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Her smile widened as the bear disappeared into the trees. “They’re so common around here in the mountains. I saw one when I took the kids to Banff last year too.”

I gave her hand a squeeze before turning my attention back to the road. The trees thinned out to reveal a clearing, and the cabin came into view. Calling it a cabin was misleading. The building was a combination of stone and cedar, and it blended into the surrounding area perfectly. Flowers bordered the stone walkway leading to the front door, which had been painted a shade of green that matched the trees. The listing had promised huge windows overlooking the lake, with a back exit leading down to a dock. The lake behind the cottage was a clear, crystalline blue, quiet and serene in the perfect July weather.

Jane’s quiet gasp made it all worth it. “Wow. This place is too gorgeous to be real. How did you find it?”

“I did a search for unique rentals in Alberta. Most of them were already booked, but this one was available.” Considering how much I’d paid for it, I was pretty sure I knew why it had been available, but I didn’t care. Sometimes it was nice to have money.

Jane was out of the Jeep and stretching almost before it stopped. I laced my fingers through hers when I joined her. A shiver of awareness shot through me when we touched, her warm hand feeling soft and small in mine, even though I’d seen how capable those hands were in so many situations. She didn’t need me to take care of her, but I liked the fact she was letting me, if only for this weekend.

Hand in hand, we walked up the stone path to the doorway. Jane stopped to admire the abundance of potted plants lining the front patio, her sigh happy as she stroked the leaves of a few of them.

“Fresh herbs,” she explained. “Depending on what you want to eat, I can use them when we make dinner.”

I liked how she said “we.” Although we were still pretending this was nothing but friends with benefits, small things she said and did made it seem like we were in a relationship. Since Chad left, we had fallen into a pattern at her place: If I had day games or off days, we cooked together. We were still being discreet around Ethan and Brooke, not wanting them to read too much into the relationship. It was the little things that reminded me how much I missed being part of a couple. Even though my marriage hadn’t turned out how I wanted, there were a lot of things about it that were good.

I unlocked the door with the key we had picked up at the rental office in Banff and pushed it open. Placing my hand on the small of her back, I urged Jane inside. We stopped in the entrance, soaking in the beauty.

The cottage delivered on everything the listing had promised, with the floor-to-ceiling windows on the back wall bathing the room in bright sunlight, and the sparkling waters of the lake enticing us to head outside. The interior matched the outside, done in natural wood tones with stone accents. Hardwood floors gleamed, their smooth surface broken only by cozy area rugs. The front of the cottage was a wide-open living space filled with an overstuffed sofa covered in throw pillows. A fireplace dominated one wall, and bookshelves with books and games lined another.

That room blended seamlessly into the kitchen, where Jane had already started exploring. Stainless steel appliances should have looked out of place yet somehow perfectly accented the walls and stone countertops.

A quick peek in the fridge proved it was fully stocked, as promised. I’d provided a grocery list, and the rental agent had done everything else. Yet another reminder that years of playing pro ball had spoiled me, but at least I’d banked my money and could use it to spoil her now.

“This is wonderful.” She flashed a smile before sliding open the patio doors to the back deck. Her gasp told me she’d spotted the hot tub, one of the features that had sold me on this place. Swimming was great, but the thought of soaking my sore muscles in that tub had been irresistible. “Did you know this was out here?”

I followed her onto the deck, and when she spun to face me, she flung her arms around me, squeezing me close.

I hugged her back, the press of her generous curves making my cock twitch in my jeans. God, I lov—nope, not going there. “Wait until you see the bedroom and en suite.”

Jane looked up at me. The naked affection in her eyes told me this vacation had been the perfect idea. “You can’t possibly mean it’s better than a hot tub on the deck overlooking the lake.”

I smiled and led her back into the cottage. The interior pictures that had been posted online had barely come close to capturing the beauty and spaciousness of the kitchen and living area, so the bedroom and en suite must be breathtaking, because their pictures had been stunning.

The bedroom was off the kitchen, and when I swung the door open, it didn’t disappoint. Soft, fluffy rugs covered the hardwood floors, leading to the showpiece in the center of the room: a four-poster bed covered with white, gauzy curtains. I suspected that the curtains were functional as well as beautiful, to keep biting insects out at night, but the visual impact was impressive. The bed had been advertised as a king, and it was at least that big. The bedding was sparkling white to match the curtains, and heaped with pillows. It looked like an inviting, peaceful nesting place. I could hardly wait to see her spread out naked on all that crisp white bedding.

The cherry on top was the bathroom. His-and-hers sinks, slate and stone everything, and a glass walled, two-person rainforest shower that included a full sound system and steam jets. I couldn’t wait to get Jane into it, watching the water trace her every curve as my hands followed the water’s path.

“Oh. My. God. I’ve died and gone to heaven,” Jane said as she surveyed the bathroom. “That’s it. I’m renovating my house when we get home. I may have to raid the kids’ college funds, but it would be worth it.”

She wrapped her arms around me. “Thank you. I would never have taken the time off on my own.”

With her body pressing against me, all I wanted was to strip her clothes off and get her into that shower. After the long drive, now wasn’t the time. The shower would still be there after I’d fed her.

I left her to unpack her things and returned to the kitchen, taking stock again of what was in the fridge. The steaks I’d requested looked perfect. Baked potatoes, a salad, and a bottle of the superb red wine sitting on the counter sounded like a perfect way to start our three days away.

I found the corkscrew and opened a bottle to let it breathe. I was searching for wineglasses when Jane came back to the kitchen. She’d changed into a clingy tank top that accented her cleavage, and some kind of sports skirt I’d seen her wear before that showed off her legs.

I dipped my head and pressed my lips against hers, a simple kiss to let her know how much I appreciated her. Her lips were plump, and she opened them to stroke her tongue along the edge of my bottom lip. My blood heated, making me want to peel off that tank top and explore all of her. I broke off the kiss before I let my lust override my intentions. There would be plenty of time to indulge in all our carnal desires. Right now, I wanted time for both of us to unwind.

“I opened a bottle but can’t find the wineglasses. Can you check in that cabinet?” I nodded at the island. As she searched the shelves of the island, I checked the final cabinet above the sink.

“Found them,” Jane said, holding two huge goblets. She poured herself a generous glass, then raised a questioning eyebrow at me, hovering the bottle over the second glass.

“I’m on vacation. I’ll have what you’re having.”

We took our wine outside and wandered down to the lake, where Adirondack chairs circled a firepit not far from the edge of the water. Being this remote, surrounded by nature, was incredibly soothing. Being here with Jane made it perfect. “I always wanted to take a vacation somewhere like this.”

“Why didn’t you?” she asked.