Her gaze narrowed. “Fine.” She glanced up at the cloudy sky and then turned on her heel. The snow came above her knees, but she pushed doggedly down an invisible trail.
“Where are you going?” he called out. She couldn’t be that stubborn, could she?
“Screw you.” The words came back clearly on the breeze.
He grinned. Though he certainly didn’t have time for this, he liked the real Janie showing up. All grit, all woman—no fake smiles or smart-aleck reassurances. “Get your ass back here.”
Her snort reached his ears.
As did a shiver rumbling through her body.
A human wouldn’t survive very long in the cold, and Janie wasn’t even wearing a jacket. He sighed and reached her in several long strides through the light powder, trying mentally to close his bullet hole. “We need to get you to warmth.”
She ignored him, her chin on her chest as she battled the wind.
Admiration welled through him along with aggravation. “Janie, we really don’t have time for this.”
She whirled around, eyes flashing. “We don’t?” Her now blue lips pursed. “Do you have a plan?”
“Yes.” He gently grasped her arm. “The plan is to get you to the warm cabin and then go take care of business.”
She blinked. Several snowflakes landed on her pale skin. “You’re leaving me here?” Her arms swept out toward the wilderness.
“Yes.” Thank God. She understood. He turned to lead her to the cabin.
She jerked back. “Forget it, Fucktard.” She turned and made it several steps before his brain kicked into gear.
“Fucktard?” He barked out a laugh. While that might be funny, his patience was dwindling. Time mattered. He strode through freezing snow again to clasp her arm and turn her around. “Enough of this. You’re minutes from freezing to death.”
Her teeth clenched in a chatter. “Either take me back to help my family, or I’ll walk. Your choice.”
What would it be like to have her loyalty to such a degree? Though he could certainly understand her desire to help, the woman needed to stay safe. They’d been friends their entire lives; surely he could reason with her. “Listen, Janie—”
The kick to his shin shocked the hell out of him.
He’d spent years taming his temper, yet five minutes in her company and he wanted to growl. “That’s it.” In one smooth motion, he ducked his head and tossed her over his shoulder to stride toward the hidden cabin. He clasped a hard arm across the back of her thighs to protect his gut from her swinging boots. “We’re going to have to address your penchant for kicking,” he said conversationally, his good humor restored.
Janie’s furious hiss emerged as warning when she struggled on his shoulder, her fists punching his back.
The woman could seriously squirm, but her weight didn’t even register. They reached the darkened cabin, and he kicked open the door. Several steps inside, he dropped her on the bed.
She shot up, and he planted her back down with a hand against her upper chest.
“Son of a bitch.” She shoved his way again, and he set her back down.
“I feel like I’m playing Whac-A-Mole,” he said with a grin. God, she was cute when furious, but he knew better than to say those words out loud.
He reached his limit the fifth time he sat her down. “Enough.” Dropping to his haunches, he ripped off her boots and socks.
“Hey—” She stood up in bare feet. Adorable, small feet with nails painted a stunning scarlet. Delicate, feminine, and sexy. His heart thumped. Hard.
Sucking up air in an application of string theory, he concentrated and ran through space and time to end up in Seattle, where he threw the boots in a trash can. His temples pounded, and his gut churned in warning. Ignoring the risks, seconds later he returned to the cabin and landed on his feet. Each teleport weakened him, and he needed to knock off the quick jumps.
Janie stood where he’d left her. “Where are my boots?”
“Near the Space Needle.” Even stubborn Janie wouldn’t try to traverse the freezing ground without shoes. Zane ignored his headache and flipped on the lights to reveal the cozy one-room cabin. He had Janie right where he wanted her, and the responsibility sobered him. “The generator is full of gas, but I’ll light you a quick fire.”
A stone fireplace took up one entire wall, while the bed lay opposite it. A small kitchenette made up the other wall. He’d left kindling, wood, and paper in the fireplace the day before and just had to light it now. He made quick work of the materials, and soon the crackle of warmth filled the space. “There’s a bath just off the kitchen.” He stood and pointed.
