“Hurry up,” he called down, his blood pounding through his ears. Even though the mountain lion had left, he didn’t plan to take chances.
“I’m coming.” She set the dog down, wrapped the leash around her hand and started uphill.
His breathing rough, the adrenaline still rushing through his veins, Cade stood guard while she climbed toward him. Nothing moved along the edge of the woods, and a sparrow resumed chirping. When minutes had passed with no sign of the cat, he exhaled and dropped the stone.
He knew they’d been lucky. If that cat had decided to fight…He blanched at the gruesome vision that thought conjured up. Jordan never would have survived it.
And he needed to get her off this mountain before that cat reconsidered and came back.
His emotions still churning, he worked his way across the slope, angling his path to intercept her. The midday sun simmered off the rocks, sending sweat trickling over his cheeks. The hot breeze swirled up choking dust and made it hard to breathe.
He kept a watchful eye on Jordan as she labored below him. The dog bounded easily up the slope, but she lagged behind, exhausted. And that ticked him off even more. What the hell was she thinking? She’d forded a river, hiked up a mountain and climbed through a rock slide, all on an hour of sleep. She’d had no business going after that dog.
He glanced down at her again, but just at that moment, she slipped. His nerves jerked and he lunged forward to help her, but he was too far away. She clutched desperately at a rock, missed and let out a cry. Then she started sliding downhill.
Oh, hell. “Jordan!” He lurched forward again, but the motion sent a stone crashing toward her, forcing him to stop. Any movement he made would only destabilize the hill.
He watched helplessly, a sick terror grinding through his gut, as the rocks surrounding her loosened and fell. The noise of stones colliding split the air, and she disappeared in a thick haze of dust.
Stark fear shot through his blood. “Jordan!” he shouted again, but his voice faded in the nerve-wrenching din. Frustrated, he jammed his hand through his hair. He had to get down there. He had to help her! But how?
He waited an eternity for the noise to cease. Finally, a lone rock bounced down the mountain, and then the dust began to settle.
Seconds later, he saw her move. “I’m okay,” she called out, her voice muffled.
She’d survived. He sagged and closed his eyes, then passed a shaking hand over his face. Good God, that was close. He’d never felt fear that raw in his life.
He watched as she awkwardly picked herself up from the dirt and checked the dog. She still had the damned leash clenched in her fist.
“We’re both fine,” she added with a little wave.
She rubbed the dog’s face and murmured something. Then, after a quick glance downhill, she stepped forward. Even from a distance, he could see her wince.
He gritted his teeth. Like hell she was fine. A rock must have hit her. And judging by the way she was limping, she could hardly make it back up the hill.
With frustration gnawing his nerves, he paced a path in the dirt while he waited. Her face was pale, her features pinched as she climbed toward him. Pain carved a crease in her brow. And he’d never felt more useless in his life.
Then he noticed red splotches staining her shirt, and his lungs squeezed even tighter. She was bleeding. Just how injured was she?
He scanned the area, searching for options, and his sense of futility rose. Dense forest surrounded the rocks in every direction, leaving only the steep slope exposed. A chopper couldn’t land in these conditions. And even if it lowered a basket, the rotor wash could set off a slide.
Which meant they still had to hike to the road.
Suddenly, she let out a cry and stumbled again, and he instinctively lurched forward.
“False alarm,” she called out. “We’re all right.”
All right? When she’d been battered by rocks? Outrage filled his gut. How could she sound so cheerful?
She paused to stroke the dog’s ears, and suddenly he wanted to shake her. Damn that woman anyhow. Didn’t she have any sense? To put herself in danger for a dog! Crossing an unstable slope, setting off a rock slide…And when she’d thrown that rock…His heart constricted with remembered fear.
And injured or not, it was time he laid down some rules. This was the last time she hared off on some damn escapade and nearly got herself killed. From now on, she listened to him.
Long minutes later, she finally staggered to his side. Her face was flushed, her breathing ragged. Exhaustion pulled at her face.
Unable to control his temper, he grabbed her arm and dragged her back to firm ground. The dog shook the dust from his fur and wagged his tail, unhurt.
Unlike Jordan.
“Damn it,” he shouted. “Why didn’t you listen to me?”
She shook her arm loose and frowned. “Because Dusty was stuck. He couldn’t get away.”
“You could have been killed. Don’t you have any sense? That cat could have ripped you apart.”
“But Cade, he—”
“He could have killed you.” Why didn’t she understand that? He couldn’t have stopped him. He sucked in a shallow breath.
“And if I hadn’t done anything, he would have killed the dog,” she countered. Indignation flashed in her eyes. “What did you expect me to do? Just stand there and watch him die?”
“I expected you to follow orders.”
“Orders?” A red stain crept up her cheeks. “You’re not my boss.”
“The hell I’m not.” His temper flared even higher. “As long as we’re on this mountain, I’m in charge. I know more about this forest than you do, and more about how to survive. So when I tell you to do something, you do it. And when I say not to, you’d damn well better listen.”
“But Dusty—”
“Damn it, Jordan! Your life matters more than the dog’s. Can’t you understand that? You just about got yourself killed.”
She bit her lip and looked away. He sucked in his breath and struggled to control his rage.
She met his gaze again, her dark eyes huge. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
His anger abruptly deflated. He dragged his hand through his hair. “God, Jordan.”
“I’m really sorry,” she said again. She stepped toward him, her chestnut eyes soft on his. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
But she had. He couldn’t even think about what might have happened. His throat clenched tight, and he shook his head.
“Cade, I…”
“Yeah.” He swallowed, grappling with unnamed emotions, shocked at the depth of his fear. Why was he so scared? Sure, she’d nearly died, but so had the rookie when that snag fell. And he hadn’t felt that gut-wrenching terror, that mind-numbing dread for the kid. Or lost his temper and yelled.
His gaze met hers again. A scrape marred her cheek beneath the dirt, and fatigue haunted her eyes. And suddenly, the need to touch her swamped him. The need to feel her, hold her, to prove that she was all right.
He closed the short distance between them. Then, hardly breathing, he lifted his hand to her face. He traced the scrape on her cheek with his thumb, felt the heat of her delicate skin. “You’re hurt.”
She shook her head. “Just bruised.”
“You’ve got blood on your shirt.”
“My hands got scraped, that’s all. I’m fine, Cade. Really.”
But she’d almost died. He’d almost lost her. Again.
His heart drumming, he slid his hand to her neck. He drew his thumb along her throat, and felt the strong, hot leap of her pulse.
Her breath hitched in the silence. Her pulse trembled under his hand. And as he gazed into those exotic eyes, feeling that inevitable pull, he knew that he had to kiss her.
Hardly breathing, he tilted her chin and lowered his head, then slid his lips over hers.
The years disappeared in an instant. The bitter memories faded away. Time peeled back and stalled on a glimpse of perfection. On J
ordan, the woman he’d loved. And she was finally back in his arms.
Her soft lips parted, granting him access, and with a groan, he pulled her against him. He drank in her heat, her desire, the incredible feel of her skin, and explored her hot mouth with his tongue.
He felt her free hand clench his shoulder, then slowly rise to his neck. And then her tongue twined with his, matching his heat with her answering hunger.
But then she’d always been that way, fitting him perfectly, matching his needs, stoking the unending fire.
He plunged his hand through her hair and cradled her head, deepening and lengthening the kiss. His body grew hard. Raw hunger drummed through his veins.
And he had to face the harsh truth. No other woman had ever felt this good—or ever would.
Even if she didn’t want him.
He jerked his head back and broke the kiss, then struggled to regain his sanity. This was wrong. Jordan had deserted him. And damned if he’d let her twist herself around his soul so she could do it again.
But her smoldering eyes locked on his, and she moved back into his arms. “Cade,” she whispered. “Please don’t stop.”
And despite knowing better, despite the warnings rocking his brain, he knew he was going to give in. He still wanted her. Damn, but he still wanted her. And hell if he could resist.
With a groan, he lowered his head and slanted his mouth over hers. He heard her small cry, felt her welcome as she opened beneath him.
A sense of finality filled him. Of rightness. As if he’d met his destiny and arrived where he belonged.
Tightening his hold, he kissed her deeply, invading her mouth with his tongue. Trying to ease the ache, the need he’d refused to acknowledge for years. The need for Jordan.
But it only fanned even higher.
Her hand crept through his hair, and her soft breasts brushed his trapped arm. Desperate to feel her, he widened his stance and pulled her lower body against him.
And felt that urgency rip through him, that electric rush of desire. The need to
bury himself deep inside her and forget the pain.
“McKenzie.”
His blood thickened as he continued to kiss her. His mind blurred, while hunger twisted his gut.
“McKenzie.”
Irritated, he lifted his head. His brain still fuzzy, his breathing rough, he scowled around at the rocks.
Jordan’s eyes slowly opened and she blinked, looking as dazed as he felt. And as aroused. He wanted to haul her back into his arms. Even covered with grime, he’d never seen a more desirable woman.
“McKenzie,” the voice called again.
His radio. He battled the urge to ignore it. He wanted to feel her hot, naked skin under his. To slake this wild need clawing his gut. To lose control and make love to Jordan.
Shocked at himself, he dropped his hand and stepped back. What in the hell was he thinking? She didn’t want a smokejumper. She’d told him that point-blank. And no matter how strong the temptation, he refused to subject himself to that pain again.
Because this woman was different. They could never have an affair. Every time he touched her, he put his heart on the line.
Disgusted, he turned and strode to his PG bag. Even worse, that kiss had been unprofessional. A forest fire breathed up their backs. A mountain lion lurked nearby. They didn’t have time to fool around.
Appalled by his behavior, he jerked his radio from the bag and keyed the mike. The red light flashed, and he swore. Great. This was all he needed. The batteries were low, and he didn’t have any spares. He’d given his extras to Trey when he left the cabin.
“McKenzie here,” he snapped.
“This is dispatch.”
“Yeah.” He shook his head to clear it. “What’s up?”
“We checked out that clearing you saw, and think we can set down a chopper.”
He pulled his mind back to the fire. They could hike to the clearing, as long as Jordan held up. But did they have enough time? “What’s the fire doing?”
“It’s making a run to the north right now.”
Which meant it was heading straight toward them. He shot an uneasy gaze to the south, where the tall pines bobbed in his direction. If he hadn’t been so distracted by Jordan, he would have noticed the change.
“How long do you expect this wind to hold?”
“At least until tonight,” the dispatcher said. “We’ll get an update in a few hours.”
He thought hard. Alone, he could make that clearing in five or six hours, less if he picked up the pace. But Jordan could barely hang on now. And unless she got some rest soon, she’d collapse.
And if the wind switched back before they got to that clearing, they’d be in a hell of a mess. The worst place they could possibly be was on a steep slope with fire burning below them.
But did they have a choice? At the rate they were traveling, it would take days to reach that road. And if the wind didn’t shift, the fire would catch them right here.
He eyed the rock slide slowing their progress. “Any chance you can get a vehicle up this trail and meet us halfway?” That would shorten their hike.
“Hold on.” While the dispatcher murmured in the background, Cade shifted his gaze to Jordan. She knelt in the dirt, examining the dog. Her eyes lifted to his, and he felt the kick to his gut.
He had it bad, all right. Just looking at her stirred up those old feelings, dredging up memories he’d rather forget. Making him want things he couldn’t have.
Which was all the more reason to get the hell out of this forest.
“The road’s blocked a few miles from the junction,” the dispatcher told him. “Someone piled a wall of dirt across. We’ll have to bring in a bulldozer to clear it out.”
That wouldn’t gain them any time. “Never mind. We’ll get to that clearing. Just let me know if anything changes.”
He lowered his radio and tapped it against his thigh. They were committed to that clearing now. He just hoped to God the wind didn’t shift until they got there.
Chapter 9
Jordan stroked the dog’s silky ears, her heart still fluttering madly from that kiss. God help her, but she couldn’t stop reliving those amazing sensations—Cade’s muscled body hard against hers, the exciting heat of his skin. The pleasure streaking through her nerves, turning need into desperation.
She dragged in a shaky breath. She had to get a grip. It was just a kiss, for goodness’ sake. It wasn’t that big a deal. Certainly no reason to act as though the earth had shifted.
She glanced at Cade as he stuffed his radio in his bag. Her gaze slid over the broad shoulders stretching the seams of his black T-shirt, the long, hard cords of his arms, the powerful thighs encased in dusty green pants, and down to his lug-soled boots.
And knew she was lying to herself. Cade’s kiss had been anything but ordinary.
And if she’d learned anything from that miscarriage years ago, it was to face reality. She no longer hid behind the fantasies she’d clung to as a child.
And the truth was that she’d never reacted like that to Phil. Never. Kissing Phil had felt pleasant, comfortable, even mildly arousing.
But she’d never experienced that molten heat, that instant, carnal desire. That total insanity that, years ago, had made her elope with a man she’d just met—and even after all this time, even knowing the pain it would cause, tempted her to do it again.
Cade lifted their bags and stood in one smooth movement. He strode toward her, and another truth rocked her world. She’d thought she’d exaggerated her memories of Cade. That the passion she remembered was an illusion embellished with the passage of time.
But Cade’s kiss had just blasted that theory. That passion was as real as this mountain. And it had nothing to do with her faulty memory. It had everything to do with this man.
She gave the dog a final scratch and rose. She struggled to compose herself as Cade drew closer, to act as if nothing had changed.
But then the seriousn
ess of his expression caught her attention, and she shoved aside thoughts of the kiss. Something was wrong. Something to do with the fire. Alarm blazed through her nerves.
“What happened?” she asked.
His gaze met hers, and he stopped. The corners of his eyes tensed, and her foreboding grew. “They can land a helicopter in that clearing the next mountain over,” he said. “I told them we’d head there instead of the road.”
“Why?” He wouldn’t change directions without good reason.
“The wind shifted. We’ll be safer heading that way.”
Oh, God. The fire was coming straight at them. She jerked her gaze to the sky.
“We’ve got time,” he continued, his voice even. “We’ll take a break and eat before we start hiking.”
Her gaze swiveled back to his. “But, if the fire’s near—”
“It’s not that close yet. We’ve got time to rest.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but he turned and strode back toward the trail.
Still, doubts nagged at her as she followed him around the boulders and away from the rock slide. If they were fine, then why did he look so worried? And why wouldn’t he share his concerns? What was he protecting her from?
She gnawed at her bottom lip. She was tempted to pretend she believed him and indulge in a much-needed break. Hunger drilled a hole in her stomach. Her knee ached from the fall in the road, her ankle throbbed where the rock had struck it, and blisters had chafed her heels raw.
And God, she was exhausted. Her head pounded like an off-balance washing machine, and even her leg muscles shook. She wanted desperately to curl up and sleep.
But she knew they needed to hurry. If Cade wanted off this mountain, the situation had to be bad. He wasn’t the type to overreact.
And although he’d never admit it, this mess was completely her fault. She’d made them stop to rescue the dog. She’d gotten chilled in that river. She’d dropped the leash and spent the morning crawling across that rock slide.
Without her, Cade would be safe in Missoula right now.
Which meant it was up to her to keep them moving. She couldn’t endanger him more.
A few yards down the path, he dropped their bags in a patch of grass. She hobbled to a stop behind him. “Cade, listen. I’m not that hungry. Why don’t we take a break later?”
Facing The Fire Page 10