Approaching her, I see her camera is tucked at her side. If I have to guess, she must’ve wanted to snag some photos of therain coming down. Out here, the air is much cooler despite the summer air.
Wearing a different shirt, one she must’ve snagged from my closet, her legs are still bare and prickly.
“I found your coffee stash. Holding out on me?”
Sinking down next to her, I can’t help but let out the breath I’ve got trapped in my lungs. “Traded a neighbor for some tomatoes, that’s all.” Rubbing my face, I can’t help but smile. “I thought you left.”
Another roll of thunder travels past us before I feel one of her hands pat my thigh. Then I feel the weight of her body against my side as she uses my body for support.
“I don’t think I’m going anywhere any time soon. Not with this weather.” Sipping at the rest of her drink, she sets the cup down before tilting her head to look at me. “But, um, I was thinking… What if…”
“Don’t leave.” The words leave me first, all because I never want to experience such a scare again. “Stay here and get all the photos you need.”
It’s a crazy demand, but I’m crazy enough to make it.
Her brows lift up in surprise before she makes a sound of relief, followed by a laugh. “I spent all this time thinking of how I was going to convince you into letting me stick around, and in two seconds, you took care of it, huh?”
Reaching for her cheek, I cradle her face. “I’ll take care ofyou, Emery, and everything that comes with it. I swear by it.”
I love how easy it is to make her skin flush. However, she gets her revenge by leaning up to brush her mouth against mine.
“You’d better. While you’re at it, you’ve got to show me all the hot spots for these guys. I’m sure you know this patch of mountain better than anyone.”
Rumbling with approval, I know I’d go through hell and back if it meant keeping her by my side. Finding animals is a piece of cake.
With a flash of lightning striking the sky and a promised day of being trapped inside my cabin, I plan on doing nothing but backing up my claims with solid, undeniable proof.
From the way she’s grinning against my lips, I’m sure she’ll love every minute of it.
9
Emery
Epilogue
The air up here is so crisp it almost hurts to breathe, but in the best way. Autumn has painted the whole mountainside in shades of amber and crimson, the leaves crunching under our boots with every step. It’s perfect, but it’s also making sneaking around impossible.
Deep down, I don’t entirely mind. Not when I’ve got a view that would make any other woman jealous.
Callan’s a few paces ahead of me, navigating a particularly rocky section of the trail. He’s a distraction wearing a long-sleeved flannel that’s doing all sorts of things to my body.
We’re supposed to be hunting some rumored wolf that’s been seen by the locals. People have described this animal as bigger than the average-sized one, but with our crunchy steps, I don’t think it’s going to happen anytime soon.
He’s sweating, and there’s this sheen across the back of his neck, and a few strands of hair are sticking to his temple, and he keeps wiping his forehead with the back of his hand like it’s some kind of inconvenience instead of the most distractingly attractive thing I’ve seen in my entire life.
Sometimes, I wonder if I’m just as bad as the animals out here. Walking behind him like this, the only thing I want to do is pounce on him.
“Hey.” Calling out to him, I lift my camera when he stops to turn. Without warning, I capture my favorite kind of photo. The one that I don’t have to show anyone else.
Already catching on, one corner of his mouth lifts up in amusement. Holding still for me, he drifts toward me when I lower the device to check out the result. Hovering over my shoulder to look, his breath tickles my skin. “Do I look good?”
He always reaches for compliments, too. Even if he doesn’t light up like a person normally would, there’s always that low rumble that leaves him every time he’s pleased.
Biting my lip, I consider the image looking back at me. “Maybe I need one without your shirt. What do you think?”
As the corners of his eyes crinkle and the pack on his back hits the ground, he doesn’t waste time fumbling with his buttons. As always, he’s trying to make me happy.
“Pants, too?”
