“This is crazy.I’ve never seen a storm so—”
She squeaked as she pitched over into the snow.Jaxon caught her waist and helped her to her feet.With her back in the crook of his arm he edged her forward, but she didn’t move.Her sharp intake of breath made discs of worry collide in his gut.
“What’s wrong?”
She lifted her mittened hand and pointed in front of them.Her skin was a startling shade of white.“There,” she wheezed.
He looked in the direction she was pointing.White sheets blazed down from the heavens, reducing the cabin to a faint outline even though it stood less than fifty feet away.He scanned the ground.Firewood, her nearly buried car, a large tree stump, and...
Jesus.
Between the tree stump and the side of the cabin’s porch stood the mountain lion.Its eyes locked on Jaxon, and what little heat his body held evaporated.
Bloody hell.
***
Even in theblizzard the animal appeared huge.Its flicking tail was a warning.Jaxon’s body turned to stone next to hers.
He shoved her behind his back and lifted the gun.A low hiss waged war with the wind and McKenna cringed.She hated the thought of the shotgun being fired, but a scare shot might just save them.She watched as Jaxon moved his finger to the trigger and aimed—right at the cougar.
“No!”She shoved his shoulder and the bullet fired into the woods.The cat took off in the same direction, it’s muscular back rippling on its retreat.
Jaxon wheeled on her.“Are you crazy?You could have got one of us shot.”
She snapped down her eyebrows and met his glare.His tanned, even skin now bore blotches of red from the cold.The rippling green hues in his eyes blazed constrained anger.
She jutted out her chin.“You were going to shoot an innocent animal.”
“Innocent?It almost killed me last night.”
She rolled her eyes and stomped toward the house.Just like an arrogant city boy to not take responsibility for his being in the situation in the first place and to attempt to shoot the animal the first chance he got.She ascended the porch steps, clumsily with the snowshoes, and bumped the door open with her hip.
Jaxon came in on her heels and shut the door behind him.“I don’t know what you know about guns, but if you own one, you should be aware that grabbing someone’s arm midshot is really fucking stupid.”
She shook off her mitts and let them fall to the bench next to the door.“First of all, it’s my gun.My house.And my property.You might have had an unfortunate encounter with a wild animal but, hey,” she said, holding out her arms.Her voice rose an octave.“You’re in the wild.Go back to the city where you came from if you don’t like it.”She spun on her heel and advanced on the kitchen.
The rustling of his coat sounded, followed by the heavy clomp of his feet.She sucked in a deep breath and fingered the stone at her chest.She wouldn’t fight with him.With the heightened energy created by the storm, his fear of the mountain lion, and the lust arcing between them, it’d lead to a nuclear blast.She watched as he stopped in the doorway of the kitchen and leaned his hip against the jamb, crossing his arms over his chest.She busied herself tidying the already clean space then went to the fridge and pulled out eggs and non-dairy milk.
She met his gaze.His expression held a hint of distaste.“What are you staring at?”Fire simmered on her cheeks.So much for not fighting.
He didn’t move, but something in his eyes changed.The current of electricity flowing from his body sent her nerves into a tailspin.
“You’re right, I’m sorry for biting your head off.But I won’t apologize for firing at the mountain lion.I’d do it again if it meant we got into the cabin safely.”
Some of the heat left her cheeks.“I overreacted.This whole situation has me jumpy.It’s unsettling when you don’t feel safe in your own home, you know?”
His face fell, and he straightened away from the doorway.“I make you feel unsafe?”
Embarrassed, she opened and closed her mouth until her brain grasped the words floating over her tongue.“No.Gosh, no.That’s not what I meant.Just the whole thing—being snowed in, unable to call anyone, the mountain lion.It’s scary.”
His gaze searched her.She rolled her lips in and wished she could hide so he wouldn’t be able to see all the anxiety climbing up her neck.
“What happened with Trevor?”
There it was.The question she’d dreaded.
Her abdominal wall clenched, and her hand shook as she lifted an egg.It splattered on the floor at her feet.
