by Rachel Grant
She snuggled closer with her hands pressed flat on his chest. They weren’t as cold as they’d been earlier. Her cheeks were already losing the bluish tinge in favor of a pink glow, but she was sleepy, her body seeking hibernation to conserve resources. He pulled her tighter and unhooked her bra, determined to rid her of the last of her wet clothing.
Her eyes remained closed as she slid her hands over his chest in a sensual exploration, tracing muscles. She made a low purring sound and shifted to cup his ass, which was still covered by wet cotton briefs.
He wanted nothing more than to enjoy the feel of her hands on his body, but his conscience made him pull back. Her brow furrowed, but she didn’t open her eyes. “Closer,” she murmured.
“No, Iz. You’re half-asleep and hypothermic. You don’t know what you’re doing.”
“Please, Alec. Warm me.” Her lips pressed to his chest, his throat, then moved upward and sought his mouth.
Damn, how he wanted to go there. But he wouldn’t. Couldn’t. Not this way. “I am, honey. But that’s all I’m gonna do.”
With a sleepy yet somehow wicked smile, she slid a hand between them and stroked his unwilling erection through his damp briefs. Jesus, he was hypothermic and exhausted, yet she gave him a woody that could put the Washington Monument to shame.
But this wasn’t consent, and he wasn’t some asshole who couldn’t tell the difference. He lifted her hand from his cock and turned her over, so he could spoon against her back, keeping her warm but limiting her access to body parts that were more than eager for her touch. “Just let me hold you, Iz.”
She wiggled her ass against his erection, and he groaned. He tightened his arm around her hips, limiting the friction she could create, and nipped at her neck. “If you don’t stop, I’ll get out of the bed.”
She stilled immediately, indicating she might be more awake and aware of what she was doing than he suspected, but that didn’t weaken his resolve. He held her tight, being careful to place his hands well away from erogenous zones—and slowly her body relaxed against him as she drifted into a deep sleep.
When he was certain her core temperature was near normal, he gently extracted himself from her side and the bed. He tucked the thick blankets around her. Her hair had dried and splayed across the pillow in a sexy tumble.
God, how he wanted her. She was strong and brave and smart. She made him laugh, and when he watched her kneel by the marker where Vin died, he’d wanted to cry for her too. He could fall in love with her if he weren’t careful. But for now, he just wanted her. To make her laugh and take away her tears and to give her pleasure. But it would have to wait for a time when she was fully cognizant of the choice she was making.
He’d meant it when he told her it was her move. She still didn’t quite trust him.
He turned to the hearth and added another log to the fire. He rubbed a hand over his face as he considered what to do next. He needed to radio the compound. Operatives on ATVs could pick them up. They both needed dry clothes and Isabel needed boots. He glanced at his own boots and frowned. He also needed laces, although the parachute cord in his pack would serve in a pinch.
Who the hell could he trust to bring them clothes and an ATV?
He and Isabel had been hit with infrasound in a stealth attack at the most vulnerable moment of the lengthy hike, leaving him to wonder if they’d been followed, or if someone had been lying in wait, knowing he’d take her to the river where Vin crossed.
Was that what had happened to Vin? Had he been chased across the river, but instead of swimming, he’d finished his crossing and tried to lose his pursuer in the woods?
On that side of the river, he’d had no cabin to escape to, and having lost his pack when he fell into the icy water as a light snow fell, his fate was sealed. Whoever hunted Vin probably didn’t even have to follow to know he’d meet his death on the opposite bank, which explained the single set of footprints barely visible in the snow.
Alec was certain he, Isabel, and Vincent had all been hit with infrasound. The question was, who had done it? And why?
Chapter Sixteen
Isabel woke slowly, a gradual easing into consciousness. She rolled to her side to take in the room and get her bearings, gazing through lashes to hide that she was more awake than asleep. The cabin was dim, cozy, and smelled like chocolate. Alec crouched in front of the hearth, a fire poker in his hands as he rearranged flaming logs that didn’t need rearranging.
She remembered everything—the kiss by the river, the frigid water, his hands on her skin as he held her tight—but most importantly, she remembered running her hands over his body, over his erection, and the intense want that had coursed through her. Even now her body hummed with need. Not generic arousal. No. She wanted Alec Ravissant, and that desire filled her with shame.
Evening sun spilled onto the floor in front of the windows. The only other light in the cabin came from the fire, which lit Alec with a warm, dancing glow. She opened her eyes fully to take in the sight. He was beautiful. Shirtless. The golden light played across his bare skin. Hard, corded muscle formed thick shoulders, and his wide chest tapered to a narrow waist. He’d been out of the Army for at least three years, but clearly he’d kept up with the hard physical training he’d maintained as a Ranger.
The display of firelight on muscle was magnificent. She wanted to grab a mug of hot chocolate—which must be the warm, sweet scent that filled the room—and watch him for hours.
He turned and met her gaze. “You’re awake.” The words were soft. Concerned. “How do you feel?”
“Cold.” Regret shot through her. She shouldn’t have been flip. What if he offered to warm her again? She couldn’t say yes but didn’t want to say no.
He nodded toward the hearth. “Move closer to the fire.”
She gathered the comforter around her naked body and scooted to the edge of the bed. The room shifted as her head swam. Okay. She still wasn’t one hundred percent. With the blanket clutched tightly around her, she approached the hearth, wondering if it was the flames or the man she was drawn toward.
Both had irresistible heat and the power to burn her.
She stopped short of the circle of heat. Alec set the poker in the rack and turned to her. He grabbed the edges of the down comforter where they met at her breastbone and stepped backward, drawing her into the warmest spot in the room.
The comforter had a slick, satiny texture against her bare skin, the pleasurable sensation intensified with proximity to Alec. She cleared her throat. “How long did I sleep?”
“About two and a half hours.”
“You missed your meeting with the new guy at the compound.”
He shrugged. “You needed to rest and get your core temperature up.”
“I’m sorry I…came on to you the way I did.” She felt her face flush; more proof her core temperature was back to normal.
Alec’s carnal grin made her body flush even more. “I’m not.” The hands gripping the comforter tightened, causing the cloth to rub against her nipples, igniting an ache for something more. “And I hope you didn’t take my action as rejection. Make no mistake, Isabel; I want you. Very much. But you were in no condition to consent.”
She’d been one hundred percent aware of what she was doing. The hypothermia had merely given her an excuse to ignore the voice of reason. Now that she was warm again, she was bereft of ways to quell her conscience. “For two people who are supposed to be enemies, we’ve spent a lot of time in each other’s arms in the last few days.”
“Darling, I’m not your enemy. I never have been.” He released the comforter and stepped back, the hard line of his jaw indicating her words had irked him.
It was probably better that way. She was feeling far too close and comfortable with him. It had to stop. She faced the fire. Gripping the blanket with one hand, she slipped her other arm out, exposing a shoulder, and reached toward the flames to warm her fingers.
Behind her, Alec made a sound low in his throat. A
tiger sort of noise—neither growl nor purr, but somehow, both.
She glanced over her shoulder and caught the raw desire in his eyes. She reached for the blanket to cover her shoulder, causing it to gap even more.
Alec grinned and sat on the couch. “No. Don’t cover yourself. I like the way the firelight matches your hair and makes your skin glow. I can handle looking without touching.”
She pulled the blanket up. “Sounds like a dangerous game.”
“I’m okay with dangerous.”
She turned to fully face him, and stepped forward, loosening her grip on the blanket as she moved, so it slipped down, revealing both shoulders and the tops of her breasts. “Well then, this could be fun.”
Alec groaned. “I take it back. I’m not cut out for the rules you play by.”
She pulled up the blanket and returned to the fire, which was strangely colder than standing bare-shouldered in front of Alec. “Without condoms, it’s game over anyway.”
“Honey, there’s a helluva lot we can do without condoms.”
Her body flooded with heat as her mind ran through all the things he could do to her with hands and mouth, and she was even more turned on by thoughts of the things she could do to him. The urge to kneel before him in the firelight and take him into her mouth was almost overwhelming. She wanted to feel his cock against her tongue, to make him groan her name as she sucked on him.
She flushed as she realized she’d just licked her lips while staring at the bulge of his sweatpants. She met his gaze, and his eyes held raw hunger. His nostrils flared. He must know what she’d imagined; he’d probably envisioned something similar.
She wanted to revel in his heat, explore every hard inch of him, and feed his hunger.
“Also…we do have condoms.” His voice was a deep rumble of sound. She felt the vibration in her solar plexus. “In the supply closet, between the first aid kit and spare clothing.”
She blew out a breath. Clothing. Yes. Focus on that. Clothing was armor to protect against base desires she’d only regret giving in to. “There’s dry clothes?” But of course there were; dry, clean sweatpants tented over his erection. Her gaze traveled over his sculpted abs and hard pecs as she remembered the play of firelight across his perfect torso. “Would it have killed you to put on a shirt?”
He chuckled and stood, then scooped an item from the side table. “There was only one shirt and one pair of sweatpants, and I figured you’d want the shirt.” He held up a large hooded University of Alaska sweatshirt that was long enough to reach her upper thighs. He reached for the drawstring on his sweatpants. “But we can trade if you prefer.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ll take the sweatshirt, thanks.”
He winked at her. “I knew I should have taken the shirt when I had the chance.” He handed her the hoodie. “Why don’t you get dressed while I heat up some soup for you?”
She nodded and turned to make a beeline for the bathroom, but he caught her around the waist. His lips brushed against her collarbone, exposed because the blanket slipped again when she grabbed the shirt. “It’s just as well we won’t make use of the condoms now. We need to head back to the compound. I’ve got work to do.”
She nodded, relieved. She wasn’t ready to jump into bed with Alec Ravissant, no matter how much her raging desire said otherwise. But still, she might tuck a few condoms in the pocket of the hoodie. And in her backpack. And maybe in Alec’s backpack too.
Alec considered going back to the frigid river and taking another swim to cool his raging libido, but if he remembered correctly, even hypothermia hadn’t kept him down when he had Isabel naked in his arms. He entered the small kitchen and grabbed a dehydrated soup packet and added the requisite hot water from the instant hot tap.
It was reasonable to let Isabel sleep until she got her core temperature up, but the verbal foreplay after she woke had been irresponsible. He had a crap-ton of work to do to figure out what was going on and he needed to ensure the compound was safe and secure for the upcoming training. He didn’t have time to obsess over the woman who’d somehow managed to become the focal point of this trip.
While the soup hydrated, he used the cabin radio to contact the compound again. Isabel stepped out of the bathroom wearing the extra-large hoodie and sported a towel around her hips. One look at her and he knew staying in the cozy cabin longer than necessary would be far too tempting. He instructed the compound radio operator to send out a team on ATVs to pick them up, and told them to bring clothing and boots in both their sizes. He raised an eyebrow at Isabel, and she gave him her shoe size, which he relayed to the compound, then signed off.
Soon they’d have company, until then, he needed to keep his libido in line. “Soup’s on,” he said, nodding toward the kitchen.
“Thanks.”
“There’s also hot water for coffee or tea.”
She cocked her head. “I thought I smelled hot chocolate?”
Alec felt his face flush. “Uh, yeah,” he mumbled. “There’s hot chocolate too.”
Isabel did a double take at his stumbling response. “Alec Ravissant, are you blushing?”
He frowned. “Maybe.”
“Because you drink hot chocolate?”
“Maybe.”
“Why?”
“It’s not…tough. You know? I’m a Ranger. Or at least, I used to be. I’m supposed to drink my coffee tar black and my whiskey neat. But I can’t stand coffee. Or whiskey, for that matter.”
She grinned. “I think that’s sort of adorable.”
“Adorable. Yeah. That’s what I was aiming for.” He felt his flush deepen. He didn’t know why his hot chocolate addiction embarrassed him all of a sudden, but it did. Maybe it was because she’d found him in the woods after he’d suffered a major ass-kicking.
“Please tell me you put marshmallows in your hot chocolate too.”
He shook his head. “Marshmallows are for sissies.”
She laughed. “What other embarrassing secrets are you hiding? That you like kittens too much?”
“Shhh!” He took two quick steps, stopping directly in front of her and placed his index finger to her lips. He glanced in both directions as though suspicious. “Not so loud. You have no idea how cutthroat the dog lobby can be.”
She licked the pad of his finger, then sucked it into her mouth.
Alec groaned at the heat that shot through him with the speed and combustion power of a backdraft. Without thinking, he scooped her up, and the towel fell away as her legs circled his hips. In four steps, he had her pinned against the uneven log wall, the sweatpants a thin barrier between his erection and her naked, hot center.
His tongue plundered her mouth, stroking, taking, igniting flames as he mimicked sex with thrusting hips, drawing panting gasps from her as his cock teased her clit. “I want to be deep inside you, Isabel.” The words tumbled out in a low whisper against her lips. “I want your heat to surround me, to feel you clench tight as I stroke you and make you come. I want to watch you orgasm, hard and fast, then again, more slowly, in a long-drawn-out wave so intense you’ll think the pleasure might break you.” I want to smash your barriers and possess you. For you to be mine. Only mine.
She gripped his shoulders as she met his gaze, her lips open and damp from the hot kiss. Her green eyes were dilated with arousal. Her chest rose as she panted and wiggled her hips, stroking him with her clit, further stoking his intense need.
“I want you in the same way,” she said in a breathy whisper.
She ground against him again, the sensation so damn hot, he locked his knees to keep his footing.
“I can’t look at you without having fantasies,” she said. “This morning, I wanted you to take me on the sideboard. Minutes ago, I wanted to go down on you in front of the fire. But I’m afraid when the heat is over, orgasm complete, I’ll have nothing left but guilt and shame.”
If there were any other words that could kill his erection faster, he didn’t know what they could be. He loosened
his grip, setting her gently to the floor, then stepped back, releasing her as the heat left his body as quickly as it had arrived. “Guilt and shame?” He met her gaze. “That’s what you’ll feel if we have sex?”
She nodded. “I—I hate myself for wanting you. It feels like a betrayal.”
His eye—the one that had taken the worst of the blows on Thursday—began to throb. As if she’d hit him there again. Strange, because it should be his nuts that ached, given that was where her verbal assault had been aimed. He scooped up her fallen towel from the floor and thrust it in her direction.
“I didn’t kill your brother, Isabel.”
She took the towel and cinched it around her hips. “I know that.”
“Your brother even tried to fix us up. He wanted us to meet.” How desperate did he sound? It occurred to him that he’d never been rejected before. His life had been pretty charmed—born into a rich family, blessed with brains, he’d had the drive and ambition to excel in the military. While there had been struggles along the way, and he worked his ass off to be the best soldier he could be, relationships—sex—had always been easy to come by. He’d always been the one to set the rules. Who’d have guessed this woman’s rejection would make him so damn pathetic?
“I want you, Alec. But I can’t forget that you ignored Vin’s murder. Your inaction helped cover it up.”
She really believed he’d done that? That was an even bigger blow to the balls than the bit about guilt and shame. “I didn’t cover up his murder. How can you even think that I would? I get that you might’ve thought that before, but now you know me.”
“Do I really?” Her voice rose along with her anger. “I found you in the woods. I saved your life, and you attacked me. Then you had me arrested. The next time we crossed paths, you’d bailed me out of jail—probably because you realized having the woman who saved your life arrested would look bad in the polls. Then you show up at my house after your men attacked me in my home. Hell, for all I know, you were with them in the meadow. Honestly, Alec, you may well be the biggest threat to me here.