Alyssa woke to the dark. To the bone-rattling chill and cursed. Cleo, equally displeased about the cold, pawed around the pillow, stepping on and over Alyssa's head to wake her. Sitting up in bed, clutching covers to her body, she shimmed out and almost shrieked when her bare feet hit the floor. Fucking thing felt like an ice rink.

Tiptoeing as quickly as possible to living room, Alyssa fumbled around in the dark until she found the light switch and the thermostat. With the internal temperature reading somewhere around absurdly low, she wiggled the knob and only then discovered—hah!—she'd failed turn the damn thing on.   

Flicking the on switch, she heard a gurgling hum as air kicked in through the vents. It was cool at first but didn't take long before warm air streamed through, warming her numb fingers. Jesus, if this was hold cold the cabin could get during the first week of October, she shuddered to think how bad it would be in December. Or even January.

Wide awake and still partially frozen, Alyssa shuffled into the kitchen and turned on the coffee maker. Unlike the rest of the appliances, this was top of the line with freshly ground beans and a milk-frother for cappuccinos or lattes. Deciding a cappuccino sounded pretty damn good, Alyssa poured ground coffee into the filter, flipped a few buttons and let the little beauty work its magic.

Within a minute flat, she had a steaming coffee with just enough foam to make her smile.

Curling up on the couch, the little cabin well on its way to toasty, Alyssa sipped and enjoyed the fresh brew. The time was somewhere in the neighborhood of four thirty, an early start considering she didn't have a desk job to race to anymore. Not that her body seemed to care. She was used to rising before the sun and doubted that would change anytime soon.

Last night, after her incredibly awkward face-to-face with Eva, Alyssa had done her level best to distract herself with wine and movies streamed on her iPad, eventually passing out somewhere around ten thanks to sheer, freaking exhaustion. But now, sitting here in the quiet, sipping her coffee, there were no distractions to pull her away from more depressing thoughts.

Yesterday had been a far cry from what she had hoped or expected. In fact, as far as disappointment went, that was definitely top of her list.

Frowning Alyssa drummed her nails against the side of the white ceramic mug. Everything about her life right now felt so off balance. Beyond her control. And so, she'd learned a long time ago, whenever she felt so out of her depth, there was only one thing she could do and that was to tackle something she could control.

After the cancer and chemo had eroded her health to a fragile edge, Alyssa had dedicated herself to living a healthy lifestyle. She'd learned about nutrition and how it affected the body, she'd joined a gym and hired an accomplished trainer who put her through her paces. Six days out of the week she was working out. Without fail. Without question.

Her weekly routine consisting of a combination of HIIT cardio, yoga and weight training, with eighty percent of efforts centered on clean eating and exercising and the other twenty allotted for the occasional indulgence because, after all, life should be lived and experienced. She couldn't change what had been done to her body, and what had been done to it to beat the vile disease, but she could try and heal it. Appreciate it. Give it the best that the world had to offer so that, maybe, she could live long enough to see her golden years.

To see her nieces grow up and have babies of their own...

And, Jesus, she was so not going there right now.

Finished with her brief pity-party, Alyssa set down her mug and decided that was enough moping. Times were tough but that didn't excuse her lax in standards. With the heat properly working—thank god, she dressed in her workout gear. Kissing Cleo goodbye on the way out—her majesty stretched lazily across the pillows, Alyssa drove into the quiet streets of Salt Springs.

Ice coated the windshield, dusted the ground so when she stepped out of the car and crossed the parking lot, she could hear the crunch of it under her shoes. Feel the bite of it in the air. The sun was barely cresting by the time she'd reached the gym and found it open near empty, aside from the female attendant folding towels at the front desk, wearing the collared shirt of an employee. The right pocket decorated with a shiny gold nametag.

Approaching, Alyssa pulled the strap of her gym bag over her head. "Hi, I'd like to sign up for a guest pass."

"Sure." The girl paused in her folding and moved to her computer. Alyssa's eyes lowered to the name tag: Keisha.

"We do daily, weekly or bi-weekly options," she said.

"Great. Let's go with the bi-weekly, please? I'm here for three months so I'll need six."

Keisha rolled her gaze to Alyssa, her eyes a little large and slightly protruding from her oval face. "Y'sure you're gonna use all that? I mean, you could always renew the guest pass at the end of each period."

"It's fine. This is the closest gym to where I'm staying and I work out every day, as a rule."

"Everyday?"

Alyssa nodded. "Don't you have any other dedicated members here?"

Keisha's smile flashed, and Alyssa quickly decided that her smile was the girl's best feature by far. It was bright and infectious. "I can count one hand. In fact, one's in right now. Always is at this time. The rest aren't such early birds." Clicking away on her computer, Keisha plugged in Alyssa's details.

"That works out to forty-two fifty. We have a promo going on right now so you saved thirty percent."

"Lucky me." Fishing out some cash, Alyssa handed it over and waited for her change and receipt.

"Here's your guest card," Keisha reached into the desk drawer and pulled out a swipe card in bold, eye-glaring orange like the gyms logo flashing outside. "Use this to open the doors. It'll let you in during our regular hours from 5am to 12pm, even if someone isn't at the desk to buss you in. This dossier has our club rules and information, in case you have any questions. As this is a guest pass there will be no refunds permitted," Keisha winced apologetically, "and the pass expires in six months from today. Any questions?"

"Nope." Alyssa tucked everything away inside her bag, zipped it shut. "You've been very helpful. Thank you."

Keisha smiled again. "I'm here if you need me. Ladies change room is at the end of the facility on the left. There's a designated room for ladies only, 'cuz some chicks think guys are going to ogle them," she rolled her eyes, "otherwise the rest of the facility is open to both men and women."

"Good to know." Taking a towel from the pile stacked on the reception desk, Alyssa worked down to the back and veered left, depositing her bag, wallet and keys into a locker, punched in a code and engaged the locks. 

And because she wasn't one of those gals who couldn't hack lifting weights around the men, Alyssa worked her way to where she'd noted the weightlifting machines were housed. She heard heavy breathing first, followed by the solid clang of metal to concrete. Moving around the pillar, clearing sightlines, Alyssa saw Ethan.

Headphones were crammed into his ears; his shirt was a ruin of sweat and his face all focused intent as he rolled into another series of clean deadlifts, the bar weighed down with at least two hundred pounds.

His dark hair was damp from his efforts—a shade of brown so deep it was almost black but the glaring fluorescents teased out hints of red. Even though she couldn't see them right now, she recalled his eyes were a fierce blue—deeper than Marshalls, with the same golden tone to his skin that said he frequented the outdoors.

But as far as similarities went, there were little in the way between them visually that would connect Marshall and Ethan as brothers. Though both were incredible specimens and a very female part of her responded, just as it had yesterday on the beach as she'd caught him standing there, watching her. The wind teasing at those dark waves and his eyes locked on her.

So serious and stoic.

She watched the way his muscles rippled, from his arms straight through to his legs as he ran the bar down his thighs, almost touching the ground before jerking back up straight. On the fifth rep he dropped the bar and it clattered loudly in the quiet space around them. Breathing heavily and giving his body a brief rest before pushing into anther set, Ethan turned and, sensing he wasn't alone, his gaze shot to her face.

That connection jolted with that same punch to the belly that made parts of her tingle and hum.

"Looks like we're the only two sadists hitting the gym at the ass crack of dawn," Alyssa said, uncrossing her arms from her chest. "You've got some pretty good form."

"Thanks." Toweling his face, Ethan nodded at her. "What're you working on today?"

Alyssa flexed her arms in response. "Bi's, tri's and shoulders. Finishing with a bit of legs because I missed a day."

He nodded appreciatively. "Nice. Well, have a good workout. I've got a few more sets to hit before I've got to get to work."

"Sure. Absolutely."

Ethan moved to turn but paused as she walked away, taking in her fitted yoga pants and long sleeve shirt. Given the fact that everything was about as skin tight as it could get—more for practicality than esthetics, he could see that she was no novice.

Her dedication showed in the very pleasing shape of her body and it impressed him. Most women couldn't handle the demands of a healthy lifestyle. It meant discipline and moderation and too many equated that with sacrifice rather than a trade-off.

But then were quick to complain about muffin tops, dimpled thighs or flapping arms. Not that he minded a womanly figure. He'd been raised to appreciate all shapes and sizes from a young age. And had certainly explored a variety in his youth.

Stopping by the free weights, she picked up a pair of fifteens to warm up and went to work with shoulder flys. Her gaze locked on her reflection, watching her form and controlling her breathing. The way her body moved and contracted, the ripple in her back and the slight sway of her hips as she pushed into each rep.

Because he was thirsty from an intense workout—and not because his mouth had suddenly gone bone dry—Ethan uncapped his water and took a long, long swallow. The cool water rushed down his throat, quenching the heat in his belly.

This was going to be his sister-in-law; he certainly had no business looking at her like...well as anything other than a member of his family.

But, in his lingering observations, he'd allowed his legs to cool down too much to make the next round of sets he'd planned to do worth it. Not unless he wanted to risk injury. But he still had at least a solid fifteen minutes and couldn't justifiably waste it. So, with a tossup between free weights or cardio, he moved to join her at the mirror. Reaching for a couple of thirties, Ethan slid into lunges, alternating right to left, back to front.

They worked out together in focused silence, and even though Ethan concentrated on his reflection, assessing his form, he was also keenly aware of Alyssa's every movement. She worked hard and pushed herself harder with drop sets and super setting, until she was dripping sweat as she suffered through the last reps of a final round.

Finished with his sumo squats, Ethan wracked his weights. 

"Give me five more," he said sliding his hands up her elbows when she was just about to give in, guiding her past the sticking point so she could finish the rep clean.

"What?"

"Five," Ethan insisted, his eyes pinned to hers in the mirror. "You've got that at least left in you. Push through the burn. Curse if you have to. Five more." And she did. Muttering a slew of obscenities that tugged at the corner of his mouth, but she gave him what he asked for. When she was done, knowing her arms were spent, Ethan took hold of the weights, set them back on the rack.

"Thanks," Alyssa said, massaging her hands before reaching for her towel. The movement had her bending at the waist and gave him a teasing glimpse of stellar cleavage. Lips pressed to a thin line, Ethan rolled his gaze to the ceiling with a scathing thought until she straightened.

"I haven't worked out with a spotter in a long time." Alyssa stroked the towel over her face. Her skin glowed with the flush of a hard workout. And that was somehow sexier than her cleavage. "You work out here every morning?"

"No." Thank God. "Tomorrow I'm going to run. Do a bit of plyo outdoors while the weather still permits."

Alyssa nodded at that. "It's good to change it up. Most people make the mistake of repeating the same regimen over and over. Not realizing their body gets lazy. Constant change is the only way to keep your muscles guessing and avoid plateaus."

"You can...join me," he offered, scraping a hand over the back of his head. She was here alone, didn't know a soul on the island aside from him and her sister. Inviting her along was the polite thing to do. Because that's what family did, right? And they were going to be family soon enough.

And that simple fact irritated him for reasons he didn't care to explore.

She looped the towel around her neck, held on to the dangling ends. The florescents catching in her eyes teasing out those interesting hints of green and gold in the tawny brown. "Maybe. What time?"

"I usually wait until sunup when it's warmer. Somewhere around eight, eight-thirty."

Lips drawn together,she wiggled them. "I'm supposed to meet with my sister for nine. See thegallery and help out a bit behind the scenes." She didn't seem all that enthused, though he could hear it in her voice, it was missing in her eyes. But Ethan pretended not to notice and sensed the flush in her cheeks was out of gratefulness he didn't ask.

"Maybe some other time," he said and could only hope to god he didn't look as relieved as he felt.

"Sounds good. See you around, Sherriff," Alyssa said and reached for her water bottle.

"You don't need to call me that," he spoke up before she could walk away. "I mean...I'm just a regular cop."

Drinking slowly, Alyssa shrugged. "I like saying sheriff." She cast him that sassy little salute he was quickly growing to realize was her thing as she walked off. Leaving him there.

Hot and bothered and more than a little excited at the thought of seeing her again.