Page 21 of Seeking Shelter

“I’m clean too.” He uses his bandaged hand to stop me from stroking him. “Are you sure?” he rasps.

“Yes. Absolutely. Very sure.” Am I being clear enough? I’m not sure because I can’t think.

“Thank god,” he growls.

Then he’s there, exactly where I want him. He thrusts, strong and deep, until he’s embedded to the hilt. He holds himself still, gaze locked on mine in the pearly light. “There’s no going back from this, Angel. It feels too right, we feel too right.”

“Love me, Jonah,” I murmur.

“Forever.”

He pulls back and I tilt up my hips, urging him to thrust deeper. He obliges, angling perfectly so he’s rubbing against my clit, over and over again until suddenly I’m there, soaring, spinning, spiraling until he follows with a harsh groan.

Jonah losing control is intoxicating. He collapses against me, face buried in my hair, and I have the pleasure of trailing my fingers along the ridges of his spine and over his butt. We lie like that, enjoying the afterglow, until he rolls over, taking me with him so I’m lying on his chest. We’re still joined together, our legs tangled.

I push up and he brushes my hair back from my face.

“I love you, Angel.” The words are quiet, like the prelude to a song. “I’ve been carrying you inside me since our first kiss.”

My heart thunders in my ears. I kiss a corner of his mouth, then the other, then dead center, before pulling back a scant inch.

“I love you too, Jonah. I tried not to, but you wouldn’t let go of my heart.”

***

I follow Jonah along the path. I love the way he walks, his long, rangy body all loose-limbed and easy like an old-time cowboy. His duty belt hugs his hips and he wears the heavy pack like it weighs nothing, courtesy of exceptionally fine shoulders.

Okay, I’m head over heels and stupid with it. Another exceptional part of his anatomy? His butt.

“Did you know your butt is perfectly rounded for a man?”

He stops and turns back. “My butt is perfectly rounded? You’re checking me out when we’re supposed to be on the lookout for armed poachers? If they cut down from Devil’s Canyon, they could be anywhere around here. Get with the program, woman.” His voice is serious, but the up-tilted corner of his mouth gives him away.

“You’re distracting. Not my fault.”

He dips his head for a kiss, pauses, then kisses me again. I could do this all day. The sun is shining brilliantly, filtering through the aspen leaves overhead as if the weekend storm had never happened.

“What do you want to eat when we get back to the ranch?”

We’re walking side by side now and he gives me the side-eye. “Don’t even start with that. That protein bar tasted like cardboard. I don’t even know if it was digestible.”

“I’m going to ask Hayes to make tacos. And salsa. And a vat of guacamole. He makes the best tacos. God, I’m hungry.”

“You’re torturing me with thoughts of tacos.” After a moment, he says, “We should be meeting up with Team Two soon.” After hiking to the top of the slope behind the line shack, he’d managed to contact the command center, but hadn’t wanted to use the radio again to conserve its already low charge.

“You said Team One is heading for Devil’s Canyon. Are they looking for Abel and Denny?”

“Everyone’s looking for them. If they’re there, they’ll find them. They want to locate the bear trap. It’s a crime scene and needs to be processed.”

“With the weather we’ve had, I’ll be surprised if they can get much. Shell casings, maybe.”

He nods. “I forgot to mention, Brooks told my boss the horses made it to the ranch. Dusty has a cut on his flank, but otherwise they’re in good shape.”

That eases one worry.

There’d been no sign of Abel and Denny. They could be lying low, waiting for us to let down our guard. Or maybe they’ve given up and retreated off the mountain. Jonah is carrying the rifle and he has his sidearm, but I’ll be happy once we meet up with reinforcements.

We’re dropping in elevation and the temperature has warmed enough that I’ve stuffed my coat into my backpack.