Wilde Side

by Jannine Gallant

  “Lucky for me I had my phone and wallet in my pockets. Clothes are easy to replace, though I did love those sunglasses.” He shrugged and closed his eyes. “I know we should feel fortunate to be alive, but, honestly, I’m just pissed about the whole situation.”

  “Exactly.” She leaned back beside him. “This rock is sooo not comfortable.”

  “Are you tired?”

  “I wasn’t before. Too pumped full of adrenaline, I imagine, but now I’m fading fast. My back aches, I’m thirsty and my temples are beginning to throb.” She snorted. “Whine, whine, whine. Poor me. How about you?”

  “I’m used to roughing it. Move forward.”

  “Huh?”

  “I’ll get rid of that headache before it takes hold.”

  “Okay.” She scooted up a foot.

  Sawyer pulled back one leg then slid in behind her. His fingers sifted through her hair to massage her temples. She was warm and soft between his thighs. His mind filled with images of Devin…and what he wanted to do to her. She made him forget they were in the middle of nowhere with only hard ground and rocks to sleep on. He could block out everything—except the knowledge that she’d dumped him.

  She said she loves me. The little voice teased him as need throbbed to life when he pressed up against her back.

  “That feels so good.”

  His jeans tightened painfully at the little moan accompanying her words. She means your hands on her head, not the hard-on prodding her in the ass, moron. He gritted his teeth and focused on massaging away her headache.

  “Better?”

  “God, yes. Thank you so much. I think I’ve told you before you have magic fingers.”

  “You did.” His hands fell to her shoulders as he leaned back against the boulder.

  “Um, if you move your leg, I can crawl out of your lap.”

  “Why bother? I’m a hell of a lot softer to lean against than a rock.”

  “True. You don’t mind?”

  He let out a long, frustrated breath. “I mind a lot of things. Right now I want to pull those pants off you so bad I hurt. But making you curl up in the dirt and freeze tonight isn’t going to make my problem go away. So, lean back and get comfortable.”

  She twisted in his arms to glance up at him. In the dim light of the moon peeking through the clouds, her frown was just visible. “Wow, aren’t you noble? Jerk!”

  When she tried to pull away, he wrapped his arms around her and held on. “I’m sorry. Being this close to you makes me horny.” He sighed. “And a little sad, but mostly horny. I’m not going to do anything about it, though, so relax. I’ll shut up and quit being an asshole. Promise.”

  “I could act all self-righteous and shiver through the night in solitude, but I’m not stupid, so I won’t.” She leaned back against his chest. “Or, we could just go for it and get a whole lot of tension out of our systems. After all, it’s not like we haven’t made love before.”

  He rested his chin on her head. “A quick round of sex may relieve my tension, but it isn’t going to get you out of my system.”

  She sighed. “Probably not, but at least you wouldn’t be horny, anymore.”

  Everything south of his waist urged him to take her up on the offer. His grip on her tightened. “Not lying on the hard ground. You deserve better.”

  “There are other ways.”

  There certainly were. “While I appreciate the sacrifice—”

  “This isn’t just about you. Maybe I want one last time before we move on with our lives.”

  The emotion in her voice made his heart ache. Obviously she was just as miserable as he was, and since he was one hundred percent positive he couldn’t possibly miss her any more than he already did…

  He turned her in his arms to find her mouth. His lips closed over hers while one of her soft hands crept up to the back of his neck. So sweet… he couldn’t get enough of this woman. He wrapped an arm around her waist as his other hand slid up to hold her head. The kiss went on and on until there was nothing in the world but the two of them beneath a vast sky.

  Pulling away with a little cry, she struggled out of her jeans then returned to his lap. He pushed his hands up under her sweater to cup her breasts, almost certain he would die from the pleasure. When her fingers went to work on the zipper of his jeans, he held his breath and prayed.

  “Careful.”

  “I’ve got this…success.”

  The second he was free, she slipped over him, enclosing him in wet heat. He was certain nothing could feel any better—until she began to move, slowly at first, and then faster. Eyes closed, she let out a whimper, her whole body shaking. With a cry, he exploded, holding tight to her, never wanting to let her go.

  They clung together, her face pressed to his neck. After an eon, his breathing slowed.

  “Are you less tense?” The warmth in her tone settled deep inside him.

  He smiled against her hair. “Like overcooked spaghetti.”

  “Me, too.” Her breath whispered across his lips in a sigh as she straightened. “I should probably struggle back into my pants. If a bear shows up, I don’t want to greet him with a naked butt.”

  “We’ve probably scared off any wildlife in the area.”

  Climbing off him, she found her pants on the ground and pulled them up her legs while he fastened his jeans. Once their clothing was on straight, she settled back against him.

  “Try to get some rest.”

  She nodded, her hair brushing his chin.

  Her breathing evened out a short time later, but Sawyer couldn’t sleep. His mind returned to the puzzle of why the plane had crashed. Devin had got him thinking earlier, and despite his exhaustion, he couldn’t shut down the different scenarios circling in his brain. The idea of a mechanical failure or an airport ground worker paid to sabotage the jet seemed unlikely. As he held her close, he considered the other possibilities. Wasn’t the most likely suspect in any attempted murder usually a spouse or close relative? Living through a presidential election had to be hell on Cathy. But why wouldn’t she simply demand Walton drop out of the race—or divorce him. Murder seemed like an extreme response.

  Adjusting to avoid the sharp point of a rock poking him in the back, Sawyer considered Charles as a suspect. Sure Walton argued with his brother-in-law now and then, but he’d sensed no serious animosity between them. Charles was protective of his sister. He wouldn’t hurt her by killing her husband, even if the two men hated each other’s guts. Would he? Sawyer shook his head. Something far deeper than familial bickering was at play. No one took down a plane full of people because a relative irritated you at holiday meals, for crying out loud.

  Which left Roman. Something niggled at the back of his brain. Some fleeting thought he’d had once when the kid smiled after he’d told a joke. What the hell had it been? Probably nothing important, or he’d remember. He’d hired Roman in California shortly before the Salmon River trip. Possibly, if he’d somehow found out in advance about the upcoming rafting adventure, the kid had asked for the job with the express purpose of getting close to Walton, but why? The congressman hadn’t recognized him, so their paths couldn’t have previously crossed in any meaningful way. Sawyer let out a long sigh. His theorizing was getting him nowhere. Maybe if he closed his eyes and focused solely on the soft woman in his arms, he’d finally be able to fall asleep…

  He woke with a stiff neck and an aching back as the first hints of dawn lightened the sky. Birds tweeting their brains out provided a background chorus to the growling of his stomach. How did those people on survival shows go without food for days at a time? Right now, he’d kill for a plate full of pancakes.

  Time to get moving.

  His arms tightened around Devin. “Hey, beautiful, wake up.”

  She moaned and stretched, pressing against his chest. “Hmm?”

  He pried his gaze away from pink lips and messed hair that looked sexy as hell. Get your mind out of your pants,
Wilde. No good would come from bending down to kiss her, only another layer of heartache. He did it anyway, quick and hard.

  Her eyes opened slowly. “Sawyer?”

  “Last time I checked.” He shifted her out of his arms then stood. “We’ll be able to see well enough to walk in a few minutes. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

  She scrambled to her feet. “Uh, first I have to pee.”

  “Trees behind us. You go left, and I’ll go right.”

  Business accomplished, they traversed a section of wide-open meadow then pushed through more thick forest. His energy level lagged with each step, and he was nearly certain something had died in his mouth. Licking dry lips, he dreamed of a tall glass of ice-cold water.

  “How much farther?”

  He pulled out his phone and checked their stats for the day. “If my calculations are correct, a couple more miles until we hit the road. Still no cell service. Not that I’m surprised since there aren’t any towers in these remote areas.”

  “Too bad we didn’t crash a little closer to civilization. I’m so hungry, I’m a little lightheaded.”

  He stopped and studied the tight lines around her mouth with concern. “We can rest.”

  She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. The sooner we report the crash, the faster they’ll get help to poor Gary.”

  He couldn’t argue with her logic, even if she did look a little shaky. Her hand trembled as she pushed hair that stuck out at odd angles behind one ear.

  “Let me know if you change your mind.”

  “I will.” Determination flashed in her eyes as she squared her shoulders and set out.

  Ten minutes later, the trees thinned as they started down a rocky slope…which dropped straight into a steep ravine.

  “Shit.” Sawyer fisted his hands on his hips. “How the hell are we going to get across that?”

  Devin’s eyes filled with tears. She dashed them away with the back of her hand and drew in a long breath. “If you say we have to go back, I may scream.”

  “Is that the highway over there?” He pointed toward the other side of the chasm, where in the distance a thin black line glinted in the morning light.

  “So close,” she moaned. “God, I think that flash of silver was a car.”

  “Shit.”

  “You already said that.”

  “It bears repeating.” He yanked his phone out of his pocket then blinked. “I have bars.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yep, two of them.” He punched in 9-1-1 and held his breath.

  “9-1-1, what’s your emergency?”

  He gave Devin a thumbs-up as he launched into a brief explanation for the operator. Two minutes later, he summarized again for the Search and Rescue coordinator then gave the woman his best estimate of their location. “We can either wait here or hike out to the road, though it’ll be a challenge. A couple of the people at the crash site, including the pilot who has a serious injury, need immediate help.”

  Closing his eyes, he listened as the no-nonsense woman gave him strict instructions to stay put and wait for air rescue. Assured that the others would be their top priority, he thanked her and disconnected.

  “Well?”

  “They have a plane in the air right now but were searching a little too far west. They’ll send in a chopper to medivac Gary and anyone else who needs to go to the hospital out then pick up the others on round two. We’re supposed to sit tight and wait for our turn.”

  “Terrific.” Devin wrinkled her nose. “Maybe they could fly over us and drop food so we don’t starve.”

  He edged his hip up onto a flat-ish rock and patted the spot beside him. “I wanted pancakes earlier, but now I’m craving a big, fat cheeseburger.”

  “With fries. If we’re going to wallow in grease, we might as well go all out.”

  He leaned back on his hands to survey the canyon below them and the ribbon of road leading back to civilization on the other side. His elbow brushed hers. Hanging out in this desolate wilderness for another couple of hours would be a hell of a lot worse if he were alone. As it was, he didn’t mind the time spent with Devin. Once they reached Carmel, chances were he wouldn’t have the opportunity again.

  “You’ve been great through this whole ordeal—no bitching and moaning. Not much, anyway. I can’t imagine any other woman I know holding her composure under similar circumstances.”

  She turned to meet his gaze with narrowed eyes. “Your chauvinistic side is showing again. Most men would be whining if they were stuck out here with no food or water. Admit it.”

  “You’re right.” He grinned. “I bet Walton is swearing a blue-streak right now.”

  “Yeah, but not because he’s hungry. He missed last night’s speaking engagement and is about to miss the one planned for this morning. Then there’s the fact that someone wants to kill him…”

  “We’ll probably be detained for questioning for God knows how long once Search and Rescue picks us up. Good thing it’s only Friday, and the engagement party is planned for Sunday.”

  “No kidding. Ainslee would be seriously bummed if I didn’t make it.”

  Closing his eyes, he turned his face up to the sun. “Griff would be pissed. Well, he would be if any of this was my fault. Even Tripp is flying in for the party from somewhere in the Alps.”

  “So, I’ll be meeting the whole Wilde clan?”

  “Yep.” Introducing Devin to his family as the woman he was dating would have been nice. As it was…

  “We should phone them. My parents, too. Since Walton is involved, I imagine the networks reported our plane went down. Mom and Dad don’t have a TV, but they do have a portable radio.”

  Sawyer’s eyes popped open, and he jerked the phone from his pocket. “We’ll call right now. God, I hope they don’t think we’re dead. What a way to start off a festive weekend. Shit.”

  She laid her hand over his closed fist. “We won’t let the next couple of days be awkward.”

  “No?”

  Her hair fluttered around her face as she gave her head a negative shake. “We’ve been through too much together to let an engagement party be our downfall. Right?”

  His chest tightened. “Whatever you say.”

  Chapter 19

  Ainslee hugged her so tight, Devin could barely breathe.

  “Way to turn my hair gray before my wedding!” Her friend gave her a shake then finally released her. “When we saw on the news that your plane went down…” Big brown eyes filled with tears. “Let’s just say it was one of the worst moments of my life.”

  Devin winced. “Damn media. We called as soon as we had cell service. I’m just happy my parents don’t own a TV and hadn’t listened to the radio, so they weren’t freaking out.”

  “It was rough on Griff’s family.” Ainslee sighed and pushed a long, auburn curl over one shoulder. “His grandpa turned a nasty shade of gray. I thought he was having a heart attack.”

  Devin’s gaze strayed to Sawyer’s broad back. A few yards away, his family surrounded him. A tall woman with short, brown hair whom she assumed was his mother hadn’t stopped hugging him since they stepped out of the rental car. They’d come alone, Walton having opted out of the weekend to deal with the investigation into the crash. Devin was more than a little relieved the engagement party wouldn’t turn into a three-ring circus with the media hounding them all for news bites. Thankfully, Syd was on his way to Wyoming to handle the situation there, which she was certain meant somehow spinning the crash to gain the most votes.

  “Do they know what caused the plane to go down?”

  Devin’s attention jerked back to her best friend. “They have a dozen different agencies from FAA to Homeland Security looking into it. Walton is thinking about dropping out of the presidential race. He says winning the election isn’t worth risking the lives of the people around him. Those he cares about.”

  “I don’t blame him for wanting to call it quits
. God, what a nightmare.”

  “That pretty much sums it up. He nearly went ballistic when Secret Service told him they intended to question his wife. Turns out, she was looking for a lost earring out on the tarmac, alone for a minute or two while her brother took her luggage inside. When she couldn’t find it, he came back out to look, and she waited for him in the building out of the rain.”

  Ainslee’s eyes widened. “Oh, my God, so the authorities think either Walton’s wife or his brother-in-law sabotaged the plane?”

  “They both had opportunity. Roman Engel is also a suspect. He was on the rafting trip with us and is now working on the Wilde ranch. He dropped Sawyer off at the airport then came out to say hello to Walton. No one noticed him leave after everyone got back on the jet. The airport worker who was gassing up the plane is another hot contender.”

  “That’s a pretty short suspect list.”

  Devin nodded. “Maybe it was something mechanical. I’m hoping that’s what happened. I hate the idea that someone would be willing to kill six innocent people along with Walton just to stop him from becoming the next president.”

  Ainslee squeezed her arm. “Enough morbid thoughts for one day. I want to hear how you’re doing.” Her eyes brightened. “Are you and Sawyer serious?”

  Her throat burned with a sudden rush of tears. “It’s complicated. We’ll talk later.”

  “Oh, no.” Ainslee’s voice softened. “What’s wrong?”

  “Not now.” Devin angled her head toward the group surrounding Sawyer who were rounding the car in their direction.

  “Devin, I’d like you to meet my mom and dad, Dahlia and Boyd Wilde, my Grandpa Jasper and my brother, Griff.”

  Dahlia hugged her tight. “My son has mentioned you several times when we talked on the phone. So has Ainslee. I’m happy to meet you, Devin.”

  “Likewise.” When Sawyer’s mom released her, she turned to shake hands with his dad.

  He smiled warmly down at her, blue eyes twinkling. “Welcome, Devin. We’re so thankful you made it out of the crash without any injuries.”