Coveted by Stacey Brutger Page B

and she lost her
two-inch perch. Only her precarious grip on the narrow outcropping and the hold
on her wrists kept her from plunging down against the jagged ridges of the
cliff.
    “Cease, woman, or
you’ll drag us both over.” Shayla looked up to see Aiden leaning over the edge,
those large hands of his clamped around her wrists. Her body went weak with
relief.
    Then he began to
pull.
    Her fingertips
slipped, and she dangled over the edge into nothingness. She flailed in the
instinctive urge to cling to the safety of the wall until a low rumble emerged
deep in his chest, something so primitive that she froze.
    Strain shook his
arms, and Shayla knew he had reached his limit as well. She used what few
footholds she could find to help alleviate her weight.
    Her head cleared the
ledge. Her shoulders. Her waist.
    She expected him to
set her aside at any time.
    When she would’ve
placed her knee on the ground, he refused to release her. Only when she was
plastered up against his body did he finally let her go.
    “I thought you’d left
me.” She leaned against him, not sure she had enough strength to stand on her
own, taking comfort from his solid presence. Heat radiated from him, so warm it
almost hurt against her cold skin.
    Too warm.
    Shayla leaned back to
touch the side of his face, his beard brushing her palm. “You’re burning up.”

 
     
     Chapter Six
     
    “ Y our fingers are like
icicles. Why didn’t you say something?” Aiden sounded exasperated, brushing off
her concerns and focused just on her. The intensity of it made her feel
cherished.
    His hands engulfed
her fingers, and Shayla shivered at the delicious heat, leaning into him and accepting
what he so willingly offered. “Freezing to death is a better alternative than
being torn apart by a pack of dogs.” She paused, more uneasy when she noticed that
she hadn’t heard them for a while. “Are they gone?”
    The man shook his head.
“They moved inland. I can still hear them, but they’re some distance off.”
    “Circling us?”
    Aiden turned and
surveyed their surroundings with unreadable eyes. “Most likely.”
    “And Lassie?” She
hated the tremor in her voice.
    Aiden peered over the
edge. She gave a startled squeak and clutched the back of his shirt, terrified that
he might disappear over the ridge. He straightened so fast, she wrapped her
arms around his waist to keep from tumbling on her backside. Her survival depended
on keeping him alive, but that didn’t explain why her chest actually hurt at
the thought of losing him.
    He stiffened in her
arms.
    She didn’t think he
even breathed.
    Afraid to find out what
he wasn’t telling her, she stepped around him and peered into the abyss. Blackness
looked back. Hell, she couldn’t see anything that wasn’t three feet in front of
her face.
    He cleared his
throat, slowly tugging her away from the ledge until she was once again tucked
against his side. “He got away.”
    She shivered at the
rough tone of his voice, wanting to believe him. “How can you tell? I can’t
even see the shore.”
    He paused for so long
she didn’t think he’d answer. “Night vision. I’ve been in the dark for a long
time. My eyes have adjusted.”
    That made sense.
    So why did it feel like
a lie?
    Shayla tore her gaze
away from his, unable to bear his scrutiny. For some reason, it was important
to him that she believe him, and until they were out of this mess, she had no
choice.
    She’d just have to be
more alert, watch him closer.
    “Come.” Aiden tugged
on her hand. “We can’t stay here.”
    Without the shelter
of his warmth, the wind cut through her, stealing her breath. She couldn’t stop
shaking.
    She had no idea where
they were. She’d only glanced at the map posted at the bed and breakfast,
unable to recall any sort of cliffs. She debated using her gift to get back
town, but she had a feeling they would have to survive the dogs first. “Do you
know where we are?”
    She followed