Saving Shelby

by Nicole Taylor Eby

  As she lay encased in his arms, a familiar warmth blossomed inside her, pushing out the cold, calming the fear, and relaxing her, and Shelby found herself fighting to keep her eyes open. The security of Ian’s arms combined with the hypnotic dance of the flames lulled her into a trance, making her eyelids heavy.

  She fought the fatigue, so she could stay in this moment with Ian for as long as possible; she wanted him to keep touching her, to keep kissing her, but she was exhausted, and he had already anticipated her fatigue. He placed a hand gently on the side of her head and guided it against his chest.

  “Just rest now. We’ve got all night.”

  I don’t want to rest. Her mind rebelled. She wanted him to keep kissing her, but her eyes wouldn’t stay open and fatigue claimed her, pulling her under.

  Ian watched Shelby fight to stay awake. Every cell in his body was grateful he was able to hold her like this; that he had found her in time. He had to avoid thinking about what would have happened if she hadn’t left that orange whistle lying on the sandbar. It was the only thing that had stood between her and certain death. Otherwise, it would have taken days, if not weeks, to find her.

  If they ever did find her...

  A more likely scenario was that her body would have gone undiscovered. They would have never known if she had gotten out of the river only to die in the woods, or if she had been unable to escape the river and had drowned before her body was swept out to sea.

  He squeezed his eyes shut, while forcing his hands to maintain their soft, gentle rhythm up and down her arms. He pushed down the memories rising in him, like a volcano spewing lava. He refused to think about Charlene, and he refused to think about what could have happened today. If he did, he wouldn’t be able to get them out of here safely. He needed to keep his demons at bay. Shelby was depending on him, and hypothermia was serious.

  They weren’t out of the woods yet—figuratively and literally.

  This time he wasn’t going to let anyone down. He was going to get her out safely, and then he was going to stay as far away from her as he could. He couldn’t deny any more that he wasn’t what she needed. She needed someone with a clear head that didn’t get her into situations she couldn’t handle. He had been so intent on making sure she gleaned every little bit of experience out of this course that he had put her into danger. He was the lead instructor, and it had been his decision to put her in charge of that canoe.

  He looked down at her resting against his chest. The faint light of the fire reflected off her features, highlighting the fine lines around her eyes. Lines that spoke of both stress and happiness. Her pale skin and dark circles under eyes highlighted her fatigue. He stared at her lips. They were pale, but at least they no longer had a tinge of blue to them. They looked so kissable. It would be so easy to just lean over and devour them, but he fought to hold his desire in check. She needed to sleep. This was about her, not his selfish ass.

  He needed to focus on keeping her stable through the night and getting her safely back to Base Camp. He couldn’t think about how badly he wanted to lay her down on the ground and finish what they had started under the waterfall. He had almost gotten her killed, for God’s sake. If that wasn’t the universe sending him a message to stay away, then he didn’t know what was.

  Shelby moaned and shifted in his arms, reminding him that he should get her settled in the shelter. Tomorrow was going to be another gruelling day for her, and yet he couldn’t seem to release her. He needed to hold her close until the demons in his mind settled. He hadn’t managed to save Charlene.

  He needed to save Shelby.

  He couldn’t deny that his need went deeper than preserving a life; it went deeper than saving his career. He needed to keep Shelby safe because of some deep-rooted, testosterone-fuelled need, and it scared the hell out of him.

  Every plausible reason said that he needed to let Shelby go. Trying to hold onto her was too dangerous. There was too much potential for people to get hurt. And yet, he needed a few more moments with her in his arms before the illusion ended with the rising of the morning sun.

  CHAPTER 21

  Shelby came slowly awake. She was cold, but she felt bundled up and safe. Then her eyes opened, and she was instantly fully alert. She wasn’t safe in her bed, feeling the chill of the early morning. Disoriented, she sat up, trying to orient herself. Then, it all came rushing back, leaving her gasping for breath, as a wave of panic washed over her.

  She scrambled to free herself from the burrito-like wrapping of blanket and tarp that had kept her warm through the night.

  Then a strong hand was on her hip, soothing her. “Woah, honey. It’s okay. You’re okay.”

  Ian’s voice instantly brought the panic down to a manageable level. She didn’t understand how he had that effect on her—sometimes it was the opposite; sometimes he made her so nervous that she could barely speak coherently.

  She suspected that there was some significance to that, but she didn’t want to examine it too closely—afraid of what she might discover.

  His arm moved around her shoulders, pulling her against his muscular chest. She froze, unable to pull her eyes away from his rugged jawline. The days growth on his chin made things happen in places that had felt frozen up until the moment she had looked in his eyes. His arms tightened, pulling her closer, and she went without resistance, collapsing against his chest.

  She didn’t need to be strong right now. She could be strong later, when she was warm and had processed yesterday’s events. For now, she could lean on Ian. No one would know except him—and for some reason that felt safe.

  “How you feeling this morning?”

  Ian’s voice was husky. The complete opposite of professional, and it made Shelby’s insides tingle. It also made her mind scatter, and suddenly she didn’t feel calm; she felt tongue-tied and off-centre. She forced herself to sit up straighter. She couldn’t think while she was cuddled up against his chest—not about things like her well being. All she could think about was how amazing it had felt last night in his arms until she had ruined it by falling asleep. What kind of an idiot fell asleep in Ian McLean’s arms before she had a chance to experience all he had to offer?

  She had been so close to living her fantasy. They had been alone together in the dark. He had literally rescued her, and she had screwed it up. She was stiff and sore from spending the night on the ground and filled with regret at having once again blown her chances.

  “Cold.” It was the only thing that she could think of, and it just hung in the air she had placed between them.

  Immediately, Ian reacted to her words. He leaned in closer; his lips quirking and his eyes glinting.

  “I guess I need to warm you up again.”

  Little starbursts of anticipatory pleasure erupted in Shelby’s core. She had liked the way he warmed her up last night, and she would not argue, if he wanted to do it again.

  “Maybe,” she giggled a little, as he placed his hand on her hip and pulled her towards him. She scooted towards him, going to him, even has he reeled her in.

  “In my professional opinion, it’s medically necessary.”

  Shelby could feel her body melting, for a moment she was unable to control her limbs, and she found herself laying back on the ground with Ian over top of her, his eyes darkening with desire, as he bent slowly towards her lips. Her lips parted, waiting for him—wanting him.

  He stopped, and for a brief second, Shelby panicked that it was going to be like every other time, like he was going to realize that it was her, and not the sizzling hot Celeste, that he had pinned beneath him. But he merely adjusted the blanket beneath her, making sure that she wasn’t on the bare ground.

  Then his lips touched hers and all thoughts of Celeste and swearing off men were banished as starbursts erupted in her core, shooting through her entire body. His scent engulfed her, pulling her deeper into the wave of desire sweeping through her body. She forgot about her stiff muscles. She forgot about the accident. The world ha
d narrowed to the present moment where Ian McLean was looking at her like she was the only woman on the planet.

  When their lips parted, Shelby felt like she was gasping for breath in the most delicious way that she could imagine. But it wasn’t enough. She wanted more. She wasn’t going to be content with a few stolen kissed and hints at the unimaginable pleasure. She wanted to experience everything that Ian McLean had to offer.

  And from what she had experienced so far, it was going to blow her mind.

  This time she went to him. She pushed herself up on her elbows and pressed her lips to his. His growl sparked off fireworks deep inside her and gave her the courage to be bold. She had him right where she wanted him, and she wasn’t going to squander the chance to taste Ian McLean.

  Her fingers were chilled, and she fumbled with his shirt, trying to pull it up and over his head. Unlike her, who had slept swathed in layers of clothing, Ian had stripped down to his base layer, so the moment she tugged his shirt up, his chiselled abs were exposed to the chilly morning air. Goose bumps broke out across his skin, and she scrambled back, maneuvering herself, so that she could press her lips to him. His bare skin felt like fire underneath her lips, as she slowly kissed her way lower, until her lips were poised just above the waistband of his pants.

  She paused, looking up at him with heavily hooded eyes. She knew every little bit of her desire was written there, but she didn’t care if he saw it. She didn’t care if that made her vulnerable. She knew that she was safe in Ian’s arms. Maybe this was a place she could stay forever.

  She reached for the button, ready for him. But Ian stopped her. She looked up at him in surprise, heat flaming across her cheeks.

  He cupped her cheeks and leaned in to kiss her. “I don’t have a condom,” he murmured against her lips.

  Not again! She couldn’t handle being left hanging again. She closed her eyes, as frustration and need shot through her.

  He chuckled. “It doesn’t mean I can’t take care of you.”

  Shelby’s eyes flew open, as the suggestion in his deep voice sparked things inside her that she wasn’t sure she even understood. It was like he had been reading her thoughts, and it was sexy as hell.

  He chuckled again, even as one hand was moving towards her and started slowly unzipping her jacket. She wanted to jerk the zipper out of his hand and rip it down. He was moving too slowly for the need that was building inside her, driving her crazy.

  “Patience,” he breathed against her ear. “There’s no hurry.”

  Oh, there’s a hurry.

  She could only moan in response, because his hand had found her bare skin, and his touch was lighting a fire. She squirmed underneath him, shifting her hips, trying to get him to touch her in just the right spot to release the pressure that was building inside her, threatening to send her over the edge.

  And she wanted to go over the edge.

  Ian lay propped up on one elbow watching Shelby. She lay beside him, her body limp after her release. He couldn’t stifle his grin of satisfaction. Her release had been swift and powerful, consuming her entire body. She had been stunning, as she had gone over the cliff; he wanted to feel that intensity again when he was buried deep inside her.

  His own body ached for release, but he could wait.

  He thought about telling her what the deal was with Celeste, but he didn’t want to spoil the moment. He didn’t want to try and explain things to her that would only bring up ghosts that he wanted to leave buried. They would have time to deal with all that when they were back in civilization. He would take her out to an amazing restaurant. He would treat her like the queen that she was.

  He could deal with real life later, because he knew that if he thought too much, then he might just remember why he didn’t normally do serious. And right now, he didn’t want to remember. He wanted to stay right here forever.

  Shelby was grabbing his heart, and it terrified him.

  Just keep moving, Shelby coached herself. She had thought she had been tired when they had started their hike, but she had been wrong. It was nothing compared to the fatigue she felt now, and it wasn’t just physical.

  After her mind-blowing orgasm, Ian had been so sweet. When her body had finally regained regular sensation, and she had started shivering again, he had turned from delicious Ian to guide Ian. She knew he was right. They needed to get back, but she hadn’t wanted to go back. What she wanted was a hot tub and more of Ian’s tongue.

  It hadn’t taken long for Ian to pack up their little site, cleaning up the campfire so that there was no trace that anyone had been there, and then checking on the canoe. Apparently, he would retrieve it later with Kirk.

  And then the hike had started. He had warned it would be tough, but she hadn’t really believed him fully. She had thought he was just trying to be easy on her.

  Truth was, she didn’t want to be hiking, she wanted to be in her bed dreaming about what had happened this morning, or better yet, she wanted to be doing it again. Except this time, she wasn’t going to be satisfied with a solo act; she wanted to feel Ian inside her, while she came apart in his arms.

  “Team One, this is Home Base, over.” Jade’s voice crackled across the radio, wrenching Shelby out of her thoughts.

  When Ian didn’t answer, the radio crackled again.

  “Team One, this is Home Base, over.” Jade spoke slowly, emphasizing each word.

  Oddly, Ian still didn’t react. But when the radio crackled to life a third time, he sighed and reached for the handset. “Home Base, this is Team One, over.”

  “This is Home Base, what’s your ETA? Over.”

  Even over the radio, Jade’s relief was audible. Shelby could only imagine how stressed Jade must be. This accident could have ended much worse.

  “This is Team One, we’ll be at Base Camp as soon as we get there. Over,” Ian said tersely, shoving the mic into his pocket. Turning to Shelby, he smiled and swung off his pack. “Let’s take a break.”

  In an instant Shelby felt like an idiot. She had been so focused on her own situation, and wrapped up in the afterglow of this morning, that she hadn’t even thought about Ian’s. Her stomach twisted; she didn’t want him to be in trouble with Jade because of her. It had been her inattention that had caused the accident.

  Seemingly unfazed by the tense conversation with Jade, Ian passed her a water bottle. She took it gratefully, letting herself sink down onto a log. Her pride wanted to keep going, just to prove that she could. But the reality was that she was exhausted and desperately needed the rest.

  Plus, there was a little part of her that didn’t want to make it back to Base Camp just yet. She didn’t want this time alone with Ian to end—it was too damn delicious.

  “You’d better be making your way here—” Jade’s words crackled across the radio.

  Instead of answering, Ian turned the radio off and then turned to Shelby. “Are you hungry? We’re almost there, and as you heard, they’re waiting for us, but we don’t have to rush. If you need some time, then they can wait.”

  She felt herself smiling. She couldn’t help it, having all of Ian’s attention on her was going to her head. But then she noticed the tightness around his eyes, and her smile faded. There was something wrong. It was so uncharacteristic for Ian to be ignoring radio procedure and blowing off his boss’s concerns. He was normally so by the book.

  “No, I’m fine to keep going.” As much as she wanted him to herself, she didn’t want to cause anymore trouble.

  “You sure?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.

  She nodded her head, avoiding his eyes. “I’m sure.”

  “We can rest here, Shelby. It’ll be fine. If you need to rest, you should rest.”

  She shook her head. It was time to get out of the forest and back to reality. “It’s okay, Ian. I’m sure.”

  He kept his gaze fastened on her; his eyes telling her that she hadn’t convinced him. “I know you had the skills to handle that canoe, Shelby. What happened?”

/>   Shelby stared at her feet, breaking their connection. She was overwhelmed by the rush of heat to her face. It was too humiliating, and she didn’t want to think about it—especially after what they had shared this morning.

  She could not tell him that the sight of him carrying Celeste had caused her to capsize the canoe, putting Ginny and herself in so much danger. She had almost died because of jealousy.

  “I just want to get back,” she choked out, barely suppressing the flood of tears waiting to cascade down her face. If there had ever been a moment that had proven that she couldn’t handle herself, it had been right now. Her carelessness had almost cost two lives, and then to make matters worse, she had fallen into the arms of her rescuer.

  She pushed the last thought away. She might have made some mistakes, but she wasn’t going to regret what she had shared with Ian this morning. It had felt so good. It was the proof that there was a chance for them, and that she hadn’t just been making it all up in her mind.

  Ian McLean just might be exception to her “no men allowed” rule.

  Ian, once again, found himself scrutinizing Shelby, searching for a clue in her face. He could see she wasn’t telling him the truth. Her ashen skin and leaden blue eyes belied her cheerful words. She was exhausted, and he could see the residue of fear in her expression. She could have died yesterday, and she knew it. It had been straight up luck that he had managed to find her.

  He knew he should let her be. He should just take her at her word, put his pack on his back, and lead her back to Base Camp and all the people who were waiting for them. That was what Jade wanted him to do. But it wasn’t what he wanted to do. He wanted more of what they had shared this morning.

  It had been reckless. His priority should have been to get her back to the Alfresco Adventures Base Camp, so that she could be properly warmed up—hypothermia was not something to mess around with. But there was something about her that he just couldn’t resist, and he wanted more. He didn’t just want some stolen moments. He wanted her every day.