Hot Winter Nights
Page 10
“Jesus, what is wrong with you?” he asked, rubbing his arm.
“You! You could have been killed.”
“If I hadn’t gone when I did, those guys would have been caught under a second avalanche and we might not have found them at all.”
“And I’m glad that they’re okay, but you”—she shoved him in his chest, frustration raging when he didn’t move—“almost ended up buried. Do you know what the hell went through my head when Hunter told me that if you had been seconds slower you wouldn’t have made it?”
“Allie, you know what I do for a living. It’s not always going to be abandoned puppies and vehicle accidents.”
Gripping his shirt now in her tight fists, she tried to shake him. “I know that, but you can’t just jump into shit without thinking. Not now. Not after everything we’ve shared.” Her voice broke, and she choked up, blinded by tears.
“Allie, sweetheart, I’m fine. I’m here.”
His arms slipped around her, bringing her into his body, and she sagged against him. Her face buried in his shirtfront, she wrapped her arms around him and whispered, “I’m still mad at you.”
“I know.”
Dex knew that people were peeking out at them, but he didn’t care. Allie’s anger had surprised him, but nothing had prepared him for the hysterical woman clinging to him.
So many things went through his mind while he was waiting for the snow to overtake him, but at the forefront of his mind were thoughts of Allie. He was damn lucky to be here, to tell her how he felt about her.
In fact, he’d been so exhilarated to have made it, he hadn’t even considered she might be upset.
“Okay, I need to say something for a minute. You’re missing a few key facts about what went down. First of all, I watched the avalanche happen, so I knew where to find them. With an air pocket, someone buried in the snow can live fifteen, twenty minutes. So, time was ticking. Second, I had my beacon on, so even if I’d been buried, they would have eventually found me.”
“That’s”—sniffle—“not comforting.”
“Woman, will you shut up and let me get this out?” Reaching between them, he tilted her chin up so he could smile down at her. “And lastly, no matter what, I was going to make it back, because I had something important to tell you.”
She wiped at her tearstained face and looked back at him.
He kissed her lips, salty with her tears, and whispered, “That I love you.”
Then she hit him square in his shoulder.
“Ouch! I tell you I love you and you hit me again?”
“You just have the worst timing. I’m ranting at you for scaring me and you think that’s a good time to drop the L-bomb?”
Dex deflated slightly. “Hey, if you aren’t there yet, it’s okay.”
“What? Of course I love you. Why do you think I’m so pissed? We just got started and I thought—”
Dex didn’t let her finish, cutting off her anger with his mouth until she was leaning into him. When they finally broke apart, he pressed his forehead to hers and whispered, “I promise to be more careful in the future.”
“You better, or next time, I will beat the shit out of you.”
Dex chuckled before whispering in her ear, “Have I ever mentioned my dream girl looks like an angel and cusses like a sailor?”
“Hmmm…you may have mentioned that once. If she shows up, I promise to step aside.”
“Awfully gracious of you. Angelic, perhaps.”
Allie pulled away from him, shaking her head. “There you go with the cheesy lines again.”
“I can stop if you want.”
“Never, never stop.”
Dex never intended to in the first place.
About the Author
An obsessive bookworm, Codi Gary likes to write sexy contemporary romances with humor, grand gestures, and blush-worthy moments. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading her favorite authors, squealing over her must-watch shows, and playing with her children. She lives in Idaho with her family.
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