Sensing he was in trouble, she made her way back to the cabin to gather supplies. She’d have to take a lantern to be able to follow their tracks. She did not think he had a flashlight with him. How would he be able to see in the new moon’s darkness? What if he was injured? He was barely recovered from the avalanche. Why had she not gone with him? But he had taken off so quickly. She had been trying to get Graciela and Milagrosa back into their stall when she turned and watched him sprint out the door of the shed.
In the mudroom, she grabbed rope and a wool blanket, and stuffed them into a backpack. The last rays of sunlight had long since faded by the time she started across the yard and around the shed, the glow from the lantern showing her the direction in which the hooves and boots were headed. She saw a spot where the man’s boots had slipped, but he didn’t seem to have fallen.
Thirty minutes later and still no sign of either of them. Were they together or was Lucas still tracking her wayward baby?
Her legs ached, and weariness set in as she trudged through the snow. She hadn’t been sleeping more than a couple of hours a night out in her studio. Why she let Lucas’s presence affect her like this, she did not know. Just having him on her mountain had left her feeling…unsettled.
Frustration set in. “Tika! Lucas! Where are you?”
The wind whistled through the spruce trees, but she heard no response. What if she could not find them or became lost herself? No, she knew these mountains like the back of her hand. All she had to do was continue to follow their tracks in the snow.
Rounding the curve of the mountain, a large shape loomed. Her heart stopped a moment until she saw the animal’s long neck, and she relaxed. “Tika! You are okay, you naughty girl!”
She nearly giggled as she ran toward the alpaca, surprised when the animal did not come to meet her. As Cassie grew closer, she saw another dark form, this one lying in the snow at the alpaca’s hooves.
“Lucas!” Her heart jumped into her throat as she bent down to his still form.
Please don’t let him be dead.
She felt for a pulse in his neck and was relieved to feel a steady, but weak, one. His head must have hit that rock when he fell. His Stetson was lying upturned nearby on the ground. How long had he been exposed to the elements here?
“Lucas, look at me. Please, open your eyes.”
No response. She did not know if she should move him, but letting him lie here in the snow was not going to keep hypothermia—or death—at bay. Pulling the blanket from her backpack, she lifted his head and placed it between the back of his head and the ground. How was she going to carry him up the mountain? He was dead weight.
His body began shivering.
Not again.
She had her cell phone with her, but waiting for help, assuming anyone could find them, would only increase the chance of him dying on the mountainside. Taking the rope, she worked a lasso around his chest, under his armpits, and faced Tika.
“Girl, you need to help me. Down on your belly.”
The alpaca stared blankly at her until she tapped the backs of the animal’s knees. Tika lowered herself to the ground, tucking her front legs underneath her, awaiting her precious cargo. Despite a burst of adrenaline, Cassie tugged at the rope, but he still didn’t budge.
Tears of frustration wet her eyes. “Lucas, you have to help me. I cannot do this alone.”
She tugged again, and he grunted. The shivering grew worse, but he seemed to become semi-conscious. “I want you to crawl onto Tika’s back. Please, Lucas. Help me here.”
“…throw…me.”
“Come. Tika is waiting for you.” She placed the blanket that had been under his head over the alpaca’s matted coat and then wrapped her arms underneath Lucas’s chest and pulled upward, surprised that he seemed to help by crawling partway onto Tika’s back. She shoved his backside, and he plopped belly side down onto the alpaca with a grunt. Tika stood and waited for further instructions. Between the blanket and Tika’s body, he should warm up quickly.
“Good girl.” Cassie snatched the ends of the rope from around him and tied them under the patient animal’s belly. Satisfied that he was secured, she tugged at the halter. Soon they were headed back toward the cabin.
“Please let him be okay, Goddess.” She hoped the Universe would hear and answer her plea.
Earlier, she had been so angry at his carelessness for leaving the shed door open, but that he would sacrifice himself to save one of her alpacas warmed a cold place in her heart. The man had done nothing but try to help her as soon as he was strong enough, but she had shown very little gratitude for all he had tried to do.
Guilt over snapping at him the night she had shown him the painting of him washed over her. She had painted the picture from the depths of her soul, gratitude for a man—a man—who had saved her cria’s life when Cassie would have failed Gracie.
She owed him, but he was still a man. Dangerous. Why was he making her feel something for him, knocking her off kilter?
What might he ask for in return? All men expected to be repaid, after all. Could she afford his price?
Then again, they had reciprocity. She had saved him, and he had saved Milagrosa. They were even.
“Lucas, you had better not die on me. I do not need that karma and…” Be gracious. This isn’t about you. The man had been injured trying to save one of her babies. The least she could do was be—honest. “I like having you here, Lucas.” Please do not die. “We will soon be back at the cabin.”
Cassie kept up a steady conversation as she continued up the mountain, one hand on the lantern held high above her head to illuminate as much of the surrounding area as possible. Her other hand remained tightly wrapped around the alpaca’s halter. She glanced back often to make sure Lucas was not slipping off Tika’s back.
“Hang on.”
The hillside grew steep just before they reached the aspen grove.
“Please, Goddess, keep my feet steady and sure,” she chanted over and over.
She increased their pace at the top of the hill. “Almost home, Lucas.” She doubted he heard her, but talking to him made her feel less alone. As they entered the yard, she breathed a sigh of relief. She led Tika inside the warm shed, out of the wind and elements. Cassie stood beside Lucas’s head, crouching to see if he would make eye contact and touching his face. No response.
“Lucas, can you hear me?”
Unlike the time she had pulled him from the truck after the avalanche, she received no response at all, just more shivers. If he did not come to, she would never be able to haul him inside the cabin. Seeing the fresh straw he had placed in Tika’s stall earlier, she made a decision.
“You redeemed yourself by bringing him home, Tika, but you are going to have to double up in Killa’s stall tonight, because Lucas will be sleeping in yours.”
Leading the animal to the stall, she loosened the ropes that held Lucas onto the animal’s back. She tapped the backs of Tika’s front knees again and held out Lucas’s legs while the alpaca lowered her front half to the ground. She kept her hind end up until Cassie could slide Lucas onto the straw without crushing his hands underneath the animal. Free of her burden, Tika stood, and Cassie removed the blanket from the alpaca’s back to spread it out on the straw.
After leading Tika to Killa’s stall, Cassie ran to the house for more blankets and some pillows. Apparently, she would be sharing a bed of sorts with Lucas again. She would also need the hot-water bottle because the shed did not have enough heat. Then again, perhaps she could have some of the alpacas provide warmth around them if she brought them close enough in the stall.
By now, Cassie knew the drill for treating hypothermia. Did he have a concussion again? The road was no closer to being passable. She’d heard Angelina’s brothers working on it from the other side the past two days, but it could take another week to clear it. If not, she would have to let Eduardo know not to come for his visit.
She would have to strip both Lucas and herself
again to provide skin-to-skin warmth as she had done before. This was going to be another long, sleepless night.
Piled high with her first load of supplies, she entered the shed and dumped them beside Lucas’s shivering body. She needed to return to the cabin for more, but first, she layered several blankets over him. She would not remove any of his clothing until she had everything in place.
In the kitchen, she filled the rubber bottle with hot tap water, put in the stopper, and ran back to the shed. She should have everything necessary now.
Kneeling beside Lucas, she tucked the hot-water bottle between the layers of blankets low on his chest. Turning away, she removed her poncho before unbuttoning her shirt and taking it off. Sitting on a nearby stool, she took off her boots. Her jeans followed. Stripped to her bra and panties, she surveyed the unconscious man and reached for his boots. As soon as he was out of his wet clothes, she could begin warming his body. After two bouts of hypothermia and head wounds so close to one another, she wondered if she needed to do something more this time, but there was no time to call anyone. What could they do? He had been unconscious for an unknown amount of time, and she did not want him to sink any deeper.
At least he was still shivering. Did that mean he was not in a coma? She peeled off his jeans, leaving his boxers, and unbuttoned his shirt. She rolled him from side to side until she removed it, then moved the hot-water bottle to a spot lower on his trunk. Sweating from the exertion, when she lay down beside him, the chill from his body sent her into a rare fit of tremors, too. Not wanting to deprive him of even an inch of body heat, she unhooked her bra and tossed it aside, followed by her panties. Feeling his damp boxers against her skin, soaking wet from melted snow, she realized she would have to remove them, as well.
Kneeling beside him, she hooked her fingers inside his waistband and pulled down, closing her eyes to avoid seeing his privates. Surprisingly, she was more embarrassed than repulsed at the thought. Of course, the man was unconscious and posed no physical threat to her. Not at the moment, anyway.
Stretched out beside him again, skin to skin, she pulled the blankets over them both and formed a cocoon of warmth with their bodies and the water bottle.
He groaned and pulled her closer. Unlike the first time they had been this close, she did not worry that he might hurt her. Lucas Denton was a gentle soul. He had risked his life for a defenseless animal. How could she fear someone with a kind heart like that? He would never do anything to hurt her or her animals.
She blinked in wonder. How had he wiggled his way into her life so quickly?
Suddenly, he became agitated and pulled away, shouting, “Tika!”
“Shhh, Lucas.” Tika responded with a hum from the other end of the shed. Cassie stroked his bare chest, her finger rubbing over his hard nipple inadvertently before she pulled her hand back to the center of his chest, which seemed safer. “She is okay. You found her in time. Everyone is safe at home now.”
He said nothing more, simply relaxed against the blanket-covered straw while pulling her closer to his body. His heartbeat increased a bit before he relaxed and fell asleep. At least he had tried to fight his way back to the present. She felt more confident he would recover as soon as his body temperature rose. She would try to wake him periodically as she had been instructed after the avalanche.
Tucking her head into the crook of his arm, Cassie pressed her face against his chest. So exhausted, or perhaps the adrenaline rush had subsided. Maybe she would rest a bit, too. There was nothing she could do now other than stay close to his body and keep him warm. She would need her strength and stamina for when he came out of this stage of hypothermia. Once he woke, they could go inside where she might better be able to keep him warm. Perhaps by the fireplace, now that the blower worked.
“Thank you for fixing my fireplace. And for all the other things you have been doing around here. I know I do not always show it, but sometimes it is nice to have someone around to help.”
He grunted as if in agreement. Her hand paused, and she lifted her head to look at his face to see if he had heard the thoughts she probably should have kept to herself. But his steady breathing convinced her he slept soundly. That was not right, though. Tomorrow, she would acknowledge all he had done and how much she appreciated him.
Cassie settled back into his arms.
Sleep now. I can worry about all these things tomorrow.
* * *
The throbbing in his temples nagged him without any let up. He tried to roll onto his side, but a weight on his chest made movement nearly impossible. He opened his eyes and blinked several times to adjust to the low lighting. Silky, black hair.
Cassie? He was in bed with Cassie again?
Hot damn. This was a habit he could get used to fast.
His grin faded with a stab of pain to his temple. Jeezus. What the hell had hit him?
Something stirred beside him, and he turned to find a hairy beast curled up on his other side. One of Cassie’s alpacas. He couldn’t tell which one in this lighting, but clearly, they were in the shed, not Cassie’s bed.
What the hell?
Still, Cassie was in his arms for some reason. Moving his hand down her back—her very bare back—he became even more confused. While waking a few moments ago to find her on top of him was any man’s dream, what had prompted Cassie to strip down and curl up with him like this? A shiver wracked his body, and the image of Tika in the snow flashed through his head. He had no memory of making it back to Cassie’s, though.
He felt as weak as a newborn kitten. Hell, some rescuer he was. Couldn’t even bring a stray alpaca home safely. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn’t be able to muster the strength to sit up.
Cassie. Stretched out on top of him, she had sandwiched one of her legs between his. Thankfully, his cock behaved. Right now, he simply wanted to hold her this way, before she awoke and hightailed it away from him again.
Luke adjusted the blanket over her and wrapped both arms around her to keep her warm—and close. Exhaustion won out even with that minimal amount of movement, and soon he drifted off to sleep again…
“Why, Pedro?”
Luke awoke to Cassie pushing away from him and onto her side, but her eyes remained closed. Pre-dawn light filtered through the window.
Who the hell was Pedro? He didn’t particularly like the idea of her lying next to him while dreaming about another man, although he’d have been surprised as hell if those dreams were about him.
“It’s Luke, darlin’.” He stroked her hair, figuring that would freak her out less than if he touched her bare back. Having just had her breasts brushing up against his chest as she scooted off him stirred his cock to life.
“Hold me, por favor.”
With pleasure, darlin’.
Even if dreaming about another guy, she was in his arms now. Cassie calmed down as soon as he wrapped his arms around her and promptly fell back to sleep. He held on to her like that so long his hands fell asleep, too. Despite wanting to treasure this moment forever, after a while he couldn’t keep his eyelids from drooping…
“Nooooo! Get off me!”
Cassie’s screams and her fists pounding against his chest woke him again. Daylight streamed through the only window in the shed. Her eyes were closed still. She must have been exhausted, too, to have slept this long. Maybe she hadn’t been sleeping out in the studio, but staying up at night working instead.
Somehow in his sleep he’d rolled to where she was half underneath him, and now she fought and clawed at him.
Luke attempted to kneel, but his arms and legs wouldn’t cooperate. What was wrong with him? A sound behind him made him try to turn, but before he could maneuver around to see what it was, two hands grabbed him by the ears and pulled him off Cassie.
Fuck! He needed to protect her from whoever was trying to get to her but could barely stand upright. So damned weak.
The man—definitely a man—grunted when Luke tried to grind the heel of his foot into his groin, but
that only made the attacker angrier. He locked Luke’s elbows and yanked them back with a pop, nearly dislocating his shoulders.
“Cassie, run to the cabin and lock the door!”
She opened her eyes and stared up at the man somewhere behind Luke.
“No! Stop! It is not what you think!”
He had no clue if she was yelling at him or the attacker. “Just run, damn it!” Why didn’t she just do as he said? He couldn’t fight this bastard off to protect her. If anything happened to Cassie…
Fearing for her safety, he pulled from some reserve deep within and elbowed the man in the gut. The resounding grunt told him he’d found his mark. But when he tried to take a backward swing at the intruder, Luke lost his balance and fell over. Damn. On all fours, he gasped for breath and the strength to attack. Could he take advantage of his position and charge at the man to knock him over? His head swam, but he prepared to do that when Cassie’s shout stopped him cold.
“Stop! Lucas, he is my brother!”
What? Luke peered at the man and saw the familiar Latino features. Shit. He’d tried to take down her brother. Having no strength left once the adrenaline rush left him, Luke collapsed to the ground. Cassie took the end of the blanket he was lying on and tossed it over his naked ass.
Some first impression he’d made on her family.
Cassie rushed to hide her nakedness in her poncho before she came over and knelt next to her brother. The man didn’t seem too worse for wear, just winded. Good thing he wasn’t trying to do Cassie harm, because Luke wouldn’t have been able to protect her in his current physical state.
The thought of someone hurting her twisted Luke’s gut.
“Wait for me in the cabin, Eduardo.”
“You are coming with me.”
“I need to see to Lucas.”
Luke stood, his fist holding the blanket around his lower half, and tried to show he didn’t need her taking care of him. He squared his shoulders and stared at her brother for a long, tense moment. Eduardo glared back.
“Men!” Cassie growled and swung around, her hair flying, before leaving the two men to their pissing match in the shed.
Nobody's Dream (Rescue Me Saga #6) Page 11