“I second that challenge,” Dani-Jo pipes up.
“Me too,” Cora agrees.
I try to contradict their arguments, concentrating on the trail ahead. “Listen, girls, it’ll be a cold day in Hell before I let Pierce know what Cladec did to me. Once he finds out, he’s just going to see me as damaged goods, and that’s going to hurt like hell. Sure, I can tell that there’s something between us, and of course, y’all would see right through me.” Taking a deep breath in, I lament, “I’ll accept your challenge, but understand that it’s hard for me to let someone in, knowing good and well that my heart will most likely be shattered.”
“Look, Tova. Last night, he showed restraint, revealing self-control; that’s pretty amazing for a guy,” Adi emphasizes. “No doubt, he sees the hurt behind your eyes. He has already started tearing down the freaking fortress you’ve built around your heart. He will eventually demolish your walls. You need to let down your guard. I’m holding on to the hope that when he understands all the muck and mess you’ve crawled through, when you lay awake crying at three AM, when you’re fighting your demons in your nightmares…that he’ll truly see YOU and that he cares. That he isn’t surprised by the obstacles you’re overcoming, and that he’ll walk with you, holding your hand, and helping you climb every mountain and trudge through every valley while loving every part of you.”
“When I grow up, I want to be just like you,” Dani-Jo laughs, breaking the sentimental moment.
I appreciate Adi’s insight and confess, “Adi, you’re wise beyond your years. I want to find a love like you and Larson have. But first, I have to see if Pierce even sees me in his future, and it’s way too soon for that. Sure, we have a fiery connection, but what if that’s all it is? Not everyone finds love. I will promise you this, though, if things start to get serious, I’ll do my best not to push him away. I’ll tread those waters lightly and see where it leads. Okay?”
“That’s all I ask.” Adi beams.
After we let the horses lap up a drink in the stream, we trail back to the barn.
Cora chimes in while untacking the horses, “Will we see you at the campfire Friday evening?”
Considering it’s still a few days away, I deliberate, “I think so. Hopefully, I’ll be healed up well enough. I’ll look for you girls there.”
We hug out our goodbyes, and they head down the driveway toward the path to their cabins.
Standing in the barn entrance, I notice a figure walk past them and beam when I recognize Pierce. An inferno seemingly consumes my every fiber, and I tingle all over at the mere sight of him.
14
Pierce
Waving to her friends as they pass, they are all smiles, and I can’t fight my responding grin. Turning toward the barn, I notice Tova standing in the doorway in all her glory, like a goddess. Immediately my hands begin to simmer. God, she ignites my soul. If she only knew the spell she has on me.
“Hey, Spitfire!” I greet as I approach her.
“Spitfire?” she asks, eyeing me quizzically.
Attempting to joke that she’s resilient, I jog her memory, “Hell yeah, you take a licking and keep on ticking.”
“I try not to be a wimp. So, if that’s what a spitfire is, then I guess I am,” she retorts, her hands landing purposefully on her hips. I know she’s attempting to sound sassy, but there is no hiding the smile tugging at her lips.
“Want to help put away some tack?” she asks over her shoulder as I finally reach the barn. She makes her way toward four saddles set out on racks in front of the stalls without looking back at me.
“Certainly! Go on a horse ride without me?” I tease, following her inside.
“The girls came to chat around lunch. We had some time to kill, so we went on a trail ride to the ‘watering hole’ as I call it. There’s a stream that leads to a lake at the edge of the property. We can go there if you’d like,” she explains, nervous excitement in her smile.
“Maybe another time. Seeing as how you just got back, I don’t want you to overdo it. How’s your back holding up?”
She stops in her tracks, holding a saddle, and turns to face me. “I know my limits, Pierce. I can handle another ride. There are other horses here that need the exercise. My back is unquestionably superb.”
Sensing a hint of sarcasm, I know she’ll go without complaint. “Let me change your bandage and examine the damage. If it’s not too terrible, we can ride to the lake,” I concede.
“Yay! The wound care kit is by the back door.” Clapping her hands briskly while bouncing on the balls of her feet, she leads me to the supplies.
As I open the kit, she lifts the back of her shirt, holding it up on top of her shoulders with each hand on either side. Damn, her form is perfect. Her back muscles flex, causing the curves of her spine to be more pronounced, and my heart thrashes inside my rib cage.
Focus Pierce.
I redirect my concentration. Careful not to pull at the healthy skin surrounding her wound, I remove the old bandage now covered in dried blood. Assessing the damage, I find the stitches are intact. No puss is oozing from the injury. The angry red granulation tissue indicates healing flesh.
Painting on some Mercurochrome, a reddish antiseptic, I let it dry before applying a clean bandage on the wound. “Surprisingly, your shoulder looks great. I think exercising the other horses will be fun.”
“Told you.” She sticks out her tongue at me.
Biting my lips together, I can’t hold in a chuckle.
We tack up two horses named Aspen and Denali. Both Appaloosa horses are white, with colorful brown spots along their coats. Their physical characteristics are linked to the leopard complex mutation or Dalmatian-like spots, another one of the mutations from the Dust. Hefting our legs over the saddles, we settle in and travel toward the lake.
“So, tell me about your time farming for the past two years,” she queries.
“It’s hard work, that’s for sure. Rising before dawn just to tend the fields, and then to the pastures to manage the livestock, will certainly build stamina and humble you all at the same time. After I finished my daily duties, I’d go to the learning commons to study naturopathy and brush up on history. Did you know that this mountain was named Iron Mountain because we mine the most iron anywhere in the world? I mean, mountains in this territory also contain gold, manganese, and copper. Still, ninety percent of all metals refined nowadays are iron. I read that people have been using iron for over five thousand years, and some of the oldest iron literally dropped from the sky. Meteorites made up of iron crash-landed on the planet after penetrating the atmosphere,” I explain, unable to hide my excitement at getting to share some of the knowledge I’ve accumulated through my studies.
“Well, aren’t you just a wealth of knowledge! And no, I didn’t know that we mine the most Iron in the world. I mean, I kinda figured we were one of the few who mine anything since there are so few territories.” She shrugs.
Arriving at our destination, we dismount our horses and let them graze around us as we plop down at the edge of the lake. It’s now dusk and has cooled off several degrees, and as Tova leans into my side, I notice her trembling.
I place my arm around her shoulders. “Want me to build a fire?”
Nuzzling into the crook of my neck, she points out. “We didn’t bring a fire starter.”
I boast, rising to stand. “Not a problem, now promise not to freak out and don’t be afraid.”
“Um, freak out or be scared about what?” she asks, raising her left eyebrow eyeing me curiously.
“Just promise,” I say as I get up to gather some firewood.
“Umm, okay.” She slants her eyes.
I find some large stones along the shore, and construct a makeshift fire pit, piling logs and branches I’ve gathered together inside it. While I work, I watch Tova through the corner of my eye as she ties the horses to a nearby tree.
She sits and watches me intently, positioning herself near the fire pit.
&nb
sp; Channeling my inner inferno, flames erupt from my hands, and within a matter of seconds, the firewood is blazing to life. Back peddling across the ground, Tova scoots her body away from the fire with wide, panicked eyes.
“Please, don’t be afraid,” I plead, reaching out for her to stop her retreat.
“Will you burn me?” She eyes my outstretched hand skeptically.
“No, I’ve pretty much mastered the on and off switch. My palms still get heated when I’m next to you, though. I admit I’ve never had to fight the flames with anyone else before,” I confess.
Curiosity gets the best of her as she takes my hand and yanks me down beside her. I wasn’t expecting that, so I land with a not so graceful, “Oomph.”
“Oh crap, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know I tugged so hard,” Tova exclaims, hiding a giggle behind her hand.
“Don’t know your own strength, do ya Spitfire?” I laugh, rolling onto my back.
“I think your center of gravity was off and that heave I gave you took full advantage of it, that’s all,” she explains, inferring that it wasn’t her strength. “Now, back to the subject at hand. When did you realize you could harness fire?”
Propping up on my elbows, I divulge, “I guess I was twelve or so. Kage fell from the rafters of our barn and broke his collarbone along with a few ribs. It terrified me. The only thing I knew I should do was stabilize his injured side. Looking around for any bit of clean cloth I could find, there was a thin sheet covering some feed, so I grabbed for it. As soon as I did, I seared it in two. Not understanding what happened, I tossed it down and stared at my hands. They were completely engulfed in flames. For whatever reason, I didn’t get scared. I just focused until the flames were merely sparks, then picked the sheet back up and burned a strip away to make a sling. Once the sling was in place, Kage asked if I had ever started a fire with my hands before, and I told him no, that was the first time. He chuckled, ‘What are the odds…you make fire, and I make water.’ We still joke about it.”
“You two undeniably had an interesting childhood,” she says quietly. Gazing out at the tranquil water reflecting the thousands of twinkling stars above, she tangles our fingers together.
“I guess so. We knew no different growing up. What about you, though? You were able to grow up here on this picturesque farm. We had to dig wells for our livestock, and you have streams, lakes, and waterfalls, I’m sure.”
“I suppose. We indeed have a few waterfalls; they’re a decent hike, but worth it. I swim in the ponds at the bottom of the falls every so often and let me tell you, they’re frigid, even in the summer. There’s a couple of jumping rocks that will steal your breath away at that height. It’s a total adrenaline high,” she ends with a bright smile.
“Adrenaline junkie, huh?” Damn, I knew I liked this girl.
“Maybe. Not scared of heights, are you?” She elbows me in the side, and smirks up at me.
I return her smile, lifting one eyebrow and tease, “I’ve never jumped off a perfectly good rock into the depths of the unknown, but I wouldn’t say I was afraid of heights. I scale mountains just for fun, you know?”
Tilting her head back, she laughs. “Ha! Good to know. Next week, when I’m cleared to go swimming, bring your ‘A’ game, hiking boots, swimwear, and dry clothes.”
“Throwin’ down the gauntlet, huh? I like good friendly competition. And who knows, maybe I can make the waters a bit more tolerable,” I joke with a wink.
“We’ll see,” she snickers.
She watches me watching her as she stands to put out the flames that have almost completely burned out at this point. Once the fire is entirely doused, we mount up our mares and make our way back to the barn.
Sliding the stalls shut once we have both horses settled for the night, I announce, “You know I’m staying tonight, right?”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” She curve up at each end. We climb to the loft, the blankets and pillows just as we left them this morning.
Yawning, Tova relaxes down first on the covers next to the window. I follow right behind her after stripping out of my shirt, pistol, knife, and boots. Snuggling into my chest, she tells me through yawns about how last night was the best sleep she’s gotten in years and how she’s forever grateful I offered her even a little peace in her never-ending struggle to find rest. With just that one declaration, I’m on cloud nine.
Propping up on my side, I lean over her to offer a goodnight kiss, careful not to let my emotions run away with me again like the night prior. We kiss tenderly before she pulls back all too soon and turns to face me.
“Can I ask you a question?”
I’m caught off guard and lean back to observe her facial expression. “Anything you want.”
“Will you always promise to be honest with me?” She tucks her chin, refusing to meet my gaze.
Not knowing where this conversation is going, I narrow my eyes. “Of course! I don’t make a habit of lying, and I promise I’ll never lie to you.”
Still refusing to look at me, she picks at the fuzz of the quilt for a moment before finally continuing, “Last night when you said you didn’t want to hurt me and we stopped kissing, what did you mean? That you didn’t want to get me emotionally attached only to let me down? That you thought you’d burn me because you harness fire? Or that you’d re-injure my back from my wound if we went any further? And then this morning, you said it wasn’t the right timing. Please, just let me know, are you disgusted by the thought of being with me that way?” she asks, her voice barely audible.
I rub my hand down my face; I can’t believe what I’m hearing.
“What the hell, Tova? Why would you ever think you’d repulse me? You’re the most breathtaking woman I’ve seen in my entire life. Honestly, I didn’t want to literally burn you, and I definitely didn’t want to add insult to injury to your back by taking things further. As for the timing, truthfully, I’m not sure you’re ready for things to progress.”
I feel her body tense up in my hold, so I press on, needing her to understand, “Don’t get mad. I see a shit load of hurt you’re hiding behind those gorgeous eyes, and more than anything, I want you to be at peace. I’m not entirely sure where all of this hurt is coming from, but let me mend your broken heart before we take it any further. The last thing I want is for you to regret being with me.”
Her muscles relax as she leans against me. I place two fingers under her chin, tilting her face up, forcing her eyes to meet mine. I need to see she understands what I’m telling her.
“I appreciate your honesty and honorable intentions. But most of all, I’m glad to know that I’m not repulsive. And for what it’s worth, I’ve never experienced peace like I do when I’m with you,” she whispers, finally meeting my gaze.
After planting a soft kiss on her soft lips, I lay back onto my back, scooping my arms around her as she rests her head on my chest. “The thought of being with you could never disgust me,” I assure, breathing into her hair.
This time it’s easier for me to drift off to sleep, unlike last night. But God, the look on her face has my stomach twisting into a hard knot. I can’t believe she would ever think I wouldn’t want to be intimate with her. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
15
Tova
Moaning, I stretch my arm forward and attempt to block out some of the sun's rays currently assaulting my eyelids. It’s morning already, and I slept through the night for the second time in a row. I could get used to this. Getting a full night’s sleep with no interruptions is incredible.
I rub my face into Pierce’s warm chest, attempting to fight off waking fully just yet, and notice a strange dampness on my cheek and the pec I was just nuzzling.
What the heck? Was I drooling?! No! No! No!
I scramble to grab a free blanket to wipe it off him before he awakes, but as soon as my cheek leaves his chest, he opens his bleary eyes.
Fungus! I reach for a smaller blanket and watch in horror as his left hand mov
es toward his chest. Crap! In a last-ditch effort to hide my mortifying faux pax, I fling the blanket on top of his chest and catch his left hand with mine, tangling our fingers together.
His eyes flicker to mine, the question I’m dreading burning clearly in his eyes. “Umm, why is my chest wet and your cheek glistening?” Looking down at the blanket I threw on him; he jokes, “Did you drool on me?”
Fartknocker!
I didn’t even think about my appearance.
Red-faced in humiliation, I stammer, “Oh, good morning, Captain Obvious. Now, if you’ll lie still, I’ll remove my saliva from your chest, then my face, thank you very much.”
“I think it’s safe to say you had another good night’s rest.” He grins.
Wiping his chest clean then my face, “Mm-huh, I guess you could say that.”
“You can drool on my chest anytime you want,” he chuckles, pulling me onto him, attempting to kiss me.
I throw the blanket over his face. “Un-uh, morning breath!”
He removes the cover and cups his hand around the back of my neck as he growls, “I don’t give a damn about morning breath. Waking up next to you takes my breath away.”
I give in and collapse against him, kissing him passionately with a groan. In the blink of an eye, he flips me on my back and hovers over me.
My God, I want him here and now.
I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him closer to me. His arms begin to shake, and he retreats, panting.
“Dang it, woman, you’re going to make me forget all my good intentions.”
Protecting Tova (Iron Mountain Book 1) Page 8
