A fish bit at one of the fishing lines and Ren leaned down to reel it in, but it had gotten away. Fitting. “Do you have everything set on your end for when we come out five days from now?”
“Yes. We’ll have every major news outlet waiting in Riverton to cover the huge story of two lost hikers finding their way outof the wilderness. That tiny Colorado town will be packed with media, I promise. We’ll spin the romance angle. It’ll work.”
Ren recast the line back out into the stream. “It’s got to be big. Big enough for Freihof to hear about it wherever he is. If she doesn’t know where he is, this will get him to come to us.”
“Barring some international incident the news has to cover, we’ll make sure this is top priority. That it goes viral. But, Ren, it won’t work if she comes out all angry and refuses to get in front of the camera.”
“She won’t. I’ll get her cooperation.” He said it with a great deal more assurance than he felt.
“Like, you know, Brandon and Andrea both think she’s innocent. They think that if you’re honest with her, tell her about the canisters and what Freihof could do with them, that she’ll help you.”
Ren wanted to believe it. But he also knew that if he believed it and he was wrong, a lot of innocent people would die. Like it or not, Natalie was their best chance to catch Freihof, either by her telling them how he could be located or by using her as bait to draw him out.
“You’ve got five days to figure out the best way to use her,” Steve continued.
Ren couldn’t help his wince at the worduse, even though he knew Steve was right. The softness of the woman he’d held in his arms the last two nights was secondary to what she could provide as an asset. Ren had to steel himself against any sort of tenderness toward her.
That was what he was known for, right? Getting the job done. Getting what he needed by any means necessary. Feelings had nothing to do with stopping a killer.
Ren could feel the darkness, the shadows he’d lived and fought in for so long, wrap around him a little more tightly. Another little piece of his soul gone.
“Five days,” he said to Steve. “I’ll have what we need. Just be ready.”
The sound of cracking branches in the distance had him turning and slipping the phone into his jacket pocket. A few moments later Natalie came into view.
“Hi.” She rushed in, then stopped, breathing a little hard. She was back in her jeans and sweater, the sleeping bag wrapped around her again. She looked around, then took a few steps closer. “I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. And then it sounded like you were talking to someone and I got excited.”
Damn it. “I was talking to someone.” He smiled, then jerked his head toward the river. “This damn fish. Trying to coerce him onto my hook.”
Ren swallowed a curse as her eyes narrowed like she didn’t quite believe him. He let go of the rod and closed the distance between them until they were only a couple of feet from each other.
“I thought you’d sleep longer and not witness the lunacy that runs in my family in the form of talking to fish.”
“I’m normally an early riser.” She looked at the river, then back at him. “You were really talking to the fish?”
How much had she heard? “Did you hear what I was saying?”
“No.”
He stepped closer. He had to get her mind off this, and there was only one way he knew how. “I was telling the fish I needed to catch him so I could take him back to the beautiful woman I found draped over my body again this morning.”
“I was?” That flush. Damn, it was so adorable.
He reached out and grabbed the edges of the sleeping bag, pulling her closer. “You were. And just like yesterday I didn’t mind it at all.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I keep doing that... I just—I mean...”
He brought his lips down to hers, stopping her words.
The kiss was supposed to be a distraction. A way to stop her thinking about having heard him talking. Light. Fun. Hint of sweet flirtation and possible promise of more.
But the moment their lips touched every agenda he had vanished. What he meant to be sweet and soft immediately turned heated. Scorched air filled his lungs as she gave a little gasp at the attraction that crackled and danced around them.
He took complete possession of her mouth. There was no other word for it. His fingers slipped from the grip he had on the sleeping bag to slide around her back, wrapping low around her hips. The fingers of his other hand wound into the hair at the base of her neck, anchoring her in place so he could kiss her more deeply.
And he did. Over and over. Taking her mouth with a need he hadn’t even known could exist, especially not in a situation like this. He moved her back against a large tree, pulling her closer as her arms entwined around his neck.
It was her soft sigh of something close to wonder that brought him back to reality.
