“Fuck!”
Simon Frederick dropped his grape Crush as he hit the brakes, fishtailing all over the narrow two-lane road. His tan Bronco with its beige trim shuddered, shook, and stopped barely moments before he hit the capped woman who’d just come barreling out of the woods.
Killing the engine, he hopped out, shaking off the spilled soda and hastened to the front where he no longer saw her. She lay in a heap, blood streaming down one side of her head. The ballcap no longer there, exposing thick waves of blonde hair that had matted blood in it.
“Ma’am?” he asked lunging toward her only to be brought up short by the sudden appearance of a large black dog with tan markings who appeared from the same direction she had. His canines gleamed in the rapidly fading light of day.
Simon couldn’t hear any growling but he had no doubt in his mind this dog was ready to protect her. With another swift glance at the head wound, he gazed at the canine then continued to where he could sink down by the woman.
“Bite me if you will, I have to see.” He ripped his shirt off and balled it up to where a clean part was there and pressed it against her cranium.
Her eyes fluttered open and he found himself captivated by a pair of dark hazel eyes. Holy shit.
“Run,” she said, voice barely discernable. “Run.” Despite how faint her tone was, he couldn’t avoid noticing how her words were lined with raw fear.
“What happened? How did you get hurt?” He checked the wound and put pressure back on it. “Can you move?”
“Have to. Keep moving, they’re coming. Guns. Coming. They’re coming.” Her eyes closed and her entire body sagged into the road.
She was unconscious.
He went into military mode, years of training kicking in. Guns. Coming. And a woman running from them. This couldn’t be anything good. Simon scooped his arms beneath her and got to his feet. Taking her around to the passenger side, he worked the door open, and set her up on the seat. Before he could turn around and check on the dog, it bounded by him inside his vehicle and squeezed through into the back where his groceries had spilled from his quick stop. While the dog was large and muscular, he never touched the woman as he cleared the front seat launching into the back. Impressive.
He could hear people crashing through the brush now and he slammed her door and bolted for the driver’s seat. As he peeled away, two people hit the road, but he couldn’t make anything out other than shapes as the sun had finally set.
They fired at him and he ducked as two slugs shattered his back window. Then he was around the corner and out of their sight. Hitting his headlights, he kept going. His unresponsive guest had fallen toward him when he careened around the corner and lay with her head close to his thigh. He leaned in her direction far enough to grab his wadded-up shirt and press it once more against her wound.
Checking the rearview, he met the dog’s unblinking gaze. He wasn’t whining, he wasn’t uneasy. Simon had ascertained, from the assessment he currently received the dog knew he wanted to help, nothing more. One hell of a dog whatever he was. He only hoped this woman deserved such devotion.
The ride up to his cabin took another twenty minutes but it was still closer than town and he left his groceries where they were, instead hefting the woman again and carrying her inside. He took her straight to his bed and laid her down.
Working swiftly, he cleaned the head wound and applied antibiotic cream and the butterfly bandages. With that resolved he took another glance over her. She was filthy and had other scrapes and cuts.
It didn’t take him to long to get those cleaned up and he even got her into one of his shirts. He’d done his best not to stare as he took her ripped and stained shirt off before replacing it with one of his own. But fuck, he was a red-blooded male and she was nothing short of attractive. His top covered her past her knees and so he didn’t see much when he drew off her pants and put them to the side. Exchanging her socks for some thick wool ones, he covered her and stepped back.
The next moment, the dog jumped up beside her, circled once and lay by her legs, between her and the door. Not only the door but the window as well. Smart dog. Ears forward and alert even as his eyes closed.
“Just what I always wanted, a dog in my bed.” He rolled his eyes but accepted there wasn’t a way for him to get the dog out of there without doing his best to drag him from the room.
Simon headed back to get his groceries and clean up the mess from his drink spill all over the front. He ran a hand down his face as he stared at the space his back window used to be. Climbing into the back of his Bronco, he checked the area and reached for his pocketknife when he found the slug buried in the bench seat.
He closed the back and looked around. Somehow, he had no doubt his sanctuary had just been violated. Whoever those men were, they wanted her dead. Why? He would have to wait to find out. Same as who they were.
Leaving his vehicle partially hidden, he made his way back to the house, juggling the three bags and his case of grape Crush.
“Should call the police,” he said as he stepped into his cabin.
He gazed across the room to the short hallway that led to the room he was no longer going to be using. After he put away his groceries, he went to check on her. The dog watched him but never moved.
She slept soundly, swallowed up by his shirt and the blanket to her waist. Well aware of how cool it got at night, he tugged the blankets up best he could. Hard to do when the dog was on them. He swiped some clean clothing and an extra pillow before piling on some blankets.
In the living room, he made up the couch and groaned as he tossed the pillow against the arm rest. It was to short and lumpy. This was going to suck. He wanted his bed but he wasn’t dumb enough to believe that dog would allow him to sleep in there beside her. Not even if he was trying to convince himself it was to keep an eye on her wellbeing.
Checking out the window, another grape Crush in hand, he stared up at the clear sky. It was going to frost tonight and the temperature would drop substantially. He pre-staged for a fire when the temperature fell, content with the fire lay, he peered out the front door then locked it. He finished his drink, grateful not to be wearing this one.
When only one light remained lit in the living room, he brushed his teeth then stopped back by to check on his guest. Her breathing was steady even if it was a bit shallow. He redid her bandage and backed out of the room. Simon dug in his pocket and pulled out the cartridge he’d removed from the back of his seat. 7.62mm. Most likely an AK-47 but he couldn’t swear to it. Sounded like one though.
He wanted to go figure out who those men were and why they were shooting after her. But he couldn’t leave her alone. He sat on the couch and stretched out. It was going to be a long night. Two hours later he woke chilled and unfolded another blanket, covering himself before settling back down.
Was he a bit concerned about the men out there? Sure. But there were safeguards in place around the cabin to give him some warning.
αβ
Geri couldn’t stop falling. No matter how she flailed, how she scrambled to find purchase, she couldn’t stop herself. The wind rushed by her, accelerating as she neared terminal velocity. A large boulder screamed toward her, directly in her path and she knew if she hit it, she would die. No way she could survive a hit like that. The panicked cry welled up in her throat and she opened her mouth.
A cool nose nudged her neck, right below her ear. After that a small flick on the tongue. She dragged her eyes open and whimpered as Lars stared down at her. His intelligent eyes the reassuring and calming force she needed. Thank god. Her heart pounded and she took several deep breaths while it calmed down.
“Good boy, Lars.” She dug her fingers into his short dark coat, eagerly soaking up the strong support he provided her.
Christ, she hurt. She stared at her hand that rested against her companion. Scratches and dried blood. She frowned.
Okay, this is not good. I’m not wearing my clothes. Whose shirt is this? And why do I want to snuggle deeper into it?
She sat up a bit, doing her best to ignore the pain and aches, and stared at the red shirt covering her body. She still had on her bra and her panties. The socks were different. She scanned her gaze around the room and took in the simplicity of it all.
Simple dresser with only a few items on the top. A tall wingback in the corner that had her jeans folded on it. A dark blue rug took up part of the floor and she swung her legs from the warmth of the bed until her feet rested on the fibers.
Her head hurt and her eyes burned but she pushed up. Lars hopped off and stood beside her. None of this looked familiar to her and she cautiously made her way to the door that wasn’t closed.
A deep breath and she shuffled up the hall, the wool socks on her feet keeping her warm. Her world spun but she refused to give up and go back. She wanted to know where she was and who brought her here.
“You shouldn’t be up.”
That deep masculine voice wasn’t known to her either and she whirled toward the voice, room suddenly spinning, wildly and out of control. Shit. She grabbed for the wall to keep upright. The rough wood delivered two small splinters into her fingers and she bit back her curse.
A man appeared before her, vaguely familiar. Tall, broad shoulders, hard muscles. Dark blue eyes with undertones of dark violet watched her from beneath curved, thick lashes. He had shaggy rich sandy brown hair and chiseled features that made her want to touch, explore. A jagged scar sat mostly hidden beneath the faint scruff shadowing his jawline.
“Who are you?” She touched her head and winced. “Where am I?” She gritted her teeth and reached up to probe again at the injury on her head.
He was there first, hand clasping about her wrist, halting the action. Spears of heat slammed into her, pebbling her nipples and making her wet. She gulped and slanted her gaze to the dog at her side. Lars just stood there, bored with the entire thing.
“Don’t touch that.” He released her then stepped closer, lifting the bandage, and mumbling as he stared.
Her belly grew tight and she closed her eyes to block out the light.
Yeah right.
“Do you remember anything?” he asked. That voice of his low and sexy as if he were offering her a night with him under the stars upon a blanket of the softest crushed velvet in existence.
“Flashes really. Nothing more than that.” Which sucked. She wanted answers, didn’t like not knowing.
She wobbled and didn’t argue when he captured her arm in his hand, the calloused palm creating more friction within her. He guided her to a couch and sat her before sinking beside and returning his attention to the injury on her head.
“Snatches only. Lars and I were out hiking when I stepped in a hole which sent me over the edge. I passed out and when I woke he was beside me.” She reached out her hand and gave her dog a small muzzle scratch. “Minor bumps and bruising, so I got up and tried to find my way back up. They then began shooting at me.”
“Who? Did you see them? How many? What type of weapons.”
Geri closed her eyes and did her best to pull from her memory banks. It was fuzzy. Extremely.
“I recall hearing more than three distinct voices but not sure how many in total. They came out of nowhere and if it hadn’t been for Lars, I would be dead now, instead of with the graze across my head.” She tipped her head and looked at them man sitting oh-so close to her.
Even hotter up close. Must be the head injury.
“Thank you for helping me, but I don’t want to put you in danger. We should be going.” She pushed up to her feet and faced the door. Okay, so her body was yelling at her to head the other way and store up more sleep but she wasn’t going to have someone else’s death on her hands.
He didn’t speak and she slowly made her way toward the door. As she reached out for it, he cleared his throat.
She peered back at him.
“Planning on going in just shirt and socks?” A blatant perusal of her form. “While I approve I think it may get a bit cold. And shoes are a necessity when going through the mountains.” He rose and gestured for her to return to him.
She hated how her body listened immediately even while her mind screamed for her to leave.
“Go lay down, I’ll let your dog out then he can come back and sleep some more with you as well.”
Geri took three steps then pivoted slowly back to her savior. “What’s your name?”
“Simon.”
She mouthed his name liking how it felt on her lips. “Thank you.”
Crawling back between the sheets, she lay on her stomach and sighed heavily. That had taken all her waning energy. She hovered between awake and slumber when the bed dipped slightly and Lars’ familiar weight settled against her leg.
“Good boy,” she whispered seconds before she fell back to sleep.
This next time it was the smell of steak woke her. Her stomach rumbled and she cracked open her eyes. The room was dark, the only illumination coming from the front. She got up, a bit faster this time and headed up there, stopping at the bathroom on the way. Standing in front of the mirror, she stared at her reflection.
“I look like I went through the ringer.” She gingerly touched the head wound and winced. Still tender as hell. There wasn’t any blood in her hair so Simon had cleaned her up more than just basic.
She thought about the fact she wore his shirt and socks. Had he found her attractive? What the crap was she doing even thinking about that? It didn’t make any difference. She had to get back to her vehicle.
Lars paced her up to the living room area where she found a fire burning and the man named Simon standing over the stove in the kitchen. His back was to her and she took advantage of the moment to stare at his bare back, got mesmerized by the muscle play as he moved. He had some scars and she wanted to trace them with her tongue. Her fingertips burned with a need to touch him.