To Love and Protect Her

by Margaret Watson

  “You did a good job,” he said gruffly. “Telling him we were on our way to California was a stroke of genius.”

  “It was the only thing I could think of,” she admitted.

  They had reached the checkout counter, and Griff didn’t say anything while he paid for the belts.

  When they were back in the parking lot, he took her hand and twined their fingers. “It’s probably all right,” he said softly. “Pete will remember seeing you, but the chances of anyone asking him about it are very small. And if anyone does ask, he’ll tell them we’re on our way to California.”

  “So there isn’t going to be a small army of heavily armed men storming the cabin in a few hours?”

  His lips twitched. “I had no idea you had such a melodramatic mind. No, I think we’re probably still safe. But we’ll have to be careful for the next few days. And it was a good lesson in why we need to stay away from El Paso. It was just bad luck that we ran into Pete. We don’t want to take any more chances like that.”

  “We should probably stock up on groceries while we’re here, then.”

  Griff opened the door to his truck, then swung into the driver’s seat. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he thought, then finally turned to her. “You’re right. If we wait until the afternoon when it’s busier, there’ll be less chance of someone remembering us. But there’s more chance to run into someone you know. So let’s go find a grocery store.”

  They hurried through a large grocery store, tossing whatever they thought they would need into the cart. The bored check-out clerk snapped her gum and barely looked at them while she scanned their groceries, and they were back in the truck in less than a half hour.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Griff said, and they headed for the edge of town.

  Willa watched him as he drove, and noticed he constantly checked the rearview mirror. Neither of them spoke, and tension wound tighter and tighter in the truck. Finally, when he glanced in the rearview mirror one more time, Willa said, “Is someone behind us?”

  “There are a couple of trucks.” He spoke through his teeth. “We haven’t gotten far enough off the main road yet to really worry, but I don’t like the way these two are sticking to our tail.”

  “So what do we do?”

  “We keep driving, and watch them.”

  Several miles before the turnoff for the cabin, Griff slowed the truck, then pulled over to the side of the road. “I need to get a look at these two,” he muttered. Keeping one eye on the rearview mirror, he reached for Willa. “It’s show time, sweetheart.”

  Before she had a chance to ask him what he meant, he pulled her into his arms and fastened his mouth to hers. Her heart began to pound, and she reached up and twined her arms around his neck. But there was no passion in his kiss, no feeling. In fact, he was staring out the side window of the truck as his mouth moved on hers.

  “What’s going on?” she managed to say.

  “It’s all for show,” he muttered, lifting his mouth away from hers only far enough to speak. “I want to see who’s behind us, and I want them to think we’re not paying attention.”

  “Oh.”

  Deflated, she felt like an utter fool. But she held onto him, knowing she had to play the part. As the rumble of the first truck became louder, she felt him tense in her arms. He lifted his mouth away from hers, and she felt him staring over her shoulder.

  Then the sound of the second truck approached, and he kissed her again. But his eyes were wide open, and she wasn’t certain he even realized he was touching her. She was his cover, his prop, and his hands were completely impersonal.

  The second truck rolled past, and as its sound faded into the distance, she could feel Griff relaxing. Finally he flexed his hands on her shoulders, and leaned back to look at her.

  “They’re gone.”

  “I heard.” Resolutely pushing her need for him into the background, she tried to give him a smile. “Did you see anything?”

  “Just a couple of Texas boys driving their pickup trucks. They weren’t interested in us at all.”

  “So we’re safe for now?”

  “That remains to be seen.” His eyes darkened, and he slowly drew her closer again. “I’m sorry I had to do that, Willa.”

  “You weren’t even thinking about kissing me,” she burst out, then felt her face redden. “I mean, I knew it was just for show. I knew you were just using me as a prop. It’s all right, Griff. There’s nothing to apologize for.”

  “I think there is.” He bent his head slowly, staring into her eyes. Her heart raced and her pulse thundered in her ears. “When I kiss you, Willa, I don’t want to think about anything, or anyone, but you. I want to take the time to enjoy you. I want you to know I’m kissing you.”

  He didn’t have to worry about that, she thought as her heart gave a little hiccup. Her pulse skittered when he merely looked at her. When he touched her, her heart rate went off the charts.

  “Believe me, Griff, I know when you’re kissing me.” She tried to sound cool, but she was afraid her words came out wobbly and unsteady.

  “Are you sure?”

  His whisper was seductive, and as he bent his head to her mouth, she felt herself falling helplessly into him. Yes, she was sure. No one but Griff had ever evoked this instant response, this immediate blaze of desire. And she was afraid no one else ever would.

  He crushed her mouth beneath him, his hands claiming her as his. A hot spike of arousal leapt to life inside her and she pressed closer to him. He groaned into her mouth, kissing her once more, then slowly eased away.

  “We have to get back to the cabin before someone else comes along.” His voice was thick with ardour, and his eyes burned. “We can’t stay here.”

  “I know.”

  He let her go, but she felt his reluctance in the lingering caress of his hands. Then suddenly he turned and restarted the truck, pulling out onto the road with a squeal of tires and a grinding of gears.

  He tore up the road, barely slowing his speed when they got to the track that led to the cabin. Willa held onto the strap above the door as they bounced over the holes and rocks in the road.

  When they were almost at the cabin, Griff slowed the truck and looked over at her. “Sorry, Willa,” he said. “I was taking out my aggression. I didn’t mean to give you such a rough ride.”

  “That’s all right,” she managed to say. “I won’t break.”

  “No, you won’t, will you,” he murmured.

  She looked over at him sharply, but he was staring straight ahead, out the windshield. There had been longing and regret in his voice, and she wondered why.

  When they reached the cabin, he stopped the car in front, and jumped out. “Wait here,” he told her. “I’m going to check on things.”

  He circled the cabin, peering at every window, then disappeared into the trees surrounding their small clearing. Finally he returned to the truck and climbed back in. “No one’s been around since we’ve been gone,” he said as he drove the truck into the shed.

  “Great. Let’s get that generator going.” If he could ignore what had happened on the road, she could, too, she thought.

  It only took a few minutes to replace the belt and get the generator started again. But instead of heading back into the cabin, Griff said, “I’m going to chop some more firewood. We used up a lot last night.”

  There was still a huge pile of logs stacked against the side of the cabin, but she didn’t say anything. She only nodded. “Good idea. I’ll help.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “There’s only one splitter and ax,” he said. “Why don’t you wait in the cabin?”

  “Because it’s cold in there. I’d rather be out here, working.”

  He scowled at her. “Well, I don’t need any help.”

  “I’ll stack the wood after you chop it,” she said, ignoring his words. “I’m going to see if there are any gloves in the shed.”

  A few minutes later she walked out of the shed, pulling
on a pair of worn leather work gloves. Griff was already chopping wood. He’d stripped down to his T-shirt, and the black material already clung to him, wet with sweat down his back.

  His muscles rippled in the sunlight, and his brown hair gleamed with golden highlights. She stood and watched him for a moment, feeling her own yearnings stir. But it wasn’t just the external package that attracted her to Griff. She’d met plenty of other men who were good-looking and had great bodies. It was the person inside who interested her, the complicated man full of both strength and vulnerability.

  And he was interested in her. He wanted to deny it, but she could taste it in his kisses, feel it in the way he touched her, the way he held her. Her heart raced as she walked toward him, but she managed to give him an easy smile.

  “Kick the wood out to me when you split it, and I’ll stack it.”

  He grunted at her, but he shoved the wood toward her with his foot. She picked it up and stacked it in the already huge pile next to the house. She didn’t mind working outside. The air was cool, but the sun, shining in a cloudless sky, warmed her as she worked.

  It wasn’t long before she took off her jacket, and as she worked she felt herself beginning to sweat. Rolling up the sleeves of her shirt, she grabbed another log and slung it onto the pile.

  Abruptly Griff said, “That’s enough, I guess.”

  She straightened and looked over at him. His face was flushed, but it wasn’t with exertion. His eyes glittered and his jaw worked as he looked at her.

  “It’s time to go into the house.”

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  He stared at her for a moment, then he turned and dropped the ax. “I can’t watch you for another moment,” he said, his voice rough. “I wanted to chop wood to get my mind off you, but I can’t think of anything but you. I’m getting careless, and it’s time to go into the house.”

  “All right.” She slipped off the work gloves, staring at his back. “I’ll put the tools away.”

  “No, I’ll do it. Give me your gloves.”

  He tore them out of her hand, then picked up the ax and splitter and loped off to the shed. She waited for what seemed like a long time, but he didn’t come back out, so she finally walked into the cabin.

  She had sandwiches made when he finally returned. After washing his hands, he looked at the plates of sandwiches, his expression softening. “Thank you for making lunch, Willa.”

  “You’re welcome. But don’t act as if it’s such a big deal. You’re going to clean up.”

  His lips curved. “Fair enough.”

  They ate in silence, but the memory of his words outside lingered between them. Willa swallowed another bite of her sandwich, desperately searching her mind for something innocuous to say.

  “It’s getting warm in here, isn’t it?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she flushed. “I mean, the generator is working just fine.”

  “I was hot before I came inside.”

  Willa squirmed in her chair. “Hard work will do that.”

  “Among other things.”

  The message in his eyes was unmistakable, and she stared at him, unable to look away.

  Then he pushed away from the table. “I’ll clean up in here, then I have some things to do outside.”

  “All right,” she said faintly.

  The cabin was suddenly far too small. Tension radiated from Griff as he stood at the sink and washed the dishes. She wanted to touch him, to ask him what he was thinking, but she couldn’t move from her chair.

  Did she really want to know the answer? Griff was attracted to her. What if he told her that he wanted to make love with her, but he wasn’t interested in any kind of long-term relationship? What would she do?

  She was terribly afraid she knew what she would do, and her heart ached at the thought. She was afraid that she would take whatever Griff offered, on whatever terms he offered it.

  What had made her so needy, so willing to settle for crumbs? What had made her so willing to compromise her beliefs? Never before had she been interested in sex without commitment. She didn’t want to think about that, either.

  So she stood and moved to the window. She couldn’t bear to sit so close to him, to feel the sexual energy that emanated from him. She couldn’t bear to look at him right now, because all she would see were the flaws in her own character that would permit her to want a man who wasn’t interested in the long term.

  “I’ll be back in a while,” he said, and she didn’t turn around. “Stay in the cabin.”

  “It’s not like there are a lot of places to go up here.” Her voice was more curt than she meant it to be, but maybe that was for the best.

  “I’ll be close by.”

  The door closed softly behind him. As she looked out the window, she saw him disappear into the trees.

  A few minutes later she saw him on the mountain behind the house. She watched as he climbed steadily upward, then she deliberately turned away and picked up a book from the bookcase. She sat down, determined to read. But she stared at the same page for a long time.

  Griff hiked steadily upward, refusing to slow down, refusing to stop even when his breathing became ragged and sweat poured down his back. He stripped off his shirt, tied it around his waist and kept on walking.

  Finally he was high enough to look down and see the cabin, a miniature house set among toy trees, and he allowed himself to stop. He was far enough away now, out of reach of the temptation that was Willa.

  He was far enough away that he could think this through without her distracting presence.

  What the hell was the matter with him? He sank down onto a sun-warmed stone, but couldn’t take his eyes off the cabin below. He’d made the mistake of falling asleep with her last night, and ever since he’d woken up tangled together with her this morning, all he could think about was laying Willa down on the closest horizontal surface and picking up where they’d left off.

  He knew Willa was out of his reach. He knew it would be a huge mistake to get involved with her. It would end with nothing but heartbreak for Willa, and it would distract him from the job he needed to do. He couldn’t be the kind of man she needed, the kind of man she deserved.

  But that didn’t seem to matter anymore. All his caution seemed to have flown out the window. It had taken just one look this morning at her beautiful, vulnerable face, nestled close to him with complete trust, and he’d been lost.

  And worst of all, now she knew that he wanted her. Before today, he could pretend that she didn’t matter. He could pretend that he didn’t want her, that the wanting was all on Willa’s side. But now he didn’t even have that shield. He knew damn well that she’d seen the desire in his eyes, felt it in his touch.

  So how were they supposed to get through the days—and nights—until Ryan found her would-be kidnappers? How was he supposed to not touch her?

  He kicked a rock and listened with brooding satisfaction as it tumbled down the hill. He’d have to stay away from her.

  But how could he do that if he was supposed to be protecting her?

  He’d have to invent a lot of outside chores. And keep her in the house.

  And that was going to be tougher than he’d originally thought. Willa had a mind of her own. She didn’t hesitate to tell him when she thought he was wrong. And she wasn’t the kind of woman who would stay obediently in the house when he told her to do so.

  The need he felt for her terrified him. He’d faced down death in a dark, stinking alley with less fear. But somehow, in the last few days, Willa had managed to sneak into his soul, to touch him in a place no other woman had ever gone.

  And he was afraid there was no turning back. Willa would always linger inside him, a memory that would creep up on him in the middle of the night, when he least expected it.

  If he were smart, it would go no farther than this. If he were smart, Willa would never know how she’d managed to touch him. They would spend whatever time they had left at the cabin avoidin
g each other, and when Willa went back to College Station, he’d run as far and as fast as he could. He’d run all the way back to Australia, if he had to.

  Yet he was terribly afraid that he wasn’t smart at all. He was afraid that the next time Willa touched him, or the next time he touched her, he wouldn’t be able to let go. He was afraid that he’d take a step that he’d regret forever.

  And so would Willa.

  They had no future. There was no forever for him and Willa.

  He forced himself to stand and start walking back down the mountain. He couldn’t stay up here for days or weeks until it was safe to go back to College Station. He’d have to face Willa sometime. It might as well be now.

  Everyone said he had more willpower than any man they’d ever met. It was time to test that willpower.

  Darkness was settling over the mountain when Griffin dried the last of the dinner dishes and slid them back into the cabinet. Willa had curled up on the couch and had picked up her book again. She’d been reading it all afternoon, but he didn’t think she’d turned many pages. They had avoided each other since he’d walked back into the cabin, but the atmosphere was still unsettled and restless.

  “Do you want me to start a fire?” he asked.

  She looked up from her book, her eyes wary. He didn’t blame her. He’d hardly spoken two words to her all afternoon. “If you’d like to.”

  “Might as well,” he muttered. “We have plenty of wood.”

  “If we use it up, you can always chop more,” she said sweetly. “We make a good team when it comes to chopping wood.”

  He stormed out the door, and returned a minute later with his arms full of logs. “Did anyone ever tell you that you have a smart mouth?”

  “As a matter of fact, no. I guess you bring out the best in me.”

  He tossed three more logs on the fire, then squatted in front of the fireplace for a while, pushing at them with the poker. Finally he stood and paced to the window. It was almost completely dark. The trees pressed in on the house, and he could barely see the mountain behind them.

  “I’m going to take a look around the house,” he said abruptly.