Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Cal
I spot her further down the forestry road than expected. She must have been moving at a pretty good pace. Either that, or she got a bigger head start than I realized.
She’s still wearing my shirt over her tank top, it drops over her cut-off shorts, giving me a perfect view of those legs I haven’t been able to stop fantasizing about having wrapped around me as she stomps her way down the gravel road.
I pull up next to her on the narrow road and unroll the window. “You plan on walking the whole way to town?”
She doesn’t even look in my direction. “I don’t need to owe you any more than I already do.”
“You don’t owe me a thing, darling.”
I see the way she automatically tenses, and I can’t help but wonder for at least the dozenth time what exactly has happened in Willow’s life to create such a deep mistrust of men.
“I don’t need any more of your help. I can walk.”
“I’m sure you can.” I try not to chuckle at her fierce independence. “But these old forestry roads can be a bit of a maze if you don’t know where you’re going. Never mind the bears and wolves.”
That gets her attention. “Bears?” She stops walking.
I press my foot to the brake and nod. “And wolves.”
She looks like she thinks about it for a second, then lifts her chin and crosses her arms. “I’ll take my chances,” she says. “I’d rather walk.”
“That makes one of us, darling.”
She shoots me a glare and starts walking. Faster this time.
“Dammit, Willow,” I call. “You can hate me from the passenger seat, okay?” Once more, I let the truck start moving to keep up with her.
“No, thanks. I’m good.”
Willow
I should get in the truck.
I know it.
My feet are screaming at me, and I know without looking that my blisters probably already have blisters. The smart thing, the only thing, would be to get into the truck. So, of course, I keep walking.
Mostly because I’m stubborn. But also because every time I look at the grumpy mountain man with his big, broad shoulders, thick forearms, and dark eyes that seem to look right through me, I forget to think straight.
It’s deeply irritating how attractive he is.
And dangerous. Way too dangerous, considering I already owe him. I don’t need to be adding to that list.
Especially since I don’t trust him.
Or myself when I’m around him.
I veer suddenly onto one of the narrower side roads that branches off into the trees. Mostly because I need distance from him, and partly because if he calls me darling one more time, I might lose my mind.
Or my control.
I move so quickly, Cal doesn’t have time to react, and the truck rumbles past the opening.
This old road is rougher than the main one, almost completely swallowed by shrubs and low-hanging branches. I don’t need to be an expert on the area to know it’s not going to lead me to town. I keep walking anyway. Gravel crunches beneath my boots, my blisters screaming at me with every step.
Behind me, I hear the rumble of Cal’s truck followed by the slamming of his door. “Willow!”
I keep moving.
“Willow!” He calls, his voice is a combination of frustration and the slightest trace of humor.
This time I pause, and when I do, I hear the rumble of an engine.
Cal’s truck is off. It’s not his.
Which means…
I freeze.
Maybe Cal was exaggerating about the risk of bears and wolves, but Ronnie Hatch and his friends? That danger is real.
“Willow.” He doesn’t call out this time, and something in his voice makes every nerve in my body go tight.
The other engine gets louder, and I finally turn around, catching the flash of a red truck through the trees in the distance.
Ronnie’s truck.
For one horrible second, I can’t move. Fear has me locked in place.
Cal reaches me a heartbeat later. One arm wraps around my waist while his other hand grips the back of my neck, and suddenly I’m being hauled backwards into the trees with my body pressed tight against his hard wall of muscle.
“Get down.”
A gasp slips from my throat, that I only barely manage to stifle as we stumble through the brush before he crouches behind a thick cluster of pines, pulling me down with him.
“Can they see us?” I whisper even though there’s no way they can hear us.
“I don’t know.” His jaw tightens.
Out on the main road, the truck slows, idling way too close to the turnoff of the road we’re hiding in.
My pulse pounds so hard I can barely hear anything else. I feel like I must stop breathing entirely for a second.
Cal keeps one arm locked around my waist, holding me tight while he keeps watch. His presence soothes me, making me feel safe in the most unexpected way. Mostly because I can’t remember the last time I ever felt calmed by the presence of another person.
I can feel every inch of him pressed against me. The solid wall of his chest, the heat of his body, the rough scrape of denim beneath my fingers where I’ve instinctively grabbed hold of his leg.
After a moment, the truck’s engine revs and pulls away up the road.
Relief crashes through me so fast it leaves me shaky. But I also know it’ll be short-lived.
If Ronnie is on the mountain, it means exactly what I’ve been afraid of. He’s not done with me yet.
Going home isn’t safe.
The realization hits me hard.
I’m not safe.
Cal exhales slowly, but doesn’t release me, and suddenly I’m painfully aware of how close we are and why. If it weren’t for Cal coming after me. Grabbing me and pulling me into the trees. Ronnie would have seen me.
I’m safe with Cal.
The scent of cedar, soap, and motor oil clings to him. One of his huge hands is spread across my waist, his thumb pressing lightly into my bare skin where my tank top rode up a bit during our scramble.
My heart is still pounding hard. Only now it has nothing to do with the risk of being seen.
I tilt my head up before I can stop myself. Cal’s gaze drops to my mouth instantly. And before I can think better of it, I kiss him.
His lips are soft and warm, and for one delicious moment, he kisses me back. His hand tightens on my waist, and I loop my arms around his neck, pulling him closer.
It’s been so long since I kissed someone. Even longer since it was someone I wanted to kiss.
It feels good. He feels good.
Cal groans softly against my mouth.
Then suddenly he stills.
One second, he’s kissing me, the next he’s pulling back hard enough that I almost fall backward.
“Fuck,” he mutters roughly.
My arms fall away, and I let them slide down his chest, resting long enough to feel how hard his chest rises and falls while he works to pull himself together. His eyes are scanning the trees, every line in his body tense.
Reality crashes back in all at once.
“We need to go.” Cal grips my waist and practically hauls me upright with him when he gets to his feet. “Now.”
I blink up at him, still dazed from the kiss. He keeps one hand on my lower back as he guides me out of the trees back toward his truck.
This time, I don’t protest about getting in when he holds the door open.
To my surprise, we don’t head back to the main road at all. Instead, Cal continues down the rougher side road, disappearing into the trees.
But I’m not paying attention. Because despite everything happening around us, all I can think about is that kiss and the way he kissed me back, like maybe he wanted me as badly as I suddenly wanted him.