by K. F. Breene
He laughed. “Lock you down, nincompoop. As in, make you mine. Ball and chain. One woman ma—”
“There, see?” She jabbed his chest with her pointer finger. “That’s what I’m talking about. You’re wearing the chains, buck-o. Not the other way around!”
Mike rolled his eyes, his smile coming up from his toes. “You’re insane. We sound like a couple eight-year-olds, and I’m starving. Let’s figure out dinner. I mean breakfast.”
“We kind of eat dinner for every meal.”
“And by every, you mean one a day, right?” Mike crawled out of the shelter, greeted by the brisk morning air. The sun was already well into its climb, hinting at mid-morning. He’d—
“I slept soundly after that rogering.” Sara stretched and yawned, glancing around the clearing. “From barely sleeping each night, to a good sleep for half a night.”
“Stop doing that,” Mike muttered. He couldn’t get rid of his smile. It was like they turned a corner and landed right back into their tween years together. They were picking up where they’d left off. What a trip.
“All right, Captain America, what’s first? Taking a whiz?” Sara asked, punching him in the arm playfully.
“Yes, actually, my lady.” He chuckled, then sighed. “Seriously, though.”
Her smile dwindled as the situation seeped back in. Her hand found her empty stomach. Sharing a fish last night and eating some vegetables was not nearly enough calories to live off. Mike needed to get her some food.
“First, we’ll check for a fish,” he said, glancing at their wood supply. “Then, depending on the outcome, we’ll check the snares. I have a feeling the little buggers are getting smart and avoiding my scent. I doubt we’ll have anything. Which leaves hunting.”
“What do you plan to hunt with?” Sara asked, stepping forward and looping an arm around his waist. His dick gave a lurch at her proximity. He’d been barely dating for a couple years, going without as often as not, and it hadn’t been a problem. Get her within a few feet, though, and suddenly all he thought about was sex. And her.
“Okay,” he said, trying to jog his mind away from the female body pressed firmly against him. And then wondering how his hand managed to get up the back of her shirt against her warm skin when he meant to put it around her shoulders. “I’ll make a spear, we’ll fire-harden it, and then we’ll go see if we can find a possum, or some other smaller animal.”
“You know you’re hungry when a possum sounds good.”
“Exactly. Okay, let’s add some wood to the pile and go check for fish.”
Sara leaned her head against his chest, sighing deeply. “Let’s hope there’s a few fish.”
He kissed her forehead and gave her a squeeze. “Let’s hope. All right, let’s get crackin’.”
It took them no time at all to collect a pile of wood, visit their respective bathrooms, and then meander up to the stream. As they descended the small bank to the flowing water, Mike’s heart sank. Empty. Not even a little one.
“Unlucky,” Sara said with an even voice.
“Yup. Shall we check the squirrels?”
“Or maybe I’ll check and you start on your spear?”
“No.” Mike rested his hand on the small of her back to direct her up the bank. “We go together. We saw one bear, we might see more. I don’t want to take the chance.”
“I should resist, but…”
Mike smiled and patted her butt. Then cupped it. Then reached between to the party pit.
“I’d stop for more of that, but I’m starving,” Sara said over her shoulder. “After we eat a varmint, I’m all in. Except maybe I’ll brave a splash of cold water to wash up a little. Hint, hint.”
“Sara, listen,” Mike said slowly, ignoring his suddenly pounding erection. They needed some breaks. Sara was still grieving, even if she didn’t feel it with the aching belly and sexual awakening, but in her quiet moments, she’d think back to being dumped, if nothing else, and get whiplash. She’d isolate herself and maybe project those fears and insecurities onto him. He couldn’t take that chance.
“I think we should take all this slow, okay? Continue getting to know each other. Let you shift from that last douche to this douche. Let the pain finish fading away.”
She paused as they walked into the field with the snares. A couple of ground squirrels’ heads popped up from holes to check out the newcomers. She turned with cautious eyes, large and round. “I thought you wanted this? Me?”
“I do, baby. Forever. But I know you well, even if I haven’t seen you in a while. You need to close the book on that other thing before you give yourself to me. I want you completely. I want you to be sure you’re finished with that other clown before deciding to come to me.”
Her head bobbed slowly as she took that in. He brushed her lips with his thumb before leaning in for a kiss. “I’m going to wait for you, as long as it takes. But I want you to work on you, fix you, before choosing me. I want to let you get your strength back so we can stand as equals. So we can lean on each other. I want your feelings to be genuine instead of using me as a rebound.”
She nodded again with solemn eyes, assessing. Finally she said, “Don’t leave me, Mikey, okay? Even if we don’t work out as a couple, let’s still stay a unit. At least friends. I don’t want to lose that again.”
“You won’t, I promise,” he said, taking her hand. He wanted more. He wanted to prove the strength of his feelings physically. To touch her—become one with her.
But they were starving, and he could tell from where they were that no food waited in his traps. He needed to hunt, and time was of the essence. This trip was a blessing in disguise, as far as forcing them to reconcile, but also hell on earth. Sometimes someone came through the fires stronger, but in their case, it would also be half-starved.
“Let’s go make that spear,” he said in resignation, squeezing her hand.
“Is it usually this hard? Or is the extra person making it that much worse?”
“Sometimes it’s way, way harder. Geographically, and at this time of year, we have it pretty easy. Finding food for two is harder, but you’re a first-timer, so that’s to be expected. I haven’t really had my head in the game, either. Some silly, beautiful woman keeps distracting me.”
“I’ve never heard of adult-onset ADD, but you could be a test case.”
He smirked and shook his head. As they veered around a cluster of trunks, he said, “Look for—”
A shouted male voice interrupted him. He ripped his hand from Sara and pushed her behind him in one move. He ducked behind a trunk, his mind racing.
“Is that help?” Sara asked in a whisper, handing forward the bear spray.
He took it, grateful she was quick on her feet. “Couldn’t be. Jake usually isn’t in a hurry to turn on that GPS.”
“Then who is it?”
“Exactly.” He turned to her, command coming to his voice as he pinned her with a stare. “Stay here. Whatever you hear, stay right here, okay? If something happens to me, I want you to hide. Hide until the danger is gone, okay? Then wait until you get a fish, cook it, load up on water, and make a huge fire in that clearing. Get rescued.” He shook her a little, his heart pounding on his ribcage. “Promise me.”
“But what if you’re hurt?” she asked with a trembling voice.
“The worst thing that could possibly happen to me is if you got hurt. Beyond that, it’s death. But there are far worse things than death that can happen to you. So stay here.”
Dawning awareness and then fear flashed across Sara’s face. She knew what Duke was capable of, even if it was just hearsay, and they were out in the middle of nowhere. No laws.
Did Duke know about the GPS? Mike hoped not. That wasn’t something he advertised—safety nets were bad for business, and to date, he’d only relied on it once, and that had been in Alaska right before a big storm. Didn’t count. If Duke took Mike down, a rescue party would still come. She just had to stay out of sight.
He
smashed his lips to hers possessively. She clung on, once again putting all her faith in him.
“Stay safe,” he said one final time, losing himself in those lush brown eyes. God he loved this woman. That stupid word didn’t do it justice. Didn’t count when something could consume a man this intensely.
He stepped away, combat reflexes washing over him. He barely noticed Sara’s gasp, as he turned, knife in one hand, bear spray in other. Silently, he took off at a fast walk, circling around the clearing and staying to the trees. He didn’t want the direction of his approach leading back to Sara.
Hopefully, he’d have his knife in a throat before the enemy noticed his approach.
Slipping behind a leafy bush at the east end of the clearing, he was able to get a clear vantage of the shelter. The extra fleece had been disturbed, taken off the branch and discarded onto the wickiup. That meant someone was looking for them specifically, or they wouldn’t have bothered with the camp.
Not good.
Mike crouched, waiting.
Movement at the far end of the clearing caught his eye. A swish of jean jacket amongst the leaves. A back bent over the trail he and Sara had used for water, well-worn with how many times they had used it. The light speckled blue moved away, heading toward that stream. Good.
Mike used the distraction to complete the circle closer to the shelter, knowing whoever it was would come back to get a more thorough look before deciding what to do next. He moved on expertly silent feet, leaving no trace of his footsteps as he moved through the wild. His gaze scanned constantly, looking for another man. Duke would’ve brought more than one, he was sure of it. His goal would be to take out Mike and then have some fun with Sara.
A white-hot surge of rage lit him up. He clenched his fist, stilling the fury. A big breath centered him. Leading with emotions made for stupid decisions.
Keep to the mission.
Mike stalked closer to the shelter and hid himself within a nearby cluster of plants. Crouching, weapons in front of him for easy use, he waited, watching the path and who might emerge. It wasn’t long before his patience rewarded him.
A slow-moving man, eyes down, crept back up the path. Same jean jacket, still alone. No other sounds came from the clearing except the crunch of the man’s boots. Body movement suggested someone up in his years. Stiffening knees and elbows. Someone who knew he didn’t have the perfect use of his body anymore. Someone who could track better than anyone in the state.
Why had Jake come so early?
Mike stood and stepped out from behind the wall of bushes, entering the clearing a moment later. “Man, am I glad to see you!”
Jake’s eyes snapped up, his whitening stubble shining in the late morning sun. He took even, measured steps toward Mike, as if approaching a spooked horse.
“She’s with me. And fine. I had her stay back when I heard the shout,” Mike explained. “Did you bring food? We’ve eaten about a day and a half’s worth of food in four days. I can hold out, but Sara isn’t used to this.”
Jake’s eyebrow quirked in response.
Mike nearly laughed at the silent exchange. Of course he’d brought food. Stupid question.
“Talk was, you asked Sara to come along,” Jake said, following Mike toward Sara’s hiding place. “News was late in getting to me—Dan mentioned it. Wished you would’a cleared it wit’ him. I turned on that tracker yesterday—didn’t seem right, since I dropped you off alone. Too late to get goin’, though. Started hiking down first light. She okay?”
They rounded a bend and descended toward the cropping of trees Sara was hiding behind. As they rounded the trunk, suddenly Sara burst out.
“Ha!” she shouted, knees and elbows bent, hands in karate-attack position, but only if she was the Pink Panther. A gangly Pink Panther at that.
As Mike started laughing, she stopped herself from swinging the stick and straightened up. “Oh. It’s you. Oh my God, Jake, do you have food? I am starving!”
“What were you planning? To chop me in the neck and save the day?” Mike asked with a laugh, throwing an arm around her shoulders and mussing her hair.
“Well? I heard someone coming and knew that if I ran I’d get chased. Plus, it vaguely sounded like you, and you seemed kinda… dangerous when you left, so I figured I’d be mostly okay. Just in case, though, I was ready.”
“To what? Judo-chop me? Or jab me with a rotting stick?”
With raised eyebrows and an air of superiority, Sara stuck her nose in the sky and said, “Yes. Exactly. I am lethal. Beware.”
Mike rolled his eyes, still smiling, and led the way.
It turned out Jake had a pack full of protein bars. Sara admitted to hating the things right before she scarfed down three. He also had a few canteens of fresh water, and while they weren’t as dehydrated as they were hungry, it went down smoother than silk.
“Did Duke get in trouble?” Sara asked as they started back to the truck. Jake had driven as close as he could, but it still amounted to about a three-hour hike.
“Said he overheard Sam was sick. Thought Mike asked for you. Trying to help out.” Jake grunted, a sign that he didn’t believe a word of it.
“I have the note he left,” Mike said with a light voice, trying to hide the boiling rage deep within. “He knew exactly what he was doing.”
“Hard to prove,” Jake shot back.
“There are many ways to skin a cat.”
“Gross,” Sara muttered. After a quick moment, she continued, “Although, given how hungry I was, I would probably do it. Then I’d eat it. Then I’d feel bad.”
“Gotta survive.” Jake nodded once.
If there was ever a time to get back to civilization…
* * *
“Where you wanna be dropped?” Jake asked after a quiet half-hour car drive as they turned onto a paved road.
Mike turned his head to Sara, sitting in the middle on the bench seat of the old truck. She looked back, a question and indecision in her eyes. With civilization came reality. With reality came all her past drama and emotional baggage. Which meant eventual confusion, and, in Sara’s case, freaking out.
“Do you want to let Christie know you’re okay?” Mike asked quietly, falling into those rich brown eyes. “Get some clothes and your bearings?”
Slowly, she nodded. “Changing would be good. And just…”
“No problem.” He brushed her face with his fingertips. “Still friends.”
Alarm flashed, her brow crinkling. “With benefits.”
“Yes.” He chuckled, laying his palm on her cheek. “If you want. I have a shipment coming in soon, so how about I stop by in the next couple of days and pick you up. Take you out for dinner?”
Her eyes started to sparkle and a smile drifted up her face. She glanced out of the cracked windshield, seeing the ranch approaching, helpers and customers in full swing as they went about their daily activities. Mike followed her gaze. It was as if no time had passed in the four days they were gone. As if getting stuck in the woods without supplies was as normal as it got.
When she turned back to him, he could see another piece of her click into place. “I’ve always wanted to go on a real date. I never did with the jerk. Not a real one.”
“Well, then. I don’t have much to live up to. How do you like McDonald’s?”
She giggled and slapped his chest playfully as the truck came to a groaning stop. “Red carpets, mister. I want red carpets, flowers, and bells.”
Jake grunted.
Mike agreed. “What are you going to do with bells?”
“A lady never tells. Now let me out. Christie is going to go crazy when she sees me.”
Mike slowly got out of the truck, hating that he had to set her free again. After helping her out of the cab, he stared down on her, pulling her in close despite the logic of a friendly hug and a farewell.
“Okay, well…” He hesitated. What did he say? See ya? Adiós? “I’ll talk to you soon.”
Her palm slid up his ches
t, gratitude in her eyes. “Yes. Thank you. For everything. I’ll call you tonight if I don’t see you at the fire pit.”
“I’ll be at the fire pit.”
A sweet smile curled her lips. Her hand, still soft despite their time in the wild, slid over his shoulder and up to his jaw line. Goose bumps broke out on his skin at the contact. “Then I’ll see you tonight.”
Without thinking, he bent to her, his lips glancing hers. She stood on her tippytoes to deepen the contact, but he backed off. Dangling the bait caught bigger fish. “Rest, eat, see you later.”
“Tease,” she muttered, turning away. She threw a wave at Jake and moseyed toward the ranch.
“You got her pausin’,” Jake said after Mike climbed back into the truck. “Eyein’ you. Figurin’ you out. Got pulled from her herd, disoriented, but not scared anymore. Just needs a steady hand, now. Worst is over. Soon she’ll side with you. Take a saddle.”
“Jesus,” Mike muttered with a crooked smile. “I don’t know about a saddle.” He couldn’t help a delighted chuckle as his groin tightened yet again. The constant hard-on was becoming a problem.
Jake shifted, his hand coming to rest high on his hip.
Mike nodded, reading the subtle cues. “I need to figure out what to do about Duke. Legal action would be best, but he’s clever. He has a way of getting out of trouble. If that doesn’t pan out, I’ll need a backup.”
Jake’s jaw clenched. They’d figure something out. In Jake language, Mike was a running mate, and now Sara was a herd mate. They stuck together. The man was loyal to an absolute fault. He didn’t get involved until pushed. But once pushed…
Duke’s day was coming.
Chapter 19
“Oh my God, you bitch! Are you okay? I was worried sick!” Christie tackled Sara as she came in the door, hugging her ferociously. “Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving with him? That is something a friend and roommate tells her friend and roommate.”
