As much as she didn’t want to move, it was way too hot to stay pressed together sharing body heat. “How do you feel about a very cold shower?”

“That sounds like heaven.” He released her, and Jenny stood, acutely aware of her nudity, which was rather foolish in light of what they’d done together.

She bit back a groan when her already sore muscles protested the movement. Tomorrow—or I guess it’s today now—will be fun. With him following her, she went into the adjoining bathroom, where the small shower stall had just enough space for both of them. Jenny turned on the water, set it to cool and retrieved towels from under the sink.

“This place is so awesome,” Alex said as he took in the bathroom.

“It’s got everything I need along with the most amazing view.”

Standing pressed together in the shower, they rinsed off salt water, sand and sex, taking turns washing each other. He even massaged shampoo into her hair. His tenderness was somehow harder to process than the raw erotic side he’d shown her earlier.

“I should go,” he said when they were clean, dry and wrapped up in towels.

“You don’t have to go yet. Unless you want to.”

“I don’t really want to.” He ran his fingers down her arm, took her hand and led her back to bed.

“We should change the sheets. They’re all sandy and gross.” She crossed the room to the trunk where she kept extra linens and retrieved clean sheets.

“Did you paint that?” he asked of the painting of her view propped on an easel.

“Yes, that’s my masterpiece.”

He took a closer look. “It’s really good.”

“Thanks. Maybe someday I’ll actually finish it.”

Working together, they changed the sheets.

When the bed was made, he came over to her side and tugged at the towel she’d knotted above her breasts. “It’s too hot to sleep in anything other than the altogether.”

She let him remove her towel and watched as he dropped his into a pile on the floor next to hers. “As long as you know we’re not getting these clean sheets dirty.”

Laughing, he followed her into bed. “That sounds like a challenge.”

“It’s not.”

He turned on his side to face her. “You’re pretty far away over there.”

She turned on her side. “Better?”

“Still too far away.”

She slid a bit closer. “It’s too hot for much more than this.”

He placed a hand on her hip over the sheet. “Is it too hot for this?”

“I suppose that would be okay.”

Lifting himself on one arm, he leaned in to kiss her softly. “I had a really, really good time tonight after a really, really shitty day. Thank you for that.”

She caressed his face, running her thumb over the stubble on his jaw. “I had a really good time, too.”