I held onto the edge of the tub and dipped one foot in. Max barked from the other room. It sounded like a happy play bark, but what was he doing in there?
Out of nowhere, the door opened. I whipped my head around, my heart instantly racing, to find a big, burly bearded man in red flannel standing in the doorway.
I screamed. His eyes widened. Max barked again, like this was a fun game, not a potentially life-threatening breaking and entering situation for his human.
“Get out! Who are you? What are you doing here? Get out!”
I was rambling at the top of my lungs, but who could blame me? I was stark naked, bent over with one foot in the tub, holding onto the edge for dear life so I wouldn’t fall, and a strange man was in the doorway, looking away as if he were trying to avert his eyes.
But he wasn’t a strange man. I knew who he was. Josiah Haven.
The shock of it all destroyed my balance. I tried to stand up and grab the towel off the counter so at least I wouldn’t be completely naked, but my foot slipped. I fell forward, face first into the bathtub, and sucked in a mouthful of water.
My arms and legs flailed, slipping on the wet tub, as I tried to right myself. What direction was I facing? Where was the air? I twisted and my butt hit the bottom of the tub. Sitting up, I broke the surface of the water and took a sputtering breath.
Max darted in and started splashing in the puddle of water on the floor.
I hunkered down and gripped the sides of the tub, rounding my back to make sure my boobs were at least partially covered. My hair was plastered to my face and my sinuses ached from the rush of water that had invaded them when I face planted. With a deliberately slow movement, I shut off the faucet.
“Are – are you okay?” Josiah asked.
To his credit, he was keeping his eyes averted.
“Do I look okay? What are you doing in my house?”
“This isn’t your house.”
“Yes, it is.”
“No, it’s my house.”
“Can we maybe have this conversation when I’m not naked in a bathtub?”
Max stopped splashing long enough to sit at Josiah’s feet, tail wagging, and eagerly looked up at him, no doubt hoping for attention.
Josiah glanced at Max, then at me. He looked away abruptly. “Sorry.”
He stepped out, shutting the door, and left me with Max in a soaking wet bathroom.
Max put his paws up on the side of the tub and looked at me, panting happily.
“Some guard dog you are. What if he’d been trying to kill me?”
He leaned closer and licked my face.
I scrubbed my wet hair back, unplugged the drain, and carefully stood. The floor was a mess. I got out of the tub, tiptoeing through the puddle, and wrapped myself in the towel.
Opening the door a crack, I peeked out to make sure Josiah wasn’t in the bedroom. It was empty and the door shut, so I dried off and put on the pajamas I’d laid out for myself.
I opened the bedroom door and stuck my head out. “Are you still here?”
“Are you dressed?”
“Obviously.”
Josiah Haven stood by the front door, as if ready to make a quick getaway. He was dressed in a red plaid flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of faded jeans that had seen better days. He raked a hand through his brown hair and his beard and thick arms gave him a tough, woodsman vibe.
I stopped at the end of the hallway and gave Max a down command, then crossed my arms. “Why did you break into my house?”
“It’s my house.”
“According to the rental agreement I signed today, it’s mine for the next twelve months.”
His brow furrowed. “You’re the tenant? I thought you bailed.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Who gave you a rental agreement?”
“Annika Bailey.”
Recognition softened his features. “You talked to Annika?”
“Yes. I called on the ad, she ran my application, and gave me the keys today.”
His hands rested lightly on his hips and he looked at the ground. “She didn’t tell me the place was rented. I thought you were a squatter.”
“Why would that be your first thought?”
“We’ve had problems with them before. And your car is full of crap. Looks like you’re living out of it.”
“Don’t judge. I just moved and I haven’t had a chance to unpack. And that doesn’t give you the right to barge in on me when I’m in the bath. Or ever.”
He put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I didn’t know you were in the bath.”