woods.
“I have no idea why I’m surprised,” Adam said, calm as you please. Wrapping his hands around her arms, he hauled her out of the Ranger and onto her feet in front of him.
Her heart stuttered at his unexpected touch, and shegrasped at the hard, knotted sinews of his biceps. He’d just taken another shower, she could smell his shampoo, his soap, his clean, warm, male skin.
A few raindrops dotted his head and the shoulders of his heavy winter coat. He wore a black hoodie beneath it, hood up over the ball cap, jeans that were taut over his hard thighs, and ass-kicking boots.
He looked heart-stoppingly amazing.
Twelve years and he still amped her pulse rate. It wasn’t fair, not one little bit, and it took more than a little bit of concentration to focus on the task at hand instead of his hard-muscled body. “I was waiting for you,” she said. “And fell asleep.”
His silence was disconcerting. He was probably trying to figure out how to leave her on the side of the road. She straightened and tried to look unleavable. “I didn’t want you to go without me,” she added.
“Going without you was the plan, Holly.”
“Yes, well, the plan sucked,” she said. “Did you get some sleep? Is your shoulder okay?”
He gave her a barely perceptible nod. His posture was annoyingly relaxed for someone who’d just found a stowaway. Relaxed but not amused.
Then their gazes met, and for a minute, being this close to him, she got this grown-up, distant, edgy Adam confused with the younger version.
The version who’d cared about her, however briefly.
It softened something inside her and she found herself leaning in closer without meaning to.
But whatever he caught in her expression—memories, confused emotions,
something
—tipped him off because his eyes went hooded and he pulled back. “Holly,” he said quietly.
“You can’t make me stay behind.”
But they both knew he could do just that if he really wanted. He could make her do anything he set his mind to,thanks to his superior size, not to mention his sheer will. Not that he’d ever force her physically.
He wouldn’t.
Mentally…well, that was another game entirely. Mentally, he had her.
He always had.
“I need to do this, Adam.”
“Holly—”
“No, I mean it. I’ve got this really bad feeling that won’t quit, and…”
Dammit
. She let out a shaky breath. “I’m scared, okay? I’m scared and…” Her voice broke, which really pissed her off. She didn’t want to lose it, not with Adam.
A low, rough sound escaped him, and he reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingertips brushing feather light across her temple, his thumb at the line of her jaw.
Gentle.
So terrifyingly gentle that it was almost her complete undoing. Not again. She couldn’t survive him again.
“You don’t have to be scared,” he said quietly, and pressed closer, sharing his body heat as he sighed against her temple. “You’re not alone.”
She pressed her face to his shoulder. Then she remembered his injury and jerked her head up. “I’m sorry—”
“I’m fine.”
The
fine
word again. But he
was
fine. And sure. So absolutely sure of himself.
“We’re going to find him,” he said.
“How do you know?”
“Because you won’t let me give up until we do.”
There was wry humor in his voice now. She closed her eyes and had to stop herself from pressing her face into his throat and inhaling him in. “Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” He wrapped his fingers around her ponytail and gently tugged until she lifted her head tohis. “We have a long way to go.” He paused, and for the first time she sensed a hesitation in him. “Together.”
“It doesn’t have to be a problem, Adam.”
He locked eyes with her, and she got it. He thought it would be a problem for
her
. Oh, hell no. “I moved on a long time ago,” she said.
His thumb made a slow pass along the curve of her jaw and she shivered. To make sure he
“I have no idea why I’m surprised,” Adam said, calm as you please. Wrapping his hands around her arms, he hauled her out of the Ranger and onto her feet in front of him.
Her heart stuttered at his unexpected touch, and shegrasped at the hard, knotted sinews of his biceps. He’d just taken another shower, she could smell his shampoo, his soap, his clean, warm, male skin.
A few raindrops dotted his head and the shoulders of his heavy winter coat. He wore a black hoodie beneath it, hood up over the ball cap, jeans that were taut over his hard thighs, and ass-kicking boots.
He looked heart-stoppingly amazing.
Twelve years and he still amped her pulse rate. It wasn’t fair, not one little bit, and it took more than a little bit of concentration to focus on the task at hand instead of his hard-muscled body. “I was waiting for you,” she said. “And fell asleep.”
His silence was disconcerting. He was probably trying to figure out how to leave her on the side of the road. She straightened and tried to look unleavable. “I didn’t want you to go without me,” she added.
“Going without you was the plan, Holly.”
“Yes, well, the plan sucked,” she said. “Did you get some sleep? Is your shoulder okay?”
He gave her a barely perceptible nod. His posture was annoyingly relaxed for someone who’d just found a stowaway. Relaxed but not amused.
Then their gazes met, and for a minute, being this close to him, she got this grown-up, distant, edgy Adam confused with the younger version.
The version who’d cared about her, however briefly.
It softened something inside her and she found herself leaning in closer without meaning to.
But whatever he caught in her expression—memories, confused emotions,
something
—tipped him off because his eyes went hooded and he pulled back. “Holly,” he said quietly.
“You can’t make me stay behind.”
But they both knew he could do just that if he really wanted. He could make her do anything he set his mind to,thanks to his superior size, not to mention his sheer will. Not that he’d ever force her physically.
He wouldn’t.
Mentally…well, that was another game entirely. Mentally, he had her.
He always had.
“I need to do this, Adam.”
“Holly—”
“No, I mean it. I’ve got this really bad feeling that won’t quit, and…”
Dammit
. She let out a shaky breath. “I’m scared, okay? I’m scared and…” Her voice broke, which really pissed her off. She didn’t want to lose it, not with Adam.
A low, rough sound escaped him, and he reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingertips brushing feather light across her temple, his thumb at the line of her jaw.
Gentle.
So terrifyingly gentle that it was almost her complete undoing. Not again. She couldn’t survive him again.
“You don’t have to be scared,” he said quietly, and pressed closer, sharing his body heat as he sighed against her temple. “You’re not alone.”
She pressed her face to his shoulder. Then she remembered his injury and jerked her head up. “I’m sorry—”
“I’m fine.”
The
fine
word again. But he
was
fine. And sure. So absolutely sure of himself.
“We’re going to find him,” he said.
“How do you know?”
“Because you won’t let me give up until we do.”
There was wry humor in his voice now. She closed her eyes and had to stop herself from pressing her face into his throat and inhaling him in. “Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” He wrapped his fingers around her ponytail and gently tugged until she lifted her head tohis. “We have a long way to go.” He paused, and for the first time she sensed a hesitation in him. “Together.”
“It doesn’t have to be a problem, Adam.”
He locked eyes with her, and she got it. He thought it would be a problem for
her
. Oh, hell no. “I moved on a long time ago,” she said.
His thumb made a slow pass along the curve of her jaw and she shivered. To make sure he
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