Now I not only had the hangover to end all hangovers but was also embarrassed.
“Is it safe to come closer, or do you feel the need to attack me again?” Gunner asked from the direction of the kitchen, making me wish for a sharp knife.
I wasn’t great at shooting guns, but I could throw a knife like a pro.
And is that humor I detect in his voice?
“Shut up,” I groused, my voice muffled by the blanket I’d pulled over my head.
I vowed to stay hidden for the rest of our time at the cabin. A vow that lasted until my stomach growled.
Reluctantly pushing the blanket off me, I sat up and locked eyes with Gunner.
He was leaning against the kitchen counter, legs crossed at the ankles, coffee mug in his hand.
And of course he was wearing a T-shirt that clung to his muscles, emphasizing every line and dip. I mean, why couldn’t he just wear something that didn’t accentuate all his best assets?
I wanted to get closer to take a look at the tattoos running up and down both of his arms. I wondered if he had any on his chest.
Did I learn nothing from last night?
After doing my thing in the bathroom, I shuffled back out into the kitchen, saying a silent thank-you that we at least had plenty of coffee. Gunner had already made a pot, and there was enough left for a cup. I added creamer and took a sip, sighing in relief.
“One of the alarms tripped, and I have to check it out. It’s probably just an animal since none of the others went off,” Gunner said, watching me over the rim of his cup. “If you promise to stay inside, I won’t get out the handcuffs.”
I couldn’t believe he actually offered to leave me here on my own.
“You have nothing to worry about,” I said, putting all my effort into looking sincere. Because the second he was gone, I’d get out of here. Escape was finally within reach. And my fragile ego couldn’t take much more humiliation. I needed to put some distance between us.
“Don’t make me regret this,” he said, his eyes holding me captive. He really did have the thickest lashes I’d ever seen. “I won’t be gone long.”
I didn’t want to appear too eager, so I shrugged instead. I was feeling giddy inside, the prospect of freedom making me want to jump up and down.
Gunner finally left after giving me another one of his dark smolders and a grunt. As soon as the door closed, I sprinted to the window and watched him disappear into the woods.
When he didn’t come back after a few minutes, I whirled through the house, taking it apart bit by bit to find the keys to the car. When I still hadn’t found them after nearly an hour of searching, I figured he’d have taken them with him, just in case.
One thing he didn’t take into account, though, was my stubbornness. Once I got an idea in my head, it was hard to talk me out of it. No matter how idiotic it was.
Like walking by myself through the woods without a map or any clue where I was going. Which was what I found myself doing ten minutes later. I’d filled a backpack with food, water, and a blanket and put an extra sweater and a jacket on.
The Pop-Tart I’d hastily eaten as I was getting ready sat heavy in my stomach. It didn’t take long for the air to feel like tiny shards of ice pricking my lungs with every breath. It was getting late in the day, and the temperatures were dropping. This winter was one of the coldest we’d had in a while, and it was even colder in the mountains. I worried I hadn’t packed enough to keep myself warm since the temperature would drop close to zero overnight.
Turned out the plunging temperatures were the least of my problems.
Because when I stepped around a group of trees, I came face-to-butt with a grizzly bear. I froze, wondering how I could have such spectacularly bad luck.
Since the bear had its back—or, more accurately, its butt—to me, I took small steps backward, hoping it wouldn’t notice me. But, of course, that wasn’t where this encounter ended. Because the animal turned around when I stepped on a stick, the crack whipping through the silent forest.
The sound of blood rushing in my ears was going to be the last thing I heard. There wasn’t even a chirp to be heard, all the birds having been smarter than me and hightailing it out of there.
The giant bear took a few steps in my direction. My hands went clammy, and my heart missed a few beats.
What do I do? And why can’t I remember if it’s best to play dead or run away when encountering a bear? What will happen to Killer when I’m no longer around?
I really should have paid more attention when Gunner told me about the wildlife in this area. But I got lost in his gravelly voice and the stubble on his face. He hadn’t shaved in a few days, and I had visions of running my hands along his cheeks instead of listening to how to survive out here.
Safe to say I blanked out the whole time he was talking. It also didn’t help that he was once again wearing a clingy T-shirt. I had my suspicions that he kept the cabin as warm as he did because I got cold easily.
