“Look, see the deer at the far shore?” Alex said softly.
Heather looked where he was pointing. Sure enough, there were three deer at the water’s edge. Watchful. Tense. Ready to flee. They were so beautiful to look at, she could scarcely breathe. Then something startled them and they were gone.
“Wow,” Heather said on a sigh.
“Yeah. And here you don’t have to worry about them getting hit by a car.” He drained his coffee cup and then got to his feet. “Want any more coffee? More toast?”
“I’m fine, thanks.”
He went back into the kitchen, leaving her sitting on the step and breathing in the wonderful morning air. Even Junior seemed content to just soak up atmosphere.
Today was a new day. A chance to prove she really wasn’t the idiot she must have seemed yesterday. And more time to work on saving Alex. But to do that, she was going to have to stop screaming at bird calls and breaking out in hives at the thought of that outhouse. She could not give Alex a reason to suggest they leave.
She finished her cup and took her dishes back into the kitchen. Alex was washing up the few dishes they’d used.
“The coffee was great,” she said and picked up a dish towel. “Guess you got the water running all right.”
“Just needed more pumping.” Alex said. “My muscles came in handy for something.”
Heather felt a now familiar blush wash over her checks. “Where did you learn to cook in such...” Heather looked over at the woodpile by the door, searching for the right word.
“Rustic conditions?”
Heather made a face as she laughed. “I was thinking primitive.”
Alex flashed her a broad smile. “Things must have changed a lot since the last time you were here, huh?”
Her laughter died and the faint blush in her cheeks turned to embarrassment. Alex had to know she’d never been up here with Ida Crawford but, in spite of her embarrassment, all she could notice was his smile. Strong. Gentle. Sincere. And what those lips felt like pressed against hers.
Unfortunately that just made her cheeks grow even hotter. She needed to turn her attention to something else. Anything but that smile. Well, not anything. Not his muscular shoulders. Or his deep chest. Or his bulging biceps or chiseled thighs. In fact, his whole body was out of bounds for her thoughts.
“So what would you like to do today?” she asked brightly. It was a risky question, she knew, but maybe it was time to take a chance.
He handed her a cup to dry, a frown on his face. “You have to ask?”
Her heart sank as she dried the cup. He had seemed to be content, enjoying himself even. But she should have known it was too quick.
“If I remember correctly,” he said. “I was promised a picnic last night.”
She stopped, midway to the pantry, and turned to face him. Those wonderful eyes were dancing with laughter and she had to join in. He wasn’t trying to leave!
“A picnic sounds great,” she agreed. “But we just had breakfast. I think we need something to do in between.”
For a split second, something new burned in his eyes. Just a flickering glimpse of something else. Something that started a fire deep in her soul.
But then he turned back to the dishes. “How about if we pack a lunch and hike down to the lake? I see a canoe down there but I’m not sure what condition it’s in.”
“A hike would be great.” Anything would be wonderful, if she was doing it with Alex. Hiking. Canoeing. Skinny-dipping.
Heavens! Where had that thought come from? She’d never been skinny-dipping and certainly wouldn’t here. The bugs would eat her alive.
But the very idea made her cheeks burn and her gaze refuse to go anywhere near Alex. She did wonder, though, if he would find her attractive. She didn’t run, but she did do aerobics and watched what she ate. But then, judging from his reactions to her so far, he probably wouldn’t even notice if she took her clothes off.
On that depressing note, she hung her dishtowel on the rack. “I’m going to change into better shoes,” she said. “Then I’ll make us some lunch.”
With Bonnie’s help, she changed her shoes, then hurried into the kitchen to pack up their lunch. The ice in the cooler was melting, making the menu selection easy. Anything that would spoil when the ice melted was lunch. She left plenty of water and dry food out for Bonnie, then after a quick trip to the outhouse, she met Alex and Junior in back. Her heart was back under control by that time.
“Boy, it’s beautiful along here, isn’t it?” commented Heather. The pines towered over them, keeping it pleasantly cool, and all around them was the life of the forest. Small flowers dotted the forest floor, even in the densest shade, while in the trees and bushes birds flitted from branch to branch. Their bright colors made them look like flying flowers, escorting them through the forest.
“You forget what nature’s really like living back home,” Alex said.
Her heart skipped a beat at his words. This was making a difference! The peace here was preaching him. “And we live in a rural area,” she added, keeping her voice calm. “Imagine if you lived in the city.”
“And wasn’t that where we all vowed we were going to live one day?”
She’d never actually wanted to leave Chesterton, though as girls in their Bridal Circle Club they’d discussed it. The big city with all its dangers had intimidated her. But she couldn’t say that to Alex without sounding like a scaredy-cat. She was an adventurer this weekend. One who was eager to take on new challenges.
“Boy, this is a big one,” Alex said and stopped.
A tree had fallen across the path and its trunk had to be three feet thick. The sheer size of it stopped Heather. She couldn’t imagine what would topple such a giant. Or how they would get around it.
The branches were lost in a dense thicket to her right while the base of the trunk must still be partly in the ground for it rose slightly in that direction before it disappeared in the brush. Would they have to go back?
“Give me your hand,” he said. “And I’ll pull you up.”
Was he crazy? This was another of his wild stunts. Another flirtation with danger. Only this time he wanted her to come along for the ride.
“Heather?” Alex didn’t sound impatient, but he did sound confused.
“What about Junior?” Heather asked. “How will he get over?”
“I don’t think we need to worry about him,” Alex said.
Junior barked as if in agreement, and Heather realized the dog had found his own way over. That only left her.
“Just let me find the best places to put my feet,” she told Alex.
“You don’t need any,” he said. “Just take my hand and you walk up the side while I pull you up.”
It sounded so simple. So safe. So why was she fussing? Did she trust Alex or not?
Of course she did.
Reaching up, she took his hand and awkwardly scrambled up the side of the tree. She probably hung on to him too tightly, and most assuredly looked like an idiot while climbing, but she made it to the top in one piece.
“There, that wasn’t so bad,” he said as he let go of her hand.
“No, it was great,” she said, and meant it. She felt exhilarated and alive. And though she was sorry he’d taken his hand away, she had a feeling it had nothing to do with standing up on the tree trunk.
“I think the plan is to jump down on the other side,” Alex pointed out gently.
“Oh, right.”
He jumped down, joining Junior on the far side of the tree, then reached up for her. But instead of taking her hand this time, he put his hands on either side of her waist and lifted her down.
She had no time to think or ponder or weigh consequences. She had to put her hands on his shoulders to steady herself and once they were there, it was impossible to move them. Just as Alex seemed to be having trouble taking his hands from her waist once he had her on the ground. He just looked down into her eyes and seemed paralyzed.
Well, not totally. He was able to bend his lips to meet hers. And she was able to reach up for that meeting. Their lips touched, their hearts danced, and their bodies clung together in sweet harmony.
But the sweet gentleness only lasted a moment, then hunger took hold. It was as if they were both starving and the other’s lips were the only food. As if they were dying of thirst and the other held the blessed drops of water. As if they were suffocating and could only breathe the other’s air.
Heather clung to Alex, her arms wrapped around him so tightly, she could feel his heart beating in unison with hers. His lips were the only reality she knew, the only thing that mattered. His hands roamed over her back, pressing her ever closer, his mouth was her lifeline. The only source of her sanity.
One of his hands moved between them, cupping her breast and rubbing the tip with his thumb. Even through her T-shirt and bra, the caress sent her fever soaring, her hunger to know more of his touch grew. She ached to be a part of him, to feel his love all over.
His touch grew hotter, harder, more possessive. Over her breast, then down her side, over her buttock, cupping her, pulling her closer into him. If his touch could set her afire through her clothes, how much hotter would she burn without them?
His lips grew more insistent, as if they were pulling life itself from her. She tightened her arms around him, holding on for all she was worth, but then the world intruded in the form of Junior, nudging them apart.
Heather was lost, stumbling for breath and not even certain where she was. It all came back to her fast enough, but her heart still felt confused.
Alex took a step back from her, his eyes dark and brooding. “I never meant for that to happen,” he said.
“Neither did I.” She didn’t know what else to say. Her heart was still racing, her lips ached for his. It was too hard to think and reason and make polite conversation when her body throbbed with need.
“Maybe we’d better get a move on,” he said. “We don’t want the mosquitoes to eat us alive.”
“We sure don’t.” Were there even mosquitoes here? She hadn’t noticed. “Lead on,” she said brightly though.
He gave her a look she chose not to try to read, as he turned to lead the way down the path. She just watched his back as he strode through the tall grass and weeds ahead of her. Ages ago, she’d had a plan but did she even remember it anymore?
Alex glanced back over his shoulder. “You okay?”
“Just peachy.”
Something buzzed up near her face and she just batted it away. Her plan hadn’t included this attraction, but did that mean it was wrong? She was starting to care an awful lot for Alex, but then didn’t she love each and every cat she socialized? It was no different, except of course that she wasn’t in love with Alex. She was—
Her feet stopped and she just stared ahead at his rapidly disappearing back. Being alone in the woods was the least of her concerns right now. She couldn’t be falling in love with Alex, could she? She would never let herself do something that crazy, would she? That would be even worse than racing across the seawall!
“Heather?” Alex was coming back. “Something wrong?”
“Nope,” she said brightly. “Just a stone in my shoe.”
Alex strode briskly down the final slope to the lake. Things had gotten a little out of hand there, but nothing to worry about. Nothing that he couldn’t keep from happening again. He just had to be careful. He wanted to convince Heather that he was on his way to being cured, nothing else.
He stopped next to the overturned canoe. It looked more weatherworn up close. He didn’t have much hope that it would still be watertight, but he turned it over and pulled it closer to the water’s edge. Heather caught up with him there and frowned at the canoe. Junior sniffed at its sides as if considering a christening.
“It looks okay,” she said.
“You can’t really tell until it’s in the water,” Alex pointed out.
Seeing the extremely small size of the canoe and feeling the heat of her nearness, he was having doubts about this outing anyway. He obviously needed to keep his distance from Heather—something not possible in a small canoe with her. Of course, if things got out of hand out on the water, they would capsize. That would dampen their ardor.
But only until they got to shore. Heather in damp, formfitting clothes would drive any man beyond his limits. Just the thought of her T-shirt clinging to her full breasts made Alex’s blood boil with wanting.
“Well, let’s put it in the water then,” she said and tugged at the prow.
And risk her getting splashed? “I can get it,” he cried and pulled the canoe in a slightly different direction. “I don’t want you to get wet.”
She just laughed, and it was the sound of bells ringing at Christmas. It also doubled his heart rate. The fuses, he had to focus on the fuses, not her laughter.
“I’m not the Wicked Witch of the West, you know.”
He was having trouble breathing around her. Following her logic was out of the question. “You’re not what?”
“The Wicked Witch of the West,” she said. “From The Wizard of Oz. You know, she melted when water was thrown on her. Well, I won’t melt.”
Ah, but he might. Didn’t most things melt at high temperatures? “I just didn’t see the need for both of us to get splashed,” he explained carefully.
“Oh.”
While she watched, he dragged the canoe to the edge of the lake and into the water. His feet sunk slightly into the mucky ground as he waded in to get the canoe free of the reeds and cattails. The water rushed around his ankles, then rose up to his knees as he waded farther in. He didn’t go in deep enough though. The most throbbing part of his body was still on fire.
“Well?” Heather asked.
Well what? Ah, the canoe. He looked into it. Some water had seeped in, but not much. “Hard to say,” he called out to her. “Maybe we need to let it sit a bit.”
“Aw, come on,” she pleaded. “Either it’s leaking or it’s not. I wanted to go on a canoe ride. I’ve never been in one before.”
“You haven’t?”
He was torn between giving in to the wistfulness in her voice and keeping a safe distance from her. He had this sudden need to bring a smile to her lips, to give her whatever she wanted. But he knew that wasn’t wise. There was something in her smile, in her voice, that could make him forget all about the fuses, but he mustn’t let it touch him.
“I really think we need to let it sit,” he said.
There was a mooring rope attached to a ring at the bow of the canoe. He took the free end of the rope and waded back to the shore with it.
“We’ll just tie it to this tree and check it in an hour,” he said as he got out of the water. His shoes squished when he walked—maybe just the thing to quell any romantic thoughts. “Then we can decide.”
“I never thought you were this cautious,” she said.
“And I never thought you were such a daredevil.” He paused for a moment, then looked at the lake and forest around them with a smile. “Gee, it’s beautiful around here. Too bad we can’t just walk along the shore.”
Heather looked around, too, but with a puzzled frown instead of a sad smile. “Why can’t we?” she asked.
“Aren’t you concerned that Junior might go in the water?”
Heather’s frown deepened. “He goes in the water all the time back home. Toto takes him to the beach on Lake Michigan a couple of times a week.”
“But he’s not wearing fuses then,” Alex pointed out.
A whole array of emotions danced across her face—confusion, surprise, disappointment, then dejection. She looked so absurdly crestfallen that it was all he could to keep his hands at his side. It was all he could do to keep from comforting her, to keep from blurting out that he didn’t care about the damn fuses. That she could throw them into the lake for all he cared.
It was a dangerous thought, mostly because it was so appealing. The investigation, his life as a feder
al agent seemed distant and unreal. Something that he was no longer part of. But it was just his reaction to her eyes. To that kiss back by the fallen tree. To being in the sun too long.
He had to remember that her safety was the most important issue here. And that could only be guaranteed by getting out of here and back to civilization where there were fewer wide-open spaces, fewer unknowns. Where he could arrange for proper protection for Heather.
“I thought you were done trying to get the fuses,” Heather said.
He held his hands up in a protestation of innocence. “Hey, I didn’t say give them to me. Put them in your pocket. I just didn’t want them to get damaged.”
“Oh.” She glanced over at Junior who was sniffing around at the water’s edge. His feet were already as wet as was his face. “I guess you’re right.”
She was giving in, but her voice was so sad, so mournful, that he couldn’t even cheer in his heart. He didn’t like the fact that only one of them could win, hut that was how it was. And that one person had to be him. For her sake.
“Why don’t you—”
“Junior,” she called out. The dog looked up, tail wagging. “Come on, boy. We can’t stay here. Let’s go hike in the woods some more.”
“Hike in the woods?” His victory disappeared. “I thought—”
“The woods are fine with me,” she said brightly. “I haven’t been hiking along a lake or in the woods before, so either one’s a treat.”
She and Junior started back down the trail they’d taken to the lake. She and Junior and the fuses. How did she get so suspicious? Was he losing his touch or was she far more clever all along than he’d suspected?
It was a question that didn’t get answered as the day wore on. They hiked through the pine forest, with Heather marveling over the smallest beauties every step. It was like seeing the world all over again, being awakened once more to the wonders of nature.
She delighted in the perfection of a pinecone, and grew excited over the discovery of a tiny pink flower in the shadow of a huge oak. She practically danced along the path in her joy at being there. So what could he and Junior do but laugh along with her? His heart growing heavier and more confused all the while. He needed a distraction.
Secret Agent Groom (The Bridal Circle #2) Page 15