by P. Jameson
His words hit her all funny, bringing a saucy grin to her lips without warning. “Is that a promise?”
Cedar snapped her mouth shut. She hadn’t meant to say that.
He ringed his gloved hands around his hips, narrowing his eyes at her in disbelief. “When I get done digging you out,” he gritted to clarify. “You’re covered in snow. Snow melts. That means you’ll be wet. We’ll have to keep you warm to avoid hypothermia.”
Oh, he didn’t need to worry about that. She was basically Elsa. The cold never bothered her anyway.
And the snow around her was definitely not melting.
“So,” he said, irritation making his voice hard. For some reason, she liked it that way. “Do you feel pain anywhere?”
“No.” She answered quickly and he frowned.
“Because you’re numb?”
“No. I feel fine. Normal.”
“Right, because everyone feels fine after five hundred pounds of snow falls on them.”
She rolled her eyes, deciding not to waste breath answering his second question. She’d just show him.
Kicking the snow free of her buried legs, she reached down to unlatch her skis and when she was free, rolled to a stand. Dusting of her pants and jacket she climbed out of the shallow hole and knelt on the bank to get her skis free.
“So you can walk then,” he muttered, bending to help her.
With some effort, they freed the skis and Cedar stood to face the guardsman with one gloved hand outstretched.
“You have a name, big guy?”
His eyes roamed her body, landing finally on the hand she poked out at him.
“Guardsman Daryn West at your service.” He didn’t shake her hand so she let it fall. And she didn’t bother with her name. “How is your breathing? Are you feeling any tightness? Lightheadedness?”
“I told you, I’m not hurt. Really.”
His eyes roved her again, searching out any injury, but he’d find none.
From the pocket of his pack, he retrieved a flashlight. Clicking it on, he came close until they were face to face. The snow was pelting her skin, but it didn’t hurt. She wondered if it affected him. It must. He was a normal human. And because she’d put herself in danger, he was out here in the elements trying to help her.
Shame hit her center and burned hot.
She’d been selfish, hadn’t she? Not only because of him, but because of her family. What would it do to them if something actually happened to her? How would it affect the people who had raised her, taught her, loved her to the best of their ability?
She already knew. They’d be devastated.
A flash of light in her eyes brought her attention back to Daryn, and she blinked away her regret. It wouldn’t help her now. They’d just have to find a way to survive.
“Pupils are fine,” he murmured, tilting her jaw to tip her head for the other side. The spot where his glove touched her grew hot, but she ignored it.
He let off a heavy sigh and backed away.
“What’s your name?”
She didn’t want to tell him her full name. He might recognize it. Probably not, but she didn’t want to take the chance. He probably had a radio somewhere in all that equipment, and if he told them who she was, they’d likely contact her family.
“My friends call me Cece.”
“Cece, huh?” he asked, one eyebrow cocked. It was pretty damn sexy. She’d like to touch it, so close to those eyes. Or maybe she was just getting desperate for contact. Even from a perfect stranger. “You really think you can walk down the mountain, Cece?”
She grinned, liking the way her nickname sounded in his voice. “If we can find my poles, I’ll do you one better and ski down.”
“Then let’s dig for them. And make it fast.”
“Oooh, I like to go fast.” She was already on her knees, rummaging through the powder that was growing taller by the second.
But she thought she heard Daryn mutter under his breath, “That’s what she said.”
Chapter Five
Daryn followed Cece With The Rainy Eyes down the slope, alert for any sign of more sliding. They moved slow, and the snow was piling up to cover the trail. If they could just get past the bowl and the first ridge, they could find a place to dig in and camp. It would be challenging to dig a cave big enough to insulate them with the snow falling as hard as it was. But he’d make it happen. Somehow, he’d find her a safe place to wait out the storm.
Must keep her safe.
The message buzzed in his bones like it was part of his DNA.
She’d taken some of his equipment to carry, as if she wanted to do her part to help him out. She didn’t know he was shiften and could take a lot more of a beating than she could.
Strong female, his instincts told him. Not as fragile as he’d thought. But still, not as indestructible as he was. They needed to find a place to stop soon.
Cece edged left, taking them off the path, and he reached for her arm to stop her.
“Going left when you should go right,” he called past the wind.
“Story of my life.”
She found his gaze and gave him another one of those heart-melting grins. She’d done that twice now, fuck him, but it made his knees weak. He’d never experienced this kind of reaction to a woman. Much less one he’d just met.
He was afraid to even think what he was thinking but…
“How old are you?”
Her smile faded. “Isn’t it considered rude to ask a lady that?”
Daryn snorted. “Not from around here, are ya? We aren’t proper here in the wilderness. We say what we mean and mean what we say.”
She rolled her eyes. “Chicago born and raised. And we don’t say much unless we need to.”
“Well, you need to now,” he insisted. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-five,” she mumbled, probably hoping he wouldn’t hear, and turned back onto the path.
Twenty-five.
She was the right age to be a One True Mate. But her name was all wrong. One True Mates were named after flora, and Cece was not a plant as far as he knew.
So why did she call such emotion from him? Why did the thought of losing her make his Raven go crazy inside? And why did he want to get her warm and undressed and writhing beneath him as soon as possible?
Daryn recalled how she resisted being pulled into the chopper. Why didn’t she want his help? That question plagued him more than the others.
What the hell was she doing in Alaska on a mountain known for avalanche danger? Suicide? A twist of his gut had him asking.
“Why didn’t you want help up there? Why didn’t you let me load you in the chopper?”
They went a ways before she answered.
“That’s personal.”
“Okay, ask me something personal and then we’ll be even.”
She glanced back at him, eyes wary but intrigued. “Why don’t you have a girlfriend? Or a wife?”
Daryn frowned. “How do you know I don’t?”
“Just a hunch.” She smiled like a cat eating a canary. “You answered the question I didn’t ask, now answer the one I did ask.”
Oh, she was good. Sneaky with the words. Like she’d been trained to get answers in the most efficient way possible. Shrewd. And that turned him on hard.
“Can’t,” he clipped out. “Don’t know the answer to that one.”
“Sure you do.”
“Do you know why you’re single?”
She paused, eying him. “Yep. But you didn’t ask me that so I’ll save it for later.”
She was single though. She’d given him that much.
They trudged forward, getting closer to the ridge. Beyond it, was a place to camp, he knew it. So he gave her what she wanted.
“I suppose I’ve never found the right woman.”
Cece snorted. “That’s such a canned answer, I’m not even surprised.”
“There is a right woman for me, you know. One meant for me.”
&nb
sp; “Sure there is. It’s the one you choose. That’s how it is for everybody. People just like to pretend fate has something to do with it because it makes them feel better when they end up alone.”
Wow. That was…
“Cutthroat.” He liked that about her too.
She laughed. “People say I can be. Sorry, big guy.”
“Don’t be. Say what you mean and mean what you say. It’s like you were meant for Alaska.”
“More than you know,” she murmured, moving closer to the ridge ahead.
He wanted to ask her what that meant. Wanted to ask her why she was alone. Wanted her to answer his first question. But it would all have to wait, because they were cresting the ridge and on the other side, would be snow that was safe to dig into. Light was fading so they’d have to move fast.
Daryn hurried around her, more mobile on his snow shoes, and by the time she caught up to him, he’d already plotted the spot for their snow cave. It would be small. It was all they had time for. But he didn’t mind sharing tight quarters with her. Hell, if all they did was sleep and shiver it would be more action than he’d seen in a long damn time. And stuck in the cave, she wouldn’t be able to avoid his questions.
Because he was halfway sure she was something to him. Something important. Maybe even his mate, if he was real damn lucky.
And he was going to find out tonight.
Chapter Six
Cedar dug at the baby powder soft snow but she was getting nowhere. Sure, she knew the mechanics of building a snow cave to stay warm in freezing weather. She’d taken the damn class. Dig a hole, dig a drainage tunnel, don’t forget air vents, blah, blah, blah. And she was even repeating Daryn’s words in her head over and over as a mantra: It’s easy, like building a nest. As if people built nests on the regular.
But all their efforts were for nothing, because the wind and new snow was making it impossible to dig out the kind of shelter they needed.
She leaned on her shovel and watched him work.
He was strong, his muscles probably huge under all that winter garb. And fast, digging up two loads in the time she got one. He wasn’t even winded. Neither was she really. Just frustrated it was taking so long. The sky was such a dark shade of gray, she knew they only had minutes of light left. When it got dark, Daryn would be in danger.
He’s normal. He’ll freeze.
Her chest hammered with the first true fear she’d felt in a long time besides her dreams. Not brought on by adrenaline, but by the thought of losing this man because of her stupid selfish decision.
She could fix their problem. She had the power to manipulate the snow to do her bidding. A cute little trick she’d learned when she was twelve. But no one she shared it with thought it was so cute.
And it was what brought her the dreams, so she tried to never do it.
Cedar shivered. Her abilities felt like a beacon for the darkness. What if she used her power to build their cave and then darkness found her tonight? What if this was the time she’d be lost to it? She’d felt it growing more intense since her birthday, even if it had left her alone for the most part.
“What do you do for a living?” Daryn asked. He seemed to be trying to keep her mind off their trouble. It was a sweet gesture.
“I’m rich,” she answered, digging uselessly at the white ground.
“How rich?”
“Very, very.”
“Huh. Trust fund?” There was an edge to his voice, like he was disappointed. But she didn’t want to disappoint him. The idea left her stomach sour.
“Just kicked in, when I turned twenty-five last month. But I was rich before that. Got that way on my own too,” she added proudly.
“How?”
She paused her digging and grinned over at him. “I’m an inventor.”
He raised a humored eyebrow. “Really, an inventor?”
“Well, sorta. I invented spray-on nail polish. You ever heard of it?”
He shook his head.
“It’s so handy. You just spray it on your nails, wait a few minutes, and then wash your hands to get the remaining polish off your skin. Pretty much an instant manicure. Very popular among busy women. And then last year, we launched our smear-proof eyeliner and lip gloss. They’re both doing great. And we have more innovative products coming out next year. The team is projecting big numbers for our second quarter…”
She drifted off, realizing she was flooding him with useless business banter. She knew what that was like. Her father did it often.
“Go on.”
“Oh, that’s it pretty much. Don’t want to bore you with the details.”
His gaze dug into her. It felt like it was wrapping around her soul.
“I’m not bored,” he murmured. “I like hearing you talk so passionately.”
Cedar felt her face flush pink and was glad for the dim light so he wouldn’t see it. But his words warmed her to no end. Nobody loved hearing her talk. She’d been told so a million times, and had learned it was just too bad for them. Because bosses have to talk. It’s a necessity.
But Daryn liked hearing her talk.
It gave her butterflies in her middle. For the first time ever, she had butterflies.
She went back to digging. And talking.
“I love my business, I do. It has given me as much as I’ve given it. But it’s not what I want to do forever,” she admitted.
“Oh, yeah? What do you want?”
Was she really doing this? Telling another person her secret dream? She’d never shared it with anyone before.
“I want to move away from the city, to a quaint little town where everybody knows your name. But not because of who you are. They know your name because they know everybody’s, and you’re just one of them. And I want to own a coffee shop. The kind where people come and warm up, or just chat your ears off about nothing. Where they feel comfortable to be themselves. Where I can be myself. I want a simple life.”
“A simple life,” he repeated, shoveling another load of snow. “Sounds like you’re looking for Kodiak then.”
“Mmm. Maybe.”
He tossed a shovel full of snow onto the pile they were trying to build, but it blew back and hit him in the face.
“The city girl wants to settle down in the country, huh?”
“She does.”
“Well, you sound like the type of woman who can make things happen. So… make it happen.”
“It’s that easy, you think?”
“Maybe not. But I think if you wanted it bad enough, you could have anything.”
She paused, looking over at him, letting her eyes roam his body from head to foot. He was freaking handsome. Rugged. Not like the men from the city with their perfectly coifed hair and waxed eyebrows. She wanted him. Even if it was inappropriately timed.
“Anything?”
His eyes flashed a darker blue, and the corner of his mouth turned upward in a sexy-as-sin smirk. He stared at her like he wanted to eat her up, and suddenly all her nerve endings were on delicious fire. She bit her lip to hold in a moan.
“Woman,” he growled, “don’t look at me like that right now. It distracts me, and I haven’t made a shelter for you yet.”
“But you did say anything.”
He licked his lips and she felt it between her legs. “Ask me again after I get you safe,” he rumbled low.
Just then, the wind kicked up, a blast of it pushing her back onto her ass and destroying the small hole she’d built. Daryn kept his foothold, but his efforts were whipped away just as quickly as hers were.
They were doomed if they continued like this. Digging with shovels was pointless. And she was wagering a lot waiting so long to use her power.
She was wagering Daryn’s life.
And it just wasn’t something she was willing to bet on any longer. Not when she could fix this for them in less than a New York minute.
What would he think of her?
Would her ability frighten him?
Would
he think she was a freak like everybody else?
Would he still look at her like he did minutes ago? Like she was a candle in a dark night. Like she was a dessert that needed consuming. Like she was… his?
Damn it, she really hoped so. Because for the first time, in a long time, she didn’t feel alone. She felt wanted. And respected for something other than her money. She felt needed. And desired.
And those feelings were gold.
More addicting than any adrenaline rush had ever been.
But she’d give it up, all those good things threading through her right now, to save him. He didn’t deserve to die for her risky decision. And she wasn’t going to let him. Even if it cost her this.
“Enough,” she huffed, tossing her shovel aside. “This isn’t working.”
“It’s our only option.” He kept scooping snow onto the pile, half of it blowing back on him.
“No, it isn’t.”
He straightened, leaning on his shovel to stare at her. “I’m listening.”
Cedar fidgeted, kicking the toe of her boot into the powder. “I can uh… do things. Sometimes. If I want to.”
Daryn frowned. “Things?”
“Weird things. Things I shouldn’t be able to do.”
His brow wrinkled even further. “Like what?”
Oh, he was going to be so mad at her. Or disgusted. Or appalled. Or sickened. Or…
“It’s really better if I show you. Step back.”
His eyebrows shot up into his hair. “Step back? Where?”
Cedar looked around for a safe spot. “Over there.” She pointed to a cropping of firs out of the way.
Daryn shook his head. “You want me to stand over there while you do some ‘things’?”
“Yes. Please.” She could hear the nervousness in her voice. But this had to be done.
He grumbled out something she didn’t understand and stomped over to where she’d directed.
Cedar pulled in a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. This was it. He’d know she was strange, but they’d both be alive at the end of it.
