“That’s a first.People usually can’t wait to get away from me.”He stretched the T-shirt over her right arm and carefully drew it over her left.He glanced quickly at her bra.“May I?”
She nodded, suddenly not trusting her voice.It wasn’t because she was afraid, but she’d never been this close to such a gorgeous man.His hands shook slightly as he reached around and unclasped the fabric at her back.He held her eyes, as he removed one strap over her arm, then the other.After taking her clothes, he laid them beside his on the floor to dry, then picked up another silver emergency blanket he’d left on the floor.“I’ll get inside the tent, then help pull you in so you don’t put weight on your arm.Once you’re inside, I can wrap us in this blanket.The skin-to-skin contact and the dry shelter will stave off the hypothermia through the night.Tomorrow, hopefully the storm has passed, and we can hike to an area with cell service.I’ll have someone pick us up.”She nodded and waited while he crawled inside the tent, unable to keep her eyes off his perfect ass.At least her sore arm would force her to keep her hands to herself.Needing something to do, she sat at the edge of the tent, prepared to wiggle her way in so Jude didn’t have to help her.
“I don’t think I’ve met a more stubborn woman,” he muttered behind her.
“I’ll take that compliment.”His arms wrapped around her, easily pulling her against him.Within moments, she was tucked against him with her shoulders against his chest.Her spine along his toned stomach.Her backside curved into his impressive erection.The longing to arch against him more firmly struck hard.Her nipples tightened and warmth pooled low in her gut.
Jude growled.“Ignore it,” he said gruffly as though he could somehow read her thoughts.
“Kind of hard to.”Maybe it was the dire situation or the adrenaline wearing off, but she found herself shaking with laughter.
“Jesus, woman.I’m trying to make sure we don’t die and you’re making dick jokes.”
“I can’t help it.”She choked out, breathless.“It’s going to be…” her voice caught as she tried to quell her giggles; tears were streaming down her cheeks “…a very long night.”She was laughing so hard, she had no idea if he even heard her until his body shook alongside hers.That posed a problem, because as they lay on their sides, laughing together, she didn’t think she’d ever felt anything better.
Chapter Six
As if hislife wasn’t fucked up enough, the little forest lunatic ended up being the one woman with the power to catch his attention.He couldn’t recall the last time he’d laughed.Didn’t think he had it in him after so long.Here he was though, naked as the day he was born, arms around a woman whose petite, curvy body was the stuff of a wet dream, laughing at her stupid quips.His cock didn’t seem to care he was on the verge of tears and hypothermia.He felt like a teenager with a never-ending hard-on.Her little gasps as she tried to regain her composure weren’t helping in the least.All he could think of was eliciting the same sound but from pleasure rather than laughter.
“You better get that blood pumping somewhere besides, you know, or you might freeze to death and then I’ll have to explain why.That would be embarrassing for both of us.”
“I’d be dead.My problems would be over.”
He felt the moment she started to shift, and he tightened his arms around her.“Don’t turn.”Of course she didn’t listen.That shouldn’t surprise him at all, given the events of the past few hours.
“It might help with your problem.”
Her breasts brushed over his chest as she turned to face him.He’d been a gentleman earlier, but he’d still caught a glimpse of those perfect handfuls.“Having your gorgeous tits pressed into my chest, feeling how tight your nipples are, is absolutely not going to help the problem.”
“Oh.”She immediately flipped, then hissed in pain.“I was having so much fun I forgot about my shoulder.”
Her pain quickly sobered him.“Fun?You’re having fun right now?”
“It could certainly be worse.”
He wasn’t sure if she had a naturally positive outlook or something had happened in her past to give her perspective.“How did you know to manipulate your shoulder like that?”The question had been on his mind since she’d lain on the ground and expertly forced it back into position.
“Growing up, Ash had a difficult time managing his emotions.He’d lose control, not because he was mean or trying to hurt anyone, but because he was no longer aware of what was happening around him.Once, my parents had to run an errand and we were home alone.I was microwaving popcorn and put it in too long.The fire alarms went off, and Ash grabbed my arm in fright.I knew the pain meant it was either broken or dislocated, so I googled how to reset it.I was so worried about Ash getting in trouble, I just kind of did it.”
Something tightened in his chest.She was a kind child who’d grown into an equally kind woman, then stumbled into something she shouldn’t have while trying to earn a living.He warred between curiosity about the woman in his arms and keeping his distance.He shouldn’t want to know more about her.
“Why home inspections?”he blurted out.
“At first, learning a trade was more about practicality and the lifestyle I wanted to build.College wasn’t the path for me, especially after watching my parents grapple with paying off their own lingering student debts while supporting two kids.It never made sense to me to start adulthood owing money when I could be making it, you know?”
“Yeah, I do.”Going to college hadn’t been in the cards for him either.When he was spit out of the foster system at eighteen, he was on his own.The military made the most sense.
She paused, as though waiting for him to elaborate, then cleared her throat when it was obvious he wasn’t going to say anything else.“I’d watched my dad spend ten years at the same company, only to be laid off, and I hated that for him.It solidified the idea that I wanted to be my own boss.Not have to answer to anyone but myself.Instead of attending the local high school, I went to a trade school and became an HVAC tech.I like fixing things.Figuring out how the smallest detail can either make a system work or cause a major failure.”
“When did you switch to inspections, or do you do both?”And why the fuck was he still asking this woman questions?It shouldn’t matter to him.He wasn’t even sure what it was about her that sparked the desperate curiosity to know more.
“I wanted more predictable hours.Late-night emergency calls suck, as does crawling around an attic in the dead of night.I’d already learned the ins and outs of one system, so it made sense to evaluate the whole house.I know it’s not like I’m saving the world out there, but when I’m inspecting a home for a family, it feels like I’m giving them something valuable—the peace of mind knowing they’re making a sound decision on a major purchase.”
“Don’t sell yourself short.It is important.You’re making sure those homes are safe places for people to build their lives.”
“Thanks.”She gave his arm a little squeeze and a jolt speared straight through him.“Over time, I became certified in mold inspection, radon testing, and energy auditing.I’ve been able to join some volunteer trips for the Disaster Relief Guild following major weather events.Following a hurricane or earthquake, we make sure people’s homes are safe to return to and help them get the information needed for insurance claims.”
“That explains why you were so steady during the landslide.What does Ash do when you’re volunteering?”Dammit.The fucking questions just kept flowing.Last.One.He gritted his teeth, annoyed that he seemed to have so little control of his mouth at the moment.
