“You okay?”another called.
“Fine,” he yelled, voice back to normal.“Just out for a stroll.”The men pulled down the fabric covering their faces and exchanged a look with each other.One she couldn’t decipher.
“We organized a search party when we heard about the landslides.Thought the worst when only the foundation of the cabin you were staying in was left.”
They cut the engines and started toward them.“Exactly what would’ve happened if Ivy here hadn’t heard it coming when she did.”He jerked his head in her direction.“This is Jon, Cameron, and Ross.Part of the task force we spoke with last night.”
“Thankfully you got out in time,” the man named Ross said to Jude, then turned his eyes on her.“And that you dragged him along with you.”He smiled, dimples indenting his cheeks.“Nice to meet you.That was some quick thinking to record those men.”He held out his hand to her.
She smiled but shook her head.“I’m seriously dirty.”
“Don’t mind that in the least.”He took her hand and gave it a squeeze.Jon and Cameron approached her too, offering their gratitude, despite the fact she wouldn’t have heard the landslide if it weren’t for Jude finding her, warming her in the shower, and tending to her injuries.The men before her were all massive, handsome, and masculine but none of them made her blood spark.That response seemed to be solely for the sullen man at her side.
“You can ride with me,” Ross said to her and winked.
“You’ll ride with Cameron,” Jude said—not to her, but to Ross.The low timbre of Jude’s voice left no room for negotiation.The men seemed to be stifling smiles, which died on their faces with one sharp look from their boss.Ross returned to the ATV and drew out two additional helmets from a storage compartment at the back of the machine before handing them to Jude.
“You’re riding bit—um…” She chuckled as Cameron stifled the curse about to tumble from his mouth.“Behind me.”
“I think riding bitch is the appropriate term.”She laughed.
Cameron slapped Jude’s back as he walked past to the second ATV.“I like her, Boss.”The other men chuckled, but Jude ignored them, placing the larger helmet on the seat of the large machine.
He turned to her.“Tell me if it hurts your head.”The rumble of his voice had warmth seeping through her belly as he gently slid it onto her and secured the strap.“Okay?”
“Yeah.”She nodded and the movement made the ache at her temples intensify.
He dipped his chin and she watched transfixed as he roughly tossed on his own helmet and straddled the ATV.She scrambled on behind him, leaving a gap between them.He didn’t like being touched, although he had held her through the night.She placed her hands on his hips, hoping she’d be able to hang on.
“Is this okay?”She wasn’t sure why he didn’t jump at Ross’s offer to drive her.
He angled his body to glance back at her.“No.”The intensity of his gaze bored down on her.“Move in close.”
She scooted forward, still trying to give him some space.He shook his head and reached behind him, hooking his hands beneath her knees and dragging her tightly against him, so close that her core was pressed against his back.“Arms around me.”His voice was so low, she almost missed his words as the other men started their machines.She looped her arms around his waist, thinking she couldn’t get any closer.
“Tighter,” he said roughly and repositioned her arms, cinching them until they squeezed around his waist.She didn’t miss the gentleness of his touch when he laid a hand on the side of her dislocated shoulder.He turned the key, and the engine rumbled to life beneath her.Suddenly, the warmth in her stomach pooled between her hips and a dull ache pulsed at her core.For all the teasing she’d subjected him to the night before, she supposed this was payback.
“Okay?”
“Yeah.”Her voice was breathless as a result of their proximity and while her shoulder joint was still sore, she felt certain it was worth the discomfort to be riding with Jude.The ATV lurched, startling her.She used all the strength in her thighs to grip his massive frame and tucked her cheek against his back, plastering her body to his.She swore she heard a sharp growl tear from his lips.Too bad.He was the one who’d told her to hold on more firmly.Who’d turned down his agent’s offer to drive her.She wasn’t going to die flying off this death machine after surviving their harrowing experiences yesterday.
Ivy should be thrilled they didn’t have to continue walking through the woods to their destination, but she found she missed Jude’s noncommittal mutterings and the magic of the woods that could only be appreciated on foot.Maybe it was the amount of strength needed to control the machine, but Jude’s muscles were bunched so tightly, she was afraid he might snap.
She resisted the urge to imagine the hard body she was currently holding on to for dear life, although the thin cotton of his shirt did little to mask the firm muscles beneath her fingers, nor did it quell the heat that seemed to pour off him.The trees began to thin, and a dirt path replaced the wild terrain.It wasn’t long before a parking lot came into view.A black SUV and a truck with a large trailer were the only vehicles in sight.Most people were probably still cleaning up the damage to their properties from the storm, and after the landslides, she doubted there would be many hikers venturing out.Jude slowed the machine behind the others and turned off the engine.After holding on so tightly for what seemed like close to an hour, the muscles in her arms and legs had nothing left.Jude got off the ATV with no problem, but she found herself slipping, unable to move her frozen limbs.
“Whoa there, darling.”Strong arms lifted her easily, but they weren’t Jude’s.
“Thanks, Ross.”When he set her down, she continued to hold his shoulder while her body adjusted to the feel of the ground beneath her feet.When she looked up, Jude’s harsh gaze was pinned to her, his expression unreadable.The sound of a phone ringing filled the open space as Jude dug into his pocket, retrieving the device.He glanced at the screen, then back at her, before turning and stalking away to take the call.
Ross cleared his throat.“Don’t worry.He’s always like this.One of the best men I know, but intense.Always serious.Are you okay?”
She nodded, released his shoulder, and took a step now that she felt steadier on her feet.The agent Jude had called Jon got her a bottle of water and a protein bar before helping the other men get the ATVs parked inside the trailer.When she noticed Jude returning, her pulse ticked up as she drank him in.As he got closer, she noticed his expression was murderous.His jaw was tight and there was a scowl on his face.He closed the distance between them, thrusting his phone toward her when he approached.
“Call Ash.Make sure he’s still at Jess’s house.”
Her heart was pounding for a different reason now as she quickly tapped the numbers on the screen.“Why what’s going on?Did something happen?”
“My friend Red called—Mason, the one who drove your brother last night.The police are at your place.Someone broke in.”
