Jason sucked in a breath, his control dangerously close to shattering. Was she doing this on purpose? If she was, it was working.
“That was a knife.” Jason fought to remember what had happened, his thoughts scattered, his senses and his mind focused entirely on her. “I was cuffing a guy. He went for my throat. We fought. His blade got beneath my body armor.”
“God, Jason.” Her fingers caressed the ridge of puckered flesh, her body mere inches from his now. “I’m so sorry.”
Jason knew he shouldn’t do this for both their sakes. He’d be leading them both down a path that went nowhere. He couldn’t abandon his people to be with her. She would never leave Chaska and her family. If they turned this corner, they would both pay for it later. But, God, he wanted her.
He cupped her face between his palms, touched his forehead to hers. “I want you, Win. I want to kiss you. I want to go back inside, strip off that bikini, and do all manner of things you. But there’s no way we can be together, and I don’t want to hurt you. Tell me to keep my hands to myself, and I’ll back off.”
She moved closer, ran her palms over his chest, and looked straight into his eyes. “Kiss me.”
Winona felt Jason’s heartbeat quicken beneath her palm, saw the heat in his eyes, sensed the battle inside him. Her heart was beating fast, too, her body shaking.
His gaze searched hers, a big hand coming to rest on her hip, then sliding slowly up her back, the heat of his touch making her gasp.
“Jason.”
He brushed his lips over hers, again and again, burning little hints of kisses, the contact sending shivers up her spine, making her lips tingle.
He drew back and exhaled, a slow, shuddering breath. “Tell me to stop, Win.”
“I don’t want you to stop. Can’t we have tonight?”
He moaned and drew her hard against him, strong arms enfolding her, his lips at last claiming hers.
God, yes.
He didn’t rush her, but took his sweet time, exploring her, tasting her tongue, nipping her lips with the sharp edges of his teeth. She gave herself over to his kisses, sliding her hands up his chest and over his shoulders, arching against him, reveling in the hard feel of his body against hers. Her pulse thrummed in her ears, her heart racing.
Oh, he was so good at this.
She’d never been so turned on by a kiss, heat pooling in her belly, her body already aching for more. She shifted to straddle his thighs—and took control.
His eyes flew open as she ran her tongue over his upper lip, nipped his lower lip, and then claimed his mouth with hers. But it wasn’t enough.
Hungry for him, she pressed kisses to the side of his throat, tasting him, teasing him, the scent of his skin filling her head, his pulse pounding against her lips.
In a heartbeat, he turned the tables, sliding his fingers into her wet hair, turning her head to reclaim her mouth with his.
Oh, it felt good to surrender.
He tilted her head to the side, his lips leaving her mouth to trace a path along her throat just as she’d done to him, kissing, licking, nipping, the sharp edges of his teeth raising goosebumps on sensitive skin. Then one hand moved to the ties of her bikini top, and with two quick tugs, her breasts were bare.
Anticipation made her belly clench.
He gazed down at her breasts, his brow furrowed. “Winona.”
He cupped one breast with his hand, rubbed its puckered nipple with his thumb, tremors of pleasure shivering through her.
Winona couldn’t help but moan.
He nuzzled her throat. “You like that.”
“Yes.”
Owooooo!
Winona froze, chills skittering down her spine. “The wolf. It’s here! He must be here, too—the poacher.”
The two of them were exposed and vulnerable. If the poacher was here....
Jason drew her closer, his gaze moving over the forest on the other side of the deck railing before meeting hers. “On the count of three, I’m going to get out of the water. You climb out after me and head straight inside. I’ll be right behind you.”
She grabbed her bikini top out of the water, held it against her breasts, her heart pounding. “Okay.”
Owooooo!
It was closer now, probably standing just outside the circle of light shining from the cabin’s windows and porch lights.
“One… two… three.”
Winona rose out of the water, followed Jason up the stairs, hurrying toward the door, Jason right behind her, shielding her body with his, one strong arm around her waist. She pushed open the door, stepped inside.
“Get dressed.” Jason shut and locked the door and drew the blinds. “Stay away from the windows.”
Owooooo!
She ran into her room, grabbed her bag, and hurried into the bathroom, where she stripped off her wet bikini, dried off, and dressed, questions chasing one after another through her mind. What was the wolf doing here? Why would the poacher come to the cabin? Was he just out trolling for beef?
When she walked to the doorway of her room, she found Jason standing in the kitchen, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, pistol in its holster, phone in hand.
“It sounded like it was twenty or thirty feet away at most. If your poacher is traveling with the wolf, then he’s likely here, too, and he’s almost certainly armed. Thanks. We’ll see you shortly.” He ended the call. “Nate will be here in about thirty minutes. He’s bringing a group of men to get us. He’ll take us back to the main house for the night. You’ll be safe there.”
But Winona wasn’t sure she’d feel safe anywhere tonight. “Do you think the poacher followed us?”
Jason considered that. “I don’t know. Maybe seeing the armed riders in the other pastures drove him this way in search of steers. Or maybe the wolf is out for a run. I won’t know until I can get a look at the tracks.”
She nodded, crossed her arms over her chest, and sat, her back to the wall outside her bedroom door where she wasn’t in line with any windows.
Jason crossed the room, knelt before her. “I’m sorry, Winona. I know this is scary, but I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
Jason wanted to kick his own ass. He’d gotten so caught up in his need for Winona that he’d let his guard down. He’d let his dick do the thinking—and it could have gotten both of them killed. If the poacher was here, he could have opened up on them with that rifle and killed them both.
Owooooo!
“It’s farther away now. They’re leaving.”
Jason blamed himself for the fear on Winona’s face. “Why don’t you come sit at the table in the kitchen? It’s a lot more comfortable than the floor.”
He took her hand, helped her up, and walked with her to the kitchen. “Would someone just let their wolf run free?”
“I let Shota run off-leash on Forest Service land, but I never just turned him out to roam by himself. I was too afraid something would happen if…” Her words trailed off, a look of comprehension on her face. “The poacher has to be here. Either that, or he lives nearby. I don’t know how the wolf could get here otherwise.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Wild wolves lope along at no more than five or six miles an hour, and they don’t travel more than thirty miles in a day. Either the poacher brought the wolf with him like he did when he killed the steers—or he lives a lot closer than you all think.”