led from
the cabin to the outhouse. Biting her lip hard to keep from shrieking when a
coyote howled in the distance, she almost ran the last few yards, her heart
hammering in her chest.
She didn’t see the gnarled root of the ancient juniper that
caught her spike heel and sent her sprawling forward with a little scream of
terror. She certainly didn’t see the man standing in her path until she
collided with his heavy body and his arms steadied her. “It’s only a coyote.”
His rough voice was the most beautiful thing she’d ever heard as she clutched
at him and buried her face in his shirt front, allowing the terrified sobs to
break loose.
Zeke heard her call out from the door of the outhouse and
stepped off the porch to assure her he was there. He watched the circle of
light from the lantern bob along as she hesitantly picked her way along the
path from the privy to the cabin, then old ba’ts’osé howled to call his
mate, and the innocent sound sent the woman into a headlong flight of terror.
He barely reached her as she plunged forward, having tripped over her own feet
in those deadly stilettos she chose to wear. He removed the lantern from her
trembling fist and wrapped his free arm tightly around her as she clutched his
body and sobbed against his chest.
He didn’t try to calm her. He simply buried his lips in her
soft hair and breathed in her sweet, city-girl perfume and the scent of vanilla
shampoo. He allowed her to calm herself with her tears, and when she’d
collected herself enough to release her stranglehold on his body and step away
a bit, he eased his arm from around her and lifted her chin gently with his
free hand. “B a’ts’osé wouldn’t hurt you. He protects this place while I
sleep. He knows you are mine, as do all the small creatures you are so afraid
of. The mouse digs a new burrow for her family. The owl and the fox go about
their nightly hunting. Nothing in the night will harm you, except maybe those
shoes you’re wearing.”
She stiffened and moved away from his hand on her face.
“Don’t make fun of me. I’ve never been in a place like this. Unfamiliar things
can scare a person. But I suppose nothing scares you.”
She couldn’t see the smile that curved his lips. “I fear
many things, sweet thing. Especially you…”
Chellie blinked, her eyes searching the dark shadows above
her that she knew hid his face. The lantern light didn’t give her any clue to
what he’d meant by that. “You’re afraid of me?”
“Damn right.” The deep voice and his warm breath stirred her
hair. “You are the only thing out here that can harm me.”
“How could I possibly hurt you?” she scoffed. “Have you ever
taken a good look at yourself in a mirror? You outweigh me by a ton, and you
dwarf me…not to mention that you’re built like a brick wall.”
She could feel the heat of his body, despite being several
inches from him. She could smell the intoxicating scent of sage, juniper, pine
pitch and man…as well as the dampness of her own tears.
Holy shit!
Her senses had never been so sharp…so alive before. The
terror she’d experienced moments ago was gone. His presence and his aura had
swept them away like a strong breeze.
His aura … Her inner voice told her to trust him.
Oh sure…but can I trust myself around him?
She slowly lifted her hand and placed it on his chest at the
level where she knew his heart beat slowly and comfortingly. What drew her so
completely to this stranger? Why did her inner voice purr softly inside her in
his presence? Why did she crave—yes, that was the word—his closeness? Why was
she no longer afraid? And for Pete’s sake, why the friggin’ hell couldn’t she
even touch him without visualizing fucking his brains out?
Had her fury at Karl set free some inner nympho demon? She
had never been so wanton, so utterly horny, in her entire life. It almost
reminded her of that perfume ad on TV that bragged about the product containing
human
the cabin to the outhouse. Biting her lip hard to keep from shrieking when a
coyote howled in the distance, she almost ran the last few yards, her heart
hammering in her chest.
She didn’t see the gnarled root of the ancient juniper that
caught her spike heel and sent her sprawling forward with a little scream of
terror. She certainly didn’t see the man standing in her path until she
collided with his heavy body and his arms steadied her. “It’s only a coyote.”
His rough voice was the most beautiful thing she’d ever heard as she clutched
at him and buried her face in his shirt front, allowing the terrified sobs to
break loose.
Zeke heard her call out from the door of the outhouse and
stepped off the porch to assure her he was there. He watched the circle of
light from the lantern bob along as she hesitantly picked her way along the
path from the privy to the cabin, then old ba’ts’osé howled to call his
mate, and the innocent sound sent the woman into a headlong flight of terror.
He barely reached her as she plunged forward, having tripped over her own feet
in those deadly stilettos she chose to wear. He removed the lantern from her
trembling fist and wrapped his free arm tightly around her as she clutched his
body and sobbed against his chest.
He didn’t try to calm her. He simply buried his lips in her
soft hair and breathed in her sweet, city-girl perfume and the scent of vanilla
shampoo. He allowed her to calm herself with her tears, and when she’d
collected herself enough to release her stranglehold on his body and step away
a bit, he eased his arm from around her and lifted her chin gently with his
free hand. “B a’ts’osé wouldn’t hurt you. He protects this place while I
sleep. He knows you are mine, as do all the small creatures you are so afraid
of. The mouse digs a new burrow for her family. The owl and the fox go about
their nightly hunting. Nothing in the night will harm you, except maybe those
shoes you’re wearing.”
She stiffened and moved away from his hand on her face.
“Don’t make fun of me. I’ve never been in a place like this. Unfamiliar things
can scare a person. But I suppose nothing scares you.”
She couldn’t see the smile that curved his lips. “I fear
many things, sweet thing. Especially you…”
Chellie blinked, her eyes searching the dark shadows above
her that she knew hid his face. The lantern light didn’t give her any clue to
what he’d meant by that. “You’re afraid of me?”
“Damn right.” The deep voice and his warm breath stirred her
hair. “You are the only thing out here that can harm me.”
“How could I possibly hurt you?” she scoffed. “Have you ever
taken a good look at yourself in a mirror? You outweigh me by a ton, and you
dwarf me…not to mention that you’re built like a brick wall.”
She could feel the heat of his body, despite being several
inches from him. She could smell the intoxicating scent of sage, juniper, pine
pitch and man…as well as the dampness of her own tears.
Holy shit!
Her senses had never been so sharp…so alive before. The
terror she’d experienced moments ago was gone. His presence and his aura had
swept them away like a strong breeze.
His aura … Her inner voice told her to trust him.
Oh sure…but can I trust myself around him?
She slowly lifted her hand and placed it on his chest at the
level where she knew his heart beat slowly and comfortingly. What drew her so
completely to this stranger? Why did her inner voice purr softly inside her in
his presence? Why did she crave—yes, that was the word—his closeness? Why was
she no longer afraid? And for Pete’s sake, why the friggin’ hell couldn’t she
even touch him without visualizing fucking his brains out?
Had her fury at Karl set free some inner nympho demon? She
had never been so wanton, so utterly horny, in her entire life. It almost
reminded her of that perfume ad on TV that bragged about the product containing
human
Similar Books
