Kurt didn’t like the color of Riley’s face. It was a mixture between green and white. Even her eyes appeared glazed over as if she had been drugged. He’d never been claustrophobic, so he didn’t know what terror they experienced, but he did know there were occasions that the person lost it and went stark-raving mad. He couldn’t allow that to happen to Riley, and definitely not when the others were nearly upon them.
He quickly took her into his arms and laid them down, facing each other. He removed the barriers between them, tossing the blanket and the duffle bags aside, and then gathered her into his arms again.
“Riley, look at me.” He caressed her arm, trying to relax her. “Look right into my face, and listen to my voice.” Gradually, her gaze moved and met with his. “That’s my girl.” He smiled. “Don’t look anywhere else but my eyes.” He lowered his voice, knowing that their uninvited visitors would be able to hear him if they stopped to look around this area. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
He could tell she wasn’t breathing very normal. Worry escalated inside of him, but he needed to remain calm. That was the only way to make her relax.
“Sweet Riley, I want you to take a deep breath…” He waited for her to do it, before continuing, “now release it slowly.” When she followed his instructions, he smiled. “That’s my girl. You’re doing great.”
He moved his hand up to her face and gently caressed her cheek. Right after he’d awakened with her in his arms, staring up into his face with big, beautiful hazel eyes full of desire, he had literally been knocked senseless. He’d wanted to kiss her badly. And when he’d rubbed her lips with his thumb, he nearly went mad with wanting her. If not for the ATV’s that were headed their way, he didn’t know what would have happened between him and Riley. Actually, he did know. So it was a good thing they had the interruption.
When the vehicles grew nearer, Riley’s body stiffened up again, and her breathing became almost non-existent. If he didn’t do something quick, she’d lose it for sure.
“Riley, darling. Do you remember this morning when I woke up? You were in my arms, staring at me with such emotion in your eyes. Remember?”
Once again, her body relaxed. “Yes.”
“Did you want to kiss me then?”
Her breathing shifted again, but this time her heartbeat sped faster. “Umm, well…” She licked her lips.
“I wanted you to kiss me,” he admitted. It was hard not to panic when the vehicles were so near, but he needed to stay calm for her.
“You did?”
He nodded. Her gaze dropped from his eyes to his lips. “What about now?” he wondered. “Do you want to kiss me now?” He rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip just like he’d done earlier. “I won’t mind if you do. In fact, I encourage it.”
The ATV’s would be here at any moment. He just prayed they didn’t stop to look around. Unless they had dogs tracking them, the men wouldn’t know where they were.
“Kiss me, Riley, and take my breath away.”
She didn’t need any more encouraging. She lifted her head and pressed her lips against his. The moment they made contact, she released a low moan and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer.
Instantly, his mind cleared of everything, except her kiss. He couldn’t hear anything but her fast breaths, and little sighs of pleasure. He didn’t keep the kiss short. Instead, he partook of her like a man starved for affection, which he was. When her mouth opened, he slipped his tongue inside, sweeping through to stroke hers.
Another moan rattled in her throat, and this time, his happy sigh joined in the mingling of tones. Gradually, he pushed Riley onto her back, lying halfway on top, as he continued the incredibly heated kiss. Her fingers threaded through his hair, and he couldn’t stop his from tangling into her wavy locks of silk. She was one passionate woman, and most definitely, the best kisser he’d ever had.
Wanting more, he trailed his mouth down her neck. Sighing, she arched her neck, giving him access. He could still smell her intoxicating jasmine scent, and even the salty taste on his tongue from her skin reminded him of how sweet this soft woman in his arms was.
“Kurt…”
His name breezed from her lips like a sigh from Heaven. He lifted his head and peered down into her eyes…eyes that were laced with passion and desire. Her tempting lips were still beckoning to be kissed. He couldn’t stop himself.
This time, the kiss was more tender, and definitely more meaningful. She tasted so wonderful, and he never wanted it to end. Nice and slow, he kissed deeper. Inside his chest, his heart burst with emotion. He hadn’t felt this way in a very long time.
The longer he kissed her, the more he wanted to continue. He wanted to excite her as he’d never done before. But…this was not the place for that to happen. This was certainly not the right spot for him to express his desire for her in that manner.
Inwardly, he cursed. He was going to have to end the kiss. He just prayed his conscience wouldn’t get the better of him and make him feel guilty.
He slowed the very heated kiss until he could move his face to the crook of her neck. Breathing like a man struggling for air, he held her close, not wanting to let her go. Her breathing was just as ragged as his. She continued to caress his hair and back with tender strokes.
“Kurt?” she whispered, her voice deep with passion.
“Umm?” He placed a kiss on her soft neck.
“I think they’re gone.”
“Who’s gone?”
Her chest shook with a quiet chuckle. “The bad guys that were after us.”
His mind snapped back to reality. He swore. How could he have forgotten about that? Good grief! Had kissing Riley really shook him so much it made him lose sense of everything around him? Obviously, it had.
He lifted off of her, and laughed. “Oh, yeah. The bad guys.”
She sat up, putting her weight onto her elbows as she looked into his eyes. “Tell me truthfully, Kurt. Did you want me to kiss you just to distract me from those men who were after us? Or did you really want to kiss me?”
He shook his head and stroked the side of her face. “I think you already know that.” He winked.
He listened for any signs that those men were still around, but the roar of the ATV’s engines were farther away. He sighed. They were able to get out of this predicament. Would he be able to get them out the next time? And there definitely would be a next time. These men would not give in so easily.
SEVEN
Kurt and Riley had been traveling a good hour before he stopped for a break. They both needed one. Plus, he was hungry. She sat on a tree trunk and sipped the canteen of water. He took out the granola bars and handed one to her. She tore the package and gobbled it down as if it was candy. Thankfully, there was a package of nuts, too, so he gave her that, which she consumed within minutes.
Once they had left the piping, they hadn’t spoken about the kiss. They really hadn’t spoken about anything. A comment here or there about the weather, or about where the bad guys were, but nothing personal at all. Just as he’d thought, guilt had snuck inside of him and rooted itself. He shouldn’t have kissed her so passionately. He didn’t want to lead her on. True, he didn’t want her to marry Mark, but it wasn’t because Kurt wanted her. The mere of idea of that happening was not going to enter his mind at all!
Had she felt guilt as well? She didn’t look at him, but then again, he didn’t really look at her, either. If he had it his way, the subject of their passionate kiss would not be brought up. Ever. But he knew women. They always had to talk about their feelings.
He’d tried that with a couple of women. The first woman had been his partner when he worked as a police detective. It was easy to love Brittany, and yet once he confessed his love to her—in a drunken stupor, no less—she had crushed his heart by falling in love with one of the suspects in the murder case. Then, he’d made the mistake of falling for the eyewitness to a crime, the very woman he was supposed to pro
tect. That didn’t turn out well, either.
And now he was protecting Riley. He wasn’t going to make the same mistake again. There would not be any more kissing or talk of kissing. He wasn’t even going to hold her hand like lovers do. From here on out, he was her bodyguard and nothing else.
Kurt had been staring at the ground, but once he finished his granola bar, he raised his gaze. Riley was looking at him. Immediately, her cheeks reddened and she looked away. Silently, he swore. No doubt about it, she wanted to talk about the kiss.
She sighed and raised her head. She looked around them, but didn’t move her attention to him at all.
“Where do you think we are?”
“We’re probably only about halfway up the mountain.”
“Do you think we should turn around and go back down?”
He shook his head. “No, at least not the same way we came. I figured when we go back down, it needs to be somewhere away from my house. I’m sure whoever is after us has people staked out near my house.”
“Oh.” She kicked her shoe into the dirt. “Do you know where the bad guys are?”
“Not specifically, but at some point they are going to realize we aren’t as far up the mountain as they had suspected, especially since we don’t have the four-wheeler.”
“So we need to look for a way down the mountain that will get us there quickly.”
Her head snapped up. “Like the zip line?”
He shrugged. “I’d thought about that, but then there will be people around, and we’ll be easily spotted. Especially, if they know I’m the sheriff.” He flipped his hand through the air. “Don’t worry, I’ll think of something.”
She took another sip out of the canteen, before handing it to him. “Are you thirsty?”
“I sure am.” He met her gaze briefly as he took the canteen. Tilting it back to his mouth, he drank. Water dribbled down out of his mouth and slid down his neck. He didn’t care. It refreshed him. When he was finished, he screwed the lid back onto the canteen. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed Riley watching him. It was a struggle not to look her way, but he resisted.
Kurt stood and stretched his exhausted body. “I guess we’d better get going.”
“Yeah.” She stood and stretched, too.
He reached for her hand, and she slipped it into his before he remembered he wasn’t going to do that. But it was too late, now. Hopefully, she didn’t think it meant anything. After all, he’d been climbing the mountain with her, holding her hand the whole time. Nah, it definitely didn’t mean anything.
They walked another ten more minutes before she stopped. He whipped his head around to see what was wrong. She stood still as if she was dazed. And yet, her eyes moved back and forth.
“Do you hear that?” she asked.
Apparently, he hadn’t, so he took a moment to listen. Off in the distance was the roar of rushing water. Whitewater rapids! He’d forgotten another tourist attraction for Big Sky was the whitewater rapids. This would be a great way to get back down the mountain—and fast. However, they didn’t have any equipment, and he certainly didn’t have any in his emergency duffle bag. “It’s the water.”
“I know.”
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” He arched an eyebrow.
“If you’re thinking about finding someone who can get us down, then yes, I’m thinking that.” She smiled.
He shrugged. “I suppose it can’t hurt. Let’s head over that way and see what we can find.”
Once again, she slipped her hand into his as if it was natural. He couldn’t help but smile. At least she was finally getting used to him protecting her. Had she realized that Mark was dangerous? Or perhaps she just trusted Kurt a little more. Either way, relief swept through him. He wouldn’t be arguing with her anymore. At least on this subject.
The closer they came to the rushing water, the faster they walked. When he spotted the river, he stopped and watched in awe. He’d always loved watching the rapids, and listening to the wonderful sound of nature.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
He squeezed her hand, happy to know she had read his mind. Again. “Yes, it is.”
“Do you see anyone?”
He shook his head. “Not yet, but let’s keep walking. If we follow the river, we might find someone getting ready to put their raft out there.”
Not wanting to get too close, he stepped along the bank, still holding Riley’s hand. A few times she slipped, and he tightened his hold. She laughed, which made him smile. It was rather fun to be with her, but he couldn’t make it serious. He had to pretend they were just two friends enjoying themselves. After this was over, he hoped she would consider him a friend.
From time to time, the water sprayed them. She squealed, but thankfully, she didn’t try to get away. He couldn’t remember the last time he had this much fun. Had his life become so boring that he had nothing better to do than be on the run with a beautiful woman, and actually enjoy himself?
“Can you swim?” he asked her, lifting his voice above the roar of the water.
“Yes.”
“Good. But we still don’t want to be playing in this water. It’s too dangerous.”
“I agree.”
They walked a little farther, before Riley tugged on his hand. “Look up there.”
There was a raft sitting empty on the edge of the water. That meant people were around here somewhere. Kurt hurried his step again, pulling Riley along with him. When they reached the raft, they stopped and looked around.
“I don’t see anyone,” she said.
“Me, either. But someone has to be here.” He stepped closer to the raft. Inside were life jackets, helmets, and paddles for four people. Who would leave this if they weren’t far away? He reached inside and touched a life jacket. Nothing was wet at all. Whoever came here to go whitewater rafting, they hadn’t done it yet.
Releasing her hand, he walked into the woods a little more. The rapids were too noisy to hear any voices, but he couldn’t even smell a fire, or if food was cooking. As he searched through the trees, he couldn’t even see if there was a cabin, either.
He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, “Hello! Is anyone there?” But the water was just too loud.
Kurt turned back toward Riley and shrugged. “I don’t think anyone is here.”
She walked up to him and stopped. “Do you think they’ll mind if we take their raft?”
Chuckling, he shook his head. “I sure hope not.”
Her hair had become damp, and even her cheek had trickles of water on it. He gently wiped his off her cheek. “I’d leave them a note, but I don’t have any paper.”
Her hazel eyes twinkled. “Do you think we should write the note in the sand?”
He threw back his head and laughed. “Sure, that’ll work…until it rains or the wind blows.”
“Well,” she lifted her hands in surrender, “they can’t blame us for trying to be honest.”
His face began to hurt from the wide smile he couldn’t seem to get rid of. He couldn’t believe the mischief written on her expression, or the giddy way she ran to the raft and started shrugging into a life jacket. He had to admit, excitement leapt inside of him. It’d been a while since he’d been whitewater rafting.
He threw the duffle bags and the blanket inside before pulling on his life jacket. He assisted Riley inside and then climbed in. “Have you ever been rafting before?”
“No.”
“Well, you’re going to get a quick lesson, because one person can’t do this alone.”
As he instructed her on how to use the paddles, she hung on every word, and practiced moving the paddles. When she felt ready, she sat in her place and smiled at him. He reached over and grasped her hand. “You can do this.”
She nodded. “I know.”
It took him a few minutes to push the raft into the water, but soon the waves took them down the river. They both bounced with the water. He steered the raft on his si
de, and he kept watching to see if she was following the instruction he’d given her. So far, so good. Thankfully, the water wasn’t terrible through here.
The raft hit a wave, and it splashed inside and all over them. Riley released a scream of surprise, but then laughed. His heart lightened to see her this way. At least he knew she enjoyed the outdoors, just as he did. Maybe when everything was over, he’d take her on a camping trip. They could go fishing, and…
His mind screeched to a halt. What was he thinking? It was his hope that they’d be friends. He could not think of her any other way.
Along with making sure they steered the raft correctly, he also watched the mountainside for a group of men—eight or nine of them, he’d figured—on four-wheelers. He wanted to make sure those idiots didn’t spot Kurt and Riley, especially when they were getting closer to civilization.
The raft hit a spot in the river that was calmer. This gave him more time to watch the mountains. Of course, with Riley next to him giggling, it was hard to keep his eyes off from her. He loved the way she smiled, and the way her hazel eyes lit up like diamonds. The musical sound of her voice softened his heart and made him feel peaceful.
“Are you having fun yet?” she called out.
He laughed. “I’m glad you are.”
“I know I shouldn’t be, but…I just can’t help it.”
He took his eye from off her long enough to glance at the mountain again. The sun’s ray glinted off something shiny. Kurt narrowed his gaze, studying the area to find what the object could be. Then he saw it. Several four-wheelers and men standing around them, looking at a map.
Kurt stiffened. If these men saw them… They were close enough to the water to shoot, and a bullet piercing a raft would not be a good thing.
He dropped his paddle to the floor of the raft and quickly spun around. He grabbed the blanket and spread it out.
“Kurt? What’s wrong?”
“We need to hide. Hurry, get under the blanket.”
She dropped her paddle and crawled to him. Together they lay side-by-side as he pulled the blanket over them. She turned her head toward him. Her eyes were wide with fright.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Altar (Your Every Day Hero Book 2) Page 6
