Redemption: Montana Wolves, Book Three (Montana Wolves series 3) by Chloe Cole

secret.
    "You're on."
    He gave her one last hungry look before bending to position himself for the shot.
    She watched, all thought suspended, as he cocked his arm and sent the cue ball careening toward the eight. The black ball fell neatly into the pocket, but before she could even process how to feel about it, the white cue ball fell behind it.
    "Scratch! You lose," she murmured, a thrill coursing through her. She got to kiss Billy and she got her secret.
    “Looks like it.” He straightened, the expression on his face sending her pulse racing. “So what do you say we get out of here? I’ve been thinking of the secret I want to share, and I think it’s better if I tell you in private. Then, if you’re game, I’ll collect my kiss. I’d prefer if we didn't have an audience, if it's all the same to you.”
    It wasn't all the same to her. In fact, the very thought had her jumping out of her skin. How was she going to stick to her guns and keep herself from acting on her impulses if they were alone and unsupervised?
    But the lure of him…the promise of his secret, while terrifying, was also too strong to resist.
    She drained the last of her beer and mustered up a smile and her courage.
    “What are we waiting for?”

CHAPTER SIX
    I t wasn’t an easy task, but Amber tried to let the warm breath of the heater and the low drone of the truck's engine soothe her as they drove.
    She wasn't sure where they were going, and oddly enough, she wasn’t sure it mattered. She'd spent the past month floating in space, unanchored and alone. But she wasn’t alone anymore, and she trusted him. He knew what she’d been through, had lived through the fear and terror with her, and just having him near again grounded her and made her feel safe.
    "We're here," he said softly, the husky baritone pulling her from her reverie.
    She opened her eyes and straightened, looking around. "We're where?"
    They’d pulled off the bumpy, makeshift road he’d been on and into a tiny inlet. Tall, skeletal trees surrounded them on all sides, the sight only broken by the occasional lush jack pine or evergreen. The moon hung fat in the sky, like a milky wheel of cheese, and lit the tiny clearing in a warm light.
    "I told you. Somewhere private."
    He turned off the car, and let himself out before coming around to her side and opening her door. "Seriously? Weren’t you just telling me about wolves venturing out of their territories?” She stared down at his big, outstretched hand and then glanced past him into the dark forest. “Your apartment is private. My house is private, and only like twenty minutes away. It’s warm…and there are lights."
    His firm lips twitched and he shook his head slowly. "That sounds great, but for now, this is where we need to be, all right?"
    She took in a steadying breath and blew it out, wincing as it crystalized in the freezing air in a puff of white. "Do you at least have a blanket or something?"
    His green eyes took on a curious light. "You won't need one."
    She winced but nodded and reached out a hand to grab her purse.
    “Won’t need that either.”
    She opened her mouth to argue, but then let it close with a snap. He was it right now. The one person who had been willing to help her through this when the rest of his friends obviously still blamed her at least half as much as she blamed herself for all that had happened. If he wanted to share with her, she’d play by his rules. It was the least she could do.
    She slipped her hand into his and murmured in pleasure as the heat of his skin warmed her.
    He helped her out of the car onto the ice-crusted grass and led her toward the center of the clearing. There was a small fire pit there with wood already neatly stacked.
    "Oh, that's excellent," she said, releasing his hand and bee-lining straight for it. "Please tell me you have matches?"
    He brandished them with a half-smile and popped a squat next to the circle of rocks. “Like a Boy Scout, always prepared.”
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