The three of them stood in a frozen tableau, a standoff in which Colt was very aware, if he or Avery made the wrong move, they were dead. Sweat rolled down his back. Fear for Avery pulsed in his chest. He considered their options. What actions he would need to take to keep Avery safe if the bear decided to charge. Colt didn’t like their odds of survival. He stared the bear down, praying the beast would retreat.
Seconds ticked by, and he barely breathed.
Worse case scenario, he would make the bear chase him, and instruct Avery to head in the other direction, toward safety. The woman was practically vibrating next to him. He’d place money that this was the longest she had ever stood still and quiet.
Finally, after silent deliberation, the bear grunted and snorted. Then it tossed its head and turned, ambling back down the trail the way it had come. Once it had moved beyond the bend in the trail to where Colt could no longer see it, with Avery’s hand still gripped in his, he dragged her in the opposite direction, treading back the original way they had come. The hike was done.
It was simple. Avery was a danger magnet.
“Where are we going? Colt, you’re hurting my hand.”
He loosened his grip slightly. “The cabin, since you tend to attract wild animals. I’ve been around visitors to this ranch for years. Not once have I ever had them come into contact with so much dangerous wildlife in a single trip.”
“But we’ve barely made it more than two miles. The bear left. We should be fine.”
“I won’t risk it. The bear could come back this way, or we could catch up with him as we hike in the same direction he went. And you can’t seem to do as you’re told for your own safety for two seconds. What the hell were you thinking, telling him hello? My god, woman, that alone could have made him charge.”
“Oh, I doubt he would have harmed me,” she said beside him, walking as if they hadn’t just come into contact with an apex predator.
“Honey, a single swipe of that thing’s paw could kill you. If he had charged, there’s a good chance we would both have wound up dead,” Colt explained, trying to drive home the severity of the encounter.
“Are you mad at me?”
“No, I’m worried that you don’t seem to understand dangers when they present themselves. It’s fine. I just think we should go back to the cabin, where the chances of you attracting more wildlife decrease exponentially.”
She sighed. “All right, I see your point. Not that I’m happy about it. But I guess it wouldn’t hurt to relax for a bit so we can watch the meteor shower tonight.”
“Who said anything about relaxing? I didn’t say that. I figured we could work more on submissive training. But if you’re not up for that…” he teased as they walked.
“Colt.”
“Yeah, babe?”
“We should get back to the cabin fast then, before I decide to do something that could put us both in danger. For instance, jump you on the trail here, and make you take me right now.”
He stared at her for a moment, at the desire in her eyes. “How fast can you walk with that pack on your back?”
She smiled seductively. “We’re close enough now; I could race you.”
“You sure?”
“Yep. Just try to catch me, cowboy.” And she took off down the path, running.
With a short laugh, he chased after her, his long legs eating up the distance. This was one race where they both would win in the end.
The next night, they set up camp to watch the meteor shower. Last night they had tried to watch it, and did for a while. But then one thing led to another and they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. It was safe to say, they missed most of the meteors in favor of sexual bliss.
Before Colt, Avery never believed that she could end up becoming addicted to a person. Chocolate, coffee… sure thing. But a person? Never in a million years. And gosh, but he grew more handsome by the minute, to the point where she had a hard time keeping her hands to herself.
Plus, it was cute how overprotective Colt was being. He had her foghorn, a bat, bear mace, and a shotgun.
“You really think you need all that? I doubt the mountain lion or bear will come back.”
“You can’t know that, Miss Danger Flocks to Me. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, there’s not much I won’t do to ensure your safety, in spite of your attempts to continue putting yourself in the line of fire.”
She shrugged. “I don’t do it on purpose. You know that. As long as we don’t kill them, I’m fine with it.”
She abhorred the killing of wild animals. This was their planet too. She understood the need to use animals for food. But game hunting and killing animals for sport rubbed her the wrong way.
She sat with her back against him, between his legs, with his arms around her. She liked being with him this way. It was nice, and she had never felt this safe before. His presence had a calming influence on her, sometimes, while at other times, he made her burn.
Avery thought it was cute how he didn’t know just how to take her all the time. Well, that made two of them. He was without a doubt the most interesting man she had ever met. He seemed to know all there was to know about survival out in the wild.
“How long have you worked at the ranch?” she asked with her head resting against his shoulder.
“All my life, it seems,” he replied, his mouth beside her temple.
“You don’t sound thrilled about that.”
“It’s work. There’s always more to be done. Rinse and repeat every day.”
“Don’t you like what you do?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder at him.
He took a minute, and then he nodded. “Yes. There’s a comfort in the way nothing much changes, I suppose. There’s always work to be done, animals to be fed and cared for, but it also never changes.”
“Change isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be, you know. And if you’re not happy, change it. Colt, I think if you wanted, you could do anything.”
“I’m glad you think so. I’ve been mulling over your offer,” he murmured.
“And?” She held her breath.
“It will take some maneuvering on my part, but if the offer still stands, I’d like to go with you, to Bermuda.”
She turned in his arms, with a smile. “Really? You want to come with me?”
He moved a wisp of hair out of her face and shifted it behind her ear. He wore a heart-melting expression on his face. “Yeah, I figure that I’ve never made love on the beach, and it’s time I experienced that one.”
She screamed and tossed her arms around him, tackling him to the ground. She kissed him. “You won’t be sorry. It’s going to be so much fun.”
He laughed and rolled her until she was beneath him on the blanket. “If I’d known it would make you this excited, I would have said yes days ago.”
She caressed his face. “I just need to know the date you can leave, and I will have transportation all arranged. This is going to be great. Colt, I—”
She chickened out. The love she felt for him was on the tip of her tongue. Instead, she leaned up and kissed him. Happiness, the likes of which she couldn’t ever remember feeling, surged inside her.