Eban had already taken the lid off the tub and Darby stripped off her robe and hung it on a nearby hook. Brrh. She danced on the spot and quickly climbed in, lowering herself as far as she could into the steaming bliss.

It felt incredible and her muscles instantly started to melt. Eban came outside and stood near the door looking miserably cold even wearing his winter jacket.

Was he guarding her?

A shiver of unease moved through her and she sat up a little. “Are you expecting the killer to be able to find us here?”

Eban raised one brow. “Unlikely. Haley booked using one of her business entities and I made sure we weren’t followed.”

“Then either go inside before you get frostbite or get in here. You’re making me nervous standing there like a bodyguard, which defeats the purpose of me trying to relax.”

He looked irritated but she was obviously right. “Fine. I’ll be back in one minute. Scream if you see anyone.”

Darby didn’t scream.

Thirty seconds later, Eban came outside wrapped in a robe like hers, carrying a Glock in one hand and their two beers in the other. He placed the gun on a small table, within arm’s reach of the tub, handed her one beer and placed the other bottle in the cupholder opposite from where she was sitting.

Then he took off his robe and draped it on the table next to his gun. She was disappointed to see he wore a pair of briefs, but she ran her gaze unabashedly over his body.

He lowered himself quickly into the water. “Jesus fucking H Christ. I don’t know who thought this would be a good idea.”

Darby laughed, the first feeling of genuine happiness she’d felt since the dance. “Wimp.”

She splashed him but only gently. A trickle of water ran down his chest. She watched it a little enviously until he lowered himself all the way in, leaving only his head above water.

“I always wanted a hot tub when I was growing up,” she confessed. “My dad said it wasn’t practical, and he was right.” The chemicals alone would have been a major pain in the ass to get out to the cabin, let alone the tub itself.

“I suppose where you grew up you had to break the ice in the lake every day to wash, surrounded by grizzly bears and bald eagles?”

“Summer and winter, yeah.” She laughed because he was teasing her. Some people found her sort of upbringing fascinating, but there was good reason why people migrated to cities. It was easier. Being completely self-sufficient wasn’t for everyone. It wasn’t even for her and she could do it if she had to.

“It’s idyllic in theory, but after my mom died it was also incredibly lonely and really damn hard making sure we had everything we needed to get through each winter.” She’d spent more than a few years resenting her father’s need to live in the wilderness. “Looking back on it now, I think the only reason my father survived after Mom died was the fact it was so difficult. If we’d lived in the city, if we hadn’t had to struggle for every single thing we had, I think he’d have destroyed himself in some way.”