“Yes, I’ll make it just like a little vacation for her.” He turned and gave her a hard smile. “Okay, Leah, have a good time at your step class. Take care now.”
He closed the phone and his smile disappeared.
“Oh my God. You did not…” she took a deep breath, rage pounding through her blood. “Did not just get my best friend on your side.”
“Actually, I did.” His jaw flexed. “Buckle up. We’re leaving.”
“I can’t believe this. I cannot believe this,” she snapped in exasperation and fumbled for her seatbelt. “How dare you—?”
“Thank you, Allison.” He jammed his key into the ignition and started the car.
“Thank you?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“Why?” She eyed him warily, fastening her own seatbelt.
“For the reminder that I can’t trust you.” He started the engine and backed out of the parking spot.
Guilt pricked lightly in her gut. Why she should feel guilty when he’d been the one to kidnap her made absolutely no sense. But it was there nonetheless. And before she could stop, she was defending herself.
“I promised not to talk to the locals or run for the highway,” she muttered. “You never said anything about using the phone.”
The look he turned on her was pure disgust. “I shouldn’t have had to.”
“Well what do you expect, Clint?” she demanded. “I don’t want to be here. I’m not the type to sit all docile like while I’m being kidnapped.”
He gave a short grunt.
“What did Leah say to you?”
He made no response, but kept his gaze on the highway stretched out before them.
“Clint?”
“She gave me her blessing. Said it was a great idea that I took you away for the week.” He glanced over at her. “She’s worried you still have feelings for Kenneth.”
Allison’s mouth flapped. “She did not say any of that.”
“She did.” He held her gaze a second longer before turning back to the road. “And she agreed to tell anyone who asks that you’re staying with her for the time being.”
Her stomach sank with that last sentence. And there it was in black and white. The green light for her disappearance for an entire week. Not even her best friend would be looking out for her now.
She closed her eyes, the breakfast she’d just eaten swirling heavy in her stomach.
“I can’t believe this,” she mumbled. “This is just too much.”
He didn’t reply and the growing silence between them sent a stab of unease through her.
“Will you at least tell me where you’re taking me, Clint?”
He gave soft grunt and shifted gear on the SUV. “We’re going to Montana.”
Clint rubbed a hand across the stubble on his jaw and glanced back at Allison. She was still asleep. Thank God. After hours of listening to her rant and curse—not to mention dodging the granola bars she chucked at him, she’d finally passed out.
Like a toddler after a tantrum. His lips twitched. He glanced at the clock on the dashboard and gave a grunt of approval. They were making excellent time and should arrive within the hour.
He winced and gave a hefty sigh. Her reaction to the Montana news had been bad enough. He didn’t look forward to her reaction when she realized their new accommodations. Or lack thereof. The hotel from last night would be a luxury compared to where they were heading next.
I’m so not a camper. Maybe Allie wasn’t a camper, but she certainly would be by the time the week was up.
He slowed the SUV to around twenty miles per hour, easing them gently over the small back road leading them deeper into the forest and toward the lake.
The constant bouncing of the vehicle must have jostled Allison awake, because he heard her groan and shift on the seat.
“Ouch. I have the worst crick in my neck.”
“You probably slept on it wrong.” He glanced in the rearview mirror at her.
“Yeah,” she scowled. “Because it’s so easy to sleep right in a car.”
Grouchy, was she? His mouth thinned as he focused his gaze back on the road.
She gasped. “Oh my God. Where the hell are we? There’re trees. Everywhere.”
“Welcome to Glacier National Park.”
“Why are we in a national park?” Her voice squeaked. “Are you taking me on a picnic or something?”
“No. I’m taking you camping.”
Chapter Seven
Dead silence met his calm statement. He held his breath and slunk a bit lower in the seat, anticipating another granola bar aimed at his head.
He lifted his gaze to the rearview to catch a glimpse of her reaction. Her eyes had widened to half dollar size, her mouth hung slack.
“No,” she finally choked hoarsely. “Did you miss that whole part where I said I didn’t camp?”
“It’ll be good for you.”
“Look you may be a God damn forest ranger, but I am a girl who needs a toilet that flushes.”
“Trust me, after a few days of using a pit toilet you’ll be a pro.”
The scream she let out should have broken the windows in his SUV.
“No. Oh my God, no.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for the door handle.
“The child locks are on back there now,” he said. “Not like it would matter anyway. It’s a long walk back to the main road. And an even longer one to any form of civilization.”
He slowed the vehicle and turned into the campsite he’d used many times before.
“We’re here anyway.” He turned off the engine and climbed out of the SUV.
The familiar smell of clean, crisp air and earth hit him and he inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. Montana. Every time he came back from a trip to the city he always wondered how he could ever leave it. This was home.
He glanced in the back of the vehicle. Allison sat stock still, eyes still wide as she stared out the window.
His mouth curved into a smile. And she’d been all too eager to get out of the car just a minute ago.
Walking slowly around to her side, he pulled open the door.
“Come on out and get some fresh air.”
“The air in here is fine.”
“Trust me, it’s even better out here.” His grin widened. “Besides, I could use your help pitching a tent.”
Her head swiveled to him. “Oh no. If you want to pitch a tent, then you do it yourself. I want nothing to do with you or your tent pitching.”
He strode forward and grabbed her hand, tugging her out of his vehicle. “Think of it as an adventure.”
“It’s been an adventure since you kidnapped me yesterday morning.”
Relieved that she didn’t resist and had stepped outside, he didn’t immediately let go of her hand. She didn’t seem in any hurry to release his anyway. In fact her grip tightened as her glance darted around the campsite.
The blood moved a little faster through his veins as he breathed in the scent of her. Her perfume from yesterday was gone—washed off in the shower this morning no doubt, and with nothing but soap to replace it. But her scent, the smell of Allison was still there. And God help him, being this close to her nearly set his blood on fire. Sitting next to her at breakfast had been a trial in itself.
“It’s so…isolated,” she whispered.
“Yes. That’s why I love it.”
“And you want me to sleep in a…a tent?”
“Yes.” He squeezed her hand. “You’ve done it before, Allie.”
“When I was like eight!”
“Right. I considered the fact you might be a bit out of practice and brought the big tent and a blow-up bed.”
“Two blow-up beds.”
“One. This isn’t a negotiation, Allie. It is what it is.” He released her hand and moved to open the back of his SUV. “We should set up camp before the sun goes down.”
“Oh God. This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening.” She whimpered. “What kind of per
son kidnaps you and takes you camping? Oh, wait, a forest ranger. God, it’s like a bad joke.”
A laugh rumbled in his chest as he pulled the tent from the back of the SUV and set it on the ground.
“Is that a boat on top of your car?”
“Canoe. Picked it up at my place on the way here. You were sleeping. You slept hard, didn’t wake during any of my stops,” he answered and gestured to the tent. “Could you set this over in the clearing?”
He didn’t check to see if she’d obey—he knew she would—and kept unloading everything.
When he glanced up again, sure enough, she’d hauled the tent over to the clearing near the lake. She straightened and wiped her hands on her sweat pants.
The curves of her body were all too enticing against the backdrop of the glittering blue lake. Her hair lifted in the faint breeze and she looked around, her eyes wide and vulnerable as she worried her bottom lip with her teeth.
So beautiful. Both Allison and the landscape. It should’ve seemed weird, Allie shadowed in the lush forest of brown trunks and dense green branches. But it wasn’t weird. She looked entirely too natural here—whether it made sense or not.
Though she might look natural here, Clint reminded himself it might be awhile before she felt at ease. His lips twitched in amusement.
He adjusted the box in his grasp and crossed the site toward her.
“All right. Lesson one,” he murmured. “We get that tent up.”
“You make it sound so dirty,” she grumbled.
“No, your dirty mind makes it sound dirty.” He dropped the box on the ground and closed the distance between them.
His hands slid to her hips, pulling her body snug against his.
“But if you want to be dirty—” his voice dropped and his mouth curved into a smile, “—then I have absolutely no problem indulging you.”
He felt the tremble that racked her body and saw the flare of matching desire in her gaze.
But her words contrasted her body’s response. “I don’t want you touching me.”
“Don’t you?” He lowered his head, his mouth just a breath away from her lips.
“No.” Her tongue darted out to moisten, then disappeared again.
“I just don’t buy that, kitten.” His mouth dropped that tiny distance to claim hers.
Chapter Eight
Soft and damp, her lips parted on a gasp that seemed to be a mix of both annoyance and arousal.
He slipped his tongue into the moist cavern of her mouth, searching the interior for her tongue. He found it, rubbed across the tip in a slow glide of friction and heat.
She made the slightest whimper and tensed, before her body molded into his and her arms slid around his waist.
With a possessive growl, he delved a hand into her hair and held her still so he could deepen the kiss. His cock tightened against his jeans, the need to bury himself inside her took the air from his lungs.
He worked his free hand into the waistband of her sweats and sought the string of the thong panties he’d bought her. Bingo. He snapped the tiny string, a smile curving his lips. She’d worn it.
Moving his hand lower, he palmed her mound, felt the heat and slight dampness there.
She drew in a sharp breath and arched against his hand.
Curling his thumb around the thin panty, he tugged it to the side to expose her.
He used his middle finger to trace her cleft. To play with the hot moisture he found there. God, it was like he had to feel it. Find how hot he made her. The knowledge that he made her this wet sent a thrill of pure male triumph through him.
“Damn, kitten,” he muttered against her mouth. “You have the sweetest body.”
He slid his finger deep on the last word.
“Oh.” Her cry echoed in the woods as her body clenched around his finger.
God, he wanted Allie like he’d never wanted another woman before. And he’d have her. But unfortunately not right now. Not if they were going to get the campsite set up before nightfall.
He eased back an inch from her and drew in a ragged breath, staring down at her closed eyes and parted lips. His finger still inside her, he drew it up to circle her clit.
Tonight, only after he went down on her until she couldn’t think straight again, he’d have her. They’d already waited about six years too long.
The sooner they slept together, the sooner he got over this ridiculous urge to make her his. To claim her on some deep, primitive level.
“We need to set up the tent before the sun sets,” he said reluctantly and pulled his finger from her body.
Her body tensed against his and she set her palms against his chest, pushing herself away from him.
“You need to stop that,” she muttered.
“Stop what?” he asked, willing his dick to settle down again.
He grabbed the bag the tent was in and opened it up, pulling out the parts.
“Kissing me. Touching me. I told you not to, and I get a little stupid every time you do it.”
He laughed and handed her one end of the tent. “A little stupid?” He liked how she admitted it.
“You know what I mean.” Obviously flustered, she grabbed the tent and walked backward.
“Go ahead and set it down there.”
She dropped her section and fisted her hands against her hips. “Now what?”
“Grab one of those collapsible poles, we need to put them together. Then find the longest one you can find.”
She walked over to the pile and sifted through them, finally carrying one back in a way that reminded him of someone pole vaulting.
“This doesn’t hold up the tent does it?” she asked with a frown.
“That and a few other poles.”
“Hmm. I thought you said you brought the big tent. This sure doesn’t look very big.”
“Wait until the poles are in it.” He winked and inserted the first pole into the necessary loops.
Amazingly enough, she helped him set up the entire thing without complaining; even seemed to get excited to watch the big pile of canvas turn into a raised shelter that would be their home for awhile.
“What now?” she asked, hands on her hips as she eyed the tent.
“Now we set up the inside.” He walked back to the SUV and unloaded the last few boxes. “You up to inflating the bed? It shouldn’t be too hard.”
She snorted and grabbed the box with the picture of the bed on it. “I’m sure.”
He watched in amusement as she stumbled to the tent and fumbled around to find how to open the door.
“There’s a zipper at the bottom,” he finally said.
“Thank you.” She scowled and knelt down, finding the tab and jerking it upward.
The door flap fell inward and she climbed into the tent.
“Hmm. It’s bigger in here than I thought.”
“You haven’t blown up the bed yet.”
“Hello, patient much? I’m getting to that part.”
With a soft laugh, he left her with the project and began to unpack some of the boxes. Thankfully, after his house, he’d also stopped at the grocery before they’d gotten too deep into the woods.
The sound of the air blower came and he glanced toward the tent. Obviously she’d figured out how to blow up the bed.
She emerged from the tent about ten minutes later, a proud smile on her face.
“I did it. The bed’s up.”
“Good job.” He grinned and set out the food they’d eat for dinner, then went and locked the rest in the SUV.
“Why are you putting that back in your car if you just brought it out?”
He slammed the door shut and turned to look at her. “Keep the animals away.”
She glanced around, her brows drawing together. “What kind of animals?”
“Raccoons, deer—” he walked past her, leaning down to grab the two folding chairs he’d packed, “—elk, bears. The usual.”
“Bears?”
He opened one of
the chairs and set it down, glancing back at her.
“Yeah. Bears. They usually don’t bug you if you’re careful.”
Her face had drained of all color. “Like, real bears?”
“No, like teddy bears, Allie.” He gave a soft laugh. “Relax, you have nothing to worry about.”
“Bears eat people.”
“Not usually.”
“This is wrong,” she muttered, storming toward him. “Take me home. Please. Take me back to that shit motel. Anywhere but here.”
He caught her wrists, holding her at distance. His gut twisted at the genuine fear he saw in her eyes.
“Hey, easy.” He released one wrist and slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her close to hold her still. “Easy, there.”
“I told you I’m not a camper.” She glanced around. “I can’t do this, Clint.”
“You haven’t even tried it yet.” He brushed a strand of hair out her eyes and resisted the urge to lean down and kiss her again. “Give it a chance. I know you’ll end up having fun, Allie. Nature is in your blood, you’ve just been ignoring it.”
The fear in her gaze flickered out and was replaced with annoyance.
“Let me just remind you of something. This is not a vacation for me. I didn’t choose to come with you. I should be back in Seattle talking some sense into Kenneth since you don’t seem to have the balls to do it.”
His jaw tightened. She just had to bring up Kenneth again. Why, every time he thought maybe he’d been wrong, did she have to remind him that she still might have feelings for Ken.
“Okay,” he agreed mildly, “and it’s not like you’ve just realized I’m keeping you away for the week. So why don’t you just accept it already and try to enjoy yourself.”
“Try to enjoy myself?” Her eyes widened and her lips went taut. “I don’t think so, Clint. In fact, you know where I’m spending the majority of this trip?” She jammed her thumb toward the tent. “In there. With my book. So where is it?”
“Where’s what?”
“The book you promised me.”
“I didn’t get you one.” He kicked himself. Damn, he’d forgotten.
“But you promised.”
“You fell asleep during the drive.”
“Right. Blame me. Like any of this is my fault.” She tugged away from him and stomped off toward the tent.
Seducing Allie: Seattle Steam, Book 3 Page 8
