His shoulders tensed.
I tentatively put a hand on his forearm. His muscles bunched, and his heat seared my skin. Another rush of desire, so strong it made my knees weak, shot through me. “So…you don’t want me seeing Dean?”
He gritted his teeth. “No. I guess I don’t.”
“Why?”
He shook his head but didn’t say anything.
“Flint. Please tell me what’s going on.”
He raked a hand through his hair again. “I don’t know.” He sighed harshly. “It’s just…” His silence stretched.
“Just what?”
He refused to meet my gaze. “That first day when we picked you up…something…changed in me when I saw you.”
For a moment all I could do was breathe shallowly. I still had my hand on his arm. I was acutely aware of his hot, smooth skin. “Is that why you ignored me when I got in the Suburban?”
He gave the barest hint of a nod.
“And that’s why you barely speak to me, unless you have to?”
Another slight nod.
“Right.” I dropped my hand and gazed out over the pastures. I couldn’t think when I touched him. Nighttime sounds drifted to us. Crickets, the wind, a distant vehicle on the county road.
“I should probably go,” he said.
My stomach sank. “Don’t.”
He tensed again.
“Talk to me. Don’t leave like this.”
He was about to reach his hand to his hair when I grabbed it. Energy exploded off him. “Whoa,” I murmured. “You have no idea what’s coming off you right now.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your cloud is so strong. I can feel it. You’re the only person I can feel like that.”
“Really?”
“I could feel you at the fire, when you were hiding behind that tree, and I felt when you followed Dean and me back here. I knew you were there.”
Flint groaned quietly. “Well, shit, that’s embarrassing.”
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. Once again, I’d never seen him so unsure and I swear he just blushed. In the moonlight, his cheeks visibly darkened.
“It makes me feel better when I can feel you,” I admitted.
“It does?”
“Yeah, you’re not the only one who felt something when we met. I…ah…got a feeling off you too.”
His voice deepened. “What kind of feeling?”
“When I first saw you, something came over me…I felt…safe. Like you’d never let anyone hurt me.”
“I wouldn’t.”
“I know.”
The silence stretched again. I let go of his hand even though I loved how it felt. Taking a deep breath, I finally got the courage to ask him something I’d been wondering all day. “Did you really spend last night outside our cabin?”
His forehead furrowed. “How’d you know that?”
“Jacinda.”
He snorted. “Figures.”
“She thought you were keeping watch – over me.”
He didn’t respond.
“Were you?”
“Yes.”
“You mean you weren’t concerned for everyone’s safety?”
He smiled humorlessly. “I suppose I should have been. But no, if you want the honest answer, I was only worried about you.”
“What about Di?”
“Di?”
“Isn’t she your…girlfriend…or whatever?”
Flint’s eyes widened. His mouth actually dropped. “Di? My girlfriend?”
I squirmed. “I just thought…I mean I wasn’t sure since you two always hang out together.”
“That doesn’t mean she’s my girlfriend.”
“Oh.”
“Lena, I think Di’s my sister.”
Now it was my turn to look stunned. “Your sister?”
“Haven’t you noticed how similar we are? We’re both tall, have dark eyes and olive skin. Even our personalities are similar. Both natural leaders, keep to ourselves, don’t always get along with others.”
“Um, now that you mention it.” A warm rush of relief washed through me.
He chuckled. We stood staring at one another for a moment. I was acutely aware of every second. Finally, he grunted, “So are you dating Dean?”
“No.”
His energy noticeably subsided. “Good. Keep it that way.”
The possessive tone in his voice surprised me. I wanted to ask him why he didn’t want me dating Dean, but then I heard voices. Footsteps on gravel accompanied the voices and then the thump of people climbing the porch.
“Di and Jacinda are back,” Flint said. A breeze ruffled his thoroughly mussed hair. I wanted to reach up and smooth it. I barely stopped my fingers.
“Yeah, I hear.”
“It’s late. We should probably turn in.”
Disappointment swelled in me. I cleared my throat. “Yeah, of course.”
We walked to the front of the cabin. Our arms brushed each other’s. The slight contact sent desire racing through me.
At the bottom of the porch steps, he turned to face me. The porch light illuminated his dark eyes and that deep emotion that still swirled in them. He wasn’t shielding anything right now. His energy had also picked up again, but it was more controlled, like soft waves instead of the fierce power it’d been earlier.
“What are you doing tomorrow night after work?” he asked.
His eyes and scent made my head swim. “Um, nothing, I don’t think.”
“Do you want to go somewhere with me? Just the two of us?”
I stopped breathing. “Yes.”
He smiled, a small crooked smile that looked sexy as hell. “I’ll see you then.”
And with that, he was gone.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The next morning, I woke early and lay in bed going over every detail from the night before.
Flint didn’t want me dating Dean. He’d actually admitted that.
I turned on my side and stared at the wall. A sheet rock screw had popped. I picked at it and snuggled deeper under the warm covers. Flint had also followed me from the dining room to the bonfire. After that, he’d raced to my side when Dean kissed me. He’d been angry at the thought of me with Dean. That poor wildflower had taken the brunt of his aggression.
I muffled a giggle and smiled into my pillow.
By the time I got up, I had to scramble. Scents of brewing coffee wafted into the room. I knew Di was at the kitchenette. The blow dryer sounded in the bathroom. Jacinda was probably putting the finishing touches on her hair. As for me, I threw on the first thing I picked up. Jeans and a t-shirt. I almost fell over as I hurriedly stuffed my legs in the pants.
“Lena!” Di called from the living room. “Get moving. We gotta go!”
That’s right. It was Val’s day off today. All three of us were working. “Coming!” I tried to call quietly.
Mica grumbled in her sleep and buried her head under her covers. I nearly tripped trying to get out of the room. Mica was as messy as me. Our stuff lay everywhere.
When Di, Jacinda and I finally walked out the front door, the last thing I expected was what greeted us on the porch.
Flint sat on the swing.
One foot rocked the swing, while the other sat idle. He was staring at the sunrise, but his gaze honed onto me as soon as I passed through the door. I could tell his presence took all of us by surprise, although Di tried to act like it was perfectly normal as she turned to lock the door. However, Jacinda and I both stared, wide-eyed.
When my brain actually worked enough to do something, I looked out across the ranch. I didn’t know what else to do. Flint was here, on our porch, but why? The sun burned on the horizon, the breeze cool. A blur of movement swirled the air at my side.
Flint stood beside me.
Startled, I anxiously assessed our surroundings, wondering if anyone had seen him move that fast. No one else was out. It always seemed Flint knew when he could and couldn’t move at his s
peed. The times he did, not a soul could be seen. Well, except for last night, when he’d been unable to control himself after Dean kissed me. I smiled inwardly.
Flint’s scent flowed like a soft caress across my skin. I resisted the urge to close my eyes and inhale. Peeking up at him, I mumbled, “Hello.”
His response was to clasp my hand and pull me toward the steps. My heart stopped. It was only then I remembered we weren’t alone. Di and Jacinda both watched, mouths open.
“Coming?” Flint called.
They kicked into action, and we all began walking toward the main house. Nobody said a thing. This was definitely going to be an awkward five minutes.
Jacinda broke the ice a few steps later. “Nice morning, don’t you think?”
“Pretty sunrise,” Di commented.
“Yeah, lots of colors,” Jacinda said.
Flint’s fingers curled around mine. They were hard, calloused, and warm. I couldn’t manage a reply to the sunrise conversation.
Flint, of course, remained silent. Di and Jacinda eyed each other and took a big step forward, then another. Slowly, they got farther and farther ahead.
“You sleep okay?” Flint asked when we fell behind. Our arms brushed each other’s. That small sensation sent tingles along my nerves. He was still holding my hand.
“Um, yeah, fine. You?” I replied.
“Really good.”
I swallowed self-consciously. “Well…it probably helps that you didn’t slink around our cabin all night.”
He smiled. “I might have gotten up a few times to check on you.”
My eyes shot to his. From the teasing glint in his gaze, I couldn’t tell if he was serious or not. When we got to the main house, he stopped and faced me. I held my breath, unsure of what he’d do.
Another crooked smile greeted me. “Have a good day.”
I tried to reply. All that came out was an unintelligible sound.
“See you tonight,” he added. “I’ll pick you up at nine.” With that, he turned and walked away.
I SPENT THE entire day watching the clock. The morning crawled by. The afternoon wasn’t any better. Since things ended awkwardly with Dean last night, I didn’t go to the barn on my break. I felt guilty about that. I knew sooner or later I’d have to face him and try to smooth things over, but today wasn’t that day.
Consequently, I practically paced the cabin for the entire four hours in the afternoon. My nerves didn’t abate one bit when we went back to work at supper.
By the time eight o’clock finally rolled around, I was so anxious I ran back to the cabin. Given I still had an hour until Flint was due to arrive, I had enough time to mull over what to wear. Of course, Jacinda approved whole-heartedly.
With her help, I chose fitted jeans and a green sweater that matched my eyes. Since I figured we’d be somewhere on the ranch, I anticipated being outside. Mica suggested I tie my hair up in case it got windy. I hesitated. Fingering my curls would give my hands something to do.
“I think I’ll keep it down,” I replied.
“Suit yourself,” Mica shrugged.
“What about shoes?” I asked.
“Definitely hiking boots.” Mica lounged on her bottom bunk. “Then you’re ready for anything.”
Jacinda snorted. “Hiking boots? No.” She rummaged through my closet and pulled out my lone pair of heels. “These would look great with skinny jeans, but we may need to change your top…” She bit her lip.
I snatched the hiking boots off the floor. “These will do!”
Running from the room, I escaped to the couch. Di merely quirked an eyebrow when I plopped next to her. The title of the book she was reading, Amnesia – The Mystery behind the Secrets Within was visible from where I sat. I was pretty sure Di had raided the entire medical section in Little Raven’s small public library. Last week, she’d been reading, The Science of Memory.
I hurriedly pulled the boots on. I was about to ask Di if she’d discovered anything to explain our memory loss when a knock rapped on the front door. All of the blood drained from my face. My gaze flew to the clock. I gulped.
It was nine o’clock.
My heart pounded as I walked to the door. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw Jacinda and Mica take my place on the couch, which of course gave them an unobstructed view of the front door. Casting them an irritated look, Mica merely grinned.
“Well, don’t keep him waiting!” she called.
Taking a deep breath, I opened the door. The second my eyes met Flint’s, I stopped breathing. He lounged casually against the door frame and smelled freshly showered. That mix of spice, wood and tangerines wafted toward me. His chestnut hair curled at the ends. It was still slightly damp. A clean, flannel button up shirt stretched across his broad chest. Worn jeans hugged his lean hips, and an old tattered, wool blanket was tucked under one arm.
He stood at the threshold, not coming in. Instead, he held out his hand.
It took me a moment to understand I was supposed to take it. I was glad my back blocked my shaking fingers from view.
“Ready?” Flint asked.
“Bye!” I called over my shoulder.
Flint pulled me onto the porch. Just as the door closed, Mica yelled, “Have fun!”
A few muffled laughs followed. I gritted my teeth and tried to stop the nervousness that churned my stomach. My free hand was already pulling a curl.
The porch creaked as we walked to the steps.
“Where are we going?” I was glad I’d worn a sweater. The evening air was chilly.
“You’ll see.”
We hopped down the stairs and walked toward the upper barn. A few stars appeared amidst the wispy clouds. The air was fresh, scents of grass and milkweed on the breeze. Our feet tramped softly on the gravel. I wondered if we were going for a ride. I’d never done an evening horseback ride before, but just as we reached the big hill to the upper barn, Flint propelled me farther to the left.
“I was thinking we could go to this place I found,” he said.
Night sounds drifted in the breeze. I tucked a strand a hair behind my ear. “Um, sure. What place?”
“It’s a few miles from here.”
Good thing I wore the hiking boots. “Sure, this way?” I angled my head to the left. I was about to start walking when Flint reached out. His hand closed over my forearm. Tingles immediately raced along my arm.
“It will probably take an hour to walk there. It’d be faster if I carried you.”
“Carried me?”
“May I?”
I had no idea what he was asking so just nodded. Before I could blink, the air rushed around me and the next thing I knew, I was astride his back, piggyback style. “Whoa,” I managed at the sudden movement.
“Can you hold this?” He handed me the blanket.
“Ah, okay.” I placed it between us.
“Hold on.” He wrapped my legs securely around his waist.
He wasn’t kidding. A second later, we were flying.
I wrapped my arms tightly around his chest. His arms pumped at his sides. In no time, we were in the forest. I had no idea any human could move so fast. The night air flew by. Cool, fresh air burst across my face.
Surprisingly, riding on Flint’s back was smooth, even when he leaped over logs or darted around trees. His joints were liked well-oiled hinges, his legs strong as steel. Steady breaths rushed in and out of his lungs. The incredible speed at which he ran seemed to barely affect him.
It couldn’t have been more than five minutes before we came to an abrupt halt. The jolting stop almost pitched me over his shoulders. Luckily, he had my legs gripped tightly around him.
Carefully, Flint set me down. It appeared we were in a large clearing.
“Where are we?” My legs wobbled for a moment. He reached out to steady me before taking the blanket and spreading it across the long grass.
“About three miles west.” His deep voice carried in the breeze.
“Are we still on the ranch
?”
“Near the perimeter.”
After the blanket was fully settled, he sat down. The fast run hadn’t fazed him. Sweat didn’t line his face. Harsh breaths didn’t raise his chest. Flint reached up and held out his hand. “Care to join me?”
I tried to nod but couldn’t breathe. How had he run that fast with me? And how could he seem so relaxed and confident when it felt like my stomach would flip right over? The picture he painted sitting on the blanket with his hand outstretched made my head spin. It seemed the cool, confident Flint I knew was back. It was like the nervous, unsure one from last night never existed.
“Lena?” he asked in that deep tone of his.
“Right, sorry.” The instant my hand joined his, I was lying on the ground beside him. He’d moved like lightning again, picking me up and laying me beside him, like I weighed no more than a jar of Val’s pickled green beans.
“Wow,” I muttered. “It’s a good thing I don’t get motion sickness.”
His eyes widened. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
As my eyes adjusted to the dark sky, the silence stretched. I played with my hair again. Flint lay only inches away. I felt his gaze on me.
“Um, so…how was your day?” I asked.
“Good. Just the usual, mending fences, moving cattle. You?”
“Yeah, good too. Same as you really, just the usual.” I stumbled over the words and wanted to kick myself. I bet Jacinda hadn’t batted an eye on her first date with Huxley. I wished I could be more like her.
Flint was watching me with a smile on his face. Once again, the curtain was wide open. A deep emotion glinted in his irises.
“What?” I raised a hand to straighten my hair. Were snarls flying all over?
“Nothing, just you.”
“Just me, what?”
His lips tugged up more. He shook his head. “You just have this way about you. One minute you’ve got a smart comment on the tip of your tongue, but the next you’re nervous about your hair, or carrying on some silent conversation with yourself.”
I made a face. “How do you know that?”
“Your expression changes. I can only imagine what you’re thinking.”
My eyes widened. “Oh, well–”
“I like that about you.”
Forgotten (The Lost Children Trilogy Book 1) Page 14