“You okay?” he asked, his brows furrowed with concern. He stepped forward and reached out his hand.
Jules backed up until she was against the wall.
“What are you doing out here?” he asked.
He flicked his eyes up and down her body, examining her, lingering for a moment on her breasts. He drank her in, almost as if in a trance, before snapping out of it and clearing his throat. Despite herself, Jules’s cheeks flushed red hot and she felt a twinge in her belly. She sighed and crossed her arms, annoyed at his intrusion and her body’s stupid automatic response of arousal in his presence. Now was seriously not the time.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Are you hurt?”
He took another step. Jules grimaced.
“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.”
“Who are you?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.
“Me? I’m Carter. Damn, I’m so happy to see another person out here. I’ve been trying to find my way back to the highway for hours! I stopped on the side of the road to take a leak. But the view was so damn beautiful, I wandered out, and I guess I went too far. I don’t know what happened. I just got completely turned around, I guess.”
Jules couldn’t shake her skepticism, but at least this guy didn’t sound like a cop. It’s not like they’d send a plain-clothes officer undercover out in the wilderness anyway... right?
“So, what are you doing out here?” he asked, his gaze flicking down to her breasts again, just for a moment.
Jules cleared her throat. “Um, same as you. I got lost. Wandered off a trail.”
“Which trail?”
Jules froze. She bit her bottom lip as she wracked her brain. “Uh… don’t know the name. Some ski trail, I think.”
“Ski trail?” He cocked his eyebrow. “Nearest ski hill is miles from here, isn’t it? You must have been lost a long time.”
“Since this morning,” she said quickly. She rubbed the back of her neck and shifted uneasily from one foot to the other.
Carter nodded slowly and then shrugged. “Well... we’re both kinda screwed, then, aren’t we?”
Jules feigned a smile. “I guess so.”
Carter’s gaze lingered on her lips dreamily. “What’s your name?”
“J—” Jules stopped herself. “Tanya.”
Tanya??
“Tanya, huh?” Carter grinned and stretched out his hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
She shook his hand gingerly. His rugged, manly palm completely overtook hers. He squeezed gently, but she could sense the power and strength behind it. This was a man who could crush her if he felt so inclined. Jules wasn’t afraid of him, even though the paranoid voice inside her told her she should be. There was nothing scary about him at all, despite his imposing size. In fact, his presence felt rather comforting.
Carter grasped her hand, gazing into her eyes. Her breath caught in her throat and she looked down at the floor. A warmth was rapidly spreading throughout her, emanating from between her legs. She could feel a wet spot forming in her panties, and it made her squirm with discomfort. This guy was extremely magnetic, not to mention ridiculously handsome. But that only annoyed her further. She didn’t have the time to flirt with some random guy out in the wilderness. Even if he was the hottest man she’d ever laid her eyes on.
And what the hell was going on with her exactly, anyway? She’d never had an immediate physical response to a stranger like this, and this was just about the least appropriate time she could imagine for a first.
As soon as the opportunity presented itself, she’d have to ditch him. Think of some excuse, or just slip away when he wasn’t paying attention.
Carter finally pulled away and her hand felt cold from his absence. “Well, two is better than one, I suppose. We might as well work together to find our way back to civilization.”
No, two is definitely not better than one.
She winced automatically, then tried to contort it into some kind of a fake smile. “Um, I guess.”
“Hey, whatcha got there?”
She looked down and realized she was still holding the can. “Oh, it’s a can of beans. I found it on this table.”
“Good find!” he swiped it from her with a laugh. “I’m starving.”
Jules gritted her teeth. Now she had to share her dinner with this guy, too? Judging by his size, he’d scarf it all down in one gulp, leaving her with nothing.
“Good luck opening it,” Jules said flatly.
“Oh, that won’t be a problem,” Carter said. He gripped it tight in his fist, and with the other hand, he dug his nails into the ridge of the tin until he’d pricked several holes, letting the compressed air escape. Then he tore off the top in one effortless move and handed her the open can.
She stared at him, her jaw hanging open, dumbfounded. “What the hell? How’d you—”
“Cool trick, huh?” Carter flashed a set of brilliant white teeth. “Just be careful, and don’t cut yourself on the edge.”
Jules couldn’t deny it, he was so freaking gorgeous, and he exuded a unique vibe that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Standing so close to him, she could feel waves of heat and primal sex oozing out of every pore. He was a tough and grizzled man’s man, with that strong, solid body of his, but his face was sweet and even boyishly cute when he grinned, which served as an interesting contrast against the gruff of his auburn beard.
It had been ages since she’d been intimate with anyone, or even been on a date. Now that she was face to face with such an absurdly sexy man, she finally realized just how sexually frustrated she really was. She never, ever ran into guys this hot in her day-to-day life. What sick twist of fate would bring a guy like this into her life, out in the middle of frickin’ Yellowstone? While she was trying to run from cops, no less?
“Wow…” she said, smiling cautiously. “You some kind of body builder or something?”
He shrugged. “Nah. I get all the exercise I need out here in the great outdoors.”
Jules cocked her head. No way a man could get muscles like that without spending an ungodly amount of time in the gym every day.
He grabbed a slightly rusty spoon from the table and handed it to her. “Eat as much as you need.”
“I thought you said you were starving,” she said.
“Oh, I am, but I’ll be all right.” He smiled warmly. “Ladies first.”
The two of them went outside and sat on the single crooked wooden step in front of the cabin. Jules was ravenously hungry and couldn’t help shoving spoonful after spoonful into her mouth. She probably looked like a total slob, but she was too starving to care.
“You think it’ll get dark soon?” Carter asked.
She nodded, her mouth too full to answer.
“We might as well stay here, then,” he said. “We’re pretty lucky to have found this place. I was worried I’d have to sleep on the ground in the cold. At least here we can build a fire in that stove inside.”
Jules swallowed. “Um, well… if you want to stay here, I think that’s a great idea. As for me, I’ll probably be moving on.”
Carter gave her a bewildered look. “You’re not serious, are you?”
She shrugged. “Look, you’re a nice guy, Carter. But I prefer to travel solo.”
He snorted. “Yeah, I hear that. But…Tanya, we’re in the middle of the wilderness. I mean, you can’t seriously expect to—”
“To what? Survive out here on my own?” Jules rolled her eyes. “Hey, I know I don’t look it, but I can handle myself. Believe it or not, I have wilderness survival training, so I’ll be okay.”
Carter looked at her like she was absolutely insane. He shook his head and scoffed. “Am I really that revolting you’d rather brave the elements at night alone instead of sleeping with me in a warm cabin?”
Jules caught a lump in her throat. She swallowed hard, trying to rid it. “Um… no, of course not.”
Carter shrugged. “If you want to go, go. I just don’t think I could live
with myself if something happened to you.”
His eyes were soft as he gazed at her. She sensed that he wanted to protect her, to keep her safe, for whatever reason. She felt a warmth in the pit of her belly, and she smiled. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad just to spend one night here.
“Well, okay,” Jules sighed. “I’ll stay.”
Carter grinned. “Good. I’ll get to building a fire in the stove.”
“I don’t think we need a fire, really.”
“No? But we’ve got it in there, we might as well—”
“I don’t think it’ll be too cold,” Jules said quickly. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
Carter smirked and leaned his shoulder gently into hers. “If we use our body heat, you mean.”
Jules’s cheeks flared red. Oh God. This guy was really hitting on her, wasn’t he? She felt another spring of yearning deep between her legs. She snapped them tight together, trying and failing to will her desire away. Then again, if humoring him got his mind off the fire, maybe it was a good idea.
She laughed coyly and gave him a sly smile. “If you play your cards right.”
Carter’s smile faded as his jaw dropped. He looked at her incredulously, not expecting that kind of response. Their eyes locked on, magnetized, and she felt a dizzying flutter. It took all her will to force herself to look away.
“What if the bear comes back?” she asked, hoping to change the subject.
“Oh, I don’t think we have to worry about him,” Carter said.
“You sure?”
“Yeah, we’ll be fine.”
“You know,” she handed the can to Carter, “grizzlies are so rare, I never thought I’d actually run into one. Of course, it’s just my luck, isn’t it?”
She sighed, wrapping her arms around her knees. “Just one more thing to worry about.”
Jules felt a shock of electricity ring out through her body when Carter rested his hand on the small of her back.
“Luck runs both ways,” he grinned. “Bad luck brought the bear, but good luck brought me.”
Jules laughed. She wasn’t so sure about that, but something inside of her longed for it to be true.
“Don’t worry,” he said confidently, wrapping his strong arm around her shoulders and leaning in close. “I’ll protect you.”
For some reason, she believed him.
5
Carter watched as “Tanya” sat down on the bed, if you could even call it that. The springs of the mattress creaked loudly, emitting an unpleasant sound like fingernails on a chalkboard.
“I honestly think the floor would be more comfortable than this bed,” the beauty said, flashing her dazzling emerald green eyes up at him. There was a history behind those eyes that Carter couldn’t even venture to guess. It made him long to discover more, to peel away the layers one by one until he knew the real Jules. He wanted her to confide in him, to tell him the whole story, share her fears and insecurities, and lean on him for strength. How he’d get to that point, he wasn’t sure.
He swallowed hard. “Yeah, well. Floor it is, then.”
“I wish there was something soft we could use as a pillow.”
“Hmm,” Carter looked around. “I’ll check outside. Maybe there’s moss or something.”
It was twilight now. The sun had long passed behind the jagged mountains on the horizon, and only a faint orange glow remained of the day. Stars were twinkling in the inky black of space, and a fat gibbous moon was already making its presence known, steadily casting a milky white lacquer over the earth.
It felt so romantic.
Carter knew what he’d done was stupid. He knew it was wrong. He knew Max would kill him when he found out. But he had to know. He had to find out if there was a connection between him and this beautiful human woman. Carter needed to present himself to her as a normal guy first, not as a park ranger ready to put her in cuffs and ship her off to prison. Carter always packed a set of plain clothes in his backpack, and today they definitely came in handy. As soon as he’d known he’d found her, he had sprinted back for his pack and run back with it dangling from his neck.
He felt a little guilty, but it was all for a good cause. As soon as he cast his eyes on her, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he’d found his mate. The bear inside him roared to attention the moment he saw the glint of her hair off in the distance as she approached the cabin.
And Jesus, those curves. It took every ounce of strength within him—and every non-sexual thought he could muster—to keep his erection at bay in her presence.
She was nervous, he could tell, and she didn’t fully trust him. He had to keep his guard up, like one would around a wild animal that had just been caged. She was unpredictable. But how could he blame her, under the circumstances?
At least she didn’t have a weapon, as far as he could tell. Even if she did, she didn’t seem like the type to use it unless it was absolutely necessary. He felt a certain measure of pity for her. She was good. He was sharp enough in his instincts to recognize that, at least. How she’d ended up in this unfortunate situation, he didn’t know. But he clung to the hope that he could help her somehow.
There wasn’t anything soft in the vicinity, so he returned to the cabin and shrugged. He crossed his arms and peeled off his shirt. Jules watched him with wide eyes, her cheeks turning as red as salmon flesh. He folded the extra-large t-shirt into a rectangle and handed it to her.
“There,” he said. “It’s not much of a pillow, but it’s something. I hope it’s not too sweaty.”
“Uh, n-no, it’s fine,” she said, her eyes caressing the ridges and bumps of his thick musculature.
He felt a twinge in his cock. “You checkin’ me out?”
She turned away. “No, I’m not.”
“There’s no shame in it,” he said with a laugh. “I know I’m a fine specimen.”
Jules turned back to him and cocked her eyebrow. “You’re a little full of yourself, aren’t you?”
Their eyes were locked again. It seemed every few minutes they just fell into a trance, gazing at each other. God, he wanted nothing more than to tear off those clothes, climb on top of her, and stuff himself deep inside, claiming her forever as his lifelong mate. She wanted him, too, he could tell. She was fighting her urges just as hard as he was.
He was throbbing and stiff as a rock now, and Carter stopped caring whether she noticed or not. He wasn’t going to hide it. She could take it if she wanted it. And he hoped she wanted it.
Jules tore her eyes away from him suddenly and inhaled deeply. “I’m sorry, I have to... you know.”
“What?”
“Nature calls.”
“Oh, right. Of course. What kind of crummy hotel is this, anyway?” Carter laughed.
“I know, right?” Jules stood and headed for the door. “No toilet, no bed, no food service. I’m gonna have to call the manager to complain.”
Carter stopped laughing when Jules leaned over and picked up her purse before heading out the door. He stiffened, preparing himself.
“What do you need that for?” he called out.
She looked over her shoulder. “Oh, I’ve got some napkins in here I can use for toilet paper.”
Carter laughed. “Fancy.”
Carter turned his back to the door nonchalantly, arms crossed and swaying lightly, to make her think he wasn’t paying attention. But a few seconds later, he looked over his shoulder and watched her intently. She glowed white in the moonlight as she walked slowly and deliberately. Suddenly, she broke out into a run and made a beeline into dark woods.
Jules ran as fast and as quietly as she could. She wanted to spend the night in the cabin, she really did. Sleeping alone in a cold, dark forest was not ideal, especially not after coming nearly face to face with a grizzly bear. But she couldn’t stay. Carter’s presence was driving her crazy. She didn’t know what the hell had gotten into her, but she couldn’t be around him any longer.
She had never felt this aroused in her
entire life. Butterflies whirred deep in her belly, and she fumbled over her words around him like a giddy schoolgirl. Everything about Carter made her feel so good, but she couldn’t risk it. She couldn’t afford to be this distracted when her very freedom and survival hung in the balance.
She’d been hot and bothered since the moment she first cast her eyes on him. But when Carter took his shirt off, that was it. It sent her reeling over the edge. She knew she wouldn’t be able to control herself. If she didn’t leave, she’d be tearing his pants off. A doomsday scenario played out in her paranoid mind of being so distracted, grunts and groans filling her ears, that she wouldn’t notice the cops approaching and surrounding the cabin with their guns drawn.
She panted and huffed as she zigzagged through the trees, trying to be as efficient as possible. Fortunately, the moon cast enough light that she didn’t have to worry about running into anything. She didn’t know where she was going, only that she had to get away. She wasn’t sure how long it would take for Carter to realize she was gone. Would he try to come after her?
What a strange man Carter was. She’d never met anyone like him. What were the odds that a lost hiker would run into her in this vast wilderness? She either had really terrible luck, or…
Or perhaps Carter isn’t who he said he was.
Her heart pounded faster. She picked up the pace, but she was already exhausted, her lungs desperate for air, her muscles screaming for rest, her blistered feet sending jabs of pain through her legs. Just keep running, “Tanya”...
Finally she couldn’t take it anymore. She stopped and put her hands on her thighs, leaning over, gasping for air. Her lungs screamed.
Behind her, there was a crack. The sound of a twig snapping under a foot. She whipped around, adrenaline pumping through her veins. She didn’t see anything but a vast array of skinny tree trunks, the white of their papery bark shining in the moonlight. The cabin was out of range.
Safe with Her Bears Page 3