her way to bed.

“This was thoughtful of you but unnecessary,” she said as her mop of fiery hair and freshly scrubbed face appeared from behind the bedspread. “I’m not that modest.”

Jared took in her casual pajamas while his brain flashed visions of a sodden cotton nightie, dripping in the glow of morning sunrise. He licked his parched lips.

“Who says it’s for you?” he asked, his gaze latching onto hers. The color in her eyes had deepened to reflect her navy pajamas, and they tilted up at the corners when she smiled.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were so shy.” Her gaze roved doubtfully over his sprawled form.

“Watch that bold look of yours, lady, or you’ll make me blush,” he said.

“On which cheeks?” Seemingly shocked at her own words, Cat clapped a hand over her mouth.

With a laugh, Jared rolled up from the bed, took a step toward her and froze. Desire and his oath to his friend warred within him. The oath won and he spun away from her to trudge through her half of the room toward the bathroom, clutching his toothbrush in an iron fist.

Cat watched him walk away and pondered this new piece of the puzzle that was Jared McLean. It was about as helpful as a round piece in a pile of squares. Shy her foot!

She climbed under the thin covers and waited for him to cross through the room again. He hurried by, actively trying not to look at her, or so it seemed.

She heard the rustle of his clothes as he undressed and wondered what he wore to bed. Was he a briefs or boxers man? She was betting on boxers. She glanced at the bedspread he’d hung up. The creak of his bed signaled he’d climbed in.

“We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow,” he said through the curtain. “We should get some shut-eye.”

“All right,” Cat agreed. She felt the foot of her bed dip as Lucy struggled to leap on it. She reached over and gave her a boost. “Good night, Jared.”

“Good night,” he answered and switched off the light, leaving the room in darkness.

Cat’s eyelids drooped the moment her head landed on the pillow. It was hard and lumpy, but she didn’t care. Exhaustion crept into her limbs, and her legs twitched as they relaxed. Her last conscious thought was how nice it was to have Jared nearby.

She was lost. All around her were barren dunes of sand. They all looked the same. She uncapped her water bottle. It was empty. She was going to die of thirst. The lone cry of a coyote fractured the silence and she spun around with a start.

“Psst, Cat, wake up!”

“Huh?” Cat muttered.

“Wake up!”

Cat blinked. Jared was glaring at her from behind the makeshift curtain.

“If you don’t want us to get kicked out, keep Lucy quiet.”

Cat glanced at Lucy where she was sitting at the foot of the bed. The puppy tipped back her head and began to howl.

“I thought she was a coyote,” Cat said.

Jared looked at her as if she were a few sandwiches short of a picnic.