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He hated that his past horrors still held power over him. Embarrassed, he turned away and pulled a gym bag out from one of his saddlebags.
    He unlocked their motel door and flipped on the lights. Relief washed over him when no cockroaches scurried across the floor. It may be old and out of date, but at least everything appeared clean.
    “Shit.” His gaze landed on the bed.
    “What?”
    “There’s only one bed. I’ve got to get the room changed.”
    She blinked at him and headed toward the bathroom.
    “Where are you going?”
    “I’m going to take a shower.”
    “Wait until I get a different room.”
    She shook her head wearily. “I can’t. I’m filthy and I’m not going to stay this way another second.”
    She walked into the bathroom and locked the door.
    He raked his hand through his hair. “Great.”
    He checked his watch as the muffled sound of the shower drifted out into the room. Pacing the room, he rolled his shoulders as he waited. He couldn’t leave her alone to go get the rooms changed. He’d wait until she was out of the shower. He eased onto the edge of the springy bed, his body weary from the past two hours, yet his mind alert for the danger. Mental clarity was part of the job and he was nothing, if not all about the job. Being a Guardian filled a void on the baser levels and gave him purpose. Some wolves had families; he had his position.
    The shower turned off and he stood as the bathroom door opened.
    His heart nearly stopped beating in his chest. Ava stepped out wearing nothing but a towel.
    She looked up at him and smiled. Her wet hair hung like black silk ribbons across her slender shoulders and grazed the tops of her firm breasts. Her long legs peeked out from the bottom of the threadbare towel.
    She was fucking gorgeous.
    He forced his gaze up to her face.
    She brushed her hair away from her green eyes. Unlike most women, she didn’t seem afraid of him. In fact, he couldn’t even smell fear anywhere on her body.
    He cleared his throat and picked up his bag, pretending to rifle through it to hide his throbbing erection. “Stay here and lock the door behind me. Make sure it’s me before you open the door.” Not waiting for an answer, he slammed the door behind him and hurried toward the office.
    A few minutes later he was back, knocking at the door.
    Ava opened the door and locked it behind him.
    “There aren’t any rooms with two beds. We can try further down the road.” He kept his gaze on the ceiling. She still had that fucking towel on and he was still sporting an erection. Another few miles on the Harley would give his body time to cool off.
    “I’m exhausted. We’ll just stay here. It’s no big deal.”
    He grimaced. Despite being a wolf, sleeping on the floor did not appeal to him.
    He pulled out an extra toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste out of his bag and tossed them on the bed.
    “I could just kiss you for that,” she moaned.
    He met her emerald gaze. Heat flared in his belly and his body hardened. All that lay between them was that skimpy rag. With just one pull, that poor excuse of a bath towel would be on the floor.
    Before his body could react, Ava turned on her heel and headed toward the bathroom with toothbrush in hand.
    ***
    Ava walked out of the bathroom feeling wonderfully clean. All she needed now was something to sleep in. In her haste to change at the truck stop, she’d thrown away her pajamas. She didn’t think she’d need them.
    Damon held out an oversized, long-sleeved, T-shirt he’d retrieved from his bag. “You can sleep in this.”
    “Thanks,” she muttered as he headed toward the bathroom. She held up a handful of the soft material to her face and inhaled. It smelled like him.
    She shook her head and climbed into his shirt. What the hell was wrong with her? She barely knew this guy, yet here she was sniffing his clothes. She needed to get a grip.
    Pulling back the covers, she slid between the cool sheets and closed her eyes. She had never