About half an hour later, another vehicle roared up behind her; it held a small crew from the fire department. One of the firefighters jumped out and ran through the rain to talk to her.
“Where’s Kai?”
She pointed in the direction he’d disappeared in. “He said he’d call if he needed help.”
“The storm’s getting worse. They’re warning about microbursts. He needs to come back,” the firefighter shouted over the din of the rain. He took the handheld radio from her. “Come in, Rockwell. Kai Rockwell, come in.”
No answer. He handed the radio back to her.
“You should get back to the lodge, ma’am. It’s about to get worse out here.”
“But what about Kai?”
“Kai can take care of himself.” He turned to go, but she clutched at his sleeve.
“You aren’t going after him?”
“No, we have more folks out there to warn. Possible evacuations in the flood zones. I’ll give you a ride back if you want to leave the four-wheeler for him. That’s the best I can do.”
“But what about the missing bird-watcher? Aren’t you supposed to be helping him?”
“Yeah, we are. That’s why we sent Kai.” With a stern look, he tugged his jacket out of her grasp. “That birder couldn’t be in better hands. Kai’s got this. Now come on, you need to come with us. That thin little slicker isn’t going to do a thing for you.
He was right about that part; she was already soaked through to the skin. But there was no way she was leaving with Kai still out there. She shook her head. “I’m a nurse, one or both of them might need me. I’m not going anywhere.”
He started to argue when a shout came from the direction of the ravine. “A little help here!”
Kai.
The firefighters ran toward him as he crested the ravine. Someone shone a light on him. The white glare illuminated the bizarre sight of Kai crawling on hands and knees up the muddy slope. Clinging to his back, piggyback style, was an elderly black man in a fishing cap.
Nicole scrambled off the four-wheeler and joined the group. The firefighters, one on each side, grabbed Kai by the upper arms and dragged him up the last few feet. One of them unfastened the harness that attached the victim to Kai’s back. He extracted the poor confused man as Kai, still on his knees, gasped out the details of the situation.
“Fell out of a tree and broke his left leg, probably the tibia. Lost his cell phone. Skin is clammy, pulse is thready. Disoriented, possibly hypothermic.”
One of the firefighters wrapped a reflective space blanket around the shivering man.
“You carried him?”
“Yeah, about a quarter mile, not too far. The hardest part was keeping him from letting go. He kept spotting imaginary birds. I had to strap him on.”
“Saw a three-headed yellow-eyed warbler, right there in the next tree,” the man said through chattering teeth.
“Three-headed, huh?” One of the firefighters took charge of the victim and whisked him into their rig. The other—the same one who’d told her to leave—offered a hand to Kai and helped him stand. Kai staggered as his feet touched the ground. Nicole came to his side and wrapped her arm around him to give him more support.
“This one refused to leave without you,” said the fireman with a smile. “Not even when I warned her about microbursts.”
“Yeah?” Kai glanced down at her. She noticed deep lines of fatigue etching his face, and the pale tone of his soaked skin. How much strength had it required to carry another person a quarter mile, then straight up a muddy cliff? “I’m not surprised,” he said softly, then turned back to the fireman. “What’s this about microbursts?”
“Storm’s worsening. We’ve already taken too long here. Can you two make it back on your own?”
Kai gave him a thumb’s up. “You’ll take the vic to the ER?”
“On it.” They clasped each other’s forearms, then the fireman jogged back to join the others. Their rig executed a tight three-point turn, then they disappeared back down the trail.
As soon as they were gone, Nicole helped Kai to the four-wheeler. “I’ll drive,” she said firmly. “You rest.”
He didn’t argue, which she greatly appreciated. It was probably a sign of his exhaustion. She helped him load the harness and ropes, everything sopping wet and even heavier than before. They didn’t speak. The rain was getting louder by the second and a fierce wind howled through spruce trees, making their tops whip wildly back and forth.
“There’s a hunter’s cabin out here,” he shouted over the din. “That’s the closest shelter. Take that path to the right.” He gestured at a very overgrown trail she hadn’t even noticed.
“You need warm clothes and a bed,” she yelled back.
“Just until the danger passes.”
She nodded and hopped in the driver’s seat. Once they were underway, she realized why Kai was allowing her to drive. As they wended their way through the thick brush, he used his exhausted body to hold back the worst of the branches from her face. He’d given her the easier task—typical Kai.
As she drove, the rain slashed their bodies and faces, and the wind buffeted the little vehicle. The engine kept making whining noises that made her worry it was about to stall. None of the city driving she’d done in her life had prepared her for this. She had to wrestle with the wheel just to keep the rig on the trail.
The drive seemed endless, more rain, more gusts of howling wind. She’d never been so glad to see a tiny dark structure in the middle of nowhere in her life. Kai directed her to drive right up to it and park as close to the entrance as possible. Then the two of them dashed inside just as a mammoth thunderclap sounded overhead.
16
Kai had nearly forgotten about this hunter’s lodge, but clearly someone had been taking care of it. Firewood was stacked next to the wood stove and cans of food filled the shelves over the stove. There was even a bed pushed to one corner, with a pile of clean bedding stacked neatly on top.
The one-room cabin wasn’t insulated, but it was a well-built structure that would keep them cozy while the storm raged.
He dropped his wet gear just inside the door. He was so exhausted all he wanted to do was fall into that bed. But first things first.
“I’ll get a fire going and some lanterns lit, if you want to heat up some soup or something,” he told Nicole.
“Why don’t you just rest, I’ll take care of all that.”
“You sure?” That sounded like an incredible plan to him. His muscles were sore and aching from that climb up the ravine. Thank God, Jim had been on the small side, probably even lighter than Gracie.
“Absolutely. You look ready to drop.”
He nodded wearily. “In a minute.” He crossed to the kitchen and found a lighter, then lit a hurricane lamp and hung it from a hook embedded in a rafter in the center of the room. It cast a wide circle of light in the tidy space.
“In case I didn’t mention it before, I’m really glad you came with me.”
Her face brightened with a wide smile. “I’m glad you’re glad, even though I didn’t do much.”
“Oh yes you did. All of this would be harder by myself.” He handed her the lighter. “You can use this for the fire. I’ll make the bed.”
“You’re supposed to be resting.” She crouched down next to the wood stove. “But I suppose you’d have to be literally incapacitated for that to happen.”
“You know me so well.” Which was a strange—but possibly true—thought. Maybe sparring with someone was a good way to get to know them. He bent over to make up the bed. When he shook the sheets out, he got a whiff of lavender. “Gracie.”
“Excuse me?”
“Gracie’s the one who’s been keeping this place alive. She loves using lavender soaps and so forth.” He grinned. “I wonder if she’s been meeting someone out here? Out of sight of Max?”
Nicole laughed from her position next the wood stove. “If so, my lips are sealed. She deserves all
the happiness she can find.”
“Agreed.”
She’d taken her wet raincoat off, but he noticed that her thick sweater was soaked through, and that her hands were red and chapped, and shaking slightly. She stacked kindling on top of a round log, which had exactly zero chance of starting a fire.
City girl.
He shook the blanket over the sheets and watched her touch the lighter to a piece of newspaper in the stove. It sent a puff of smoke into the room, then expired.
He winced. What was the tactful way to tell her that she was about to smoke them out of here? “Hey, how about I start the fire and you make the soup?”
Her eyebrows drew together. “Are you doubting my fire-starting skills?”
“No. I’m sure you can start a fire. I’m just not sure the cabin will survive it.”
“Ha ha.” She peered inside the stove, her hair sliding over her shoulder, as rich and thick as chocolate. Great, now he had to worry about her setting her hair on fire. “Okay, I admit it. I skipped Girl Scouts. A lighter, some paper and some wood isn’t enough?”
He laughed. Honestly, he was feeling better already. Just being around Nicole made him less tired. “You have to open the damper, otherwise there’s no oxygen flow and the smoke will pour into the cabin.” He squatted next to her to show her the lever on the chimney. “Want a quick tutorial?”
“Remedial Girl Scouts?”
He chuckled, then walked her through the basics of building a fire in a small wood stove. She watched him attentively each step of the way. He let her do the honors with the lighter, just so he could witness her delighted expression when the fire took hold and the smoke went up the smokestack rather than into her face.
“Nice work.” They exchanged a high-five. It was really only then that he realized how close their bodies were to each other. Her face was flushed from the effort of starting the fire, and her hair curled in damp tendrils around her face. Her lips were parted in a relaxed smile.
Uh oh. Relaxed-and-sweaty Nicole was always dangerously appealing to him.
Something had shifted between them since they’d ridden into the woods after the lost birder. Life-and-death situations always changed things. They made you take life more seriously, and focus on what was important. Like the fact that he and Nicole were here alone, and more attracted to each other than ever.
She was watching him too, something deep and hot stirring in her gaze.
His cock responded. He wanted her, tired as he was. Ten minutes ago, he’d been ready for bed. Now he still wanted to get into that bed—but for completely different reasons.
He brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face. “You shouldn’t look at me like that. I’m too tired to exercise good judgment.”
“Good judgment is overrated.” Her smile held sass and promise, and sent another rush of lust through him.
He cupped his hand around the back of her head. “You know, that’s what I always thought, but people kept telling me I was wrong.”
Gazing into each other’s eyes, they knelt there by the stove, basking in the waves of heat coming off the cast iron. Or maybe they were generating the heat themselves. Either way, wisps of steam were rising from his wool sweater. Slowly, watching her reaction every step of the way, he brought his lips close to hers. He hovered next to her, breathing in the rain-washed scent of her wet hair, and the fresh fragrance of her skin.
“I want to kiss you,” he told her in a low voice. “But I don’t want to screw it up like last time.”
“I wouldn’t call that a screw-up,” she whispered.
“I need to know you want this.”
“The fact that I kissed you back doesn’t give you a hint?” She tilted her head back, her hair sifting across his fingers.
“I’ve pissed you off a bunch of times since then.”
One corner of her mouth danced with humor. “Do you have to sound so proud of that?”
He threw his head back and laughed. It felt so good to be there with her in this cozy little universe of two, with the wind wailing outside and a fire crackling cheerfully inside. “I swear it’s not intentional. At least not completely.” He winked at her.
“I knew it!” She launched herself at him, toppling him onto his back, then straddled him. He couldn’t stop laughing at her comical expression of outrage. Even though two minutes ago he’d been sore as hell, he felt no pain in this position, flat on his back. Just pure heat and arousal.
She pinned his arms to the floor. “Admit it—you like all my crazy ideas.”
“Never.”
“You think I’m a genius.”
“I think you’re incredible.” Very true. He saw her register his sincerity, then move on.
“You’d like to try that raindrop therapy as soon as possible.”
“Isn’t that what we just did? Some genuine Rocky Peak raindrop therapy. It’s working for me.” He winked at her again, loving the wild sparkle in her eyes and the flush on her cheeks. This was exactly what he’d been after all this time. Wild, unrestrained Nicole Davidson. Sexier than ever.
A hard bulge was growing in his trousers. His cock pounded and throbbed, eager to be free of the stiff fabric of his work pants. Why did they both still have all these wet clothes on? She’d already seen him naked, even though she’d pretended not to look. He’d definitely seen her sneaking a couple of peeks. Not that he minded.
Her glance slid down his body, pausing on the lump in his pants. “Oh,” she said softly.
“Yeah, oh. Don’t tell me you’re surprised. I’ve been hot for you since—”
“Since when?”
“The sports bra,” he admitted with a grin. “Round about then.”
A slow smile spread across her face, all the way to those gorgeous clear blue eyes. “You could have just said so, you know.”
“I did. In my own way.”
She leaned forward, gently lowering her face to his. The rain fresh softness of her lips brushed delicately against his. He held very still, as if a butterfly was landing on him, one he didn’t want to scare away. The light touch of that sweet kiss made something settle deep inside him.
He’d go a long way for this woman. A long way in an unknown direction.
She drew back, touching her tongue lightly to her lips, as if savoring the taste of him.
He lifted the hem of her sweater and slid his hands underneath, onto the smooth warm skin of her lower back. She shivered deliciously as he ran his hands up her back, across each little knob of her spine. Her eyes went half-closed and she arched her back to make it easier for him. She shifted on his thighs, a sensual rotating move that made him groan.
He pressed his fingertips into the muscles alongside her spine. With his two hands spread open, he could span the width of her back, which meant his thumbs were able to just brush against the sides of her breasts.
Her quick snatch of breath told him she felt that—and loved it. He dug deeper, working out the tension in her muscles. Tension that was probably always there, he realized. Nicole lived with a lot of stress. From working for Max? Something else? The sister she’d mentioned once, then never again?
Her skin was so tender, so sensitive. Every time he came closer to her breasts, a full-body tremor passed through her. And every time that happened, his cock hardened even more, until it was pushing painfully against his fly.
“Oh my God, Kai, that feels incredible,” she moaned. “You could definitely get work at the new spa.”
He chuckled. Right now, all of his opposition to the spa idea seemed so distant. “Might be a nice change from scrambling up and down hillsides.”
The reminder made her snap to attention. “Wait a second here. You’re the one who’s tired and sore. I should be giving you a massage, not the other way around.” She rolled off him, landing on the floor with a thump. “And this floor is so hard! Why didn’t you say something?”
“I didn’t feel it,” he said honestly. “I was feeling something else.”
S
he rose to her feet, then offered her hand. “How about we continue in bed, and you let me take a turn with the muscle massage.”
When they were both on their feet, it took a moment for the room to stop spinning. Holy shit, he was dehydrated, he realized, astonished that he’d allowed that to happen. She noticed it too, trained nurse that she was. She hurried to find a water bottle, which she brought over to him.
“Thank you,” he said when he’d drained about half of it. “Basic wilderness protocol, small regular sips of water, and I totally forgot about it. That’s how damn distracting you are.”
She pointed to the bed. “Lie down.”
“Bossy.”
“I’m not kidding. You’re at the end of your endurance. Even a stud like you has limits.”
“I never said I didn’t. Never said I was a stud, either.” He knew his limits very well, especially in a wilderness context. “In the rescue field, I’m known as the over-prepared type, not the reckless type.” He swayed slightly. Damn, it had all caught up to him now. Or maybe all his blood had rushed to his erection, leaving nothing for other vital functions.
“Bed. Now. Well, after you take your clothes off,” she added.
“You should too,” he murmured as he unfastened his trousers. “Shared body heat, best way to combat hypothermia.”
“You’re not hypothermic.”
“Also best way to snuggle.”
She laughed, a delighted sound that made his heart turn over. “I’d love to snuggle with you, Kai Rockwell. I’d love to do a lot of other things too, but first we have to get you stabilized. Come on, strip. I will too.”
She tugged her sweater over her head. Her hair crackled in a riot of static as her head emerged. But he was more focused on what she wore underneath—a damp silk shortie camisole printed with a pattern of dancing kittens. “Is that your pajama top?”
“I was in a hurry,” she admitted. “I just threw on some clothes and ran out to see what was going on.”
The Rebel Page 12
