Snowbound - Harlequin.com

202 SNOWBOUND
“Temporarily.” His tone was wry. “Until they develop
a yen for an evening snack.”
Her kids had always wanted something later, she remembered
guiltily.
“What if we leave out cookies, tea and coffee
makings, cocoa…?”
“So it’s obvious they’re on their own?” He gave her
a slow smile that set her heart to thumping. “I like the
way you think.”
She got out mugs and spoons and filled the teakettle
with water while he laid out tea bags and packets of
cocoa, a jar of instant coffee and a plate of cookies
under clear plastic wrap.
“I need to lock up.” He disappeared. When he came
back, he said, “I mentioned that the kitchen would be
self-service tonight.”
“Oh, good.” She let him guide her, hand on the small
of her back, to his room as if she didn’t know where it
was. “Would you mind if I take a bath?”
His gaze was heavy-lidded but not so imbued with
urgency as it had been when she first arrived. Maybe
he finally believed that she truly was here and would be
for awhile. “Take your time.”
As lovely as the bath felt once she ran it, Fiona
wasn’t tempted to linger. She’d just wanted to feel clean.
When she came out of the bathroom, she thought for
a moment John had fallen asleep. He sat in an upholstered
rocker beside the woodstove, legs stretched out,
head resting against the back, eyes closed.
They opened before she could feel even a whisper