awake with a start. Kendall.
He dropped his feet over the edge of the sofa, his joints protesting the quick movement.
She lay on her right side, her face a study in pain and torment. Stuffing from the pillow in her death grip lay scattered around her.
“No!” Her hoarse cry reverberated off the polished wooden walls, filling his soul with fury. And in that same instant he lost the battle with himself and went to her, sinking down onto the edge of the bed.
“Kendall…Wake up, chéri .” He didn’t touch her, afraid he’d startle her. She came awake at the sound of his voice and her face relaxed. But then, as if driven by the fear that still held her in its grasp, she launched herself into his arms, chest against chest, hip against hip. Her arms circled his shoulders and she held on to him with a strength that belied her stature and yesterday’s accident.
Having had nightmares of his own for more years than he wished to count, he didn’t need to ask her what was wrong. There was nothing like being haunted night after night by a past terror you couldn’t change. And in all his years, he’d found no way to rid himself of them.
She trembled against him and he wondered if she was scared or crying. Either way the wolf inside him wanted revenge against those who’d wronged her. That possessiveness, one he hadn’t felt in centuries, scared him.
This was temporary. She was temporary. Just until the storm cleared and she could be on her way. But if he caught up with the bastards after her…
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, pulling back ever so slightly. He kept his hands on her back, hoping his embrace felt reassuring rather than lecherous.
“Don’t be.”
Untangle yourself and get outta her bed, wolf .
But he couldn’t, not when her fingers still clutched his shirt like he was the only thing anchoring her in this storm.
“How’s your shoulder?” he asked, hoping a change of subject would lighten the mood.
“It aches, but I’m managing.” She lifted tear filled eyes to his. So blue. So vivid. “Thanks to you.”Unable to tear his gaze away, he simply stared down at her. Frozen for the moment.
He’d never seen eyes like that before. Probably wouldn’t ever again. Like aqua lasers, they were just one more thing that made Kendall unique.
That was a dangerous train of thought. He couldn’t be thinking about her in terms of her uniqueness or how lovely her eyes were or how adorable her nose was.
No siree… The air pressure around them shifted. He turned toward the patio door, surveying the landscape beyond, his senses on high alert. Everything looked still in the twilight.
But then a loud crack echoed across the mountain.
Her fingers clutched him tighter. “What was that?” The ground began trembling, along with the wooden boards beneath his feet.
“Avalanche.” He held out his hand to her. “Come on.”
“Avalanche?” she cried.
Without a moment to lose he led the way to the center of the house, pulled her inside the windowless pantry and shut the door. The roaring increased in volume and the floor shook beneath their feet.
“Oh my God,” she murmured over and over.
“It’s all right, chéri .”
“All right?” Her voice was shrill. “Being buried alive is not all right.”
“It’s probably further down the mountain.” But he didn’t want to take any chances. He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her, holding her still. She continued mumbling into his chest. With a mountain of snow coming apart around them, he shouldn’t have found the situation endearing.
But it was impossible not to. And the way her fingers plucked at his sweater…it’d be so easy to duck his head and kiss them both into oblivion. In the darkness he saw her tip her head back. She stared up, eyes wild as the earth continued to shift and buck.
“I should have mentioned…I’m claustrophobic,” she said quickly.
“It’ll be over soon,” he murmured. Too soon.
He slid a hand up her
He dropped his feet over the edge of the sofa, his joints protesting the quick movement.
She lay on her right side, her face a study in pain and torment. Stuffing from the pillow in her death grip lay scattered around her.
“No!” Her hoarse cry reverberated off the polished wooden walls, filling his soul with fury. And in that same instant he lost the battle with himself and went to her, sinking down onto the edge of the bed.
“Kendall…Wake up, chéri .” He didn’t touch her, afraid he’d startle her. She came awake at the sound of his voice and her face relaxed. But then, as if driven by the fear that still held her in its grasp, she launched herself into his arms, chest against chest, hip against hip. Her arms circled his shoulders and she held on to him with a strength that belied her stature and yesterday’s accident.
Having had nightmares of his own for more years than he wished to count, he didn’t need to ask her what was wrong. There was nothing like being haunted night after night by a past terror you couldn’t change. And in all his years, he’d found no way to rid himself of them.
She trembled against him and he wondered if she was scared or crying. Either way the wolf inside him wanted revenge against those who’d wronged her. That possessiveness, one he hadn’t felt in centuries, scared him.
This was temporary. She was temporary. Just until the storm cleared and she could be on her way. But if he caught up with the bastards after her…
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, pulling back ever so slightly. He kept his hands on her back, hoping his embrace felt reassuring rather than lecherous.
“Don’t be.”
Untangle yourself and get outta her bed, wolf .
But he couldn’t, not when her fingers still clutched his shirt like he was the only thing anchoring her in this storm.
“How’s your shoulder?” he asked, hoping a change of subject would lighten the mood.
“It aches, but I’m managing.” She lifted tear filled eyes to his. So blue. So vivid. “Thanks to you.”Unable to tear his gaze away, he simply stared down at her. Frozen for the moment.
He’d never seen eyes like that before. Probably wouldn’t ever again. Like aqua lasers, they were just one more thing that made Kendall unique.
That was a dangerous train of thought. He couldn’t be thinking about her in terms of her uniqueness or how lovely her eyes were or how adorable her nose was.
No siree… The air pressure around them shifted. He turned toward the patio door, surveying the landscape beyond, his senses on high alert. Everything looked still in the twilight.
But then a loud crack echoed across the mountain.
Her fingers clutched him tighter. “What was that?” The ground began trembling, along with the wooden boards beneath his feet.
“Avalanche.” He held out his hand to her. “Come on.”
“Avalanche?” she cried.
Without a moment to lose he led the way to the center of the house, pulled her inside the windowless pantry and shut the door. The roaring increased in volume and the floor shook beneath their feet.
“Oh my God,” she murmured over and over.
“It’s all right, chéri .”
“All right?” Her voice was shrill. “Being buried alive is not all right.”
“It’s probably further down the mountain.” But he didn’t want to take any chances. He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her, holding her still. She continued mumbling into his chest. With a mountain of snow coming apart around them, he shouldn’t have found the situation endearing.
But it was impossible not to. And the way her fingers plucked at his sweater…it’d be so easy to duck his head and kiss them both into oblivion. In the darkness he saw her tip her head back. She stared up, eyes wild as the earth continued to shift and buck.
“I should have mentioned…I’m claustrophobic,” she said quickly.
“It’ll be over soon,” he murmured. Too soon.
He slid a hand up her
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