“An attractive, personable guy like you? Why not?” At my mocking smile, his brows draw together.
“I haven’t found anyone who will put up with me.”
I pounce. “Prefer men or women?”
No hesitation, he shoots back. “Women.”
“Do you like sex?” When I tilt my head, he blinks, caught off guard.
Then, his cocky mouth twitches. “That’s a bit personal—yes. I do enjoy it.”
I’d cross my arms, but they’re cuffed behind my back. Instead, I move forward, close enough to make it awkward.
Jutting my chin out, I snarl. “Well, I like to fuck. Brett didn’t. At least not with me. End of story, end of relationship.”
His eyes flick to my lips, but long enough for me to catch—Desire?
My brows lift which causes some mud on my forehead to flake off. “Now, do you want to hear about the guy who tried to kill me… or keep pretending this isn’t foreplay?”
There. Finally. I’ve pushed him off balance. His jaw clenches before he glances away, trying to pull the reins on something he doesn’t want me to see.
I’d call victory, but I still gotta go.“Can you free my feet, I really need to take a piss.”
“Sure. As soon as you tell me what happened.”God, I hate him.
Incentivized, mind still fuzzy, I squirm. “All day, I had a feeling like someone was watching. Twigs snapped. Crickets went quiet. Birds took flight for no reason. You know what I mean?”
Index fingers tented at his lips, he nods as if he believes me.
Again, I increase my pace. “That night, I slept in my clothes, ready to bolt. I almost convinced myself I was paranoid until I heard him again. He and this other guy stood outside my tent. I barely had time to slip out the back.”
A shiver runs through me, but I push on. “When I circled back, everything was gone, my campsite completely wiped out. The next night—Tuesday I think—a man screamed, followed by a gunshot.”
“In the morning, I retraced male footprints to a shallow grave and found…” My voice cracks. “Brett.”
A silence descends, sitting heavy between us.
If not for my biological urges, I would let it drag on. “I’ve racked my brain. I swear I don’t know why he came to Vermont. All I can think is Andrea brought him to laugh at my humiliation.”
Brown eyes staring, thick lips tight, he watches me. No doubt I’m a puzzle as well as a threat.
Damn, he’s a fine specimen of a man. His dark haunted gaze has invaded my dreams since the day I saved him. I always wondered if he survived the war. So many didn’t.
“Can I take your vitals now?” His question jerks me from a vivid fantasy involving sweat, skin, and tangled sleeping bags.
As I mentally erase his naked image, he flicks a flashlight in my eyes. “You can say no, but it might help your case.”
“Huh? Case? What case?”
“You’re the prime suspect in a murder investigation.”
“You’re kidding, right?” My voice climbs an octave. “Jeez, I already told you. It was Mr. Mumbles. You must’ve seen his boot prints while tracking me. A killer, perhaps two, have been following me for days. I barely escaped.”
I squirm in the restraints, desperate now. “Can you let me go? I have to pee. Like now… Promise I won’t run. You have my word.”
He digs into his pack, hands me a wet wipe, then cuts my binds. “Stay close. I want to see your head.”
Rubbing feeling into my raw wrists, I return to the campsite, draw in my knees, and sit by the tree.
