Rancher's High-Stakes Rescue

by Beth Cornelison

  His returned grin was confident and adorably smug. “Yeah.”

  Slipping his hand behind her head, he tugged her close and kissed her again with the same breath-stealing, fantasy-sparking finesse he’d employed before. Kate leaned into him, enjoying the kiss. She’d earned it, hadn’t she? After setting aside her inhibitions to leap from that bluff, didn’t she deserve to indulge in Josh’s kiss?

  When she canted back from him, catching her breath, she twisted her mouth as if in thought and said, “Well, that kiss was okay, but I think I’d rather have the granola bar.”

  Josh quirked an eyebrow. “Ouch!”

  “Kidding.” She laughed and slid her hand across the water to splash him. Earning a tidal wave in return. She sputtered and launched herself at him, and he ducked, only to come up with her on his shoulders.

  “Josh, what are you—?” she started, but he tossed her into the water, dunking her.

  The horseplay continued for several minutes, and Kate savored the sound of Josh’s deep, musical laughter. He hadn’t had much to laugh at in the last day or two, and she sensed the chance to cut loose was as welcome to him as to her.

  Finally, after a raucous water battle where she managed to get water up her nose twice, she sputtered, “Uncle! I yield!”

  “And I claim as my prize, a kiss!” Josh took her by the wrist and reeled her close again.

  But one kiss led to another...and another.

  When their legs bumped while treading water, he murmured, “C’mere.”

  Shifting to his side, he swam toward the sunny bank where large rocks were submerged, forming steps and platforms that allowed them to stand instead of treading water. He claimed one of these boulders and leaned back against another, smiling broadly at her as she joined him. He reached for her hand and drew her close. “Now, where were we?”

  Then they were tangled in each other, the rest of the world forgotten. Kate lost herself in Josh’s lips, which roamed leisurely from her mouth to her throat, to the shell of her ear. She basked in his touch, his hands stroking her face, massaging her nape and trailing down her spine to cup her bottom. She responded with her own curious exploration, nibbling his earlobes, tracing his collarbone with her tongue and greedily measuring the expanse of his corded back and shoulders with bold strokes of her palm.

  When she lifted her head, inhaling a breath tinged with his earthy scent, she tipped her gaze toward the sun and squinted against the bright light. She could almost hear Dawn’s applause and attagirl.

  Decision time. She had the opportunity to put a stop to this seduction. Her mind briefly flickered to past dalliances...and the resulting heartache. She’d sworn to herself not to go this route again, but his kisses had turned her knees to jelly, her resolve to dust, and she found herself pressing into him, snuggling her body against the heat radiating from his. The proof of his arousal strained against his wet underwear and fit far too well in the V of her legs, where her own need throbbed and begged for more.

  Stroking a hand up her spine, he paused at the clasp of her bra and skillfully unhooked it. Evidence that he had experience in these matters. Another warning bell clanged in her brain. She didn’t need a crystal ball to know Josh was not in this for the long haul. He’d take his pleasure and bid her a polite goodbye when the adventure trip was over.

  An uneasy flutter stirred in her gut, even as Josh slid her bra down her arms and cupped her breasts in his palms. The callouses on his work-roughened hands lightly abraded her nipples, sending ribbons of sweet sensation to her womb. When he ducked his head to suck one sensitive bud into his mouth, the jolt of pleasure was so pure and intense, she moaned her satisfaction. Her knees buckled, and her body sagged closer to his.

  Josh’s hands roamed from her bottom down her thighs, then up again to caress the sensitive skin at the small of her back. He seemed to know exactly where to touch her, and how, to ignite her passion. She clung to his broad shoulders, returning his kisses, as he explored and aroused. Heaven help her, the man knew what he was doing, and he did it well!

  And still the voice of caution battled the growing desire that thrummed in her veins. She was on fire. Weak with wanting. Burning from the inside out. She wrapped her legs around him when he lifted her to straddle him.

  His fingers hooked in her panties, ready to finish her disrobing, and he murmured, “Say you want me, you want this.”

  Let go. Give in. Follow your desire, her heart whispered.

  Remember Jason, her head said.

  A shudder rolled through her, and she rasped, “No.”

  He stilled, raised his head and blinked at her, confused. “Kate?”

  Tears burned her eyes, and she shook her head. “I’m sorry. I—I can’t. I—”

  She felt the tension enter his body, the effort he made to rein in his desire before he set her down, easing away from her. Disappointment was plain in his face. “All right,” he said, his voice gruff.

  Her grip on his shoulders tightened, and she resisted when he would have pushed her back. “I want you, Josh. I do. I just...can’t—”

  He gave her a tight smile and stroked her cheek. “It’s okay. I know that a girl’s no means no. You don’t have to explain.”

  “But I do. I—”

  “We should get going.” He levered away and snagged her bra from the rock where he’d tossed it. “Zane’ll be waiting on us.”

  “Josh!” She tried to catch his hand. He seemed more than just frustrated or disappointed that she’d stopped him. Not mad exactly, but...could he be hurt?

  For him to be hurt that she’d called a stop would mean he cared. She already suspected there was more than met the eye to Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky McCall, and his pensiveness as she donned her bra and watched him roll tension from his neck and shoulders supported that theory.

  She followed as he dived back into the water. They swam around the bluff, toward the shore where they’d left the raft, and Kate stumbled out on weak legs. Her thigh muscles quivered from fatigue and lingering desire.

  She was still musing about the interlude, when Josh drew her back to the present with a grumbled curse. As she slicked water from her arms and belly, she sent him a cautious glance. “What’s wrong?”

  He raised a hand and motioned to the bank in general. “Look around. Notice anything different?”

  Frowning, she cast her gaze about them, and a sinking feeling settled in her gut as the truth dawned on her. “The raft is gone!”

  Chapter 8

  Kate waded back out into the water, searching up and down the visible stretch of the river for the raft. The raft that held most of their supplies, she realized with a fresh beat of panic. “Where did it go? What happened?” She sent Josh an anxious look as a new possibility occurred to her. “Was someone here...while we were—?” She flapped a hand in the general direction of where they’d been kissing and swallowed hard, imagining someone spying on them. Someone with evil intent. “Did someone take it?”

  Josh swiped a hand over his hair, wringing out some of the water. “I doubt it. It’s more likely this is my fault.” His jaw tightened, and his face reflected his self-disgust and frustration.

  “Your fault? How?” She walked back onto the bank, and she hugged herself as a breeze cooled her skin and the reality of their situation chilled her spirit.

  “I must not have beached the raft well enough.” He shook his head, his toe kicking at the marks on the dirt where the raft had left drag marks. “This should have been good enough. The water’s not that choppy, and there’s almost no wind. I don’t get it.”

  But she did. “I’m guessing you didn’t account for the waves.”

  He glanced at her with a furrowed brow.

  “The waves we made when we jumped...especially when we jumped together. The water fight? Couldn’t that have dislodged it?”

  An acknowledgment of her assertion mo
rphed his expression from confusion to defeat. Despite her own concern about their predicament, Kate ached for Josh, knowing this setback only dug deeper into the pit of blame he’d already carved for himself. He fisted his hands so tightly his knuckles blanched, and his silence belied the internal turmoil she could read in his eyes. Remembering how supportive he’d been during her meltdowns, she was compelled to offer some comfort or acquittal to his guilt.

  She stepped closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Josh, don’t blame—”

  He jerked his gaze up as if he’d forgotten she was there. Pulling away from her touch, he scrubbed both hands over his face before regarding her with a strained smile.

  “It’s okay. We’ll be all right. Inconvenienced, but we’ll be all right.” He inhaled a harsh breath. “I’m sorry, Kate. I know I promised we’d be back to the pickup spot tonight, but without the raft, without the sat phone, which was in my pack, we’re gonna have to hoof it outta here.”

  “Hoof it? You mean walk?” When he nodded, she added, “How far?”

  He rubbed his fingers on his forehead, his brow wrinkled as he thought. “Probably another ten miles from here.” He paused, rubbing a hand over his mouth as he thought. “Considering the terrain, the late hour, and—” he gave her a quick, apologetic look “—other factors...”

  “Meaning my inexperience and limited physical capacity?” she wagered.

  He gave a small nod. “We’ll have to camp along the way tonight, but we should make it to the pickup point tomorrow before nightfall.”

  “Camp?” She gaped at him. He was serious. “But when we don’t show up at the pickup spot this evening, won’t they come looking for us?”

  He nodded. “Possibly. Don’t forget, the last word they had from us was that we were making a pit stop here and would be late. And most of the area we’ll be traveling is pretty inaccessible except on foot. So even if they did mount a search, who knows how long it would take to find us? And we’d still have to walk out.”

  She mumbled an unladylike word under her breath.

  “Hey,” he said, offering her a lazy grin. “What happened to trusting me? This is just a diversion. A different sort of adventure. We’ll be fine.”

  Kate narrowed her eyes, suspicion tickling her spine. “Did you do this on purpose? Did you push the raft off when I wasn’t looking?”

  He raised both hands, palms toward her, his expression slightly offended. “Swear to you, I didn’t. Just trying to stay positive. Make the best of the circumstances. It’s really not as bad as you think. We’ll hike along the river, snuggle tonight to keep warm—” he added a suggestive eyebrow wiggle that prodded a chuckle from her “—and be back at the ranch tomorrow night.”

  “What will we eat? What about wild animals?” The worrier in her was working overtime as she considered the logistics.

  His shoulders dropped, and he took a slow breath. When he raised his head, he pinned a steady gaze on her that burrowed to her marrow. “Kate...” He walked closer and framed her face with his hands. “I promised not to let you get hurt. I’ve got this.”

  She opened her mouth to ask another of the dozen queries buzzing around in her brain, but his next question stopped her.

  “Kate, do you trust me?”

  A small voice deep in her soul wrestled its way through the doubts and fear. When she answered, she knew she meant it. “Yes.”

  * * *

  True to his word, Josh found a way to feed them, catching a trout with a fishing line made from a loose thread from his shorts and sanitizing water from the river using tablets the ranch had supplied in her backpack. Josh sent her out to gather sticks and fallen limbs for a campfire while he cleaned the fish, telling her, “Okay, Texas, the rule of thumb is, gather as much wood as you think you’ll need, then gather that much more. You generally will use way more firewood than you think you will, and you don’t want to have to find more after dark.”

  She saluted him. “Aye, aye, captain. A double portion of firewood coming up.”

  “And stay within eyesight of me and the river. It’ll be dusk soon, and you don’t want to get lost.”

  She cast a wary eye to the dense woods and nodded. “Way ahead of you, cowboy.”

  As directed, Kate gathered a large pile of small twigs for kindling, dragged a few larger dead limbs over for Josh to break up. She surveyed the pile she’d made, then went back to gather more. Once the campfire was going, she settled on the ground, leaning against her backpack while Josh stretched out on his side, propping up on his elbow. One of the greener forked limbs she’d found served as a roasting stick to cook bites of the trout. Even without seasoning, she decided the fish was as tasty as any she’d ever eaten. Hunger had a way of replacing seasoning on the flavor scale.

  They saved the protein bars and small bag of gorp from her backpack for their hike the next day, but enjoyed the packaged cookies for dessert.

  As it had the night before, the glow of the fire created an intimacy that evoked reflection and sharing. Tonight, having shared the ups and downs of the day—not to mention the smoldering kisses and erotic caresses at the swimming hole—Kate sensed an even deeper bond with Josh than just twenty-four hours before. A personal connection that had real weight and substance behind it. Her mind shied away from labeling it the L word. Affection, maybe. But she could not, would not allow herself to fall for another man she’d known such a short time and would say goodbye to in a few days.

  Just the same, the campfire’s bubble of light in the middle of the night’s infinite blackness narrowed the world to two people. One tiny golden pocket in the expanse of wilderness. But before long, even the fire was not enough to keep the night’s chill from settling in Kate’s bones. She blew in her hands to warm them and scooted closer to the flames.

  “C’mere,” Josh said, waving her over with a flick of his hand.

  Cocking her head to the side, she gave him a leery look. “What are you thinking?”

  “Only that two can create better body heat than one.” He winked at her, adding, “But I’m game for whatever naughty ideas you’re suggesting.”

  She chuckled and tossed a twig at him. “I’m not suggesting anything. What I said earlier today still applies.”

  “No hanky-panky,” he said with a serious nod. “I understand.”

  She rolled to her knees to crawl closer to him.

  “No knocking boots. No riding the stallion. No sham-bam-a-lam.”

  She snorted a laugh as she settled next to him. “Stop.”

  “No getting lucky, no making the beast with two backs...”

  “Oh, ho ho! Shakespeare. Impressive.”

  “I went to school.” He slid his arm around her, snuggling her closer. “I may not have made straight A’s like Zane, but when my lit teacher started laying out Shakespeare’s euphemisms for sex, this randy teen was all ears.”

  “I can imagine.”

  “Pop quiz. When is dying not really death, but something much more pleasurable?”

  She arched an eyebrow. “Really?”

  “According to Mrs. Nesbit. And who am I to doubt her?”

  “Wow,” Kate said with a throaty chuckle. “Gives Romeo and Juliet a new light.”

  He raised a hand. “Don’t get me started. Double entendres flying everywhere in that one.”

  She cleared her throat. “Can we change the subject? All this talk about sex is making me...” She fumbled for her own euphemism.

  “Hot?” Josh suggested, no remorse in his teasing tone.

  She play-growled.

  “But wasn’t warming you up the goal here?”

  “Not that kind of warm.”

  He grunted. “You started it.”

  “What!” she sputtered, laughing, and he finally chuckled himself, the rich, low sound rumbling from his chest, a vibration she could feel as she nestled ag
ainst him.

  She could easily see how Josh had earned his reputation in the family as the cut-up. The impetuous charmer. But Kate knew he was so much more.

  Evidence of that truth came a few moments later. When their lighthearted banter quieted and after a few moments of listening to the fire crackle and the river murmur beyond the circle of light, she said, “Penny for your thoughts.”

  “Penny, huh? Did you know that the U.S. government loses money minting pennies? It costs more to make a penny than it is worth.”

  “Interesting factoid, but that’s not what you were thinking about.”

  “You’re sure about that?”

  “Pretty much.”

  “You’re right.”

  “So...”

  When she angled her head to look up at him, he thumbed a wisp of her hair out of her eyes. “The guy who vandalized the zip line had to know someone could get hurt, even killed. In the past months, he’s damaged property, poisoned cattle, but he never endangered our family, per se.” Josh drew a slow breath. “He’s escalating. Getting more dangerous.”

  She shivered. “That’s...frightening.”

  “I keep wondering—if he’s not found soon, what will he do next?”

  Chapter 9

  “You’re afraid he’ll hurt your family.” A statement, not a question.

  A shudder rolled through Josh. His family was everything to him. Even the hint that this jerk could turn his viciousness on his parents or siblings—anyone at the Double M, for that matter—left a cold pit in his stomach. “Yeah.”

  The succinct response grated from his throat. Could Kate hear the fear in his tone that he did? Not that it mattered. Somehow, he knew his most private thoughts and emotions were safe with her, a first for him. In fact, sharing things with her was so easy, it felt ordained. Meant to be.

  Nestling her closer, he laid his cheek on the top of her head. Despite their swimming jaunt and the day’s perspiration, he could still smell the lingering fruity scent of her shampoo. Peach, he thought. Summertime. Fresh and sweet. Like her kisses.