against her ribs. The steel
grip on her hips made it impossible to move. The rise of his cologne drifted
between them, a gleam built in his eyes. She glanced at the hands on her waist
and said, “If you don’t mind...”
His
grasp loosened, but remained intact. “Well?”
Simultaneously
enjoying the feel of his hands but not caring for the ease with which he
assumed permission, she hesitated. Delaney hadn’t been touched by a man in
almost two years, and even though she thought she had moved past the need, his
warm touch assured her she had not.
Nick
let go, the sudden withdrawal jarring. She felt lighter, emptier. Delaney
cleared her throat. “Well, if you can’t find your way out, I guess I can lead
you to the trailhead.”
Nick
dished out a salty grin. “Appreciate it.”
When
he released her, Delaney darted up the trail like a deer before he could stop
her.
Doing
his level best to keep up, Nick could not maneuver the passageway quite as
easily. No longer hiking, they were half-climbing, half-scaling rocks, but he
wasn’t about to let her get too far ahead of him. She was likely to run off
without him. He squeezed himself between branches and trees and bushes and
slipped on a moss-covered rock. “Ouch!” A jagged limb stabbed into his side. He
looked up, but she was yards ahead of him. Managing the last section as quickly
as he could, Nick reached the top, heartened by the sight of her waiting. Winded
himself, he was surprised by her lack of fatigue. “You’re in good shape.”
“When
you grow up around here, climbing becomes second nature.” She turned, pushed her
sleeves up her arms and headed out.
Matching
his stride to hers, Nick walked alongside Delaney. Apparently content with
their silence, she didn’t speak a word. There was nothing but the muted sound
of boots hitting clay, the piercing quiet of nature. He’d seen a creek below,
but there was no evidence of it up here. Only dirt, air and the occasional
stream of sunlight marked their hike. Peering at her from the side, Nick found
it odd that neither she nor her uncle welcomed his offer. They weren’t even the
slightest bit interested, which didn’t make sense. Money was money. The taxes
were going unpaid. Would they rather lose it at auction than sell it to him? Was
it possible Delaney didn’t know?
“So
you grew up on this land?” he asked, opening conversation in his quest for
information.
“I
did.”
“Lived
here your whole life?”
“Pretty
much.” Delaney kept her line of vision on the ground ahead of them.
“Even
when you were married?”
She
flicked him a glance lit by annoyance. “I lived on the other side of town back
then.”
Married
her high school sweetheart and from what people around town said, the two
seemed like a nice couple. Both families approved. They had a child and then
one day Delaney up and left him and he moved out of town. That’s where the
details became murky. Lips zipped closed and backs turned to business. But a
man didn’t leave a woman that quick unless he had another bed to sleep in. Did
a woman? Glancing sideways at her, she didn’t strike him as the type. Needy
women cheated, vain women cheated, neither of which Delaney seemed to be. “Was
your husband from around here?”
“Yes.”
Queen
of the short and sweet. He smiled inwardly. “Mind if I ask what happened?”
“I
do.”
Nick
laughed softly and held an overhanging branch out of her way, clearing her path
as she passed beneath. “Is it always this difficult to have a conversation with
you?”
She
looked up at him, but the previous irritation seemed to be gone. “Depends on
the subject matter.”
“How
long have you lived with your uncle?”
“Since
Felicity was eight.”
“Ten
years.”
She
smirked. “You’re good in math.”
Nick
smiled, unaffected by the remark. He liked looking at her face. Soft and
flushed from the hike, her skin was lightly tanned from a life lived outdoors,
her eyes brown, yet her brows
grip on her hips made it impossible to move. The rise of his cologne drifted
between them, a gleam built in his eyes. She glanced at the hands on her waist
and said, “If you don’t mind...”
His
grasp loosened, but remained intact. “Well?”
Simultaneously
enjoying the feel of his hands but not caring for the ease with which he
assumed permission, she hesitated. Delaney hadn’t been touched by a man in
almost two years, and even though she thought she had moved past the need, his
warm touch assured her she had not.
Nick
let go, the sudden withdrawal jarring. She felt lighter, emptier. Delaney
cleared her throat. “Well, if you can’t find your way out, I guess I can lead
you to the trailhead.”
Nick
dished out a salty grin. “Appreciate it.”
When
he released her, Delaney darted up the trail like a deer before he could stop
her.
Doing
his level best to keep up, Nick could not maneuver the passageway quite as
easily. No longer hiking, they were half-climbing, half-scaling rocks, but he
wasn’t about to let her get too far ahead of him. She was likely to run off
without him. He squeezed himself between branches and trees and bushes and
slipped on a moss-covered rock. “Ouch!” A jagged limb stabbed into his side. He
looked up, but she was yards ahead of him. Managing the last section as quickly
as he could, Nick reached the top, heartened by the sight of her waiting. Winded
himself, he was surprised by her lack of fatigue. “You’re in good shape.”
“When
you grow up around here, climbing becomes second nature.” She turned, pushed her
sleeves up her arms and headed out.
Matching
his stride to hers, Nick walked alongside Delaney. Apparently content with
their silence, she didn’t speak a word. There was nothing but the muted sound
of boots hitting clay, the piercing quiet of nature. He’d seen a creek below,
but there was no evidence of it up here. Only dirt, air and the occasional
stream of sunlight marked their hike. Peering at her from the side, Nick found
it odd that neither she nor her uncle welcomed his offer. They weren’t even the
slightest bit interested, which didn’t make sense. Money was money. The taxes
were going unpaid. Would they rather lose it at auction than sell it to him? Was
it possible Delaney didn’t know?
“So
you grew up on this land?” he asked, opening conversation in his quest for
information.
“I
did.”
“Lived
here your whole life?”
“Pretty
much.” Delaney kept her line of vision on the ground ahead of them.
“Even
when you were married?”
She
flicked him a glance lit by annoyance. “I lived on the other side of town back
then.”
Married
her high school sweetheart and from what people around town said, the two
seemed like a nice couple. Both families approved. They had a child and then
one day Delaney up and left him and he moved out of town. That’s where the
details became murky. Lips zipped closed and backs turned to business. But a
man didn’t leave a woman that quick unless he had another bed to sleep in. Did
a woman? Glancing sideways at her, she didn’t strike him as the type. Needy
women cheated, vain women cheated, neither of which Delaney seemed to be. “Was
your husband from around here?”
“Yes.”
Queen
of the short and sweet. He smiled inwardly. “Mind if I ask what happened?”
“I
do.”
Nick
laughed softly and held an overhanging branch out of her way, clearing her path
as she passed beneath. “Is it always this difficult to have a conversation with
you?”
She
looked up at him, but the previous irritation seemed to be gone. “Depends on
the subject matter.”
“How
long have you lived with your uncle?”
“Since
Felicity was eight.”
“Ten
years.”
She
smirked. “You’re good in math.”
Nick
smiled, unaffected by the remark. He liked looking at her face. Soft and
flushed from the hike, her skin was lightly tanned from a life lived outdoors,
her eyes brown, yet her brows
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