Stealing the Groom by Sonya Weiss Page B

absolutely crazy. It’s just one of the many ways we’re so damned opposite.”
    She narrowed her eyes. “You’re trying to deflect.”
    His clenched jaw told her she’d hit on something. “I’m going. Are you coming?”
    “No.”
    “It’s not safe in the woods alone. You could fall and get injured.”
    “I could also enjoy the walk and experience new things,” she said.
    “Dammit, Ame. You’re deliberately trying to get under my skin. What the hell do you want from me?”
    “I don’t want anything from you. I want good things for you.”
    “And I want the same for you.” He held out his hand. “Please. Come back to the cabin and we’ll get ready to find a phone.”
    She crossed her arms. “I’m staying.”
    He lowered his hand. “I can’t leave the cabin knowing that you don’t have any electricity or a way to call for help if you need something.”
    “I travel all over the world and I’ve been in worse situations. I can take care of myself.”
    “I won’t leave you behind.”
    “You think marrying Claire won’t leave me behind? She’s not going to allow you to have me in your life.”
    His expression softened. “Is that what this is about? You’re worried about being cut out of my life?” He moved closer and took her in his arms, smiling down at her. “That’s not going to happen.” He lifted her chin with the side of his finger. “I promise.”
    She felt a jolt at his touch. “This isn’t about me.” She stepped away from him. “The thought of you ending up without love in your life hurts me.”
    “I’m a big boy. I’ll be fine.” He cleared his throat and plucked a leaf from a low-hanging tree branch.
    “You won’t know you’re not fine. You’ll end up an old man with all the joy sucked right out of you by vampire Claire.”
    Chad laughed. “So now she’s a vampire?”
    “If the fangs fit…”
    “You’re grasping.”
    “Haven’t you ever heard of emotional vampires?”
    “Whatever, Ame. I’m not going to stand here and listen to you tell me how bad you think my life will be. You want to keep walking or what?”
    “I thought you wanted to leave.”
    “I do, but not without you.” He flexed his biceps. “I have to stay and keep the little woman safe.”
    She laughed. “Yeah, right.”
    “Seriously, I know you can take care of yourself, but I’m staying.”
    “Okay, but if you stick around, aren’t you afraid that I’ll have you right where I want you, babe?” She winked and patted him on the ass.
    He grabbed her hand. “Don’t start a fire you can’t put out.”
    She grinned and followed him back the way they’d come. “Last time I let nature take its course and the fire went out.”
    “That was old wood. Couldn’t keep the fire going under the pressure of the rain.”
    “So it’s the material that matters.”
    “You know it, babe.”
    She caught up to him and bumped his shoulder before she started running. “Race you back to the cabin. Loser cooks and cleans up the kitchen after we eat.”
    “It’s a woman’s job to clean the kitchen,” he yelled at her retreating back.
    Amelia stopped running and turned to face him. “You chauvinistic pig. Do you really believe that?”
    He ran past her. “Nope. I believe in winning.”
    Annoyed, she raced after him. “You cheat.” She reached the cabin a few seconds after he did. “That was such a jerk thing to do.”
    “You’re just mad you didn’t think of it first.”
    “I didn’t have to. I was winning.” She wiped her shoes on the doormat and led the way into the cabin.
    “Sure you were. Go make my food, woman.”
    She put her hands on her hips. “You want to try that again?”
    He laughed. “Come on. I’ll help you.”
    They searched the pantry and found a can of stew. “I’ll watch it. You burned the soup yesterday.”
    “Only because…” He lapsed into silence.
    Only because he’d almost kissed her then.

Chapter Five
    The next morning, Chad woke with a sore neck. He’d