Ursa Major

by Mary Winter

  Liam took provisions out of the cache and began mixing up dinner over the fire he kindled back to life. Watching him work, Sarah realized she was superfluous. She took a seat on a nearby log to watch his economical movements. She couldn’t help but admire the strength in his body, the way he appeared completely at ease in this rugged terrain. She tried, and failed, to imagine Walt out here. That had been one of the main problems of their relationship. She wanted more outdoor activities; he spent all his time in his office. Walt wasn’t in the picture anymore. Liam was right in front of her, and if she wasn’t mistaken, as attracted to her as she was to him. It was going to be a long night.

  Chapter Six

  Liam pressed the bowl of soup into Sarah’s gloved hands and wondered how long it would be before she tired of stew made from dehydrated meat and vegetables. Sure there were other things he could cook out in the brush. If he were alone it wouldn’t matter. He’d hunt for his food and eat quite well. With Sarah, he had to be careful. Her comment about him being as hungry as a bear hit too close to home.

  He took a seat across from her, hoping the fire placed a barrier between them that he couldn’t cross. Just thinking about crawling into the tent, tucking his sleeping bag next to hers, had him painfully hard. His own perverse need to torment himself had him taunting her in the clearing. And then she’d had the audacity to flirt back with him. Liam swallowed hard and forced a bite of stew down his throat. He wanted to show her, well, everything. Except he didn’t poach.

  “Hey, can I ask you a question?” Liam asked, realizing that wasn’t the smoothest opening in the world.

  Sarah looked up from her meal. She licked her lower lip, capturing a stray drop of broth. “Sure, what’s up?”

  I am. “Before we headed out, I came up to your room to go over our projected path out here. I heard you arguing with someone. Everything okay back home?”

  Her brow furrowed. She pursed that lower lip, plumping it up and making him want to pull it into his mouth and suck on it. “As okay as they can be. You probably heard me arguing with Walt. We don’t exactly see eye-to-eye on this project. So I made a decision that I should have made a long time ago and broke off our engagement.” She shrugged. “No big deal, really.”

  Liam couldn’t believe his ears. No big deal? If a woman like Sarah broke off a relationship they’d shared, he’d sure as heck consider it a big deal. “So you’re okay with this?” He tried not to sound too eager, tried not to remember how pliant her lips were beneath his.

  “Should have happened a long time ago. I had second thoughts even when I accepted his proposal. Things were rough even then. I kept telling myself that things would change once we were married and he is a prominent Washington lawyer. It was like a fairy tale, except I never got to the good parts.” She shrugged, though tiny worry lines bracketed her eyes. Though her words sounded normal, he saw the sadness in her eyes. No matter what she might say, she wasn’t taking this decision lightly. Which further reinforced why he had to stay away from her.

  Liam set his bowl between his feet on the ground. He’d do dishes and clean up later, probably after she’d gone into the tent to sleep. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out.” Not really, but it sounded good for him to say the words. Don’t get involved. Once she has her information and write her report, she’ll fly back to Washington. There isn’t anything you can do, and you shouldn’t get involved. His stern mental words fell flat.

  Because he could see them together. For a citified girl, she handled the wilderness very well. Her passion for the environment showed. He had no doubts she’d write the report, one he suspected his superiors would like and hers would hate. She had guts. He had to give her that. So why was he thinking of standing up, crossing the space between them, and sitting down on the log beside her so he could kiss her sadness away?

  His life entailed long hours in the wilderness and rough living when he wasn’t camping. Out here, with no one around but his brother and whatever family members decided to visit, she’d get lonely, bored, or both. He shoved thoughts of her aside. Best he do what the Quintursa wanted and get her back on a plane back to Washington as soon as possible.

  “It’s okay,” her soft words fell into the night air. “Things hadn’t been good for a while.”

  He should have let the matter drop. Instead, he rose to his feet and moved to the log beside her. Sitting down, he turned to face her. “You shouldn’t have to deal with a relationship that hadn’t been “good” for a while.” He made little quotation marks around the word good. “I’ll admit I haven’t known you that long, but I don’t believe anyone should have to settle for just good.”

  Sarah stared at him. “Are you trying to come onto me?” She didn’t move away from him on the log, though she clutched her bowl as if it would be a shield against him.

  “Do you want me to?” Liam asked. Once again, there he went with the teasing questions. Deep in his gut he knew letting Sarah get too close was a bad idea. A very bad idea.

  Sarah didn’t answer. Instead, she ducked her head and looked away. “I don’t think we should do this.”

  “Do what?” Liam stroked her chin. Cupping it gently, he turned her to face him. “We haven’t done anything…yet.”

  She shuddered. So passionate, so responsive. He wondered if he’d survive sleeping in the same tent as her tonight. Maybe it was time to take his bear for a walk.

  “I know,” she whispered.

  “Hey, you have nothing to be ashamed about.” Liam brushed his thumb across her full, lower-lip. “Is that what’s bothering you? That you think our kiss somehow affected your relationship with this Walt guy? From what I’ve heard, he sounds like he wasn’t good enough for you.” Whoa! Where had that come from?

  “That’s what my sister said.”

  “Then your sister is a very smart lady.” Finally, Liam felt as if they were getting somewhere.

  Suddenly, Sarah bolted to her feet. She set the bowl down on the log beside them, then strode toward the edge of the fire. Wrapping her arms around herself, she stared into the flames. She rocked gently back and forth. “I can’t do this,” she whispered.

  He reached for her. Cupping her chin, he tilted her face toward his. “Do what? We’re just talking, Sarah. I won’t do anything that you don’t want me to do.” He forced his fingers to remain still though he wanted to brush his thumb across her full, lower lip. He held her for a moment longer, then let his fingers drift away.

  Sarah turned to stare at the fire again. Keeping her arms wrapped around her torso, she drew deep, shuddering breaths. “The report. You. Me. I shouldn’t have volunteered for this, but I knew if I didn’t then whoever came out here to do this wouldn’t be impartial. I’m afraid too many of my co-workers are in the pockets of special interest groups, though Hodges Associates prides itself on being a lone wolf.” She snorted. “Yeah, that’s a song and dance if I ever heard one.”

  “It is?” Liam battled the nagging sense of worry. The Quintursa had been on him about Sarah. Perhaps they weren’t worried so much about her as her company. “That can’t be good if there’s questions about your company’s reputation.”

  Sarah laughed. “You think?” She removed her stocking camp and pulled her hair out of its pony tail. Running her fingers through it, she gathered it back into the elastic and replaced her hat.

  It was a nervous gesture, but watching her, Liam wanted to be the one tangling his fingers in the silken strands. A whiff of her lavender perfume, even after all the hiking they did, teased his nose. “I don’t know. I’m stuck out here in the bush. You tell me.”

  “Well, there’ve been rumors. Nothing substantiated, and to most of Washington even with our problems we’re as impartial as it gets. But I know should I turn in the report my heart tells me to write, not only will I possibly face repercussions at my job, but my sister works for a senator. I’d hate to think anything I did would affect her. Politics is a tight community. Everyone knows everyone else. It’s always possible.” She
shrugged. “I guess I shouldn’t worry about it. I don’t have to go back for a while.” Turning to him, she smiled.

  Like the glaciers at the top of the world, Liam melted. “No, you don’t,” he agreed. He leaned forward just to capture a bit more of her scent.

  Her gaze dropped to his lips. She swayed toward him, the moment taught with anticipation. Her arms unfolded, dropped to her sides, and then she reached for him. Her slender gloved fingers wrapped around his arm, drawing him to her. Her lashes fanned against her pale cheeks as her eyes closed. Liam couldn’t resist her gravity.

  His lips dropped to hers. He tasted her, careful to keep his desires in check. A gentle brush, enough to let her know he wanted to kiss her, yet nothing to scare her off.

  Her fingers tightened on his arm. Against his mouth, her lips parted. He tasted her, a warm hint of breath with spices from their dinner. Fingers curling, he reached for her. Caressing the edge of her cap, he slid his fingers beneath. Soft strands slid between his fingers. Her stocking cap tumbled to the ground behind her.

  Liam cupped the back of her neck. He traced her lower lip with his tongue, and when she opened her mouth and swayed toward him, he took it as an invitation. He deepened the kiss, his willpower all but gone. Today, tomorrow, her job, his, the drilling, even his bear faded away as the languid pleasure of kissing a beautiful woman. She opened beneath him like a flower, a bud full and ripe. Hints of her lavender wrapped him a cocoon shielding him from the world. Sarah gave a tiny, hungry moan. The sound worked straight to his groin. He thought of nothing else but taking her back to the tent and showing her exactly how wild he could be.

  Holding Sarah, kissing her, made him acutely aware of his solitary existence. With the fingers of one hand curled around his arm, her other reached up to stroke his cheek. Fingers tangled in his hair and pulled his lips closer. Sarah was a woman who took what she wanted. From the way she inched closer to him and possessively cupped his head, she wanted him.

  Liam struggled not to give in. It’d be too easy to tumble into sex with Sarah. He’d sported the image of a free-spirited ecotourist guide. Wild places, even wilder nights of sex, he didn’t mind that men like him held the image. Except that with Sarah, he wanted it to be more.

  He started to pull away.

  Sarah pulled him tighter to her.

  Forcing his fingers one by one to release from her flesh, he managed to part their lips. “Sarah, wait,” he gasped. Closing his eyes, he drew breaths into his lungs. His heart pounded. His body throbbed. The very act of trying to calm his senses made him more acutely aware of Sarah, from the lavender scent to the hint of arousal on the air. He scooted back on the log, then when that wasn’t far enough lurched to his feet. “I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have. You’re a client.” Any other time he might have laughed at what should have been Sarah’s line. After all, he was a man. His inner bear demanded he take what he wanted. From her flushed cheeks to kiss-swollen lips, Liam knew Sarah desired him.

  She gave a shuddering breath. “I suppose I have to say you’re right,” she whispered. Rubbing her eyes, she buried her face in her gloved hands for a moment. Then, squaring her shoulders she looked up at him. “Even if I don’t have to like it.” A trace of a smile curved her lips.

  “Yeah,” Liam agreed. “Besides, I don’t have any protection with me.” There, he latched onto the practical reasons why he couldn’t have sex with Sarah like a lifeline.

  Sarah laughed. At him. “You thought we were going to have sex? It was a good kiss, I’ll grant you that. But sex? You are sure of yourself, aren’t you?” Her gaze raked him from head to toe, lingering a bit too long beneath the waist of his jeans.

  “We’re both adults. I don’t think there’s a need to dance around the issue.” Liam remained standing. He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to find a away to delicately extract himself from this conversation. Even talking about sex with Sarah had his nerve endings humming. The Quintursa had given him a mission. He’d better start doing it and quit fantasizing about the sexy political lobbyist sitting on the log in front of him. “I’m going to clean up. If you want, I’ll sleep outside the tent tonight.” He spun on his heel to grab the bucket he’d fill with water that was heating over the fire.

  “I’m not afraid to sleep with you,” Sarah said to his retreating back.

  Liam glanced over his shoulder. “It’s not the sleeping that I’m worried about.” Giving her a wink, he proceeded to start his chores aware of Sarah staring at him the entire time.

  ~* * *~

  Last night’s kiss rattled Sarah more than she cared to admit. Sleeping in the tent beside Liam, hearing the rise and fall of his breathing, knowing if anything wanted to get to her it’d have to get past him first should have reassured her. It didn’t. Instead, she lay there, watching him sleep, wishing she had the guts to reach over and stroke the strong line of his jaw. His chiseled lips begged for her kisses, and she knew if she draped herself over his hard chest, she’d fit him like a hand to a glove. Wade had never made her feel like this.

  And perhaps that’s what bothered her. Not only was her concentration shot because of the report she had to write, but she had a too-sexy-for-his-own-good tour guide more than willing to make her feel things Walt never did. Just looking at him across the camp tingled. So when she told him she wanted to do a bit of hiking, not far from the camp, but on her own, he’d grunted, told her to be careful and call if she needed anything. As she followed a trail she’d looked back and caught glimpses of him through the trees. Then, neither he nor the camp was there anymore.

  For all intents and purposes she stood alone in the woods. All alone in the woods. For someone born and raised in the city, she wasn’t afraid. To the contrary, she found the farther she walked from camp, the more grounded she felt. Overhead, birds twittered in the trees. Rustling leaves spoke of small animals. The scent of loam and greenery filled her nose. The crisp air chilled her cheeks, making her curl her fingers in her gloves and then tuck her hands into her pockets.

  A larger noise came from somewhere in front of her. Mindful of the last time she’d run into a bear, Sarah stopped. She forced her heart to calm, told herself how reasonable would it be for her to run into a grizzly bear every time she went into the woods alone. A squirrel maybe, but a bear. Sarah laughed at her foolishness.

  A grunt sounded from the bushes ahead of her.

  Okay. This was taking it too damn far. “If you’re a bear, get out of here,” Sarah said, remembering she read once that talking to a bear told it you were human, and thus, another predator.

  “No bears here!” Liam’s voice carried to her.

  Sarah squeaked. She jumped back. Her heel caught on a tree root and she fell on her rump. Her notebook flew out of her hand, the pages whipping in the air as it tumbled into a clump of flowers nearby. Her pen bounced into the underbrush. Feet akimbo, she sat there, watching as Liam rose to his feet.

  “Sorry, I thought I saw a rare plant. Didn’t mean to startle you.” He stepped onto the trail and looked down at her. “Need a hand.”

  Heat flamed over her cheeks. “No, not at all.” Scrambling to her feet she kicked the offending tree root. “You were following me!”

  “I was in the area.” He held out a green stem. “Just a common grass, I’m afraid, but it looked like a rare plant. Seriously.”

  Sarah stared at what looked like a wilted green stem in his hands. Brows narrowed, she wondered if he was telling the truth. Then again, he had no reason to lie to her. He’d told her to keep close, and though she might have wandered further from camp than she anticipated, she remained on the trail. “Well don’t startle me like that again,” she admonished.

  “All right. There’s a nice view on the trail up ahead. I wouldn’t have wanted you to go that far on your own, but now that I’m here, want to see it?” Liam asked. He dropped the bruised stems to the side of the trail, then bent down and picked up her pen.

  She accepted it from him, quickly grabbing her notebook bef
ore he could be gallant and return it to her too. “Okay, though if it’s on the trail, I don’t see why I couldn’t have gone on my own.” Tucking the pen into the spiral of the notebook, she checked to make sure none of the pages had fallen during her tumble.

  “Because,” Liam said, his voice artificially lowered. “There might be bears.”

  Sarah laughed. He sounded so dramatic, and it wasn’t like she hadn’t seen a bear before. She had, and she’d lived to tell the tale. Sure, Liam had to fight it off, but he did. The thought made her kind of fluttery inside. “Yeah, there might be bears,” she agreed. “Now, you going to show me this view?” Laughing, she let him lead her down the trail, and didn’t mind the view as she followed him. In moments like these, she could forget about her report and the implications of it and simply enjoy a well-needed vacation.

  ~* * *~

  Liam spent the next two days showing her plentiful scenery, all of it beautiful, and no bears. Surprisingly, they saw little wildlife in their travels. Glancing covertly over his shoulder at Sarah, Liam figured she must have decided that he’d led her across half of Alaska. They’d gone from one secluded area to another, finding rivers so clear they had seen to the bottom in several places. Mountains created vistas that belonged on postcards. The farther they walked, the more determined Sarah seemed.

  The Quintursa had to have been wrong about her. Anytime they stopped she wrote furiously in her notepad. He peered over her shoulder, seeing that she jotted down information about the flora and fauna. Occasionally she’d note something about her thoughts or her spirituality. He tried not to look, but he knew if the Quintursa asked him he’d better have an answer. Sometimes he really hated walking between two worlds.

  They stopped to rest, more for her sake than for his. She’d hiked along without a complaint, her cheeks red from the wind and exertion. Bundled in a jacket and knit cap and gloves, she looked ready to face the tundra. He generated quite a bit more body heat than a normal human, but wore a denim shirt and jeans over thermal underwear, not wanting to draw her suspicions. Sarah was too smart for her own good.