by Leslie North
Mercy watched the exchange and felt a pang of loneliness, missing her own tight-knit family.
“So, how long have you two been dating?” Leila asked, her dark gaze flickering between the two of them.
“Oh, we’re not dating,” Vann said.
“It’s not like that,” Mercy confirmed, her heart sinking just a bit at the admission. Yes, they’d had incredible, mind-blowing sex under the stars, but that didn’t mean she wanted more, did it?
No. Wanting more was silly. It had been a one-time fling, a one-night stand, a way to boost her self-confidence. Hell, Vann had said that upfront. And yet, as she sat across from him, staring into his deep, dark eyes and imagined spending the next few days alone with him, she couldn’t suppress the tingle of excitement racing through her system.
“What program are you taking with my brother’s company?” Leila asked, breaking Mercy out of her thoughts.
“Civilian Defensive Tactics Training.”
“Cool. I’ve watched some of those classes. Looks like fun.”
Mercy winced. “Not exactly fun for me. I’m pretty sure I’m flunking out.”
“She’s petite, like you, Leila. Makes it harder for her to keep up with some of the bulkier participants,” Vann explained. “But we’re working on that.”
Leila crossed her arms and gave Mercy an incredulous look. “That’s bullshit. Don’t let anybody make you feel small just because of your size. Look at me. I’m tinier than you and I don’t take any crap from anybody, do I Vann?”
“Nope.” He grinned. “I can attest to that. She can be a real bi—”
His words were cut off by another smack to the back of his head, courtesy of Leila. “Watch your mouth, bud, and watch how you handle Mercy here too. If she’s helping run Queen Antoinette’s, then she has to be one smart, accomplished woman. Sounds like maybe she needs more confidence in her fighting skills.” She glanced at Mercy then back to Vann again. “And I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you, but I can feel the sparks a mile away. Just don’t go breaking any more hearts, bud. I’ve had enough girls crying into their milkshakes over you to last me a lifetime.”
For the first time since Mercy had met him, Vann looked contrite. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Damn straight.” Leila grinned. “It was so great to meet you, Mercy. Tell your folks I love their food. The shrimp jumbo is my all-time fave.”
“I’ll let my parents know. That recipe came from my grandmother and it’s my mama’s favorite.”
Mercy waved as Leila walked away then looked back across the table to find Vann watching her with his damned inscrutable dark gaze. Just once, she’d like to get inside his head and see what he was really thinking. “What?”
He watched her a moment longer before answering. “Nothing. You about ready to go?”
“Yeah.” She grabbed her bag from the seat next to her. “So, when are we starting our foothills adventure?”
“Tomorrow morning. I’ll text you a list of what to pack. Be packed and ready to go first thing in the morning. I’ll pick you up at six. Dress comfortably. We’ll be hiking a lot.”
Dawn was just breaking over the horizon the next morning when Vann pulled into the parking lot of Mercy’s hotel. As he’d requested, she was waiting for him under the front portico, looking far too adorable for her own good. Honestly, he’d never met a woman who could look so sexy without even trying.
She’d dressed comfortably too, which was good. From her plain gray T-shirt to her beige walking shorts and hiking boots, she seemed ready for his challenge and he hoped she packed everything he told her to bring. She’d even secured her red curls back into a tight ponytail and topped it all off with a Brothers In Arms baseball hat she must’ve bought from their online gift shop when she’d signed up for classes.
She looked determined and driven and desire pumped hot through his veins. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, willing his blood to cool and his pulse to calm. These four days were about her, not about his libido, which for some crazy reason seemed to go into hyper-drive whenever she was around. He’d thought sleeping with her would get Mercy out of his system, but it only seemed to make him more aware of her each time she was near. Aware of her light floral scent, aware of the soft brush of her skin against his, aware of the way pretty pink color rose in her cheeks when she was embarrassed or excited or aroused….
Fuck.
He swerved up to the curb and jammed the transmission into Park, then got out to take her backpack from her and help her into the vehicle. Once they were both settled again, he headed back out onto the highway toward the company compound. “Good Morning.”
“Morning.” She yawned and rubbed her eyes. “Any chance we can stop for coffee on the way? I didn’t have time to grab any in the lobby this morning.”
“Sure thing.” He swung into the nearest drive-thru and they each got a much-needed dose of caffeine to start the day. “I hope you packed a sweatshirt.”
“I did.”
“You’d be surprised,” he said, accelerating down the open highway. This early in the morning there was virtually no traffic; another bonus of being an early riser. “It can get pretty chilly at night in the foothills.”
“Huh.” She sipped her coffee and stared out the window beside her, a stray wisp of hair slipping free of her ponytail to bounce near her ear. Vann fisted his hand tight over the steering wheel to resist the crazy urge to reach over and tuck it behind her ear. Touching her, outside of training, was strictly off-limits now. He’d seduced her once already and all that had done was complicate things. Now, he was taking her out into the wilderness alone and they’d both need all their attention focused on survival, not sex. If anything happened to her, either here on this trip or later after she left to go overseas, he’d never forgive himself.
They pulled into the compound parking lot a few minutes later and he spotted Jace’s truck parked near the office entrance. With Mark out of commission because of his hand and Vann going off with Mercy, that would leave Jace in charge of the compound. He’d requested the guy meet him here so they could go over everything before he and Mercy set out on their trek today.
After pulling into his assigned spot, Vann got out and helped Mercy from the Humvee, then grabbed their stuff. “I just need to run inside the office for a minute to see Jace, and then we can get started. Do you need to use the facilities before we leave?”
“Yeah, I probably should,” she said as they walked inside the office. Mercy waved to Jace as she walked by his desk on her way to the bathroom in the corner. “Good morning.”
“Howdy.” Jace smiled, tracking her movements across the room, and Vann felt the sudden need to throttle his best bud.
A hot stab of unexpected possessiveness jabbed Vann’s chest and he growled low in his throat. “Don’t look at her that way.”
“What way, dude?” Jace snorted. “I was just being friendly.”
“You’ll get friendly with my fist in a minute if you don’t quit ogling her.”
“Ogling?” Jace shook his head, his grin widening. “Shit, dude. You got it bad.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Vann stalked over to his desk and grabbed his class binders to go over the training curriculum with Jace. He had no business feeling possessive of Mercy. She was his student and he was her teacher. That was it. Still, that sharp sting of jealousy continued to claw inside him, despite his wishes. “You sure you’re okay handling this place alone for a few days?”
“It’s all good, bro.” Jace leaned back and kicked his booted feet up on the desk once they’d gone over all the training syllabi. “I’m looking forward to some peace and quiet for a change.”
Mark had called the day before to let them know he and Geneva were finally going to take that time away she’d been bugging him about for weeks. They were driving up the coast to San Francisco so Geneva could check in with her bosses at the newspaper she freelanced for and then they were going to spend a few
days in a bed and breakfast and take in some sights. Vann was glad. The guy worked far too hard and pushed himself more than he should.
Not that he knew anything about that. Nope. Not at all.
Mercy came out of the bathroom and Vann walked her back toward the exit, stopping to toss Jace the keys to the Humvee along the way. “All my class plans are in my top drawer. They’re scheduled to finish up close combat today and test out of it, and then move on to escapes and abductions.”
“Don’t worry, dude. I got this all under control.” Jace stood and raised a hand to them in farewell. “Just keep your cell phone charged. I’ll call you if I see anything hinky happening.”
Vann nodded and ushered Mercy out the door. The sun was just cresting over the foothills in the distance. He’d mapped out where he thought a good spot would be for them to set up camp—on a small clearing near the river running through the area about three miles outside of the compound. It would give Mercy a chance to try out her rock climbing on the foothills, practice her water rescue skills in the river, and allow him to remain close enough to the compound to patrol the borders from the other side and hopefully discover the identity of their stalkers before any more harm was done.
He helped Mercy into her backpack then slung his over one shoulder and the bag containing their tent over the other before cocking his head toward the hills in the distance. “Let’s go.”
An hour later, they crested the top of the nearest foothill. Mercy had marched quietly at his side the whole time, not saying a word.
Now, she held her hand over her eyes and scanned the area below, all baked browns with splashes of green nearer to the river. “This is a great view.”
“Yeah.” Vann had always loved coming up here. Made him feel more in touch with his roots again. Getting back to nature calmed him and helped him think through his problems. Back when they’d first started the business, he’d scouted this area for the guys, helping them choose the best acreage for the company. The foothills, though, held a special place in his heart. He loved coming out here on weekends when he wasn’t busy working to spend time alone. This was the first time he’d brought anyone here, but it somehow seemed right that it was Mercy by his side. He pointed to a small clearing near the shores of the river. “We’ll be staying there.”
If his statement surprised her at all, Mercy hid it well. “Cool.”
The way down was a bit trickier for her and Vann had to stop several times to steady her when her feet slipped on loose stones on the steep hillside.
Near the bottom, she skidded into the back of him once more and they both nearly tumbled to the bottom in a heap. Luckily, Vann caught her against him and saved them from what would surely have been a painful fall. He stared down into her startled turquoise eyes and whispered, “Careful.”
Her full lips parted and her cheeks flushed and he bent his head toward her before he could stop himself. Tasting those lips once more wouldn’t hurt anything, would it? There was no one out here to see them, no one out here to stop them.
Just don’t go breaking anymore hearts, bud….
Leila’s words from the night before rang through Vann’s head and he summoned all his willpower, setting Mercy away from him before he kissed her silly. He had no business touching her like that again. None. The sooner he remembered that, the better. “Okay?”
She nodded and he let go of her shoulders.
“C’mon. And watch your step. We might not be that far from civilization, but it would still take a while for emergency services to reach us if you break something. You need to learn first aid, but not that way.”
Mercy followed him down to the bottom of the slope, then through the oaks toward the banks of the river, which was more than thirty feet across and a depth of at least four feet. Some of the surrounding vineyards had even built small dams at several places upstream for irrigation purposes. It had a pretty good current too, at least based on the constant rush of water near Vann’s feet, though the water level was lower than normal due to the recent droughts.
At the clearing, he dropped his enormous, heavy-looking backpack on the ground then dumped out the supplies to pitch their tent from the other bag he’d carried slung over his shoulder. Mercy watched him with raised brows, and then smiled. “We need to set that up?”
“Only if you want a warm place to sleep tonight.” He knelt on the ground to dig out the poles. “You ever slept in a tent before, suyeta?”
“Yep.” She crouched on the other side and grabbed the other pole, quickly assembling it.
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.” She watched while he threaded the nylon tent over a pole then stood and did the same. “I didn’t have to set anything up though. It was all done for us by the rental company.”
“Rental camping?” He wrinkled his nose.
“Yeah.” She chuckled and held the tent upright while he secured it to the base. “Back east they call it glamping.”
Vann got the tent staked to the ground then stood back to survey his work. With her surprisingly adept help, they’d gotten the thing together in record time. Maybe this camping idea would be good for her after all. “Never heard of glamping.”
“It’s glamorous camping. Fancy tents, gourmet meals, expensive wine.” She smiled. “I’m guessing this time will be a bit different though.”
“You guessed correctly, suyeta.” He grinned too. Couldn’t help himself. God, he loved being outdoors. “Okay, our shelter is done. Next, we need to set up an area for cooking and bathing.”
“What about an area for ‘other’ things?” She used air quotes for emphasis.
He pointed to the trees behind them. “Behold, your latrine.”
Her shoulders slumped slightly. “Right. Okay, I can deal.” She set her backpack on the ground and scrounged around inside for a moment before standing once more with a grin. “Voila.” In her hand was a roll of toilet paper. “Told you I packed smart.”
Vann snorted and pulled out a plastic bag from the side of his pack. “Here.”
“What’s that for?” Mercy took the bag, frowning.
“The used paper. No littering.”
She cringed. “Right. Guess I didn’t think that part through.”
“Yeah. It’s either in the bag or dig a hole and bury it. Your choice.”
So much for any romance that might be lingering in the air. He bit back a laugh and pulled out a small shovel then handed it to her. “Use it to dig a fire pit.” He pointed to an area close to the river. “Over there.”
“Yes, sir.” She gave him a mock salute then started digging. Vann had checked the local fire restrictions website last night and found they were in the clear to have an open fire even though things were drier than usual in the area.
Ten minutes later, she was sweaty and swearing, but had dug a decent sized pit for cooking and warmth. She gave him back his shovel along with a tired stare. “Anything else or can I rest a minute?”
“Rest a moment. Then we can unpack and get started on today’s lessons.”
She held the back of her hand to her head like she was going to pass out. “Be still my heart.”
“Hey, you’re the one who wants to pass this program, right?” Vann raised a brow at her.
Peeking one eye open, Mercy squinted at him. “Yes.”
“Then rest up while you can. We’ve still got a long day of training ahead of us.”
“And here I thought you might take it easier on me since we’re out here alone.”
Vann winked at her and carried his stuff to the tent. “You should know me better than that, suyeta. Now that I’ve got you all to myself, I can do all sorts of wicked things.”
9
When Vann had mentioned doing wicked things to her earlier, Mercy had imagined all sorts of naughty erotic stuff. Never in a million years had she pictured this—floating alone in an inflatable raft in the middle of a rushing river with no paddle and no way to reach the shore. The river wasn’t super deep, maybe three o
r four feet Vann had told her, but the currents were strong and could easily sweep her away if she wasn’t careful, so wading was out.
Had she mentioned she hated water? Cause yeah, she did.
“What am I supposed to do here?” she yelled to Vann who watched her from the shore.
“Learn to think fast, trust yourself and your abilities,” he shouted back.
Nice. This was so not turning out to be her day. Not turning out to be her week, or even her month, honestly. Whatever fantasies she’d had about her and Vann perhaps spending a few quiet days together getting to know each other, perhaps talking about what had happened between them the other night and deciding where to go from there, were dead in the water—pun intended.
Because dead in the water was exactly where she’d be right now if this scenario were actually the real thing. God, at least her brothers couldn’t see her now. Bad enough they’d humiliated her countless times on family vacations to their nearby lakeside cottage. Her brothers were all accomplished swimmers and divers. Mercy had taken classes too, but then her brothers had taken her out one day and dumped her in the middle of the lake and ditched her, way too far for her to swim back on her own. She’d been traumatized ever since. Yeah, her parents already hypervigilant over her had only gotten worse since then. Maybe their actions were understandable given that she’d been a preemie baby—born small and with many health problems she’d eventually outgrown, thankfully—but still.
Fat lot of good living in a bubble had done her now.
Soaked to the bone and shivering wasn’t necessarily her best look and she’d really wanted to impress Vann this time.
Dammit, dammit, dammit.
“Do something for Christ’s sake, Mercy!” Vann shouted, his tone growing more impatient. “If you just sit there like that you’ll only get shot or die of sun exposure.”
Teeth gritted, she searched around the raft for something she could use to pull herself to shore. All that was in the boat with her was what she’d had on her at the time Vann had tossed her in here and shoved the boat off the shore with his foot, which consisted of nothing but the clothes on her back.