Bri wiggled her bottom over his groin, and he gave her a small slap which turned into a caress. “Stop that,” he ordered, meaning to sound stern. Instead, his voice came out strangled.
Ignoring his warning, she snuggled as close to him as she could, resting her head on his arm and laying her other hand over the top of his. He sighed and laced his fingers through hers.
A few minutes later her breathing deepened, and he could tell she’d fallen into a deep sleep. Luckily he was too exhausted to do much about the relentless hard-on that wasn’t going away anytime soon.
He closed his eyes and inhaled jasmine and lavender, letting it settle deep in his lungs as he drifted into a fitful slumber.
Chapter 14
Bri yawned, shivering in the early morning as she stretched. The other half of the sleeping bag was empty and a chill had crept in without Cole next to her. Rolling over, she groaned, her body protesting having slept on the hard ground. She lay for another minute in the relative warmth of the bag, dreading a morning without coffee.
Cole strode into their makeshift camp with the remains of their food from the night before. He looked every inch the consummate camper, rugged and strong. The memory of his kiss slid into her mind.
“Time to get up, sleepyhead. We have a long way to go to get off the mountain. If we’re lucky, we may be able to hitch part of the way.” He knelt next to her as she sat up, and brushed a kiss over her upturned mouth, caressing the side of her face with his free hand. “You look beautiful this morning.”
Bri burst out laughing. “I’m sure that’s not true. I desperately need a shower.”
Standing, he offered her a hand to help her up. “There’s a creek beyond that copse of trees if you want to rinse off. It’s . . . refreshing.”
“I bet it is,” she muttered and stood with his help. “I’ll just splash some water on my face and be ready to go.”
He tipped her chin and nibbled lightly on her lips. “I’ll pack up.”
Her stomach did a strange little flip, and her mouth tingled. “I’m far too susceptible to you,” she admitted softly, laying a hand on his chest.
He gave her an irresistible, boyish grin. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.” He caressed her butt in a soft stroke and then pointed in the direction of the creek. “Go rinse off, you’ll feel better.”
“A cold shower,” she murmured, raising up on her toes to kiss his chin, “is just what I need.”
The mountain was stunning in the early morning. Not a cloud in the sky. Sunlight danced on the dewy leaves and needles of the towering trees revealing glimpses of the deep green valley below, stretched out as far as she could see. Her legs ached from yesterday’s hike, and they easily had another twenty or thirty miles to go before they reached the nearest town.
A few feet later, the dense forest gave way to a small meadow with a narrow creek flowing through it. If they hadn’t been on the run, it would be almost idyllic. Bri chose a medium-sized boulder by the side of the creek and knelt beside it, scooping freezing cold water into her cupped hands, which went numb almost immediately. Splashing water on her face, she gasped. ‘Refreshing’ wasn’t the word. Who needed coffee to wake up in the morning when there was an eye-popping, freezing mountain stream? She couldn’t really feel her hands or face, but the clear water rinsed off some of the grime from their trek.
“Ready?” Cole said from close behind her.
She glanced over her shoulder. God, he was gorgeous. He had the pack on and seemed anxious to get started. Drying her hands on her less than clean pants, Bri stood, joints creaking in protest.
After stretching her hands overhead and arching her back, she turned to Cole with a mock salute. “Ready for another invigorating day of hiking, sir.”
He grinned and gestured for her to follow.
They walked along the road for most of the morning without a break. Her feet were killing her. She’d had no idea how incredibly uncomfortable tennis shoes could be. They finally rejoined a country road, which gave way to a larger, paved road with a double yellow line down the center. This was one of the main roads up the mountain. They were on the right track, but had a hell of a long walk to get to the nearest town.
Cole suddenly grabbed her hand and dragged her into the protection of a dense thicket of trees. Nearly tripping over her own feet, Bri held on and jogged behind him. He pressed her up against a broad tree trunk so no one could see them from the road. With a finger over her lips to indicate silence, she watched as he scanned the area around them. All his senses seemed hyper-alert, and it made her feel safe.
A far-off rumble disturbed the natural silence of the forest around them.
“Sounds like a logging truck.” He stepped away, lacing his fingers through hers the way he’d done when they had first met. “Have you ever hitched a ride before?”
Picking their way through the underbrush, they carefully made their way back to the side of the road.
“A couple of times when my car broke down,” she replied. “The morning after I told Jonah, I woke up and my old car was gone. He’d bought me a brand-new one, and a service plan.” She chuckled at the memory and then sobered, squeezing Cole’s hand as they reached the road. “It’s still hard for me to believe he’s been alive for centuries and has all this power. And who knows what my power is? That’s something I can’t even seem to wrap my head around at all.”
She pressed her hand against her chest to try to ease the physical pain lodged there at the memory of Mack’s pain and his plea for them to leave him. “And Mack . . .” She couldn’t finish.
Cole stopped and pulled her against his body, his arms around her. He held her close as they waited for the logging truck to appear around the curve of the road. Bri snuggled up, a perfect fit. More than anything he wanted to make her pain go away. He couldn’t imagine being in her shoes, having his entire world change so rapidly around him.
“When we reach town we’ll call Jonah.” He stroked the length of her back. “He’ll know what happened to Mack.”
Nodding against his chest, she gave a sad sigh. “I’ll be okay.”
If he had anything to do with it, she would be—and hopefully sooner rather than later. She looked up at him, and the affection reflected there tightened his chest. Protector he could do. Sex—also completely acceptable. The emotional part, though, made him as nervous as hell, especially given the circumstances that had brought them together. He didn’t seem to be able to resist her sad eyes and her oh-so-beautiful body.
The wolf wasn’t faring much better. He’d nearly rolled her on her back last night and surrendered, taking what he wanted and giving her what her body craved.
A large truck rumbled slowly along the bend ahead, an abomination in the serene setting of the high mountains. Sighing at his lack of control, Cole stepped into the shoulder and stuck out his thumb, willing the driver to pick them up.
The heavy vehicle slowed, coming to a stop several yards in front of them.
Cole hurried to the door, which popped open as he approached.
“Where’re you two headed?” the driver asked in a raspy voice alluding to years of smoking, if the stale odor in the cab was any indication. He was a big man, probably over six feet tall standing. His substantial gut rested on his lap. A baseball cap, pulled down low over his forehead, partially obscured his face. It couldn’t hide the strain of years on the road and the wrinkles lining his eyes and mouth. Cole could tell the man knew how to handle himself in a fight and suspected he’d been in his share.
“We got turned around on our hike yesterday and are about out of food and water. Any town will do,” he explained, hoping they appeared forlorn and dirty enough to be believed.
The driver gave them a once over, brown eyes cautious and assessing. “Get in.” He jerked his thumb toward the seat. “I’ll take you as
far as Thunder Bay.”
“We’d appreciate it,” Cole said gratefully. Tossing the pack in ahead of him, he climbed into the high cab and slid on to the bench seat next to the driver, then reached down to help Bri, settling her against him. He made sure his body language screamed overprotectiveness so the man knew she was strictly off limits.
The driver shifted the monster of a vehicle into gear and gave a brief shake of his head that seemed to say dumb kids. The engine roared to action, and the cab vibrated along with it as a cloud of black smoke filled the air behind them.
“Ralph,” the man introduced himself with a tip of his ball cap. “Where’re you from?”
“Seattle,” Bri answered without thinking. Cole squeezed her hand in silent warning. They were on the run with no clear sense of where the next attack would come from or who their enemy was. Operating under the radar was key.
She shot him an apologetic glance under her lashes.
“You two got names?”
“Robert,” Cole lied, “and this is Sandy.”
Bri tensed beside him, and he stroked his thumb over the back of her hand.
“We’re up here on vacation,” he added. “First time in this area. It’s beautiful.”
The driver seemed to accept the story and didn’t appear interested in more detail. He flicked on the radio, and Cole relaxed as country music filled the cab.
Late-afternoon sunlight filled the valley, highlighting the breathtaking green of the forest. Bumpy, pothole-filled roads finally gave way to a mountain pass and then to signs indicating several small towns were not too far ahead.
“Thunder Bay,” Bri announced as they rolled into the town about two hours later. Tourist season had the place packed. Under the orange glow of the setting sun, people crowded the streets, moving in and out of shops and restaurants at a relaxed pace.
“This will do,” Cole told the driver. “Appreciate the lift.”
Ralph tipped his hat, and the truck rumbled to a stop along the main road through town.
A minute later, Bri opened the door. “Thanks for the ride,” she called to the driver before hopping to the ground, grateful for the pavement under her feet and the possibility of a hot shower not far off. She remembered Thunder Bay from her childhood. Mack used to take her here for ice cream and a movie a few times during their summers.
The image of his mangled body and rattling breath flooded her with a sharp stab of panic. What if he was unable to return from that? Her mind told her nobody could, no matter how many centuries they’d lived or battles they’d fought.
Cole said something to Ralph she didn’t hear before he hopped out of the cab and stepped to her side. The truck pulled into traffic with another cloud of smoke.
He shouldered their pack and linked his fingers through hers, leading them away from the main intersection.
I could get used to holding his hand.
She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Far too attracted to the man for her own comfort, her instinct told her to back off. Too many bizarre and unexplainable things drew them together. It made it hard to trust their connection. And yet, even as her mind rattled off the reasons she should keep her distance, her body wouldn’t listen. The touch of his hand melted her defenses.
She was in trouble.
“This will do.” Cole took stock of the small downtown area. “We’ll be able to blend in.”
They headed for a beat-up payphone along a side road near an equally weathered hardware store. Cole navigated them deftly to the back of the store as if he knew exactly what he was looking for. They stopped in the outdoor aisles which boasted a limited selection of gear and goods. She pulled a can opener off the shelf and twirled it in her fingers.
With a grin that assured her he remembered their challenge opening cans over an open fire, he said, “Wait right here. I’ll be back in a sec.”
She swatted his arm playfully as he brushed past her, and he grabbed her around the waist, pulling her in close for a quick, hard kiss. The devilish look in his eye had her stomach doing a slow roll. He released her just as quickly.
Shaking her head at her wayward body’s reaction to him, Bri browsed the camping section. Several items would have made their excursion in the woods quite a bit more pleasant. Although falling asleep in the open mountains with the heat of a fire on one side and Cole’s warm body wrapped around her on the other, had been more than comfortable.
He returned in less than two minutes. When she raised an eyebrow at him in question, he leaned down to brush another kiss across her lips.
“Change. They were happy to exchange some of our cash.” He held out a palm full of Canadian quarters. “I’ve got to call my team, and you should call Jonah.”
“Couldn’t they trace it back to the phone?” Her heart rate kicked up a notch at the thought.
“Not if we make the calls quick.” He pulled her toward the exit. “Do you want to try Jonah first?”
Bri took a breath and nodded. “Okay.”
The telephone booth had definitely seen better days. Cole opened the door and stale, warm air tickled his nose. Inserting a coin, he heard a dial tone. Good. At least the thing still worked. A layer of dust covered everything, including the water-warped phonebook many years past its usefulness.
Dropping several quarters in Bri’s hand, he stepped aside to let her enter, propping the door open for ventilation and to pull her out quickly if he needed to.
While she punched in Jonah’s number, Cole scanned the area. The town seemed quiet enough, especially a couple of streets down from the main intersection.
Five rings and nothing. Thanks to his acute hearing, Cole caught her father’s voicemail recording, terse and to the point, asking the caller to leave a message. Bri reached for his hand and squeezed it in a death grip.
“I’m with Cole. We’re okay,” she swallowed hard. “Mack needs help. He’s at the ranch. Hope you’re safe. I’ll try to call again when I can.” She hung up, sadness back in her eyes.
He tightened his grip on her hand. Sharing this time with her had been unlike anything he could have anticipated. He intended to be right with her, every painful step of the way.
“It could mean anything.” He wished they weren’t in such a public place. He wanted to lay her down on a soft bed and drive that look from her eyes. Instead, he stepped into the cramped phone booth and punched in Maliha’s number.
“Cole!” His sister’s voice boomed, loud enough for Bri to hear. They both flinched. He held the receiver away from his ear, knowing the barrage of questions was coming. “Where the hell are you? We’ve been searching for you.”
“I was a little tied up.” He glanced over at Bri, who immediately blushed, and gave him a sly smile. That’s better.
“I bet,” Maliha said sarcastically. “Tell me where you are and that you’re okay.”
Cole gave her the highlights, their location, and need for transportation. He was fairly sure Jonah and his Warriors wouldn’t be at all happy he’d decided to involve his team. Tough for them. He needed people he trusted, and he wasn’t at all convinced the Quytel had Bri’s best interests, or her safety, in mind.
That was his job now, and he had no intention of failing.
“Nathanial has been tracking you from Seattle,” his sister said. “But he ran into some trouble. He’s okay. I think he could meet you by morning.”
Nathanial, an extraordinary tracker, had abilities at his disposal that were off-the-charts accurate.
“Good. Tell him to make contact to let us know where to meet him.”
“Cole, I love you. Stay safe.” She made it sound like the command it was. He felt her fear in the thread of tension running through her words.
“Got it.” He smiled at the ferocity of his sister’s declaration. “Love you too.” He
hung up the phone and turned to Bri, who had an irresistible grin on her face.
“What?” he asked, trying to look anywhere but at her incredible mouth. He wasn’t having much luck.
Her smile deepened. “That was cute.”
He gave in and dragged her to him right there in front of the telephone booth. Their kiss created one hell of a pounding ache in his groin.
Pulling back with a curse, he muttered, “I can’t seem to resist you.”
“Tell me about it.” She stepped away, retaining possession of his hand, tugging on it. “I’m starving. Feed me.”
Readjusting his jeans, which felt entirely too tight, he followed Bri to the main street.
He cleared his throat. “One of my team will meet us in the morning. His name is Nathanial, and he’ll be added protection. He’s deadly in a fight and completely loyal.” He wanted her to know his team was solidly behind them.
Her tongue darted out to touch her upper lip. “Okay.” Though she gave a small shrug, he felt the sudden tension through their linked hands.
She certainly had reason to be suspicious given the betrayal of the men closest to her. Cole knew better than anyone that trust had to be earned and built over time. “I trust Nathanial with my life, with my sister’s life. You can trust him, too.”
Bri tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and managed a hesitant smile, the beginning of that precious trust reflected there. Why that went straight to his heart, he wasn’t at all ready to examine.
Sleeping next to her had been a strange kind of torture. Bri was in a world of danger, and he had no idea how much of what he felt for her was because of the damn compulsion or some mystical enchantment thrust on him by the witch from their shared vision. His rational mind railed at him to steer clear, but his body and every other part of him was increasingly desperate for her. That she felt the same intense draw to him made it much harder to resist.
Circle of Dreams (The Quytel Series Book 1) Page 15
