It’d been a good night, and she was glad he was here with her. When she turned down her bed and realized he’d made up hers with the flannel sheets, she sighed and burrowed in happily. She lay there drowsily, listening to the wind howl outside and feeling safe with the burly firefighter in the room next to hers.
She’d barely fallen asleep when a loud yell yanked her awake. Sitting up in bed, she was disoriented for a few seconds until she remembered she was at her cabin. But who had yelled, and where was her gun? Dang. She’d left it on the entryway table. Had Cam yelled? Had someone broken in? She’d been so enraptured with Cam and secure in her winter wonderland, she hadn’t even checked the lock on the front door.
Sliding her feet onto the floor, she grimaced at the cold wood.
“No!” Cam’s voice was unmistakable from the next room.
Sage crept out of her room, glancing at the front door, but everything was quiet and Cam’s door was closed. Slowly, she crossed to his door and eased it open. He was writhing on the bed, his frame so large he made the queen mattress look small.
“Cam?” She squeaked out.
His head shook back and forth as he muttered. “No, no!”
Sage crept close to the bed and stretched across the mattress to gently grasp his shoulder. “Cam,” she said a little bit louder.
“No! Sage!” His yell was full of anguish and fear. He grabbed Sage’s arm and yanked her onto the mattress.
“Cam!” She cried out, banging into his side. “Stop!”
His eyes flew open, and he sat up quickly, pulling her against his bare chest. “Sage? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She shook her head. “It’s you I’m worried about.” She’d never had vivid or terrifying nightmares, but she’d heard they could really affect a person.
Cam released a ragged breath and cradled her in his arms. “Oh, thank you, Lord.” He rasped out.
Sage didn’t know how to react. She was encircled by his warmth and strength, but she wasn’t sure if he really wanted her here, or was just upset from whatever nightmare he’d been having. He’d said her name, so he must know it was her, but for some reason, she felt like he didn’t realize he was holding her, like he thought she was someone else. She’d awakened from dreams confused before, mad at someone for no reason, or thinking she’d kissed her grisly old neighbor or something crazy.
She glanced up, the outline of his face barely discernible in the darkened room. “Cam, are you sure you’re okay?”
He rocked her gently back and forth, his arms tightening around her. “I am now. I was so scared, Sage. The fire was out of control, and I could see you—” He broke off and exhaled. “It was just a dream, just a dream.”
She didn’t know if he was talking to her or himself. He was dreaming about her? Did that mean anything to her, to them?
“But you’re okay, and I’ve got you now.” Cam wrapped his palm around her cheek, tilted her face, and kissed her before she could even think about a response.
Sage quickly got lost in the kiss. Cam’s commanding presence in everything he did definitely extended to his kissing abilities. He took control, but she wasn’t about to complain. His mouth was warm and pleasure receptors were firing everywhere from her lips to wherever his hands touched. She wrapped her arms around his bare back and held on, savoring the feel of his developed muscles under her fingertips.
Cam released her from the kiss and simply held her close. “Oh, Sage.”
Sage was confused and pretty sure Cam was going to regret his breakdown in the light of day. She pulled back and stared at him. “Cam. What’s going on? Are you sure you’re okay?”
He blinked a couple of times, and then his arms fell away. He swallowed hard and scooted away from her, banging his back on the headboard. “I apologize.” He blew out a long breath. “I … have pretty bad dreams sometimes, and I got confused. Please forgive me.”
As the warmth of his arms and the fire of his kiss dissipated, she was left with nothing but his regret. She pushed off the bed and stood. “No worries. Glad you’re okay.”
“Thanks.”
Sage padded across the wood floor. She glanced back from the entrance to his room. He was in the shadows, so all she could see was his large frame and his arms folded tightly across his muscular chest. He didn’t say anything, and she had no clue how she was supposed to react to all of this. Shutting his door carefully behind her, she hurried back to her bed and slipped into the soft sheets. All she could think about was Cam holding her. He’d been confused and disoriented, kissing her on impulse.
What was her excuse?
Chapter Ten
Cam woke to the sun breaking through the clouds and the smell of bacon and cinnamon that even his damaged senses could appreciate. He’d slept later than he normally would, but that nightmare had flipped him out. He couldn’t go to bed for hours after seeing Sage’s beautiful face in the flames, her calling out to him. No matter how hard he ran, he couldn’t reach her.
Sage. He brushed his hand over his rough cheeks. He’d grabbed her and kissed her last night. The kiss had been better than anything he could dream up. He’d been so relieved that she was okay, that it was all a nightmare, kissing her had seemed like the perfect reaction, and he loved the way she’d returned it. Still, he shouldn’t have done it. There was no excuse for him reacting so impulsively. He was Captain Compton. Always in control of the situation. He’d definitely failed at that last night.
He slipped on his t-shirt, jeans, socks, and shoes then stripped the bed. He put the sheets in the laundry basket and folded the blankets and stacked them on the bed with the pillows, leaving them the same way he’d found them earlier when he had made up the beds. Since the sun was out, he definitely wasn’t going to be staying another night. He shouldn’t feel so depressed at the thought. He’d come here uninvited and definitely shouldn’t overstay a welcome that had never been there.
He eased out of his room and into the bathroom. He felt awkward taking a shower, and he didn’t have clean clothes anyway, so he just washed up the best he could then decided to brave facing Sage.
She was wearing a gray fitted shirt and patterned blue and burgundy running pants today. Facing away from him as she flipped something on the griddle, Cam was able to unabashedly admire the lean lines of her body and her smooth, blonde hair cascading down her back. Was it really fair to the rest of the female population for one woman to be that beautiful?
Turning, she spotted him. Her smile was definitely forced, and he knew he’d ruined things between them yet again.
“Morning lazy bones,” she said. “Hungry?”
“Always.” He gave her a smile that probably wasn’t any more genuine than the one on her face. “Can I help?”
She shook her head quickly. “No, just sit.”
The table already had juice, bacon, cut up strawberries and bananas, butter, and syrup set out. Cam wished he’d woken up earlier so he could help her, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He sat and glanced out the windows, admiring the picturesque view. The snow decorated the deep green pines and sparkled in the rising sun. There were still some low gray clouds hanging around after the storm that gave an amazing contrast.
Sage stepped up next to him and set down a plate of French toast. The sweet cinnamon scent wasn’t as intriguing as the pear perfume he’d come to associate with her the few times he’d been close enough to really smell her.
Her eyes followed where he’d been looking. “Isn’t it pretty outside?”
He focused on her face. “The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
She turned and saw his gaze was on her. Her cheeks went pink. She quickly sat and said, “I’m praying” before offering a short prayer.
Cam filled his plate and enjoyed the delicious food. “Thank you for feeding me again. I’ll cook for you next.”
She smiled. “I’d like that.”
Cam took a drink of juice, thinking maybe there was a chance to have a relationship
with Sage and maybe get a real kiss sometime, not a stolen in the night, half-awake kiss. Though he didn’t mind that one at all.
“What are you thinking?” she asked.
Cam straightened, unnerved by the question and not at all ready to tell her he’d been thinking about how he grabbed her and kissed her last night. Was she mad at him for taking advantage of her vulnerability? He’d gotten the impression she wanted to be in his arms, but maybe he’d read her all wrong.
“Um, this food’s really good.” He took another bite of French toast and then polished off his bacon to prove his point. “Do you cook like this for yourself all the time? Most women I know wouldn’t dream of eating bacon.” A woman who had bacon on hand when she wasn’t planning on anyone else being there but her? He liked it.
“Yes. I like fatty breakfast meats.” Her answer was stiff.
How had he possibly offended her now? Eating bacon was somehow wrong? Sage stood and started carrying leftovers to the counter.
Cam shoved down the rest of his French toast and followed her, helping her clear the table, put food away, and wash the dishes. Unlike last night, there was no feeling of camaraderie as they worked. It was like the crew he’d worked on where two of the guys hated each other, and the whole station just felt cold all the time.
Cam kept racking his brain. Was she mad about the kiss still, or had he said something wrong? This was just another reason why he didn’t go on more than a date or two with the same woman. Who knew what in the world they were thinking?
With the dishes finished, Cam didn’t know what to do with his hands or his mouth. Neither had been a great help in the past twenty-four hours.
Sage was avoiding his eyes. Cam got the feeling she was ready for him to go. Probably past ready. He glanced outside again. “Well, the storm’s broken. Guess it’s safe for me to drive home.”
“Guess so.” She walked toward the front door.
Ouch. Definitely more than ready to shut the door behind his backside. “Are you going to be okay up here by yourself?” he asked.
She turned to face him, and her eyes flashed and darkened at the same time. He loved that deep brown color. “I come up here several times a month all by my lonesome. I don’t need a big, tough firefighter protecting me.”
Cam’s eyes widened, but he thought it was best he left that one alone. He followed her to the door. “Do you explore the trails?”
“Yes, and I have pepper spray, a Taser, and a gun.” She pointed to the entry table. “Don’t worry about me.”
“Okay, good.” Now he was in trouble for trying to be a gentleman. “Well, thank you for everything.”
She nodded.
Cam swung the door open. The air was chilly but not freezing. The snow was already melting and dripping off the roof and their vehicles. “Bye,” he said and walked out onto the porch.
She shut the door behind him without a response.
“Touchy female,” he said under his breath. He hadn’t even reached his truck when the cool breeze on his bare arms reminded him he’d left his sweatshirt hanging on a chair by the fire. His sister had given it to him for Christmas. He felt bad writing off a present, especially one from Caylee, but he wasn’t going back in there to get it.
Chapter Eleven
The next week was busy with school and helping her mom clean out the yard for the spring. Sage had started a very disturbing habit of sleeping with the sweatshirt Cam had left at her cabin. It ticked her off, but every night she found herself curled around his soft Under Armour sweatshirt. Sadly, his musky cologne wore off after night three. She tried multiple times to decide if things went right or wrong with them last Saturday night. She’d taken offense a few times, but had he really intended it? Saying she was six feet tall, well, she was close, and asking if she cooked like this all the time and that most women didn’t eat bacon didn’t necessarily mean he thought she overate and was too big. She was a bigger girl. Her aunt who didn’t have a filter on her mouth had always told her that. “You’re just big boned. It’s all right. Wear it well.” She definitely was taller than, and probably outweighed, most men, but she was active and ate reasonably and thought she looked fine.
Her phone rang Friday at about six as she drove home from slaving in her mom’s yard. She was tired and ready to soak in the tub, make a quick pasta dinner, and go to bed. The screen showed a Facetime call from her brother, Levi. Yes! Her smile was genuine as she tapped on the screen. “Hey, big brother. How’s the desert treating you?”
“It’s miserable. Enough about me. What’s new in your life?”
She laughed. He never wanted to talk about himself or his medical practice on Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. It was actually pretty sad that whatever he was doing was so miserable or hard that he didn’t share it with her, but the way he always said, “Enough about me” never failed to make her laugh since he rarely talked about himself.
“Nothing exciting. Helping Mom get the yard in shape and get the garden plot ready.”
“That definitely isn’t anything exciting. You haven’t talked them into selling that old place yet?”
Sage smiled, knowing Levi loved their “Homestead” as their dad called it as much as she did. Their parents had several acres of yard and garden, and though it was a lot of work, it was worth it.
“Dad doing okay? He keeps lying to me.”
Sage parked her Jeep in the driveway of her little house and climbed out, glad she could focus on Levi’s face now she wasn’t driving. He’d been teased his whole life about being a pretty boy with his flowing blond hair, regal features, and bright blue eyes. He looked like the Prince Charming dolls she used to play with. Most people said the two of them looked a lot alike, though he was one of the few men who made her feel small. She sighed. Cam had made her feel small and feminine until he opened his mouth. If only they could’ve kept kissing and forgot about verbal communication.
“Dad’s doing pretty well. Frustrated that the docs can’t cure him and he can’t help mom more, but he doesn’t seem to be in as much pain with this new medication he’s taking.” Their dad had suffered from severe fibromyalgia for two years now. A retired contractor, he hated not being able to work and move like he used to.
“There’s something weird going on with you right now, sis.”
Sage pushed away from her Jeep and cringed. She turned the camera from her face. “What are you talking about?”
“I don’t want to see your Jeep, I want to see you.”
Sage sighed and lifted the phone back up. “Happy?”
“Yes, my beautiful little sister.”
“We both know I’m not little.”
“Stop that crap, sis. You’re perfect. Every man thinks so. Believe me, I’ve heard about it far too much.”
“Thanks, Levi. I just …” She licked her lips. “I met someone I really like, but he made a few comments about me being tall and about me eating a lot.”
“Whoa. Do I need to kick his trash or what?”
Sage laughed. If Levi had been in the country, he might be the only man she knew who was tough enough to take Cam on, though Cam was thicker. She liked all of Cam’s muscles, maybe a little too much. “No. I don’t think he meant anything by it.”
“I don’t want to say you’re too sensitive about your height.”
“But I am?” She squinted against the bright sun and headed for the porch so she could see Levi better.
“Maybe. Why does it bug you, sis?”
“You don’t know how it is.” She sat in her porch swing. “It’s cool for a man to be tall.”
He sighed. “If only you’d listen to me. You’re beautiful, Sage, and there’s nothing wrong with a woman being tall. If you knew how many times I had to thrash somebody in high school because they were going on about how ‘hot’ you were, you’d believe me.”
Sage smiled. Levi had always been her cheerleader. She could still hear his whoops and loud clapping across the football field when she’d been crowned Homecoming
Queen. She never told him about her first attendant whispering, “Sorry the football captain is a foot shorter than you.” He wasn’t quite a foot, but she had thrown the pictures away.
“So you like this guy?”
“What if I do?” She loved to tease Levi.
“Then you’d better wait until I get home in two months so I can give my approval.”
“Don’t worry. Nothing’s going to happen in two months.”
“A lot can happen in two months, sis.”
His words were too serious and so was the look on his face. Sage lived in constant fear that a lot could happen to him in two months. Even if he wasn’t in physical danger, he’d already changed more than she could’ve imagined. She knew he saw a lot of sad things with both the military personnel he treated and the locals. He’d become more hardened and less happy than she ever thought her brother could be. If this last two months could just be over and done. He could retire if he wanted, start a private practice. Maybe someday, he’d be the carefree, fun brother she used to know. But then again, maybe not. Sometimes life just took the happy out of a person.
“So tell me more about this guy.”
“Like what?” She rocked on the porch swing, and her thoughts fell to that kiss last Saturday night. Cam’s huge pec muscles brushing against her. Her hands exploring the musculature of his back. What had he been wearing? Not much.
“His name for one.”
“Oh.” She started guiltily. Levi would be ticked if he knew everything that had happened Saturday night. “He’s Coach Captain Cameron Christian Compton.”
“Whoa.” Levi chuckled. “Did his parents not like him?”
“I don’t think he has any parents.” She wished she knew more about Cam.
Rescued By Love: Park City Firefighter Romance Page 6