He stared at her. "Actually, we were hoping that you would put in a good word for us amongst your friends when you get back. Send reservations this way. We could really use them."
She smiled. "I don't know how much star power I have, but I'll do what I can. Those other resorts are a dime a dozen, but this one holds something special."
He stepped toward her. "I like giving the personal touch."
"I don't think I'd like knowing you were shacking up here with other actresses." She was teasing, but halfway serious. "I like to think that this," she waved her arms around, "is all us."
He pulled her to him and locked his hands in the small of her back. "No one else would ever get this same personalized attention."
When he didn't move to kiss her, she raised up and did it herself. He fell straight into the kiss and took over as soon as their lips met, and she felt the same desire in him that she felt. She slid her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. He let out a small groan before he pulled away.
"If we keep this up, we're going to have a repeat performance of the other night."
"Is that so horrible?" As soon as the words left her mouth, Ellie stepped back. "Oh, sorry. I'm being way too forward."
"Honesty is not forward. If that's truly what you want, I'm in all the way."
She started to answer when a loud bang echoed in the cabin, followed by the frantic neighing of the horses.
Chapter Fifteen: The Danger Heightens
Colton Hale
Colton jerked the front door open, and the smell of smoke instantly wafted inside. "The barn's on fire!" He could hear the horses' cries as he ran out into the snow in just his socks. Flames shot out from the back of the barn.
He heard Ellie scream and waved his arm at her. "Get back inside and lock the door. I'll get the horses."
The barn doors were still closed and the lock was in place. He reached for the padlock, but it was hot. He felt the doors and cussed. They were warm, which meant if he yanked the doors open to get to Diva and Roscoe, it would create a backdraft and probably kill the horses. Too much air on a fire all at once could cause an explosion.
He knew how to put the fire out fast, but he didn't need an audience. He glanced behind him, relieved to see that Ellie had done as she was told. As he ran along the side of the barn, he saw the footprints leading away again.
This time I'm following you, you sonofabitch.
Once he was out of sight of the cabin, he shifted into his dragon form. Luckily, the green dragons of the Sacred Gardens were smaller than regular dragons and more agile in tight spaces, and best of all, they were less conspicuous than others. He backed away from the flames just enough that he could combat them with his dragon fire. He opened his mouth and let out a stream directly onto the flames. Because of the magical elements that a dragon possesses, dragon's breath will put out natural fire almost immediately. When the threat of the fire was over, with a quick shift back, Colton ran around and opened the doors. Roscoe reared up on his back two legs.
"Hey, guys." He grabbed for Roscoe's bridle. "Whoa, boy. It's okay. The fire is out, and I'm here now." He grabbed Diva in the same manner and stood there stroking both of them. Their sides quivered with fear, but his soft tone and gentle touch soon had them calm. He finally put lead ropes on them and led them outside and tied them to a tree nearby.
He walked back around to see the damage done to the barn. He could smell gasoline, but because he had put the fire out so quickly, there hadn't been a lot of structural damage done. Basically, just the gas had burned but the fire hadn't set into the actual building. He left the doors open to air it out and headed back inside to get his boots.
He knocked on the door so Ellie would let him in. "It's me, sweetheart. Everything is okay now."
She pulled the door open and flew into his arms. "Are the horses okay?"
"They're fine. I have them tied to a tree while the barn airs out." He told her about the accelerant. "I got it out before it really did any damage. I think Roscoe kicked the side of the barn to alert me."
She let out a deep breath. "It's the same guy. It has to be."
His temper struggled to be freed. "Yes, ma'am. I do believe you're right. I'm going to follow the tracks in the snow and see if I can find where they're camped. I just didn't want to do it barefoot." He gestured to his socks that were now soaking wet. "My feet were getting really cold."
"Oh, and here I am slowing you down." She backed away. "I honestly have no idea who is doing this. It seems way too petty for Curtis. Actors are usually more room service and wardrobe than mountains and arson."
He kissed her nose. "We're about to find out." He stripped his socks off and hung them near the fireplace to dry before he grabbed a new pair out of his backpack.
"You wait here. Keep the door locked. I'm not going far, but I need to see if whoever this asshole is just circles back around to the cabin. I'll put the horses back in the barn when I get back. They'll be fine for right now."
"I hate just sitting here while you're having to deal with everything."
He wanted to kiss the look of fear off her face. He wanted to hug her to him and protect her from the world. And he would, but first he needed to figure out who was ruining their little getaway. Ellie had gone through a lot of trouble to go off the grid, and Colton felt like she was making a lot of sacrifices that she may not normally make in her world in order to do so. Anyone who wanted to cause her harm was going to have to get through him.
