Chapter Six
Talking Is Over-Rated
“Okay, Mr. Talltree, what did you want to talk about?” Brandy said, her voice dangerously calm. Stepping off the path, she walked toward a bench nestled in a clump of trees a few yards from the building.
“Us.” He followed, then turned her to face him and experimentally ran his hands slowly up and down her arms. She didn’t stop him, so he took that as an encouraging sign.
“Relationships. I’m no good at them.” He shook his head. “I’ve had some very bad experiences. It’s no excuse, but that’s why I acted so badly the last time we were together. There’s a lot of truth to what you said at the rock.” Stefan stepped away from her and unconsciously dug the toe of his boot in the soft ground.
“Sure, and what are you going to do about it?” she said, flipping her long, curly red hair over her shoulder, her chin jutting a little higher than necessary.
He sighed quietly. “Let’s start over. I’d like to take you up on your offer to teach me to hunt. You’re aware it won’t be pretty. Probably much like an addict’s withdrawal from his drug of choice.”
He wasn’t sure this was the way to go. However, trying to get blood from a hospital or mail order was more difficult here than where he’d lived previously. The necessary forms and permits were a lot tougher to get post-September 11th. Questions he couldn’t answer or tracking he didn’t want to participate in left him in a quandary.
“Don’t doubt it a bit, but like an addict, the choice is yours. You have to want to change your lifestyle. No one can do it for you.”
“I know.” He linked his fingers through hers as they walked to the parking lot. Stopping at her SUV, she leaned into him, brushing a soft, lingering kiss across his lips.
Encouraged, he banded a heavily muscled arm around her. “How about we meet for a moonlight walk before I go to work?”
Tugging free of his embrace, she took out a piece of paper and a pen from her backpack. She scribbled down something, then handed it to him. “Here is my address and phone number. Why don’t you pick me up about seven tonight?”
A wide grin spread across his face. He tucked the paper in the front pocket of his jeans. “Great, I’ll see you then.” He opened the door, and she slid in the driver’s seat. Giving her enough time to settle in, he closed the car door, watching her drive off before climbing into his truck.
****
Stefan opened the door to his cabin, toed off his boots, and strode across the hardwood floor to the bedroom. Stripping where he stood, he stepped into the shower to wash off the day’s grime. He reached for a towel to dry off and walked to the closet, looking for something to wear. Man, I’d better do laundry or I’ll be running around naked. The dirty clothes hamper was full, and the closet was empty except for one pair of jeans and a dark burgundy sweater.
Dressed, he picked the pace up a bit, grabbed his truck keys off the dresser, and drove over to Kalispell. Brandy’s cottage was small, painted light blue, and accented by white shutters. A multihued stone walkway meandered its way to the front door. Colorful irises followed the contour of the walkway. Pansies brightened the planter beneath the purple ash tree on the left side of the yard. Red and white geraniums overflowed from the window boxes.
I wonder if she did the landscaping herself. Glancing at his watch, he noticed it was only six. Hmmm, do I go back to the truck and wait, come back later, or knock on the door? Aw hell, I am already here. I want to see her, early or not. He knocked on the door. She answered in black sweat pants, a thin pink tank top, and wet hair dripping all over the floor. Christ, she was beautiful.
“You’re a bit early, aren’t you?” She opened the door wider, inviting him in. “Sit wherever you like. I’ll be ready shortly.”
“Need any help?” he offered hopefully, watching the way her curved hips swayed. Her unrestrained, firm breasts bounced under the thin top as she turned and crossed the carpeted floor, barefoot, on her way to the bedroom. God, what a great ass.
“No, I can still dress myself, but thanks.” She shut the bedroom door firmly.
“Yeah, but can you undress yourself?” he muttered under his breath. That girl knows what I’m thinking before I do. While it was a little disconcerting, surprisingly he didn’t mind the feeling.
“Okay, I’m ready.” She brushed by him, smelling of flowers and cotton candy. Dressed in black jeans and a snug red scoop-neck sweater, she’d used a red ribbon to tie her hair back in a ponytail.
He drew in her scent as she passed by him. She smells good enough to eat. Then he attempted a nibble at her neck. Brandy giggled and shooed him away. It never seemed to cross her mind to be afraid.
****
They took his truck to the Avalanche Lake trailhead. Walking hand in hand under the rising full moon, they stopped at the rock across from the trail where they’d met and had their first fight. Stefan slid a sideways glance at her.
Brandy leaned back on the rock, one foot propped against it. She sensed that he was less at odds with himself than when they’d first met. Why can’t I just walk away? Now I understand where Hannah was coming from. There was something strong drawing her to him. Lord knows this won’t be easy. She felt the anger and terrible sorrow that he carried and wanted so badly to soothe him but recognized that was something his male ego wouldn’t allow. She’d play it his way, for now.
Standing in front of her, he braced his hands on each side of her waist, effectively boxing her in as he had that first night. Leaning in, he pressed his lips against hers. Her warmth pressed against his cool made her shiver. He gently covered her mouth, kissing her slowly. Her heartbeat quickened.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and relaxed into him, feeling the growing excitement beneath the denim he wore. Easing back, he ran his tongue over her soft, full lips, then trailed down her neck to the pulsing hollow of her throat, kissing her gently. She stiffened.
Tilting his head back slightly, he looked into her green eyes, his voice thick with desire. “I won’t hurt you.”
“I know.” She snuggled up tighter, running her hands under his T-shirt, tracing the well-defined muscles across his back. The wicked glint in his eyes made no difference to her.
****
Watching Brandy’s eyes go dreamy, he took her face in his hands, inching them slowly up to her temples, stroking the soft, baby-fine hair there. His fingers entwined in her hair until they fisted, and he took her mouth with his again.
She moaned softly as he slid his tongue between her lips. She answered, her tongue dancing sinuously alongside his with a passion all her own. He wanted to devour her in small greedy bites. As his fangs pushed through, he pulled back. “This is never going to work. We’re going to drive each other crazy.”
“I believe you’re right,” she purred quietly, making no attempt to move away.
She’d taken him right to the edge with a kiss and the feel of her warm body against his. He sucked in a deep breath out of habit rather than need. Her tantalizing scent filled his nostrils. Damn, I didn’t need that. He exhaled slowly and closed his eyes, trying desperately to regain control. Finally, his fangs drew back as the bloodlust waned and the burning in his throat became manageable. When he opened his eyes, she was staring at him, not in horror as he’d expected but with curiosity.
“Unless you want to find a more secluded place to continue our activities or allow me to sink my fangs into you and feast…” He grinned wickedly. “I strongly suggest we get moving.” Reaching for her hand, he entwined his fingers with hers, tugging her toward the trail. Bringing her hand up to his lips, he kissed the back of her hand, then quickly released it and took off running at top speed, knowing she’d try to keep up. Instead, she paced herself well behind him. At the top of a hill several miles up the trail, he stopped and waited for her. She increased her pace to catch up.
“Better?” She looked up at him through long copper lashes as a shy smile played at the corners of her mouth.
“Yes, thanks.” Leaning over, he kissed her forehead and then held her at arm’s length as if memorizing every feature. She slid her hand into his, and they walked in comfortable silence, listening to the gurgling stream, chirping crickets, and the occasional wolf’s song.
“Brandy, we gotta head back. I need to get ready for work. Tonight was great. I’d like to do it again…soon.” Unable to stop himself, he pulled her roughly back against his chest and held her there, listening to her thundering heart.
His chest crushed against her breasts. He felt her tremble in his arms. She buried her face in his neck and breathed deeply.
“You smell like pine and campfire smoke. It’s very alluring.” Smiling, she wriggled away from him and tilted her head up. “How about your next night off we hunt? It’s really not hard…”
Oh, darling, it sure as hell is. Stefan shifted his stance to allow a little more room for his growing problem.
“You just need to let your instincts take over,” Brandy said with a wink.
Believe me, that’s the last thing you want me to do right now. His lips twitched as he stood listening to her.
“Stefan, did you hear me?”
“Yeah, sorry. My mind wandered there for a minute.”
“The trick is to learn to control those instincts even while feeding. Self-control you’ve learned while working around humans will make hunting a snap. You’ll acquire a taste for the wild game. I promise.” Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Standing on tiptoe, she touched her lips to his, then slowly eased away. “Don’t want to stir you up again, now, do we?” she taunted.
“Woman, you’re playing with fire, and you know it.” He raised a dark brow and leaned in to nuzzle her neck teasingly, knowing he was in complete control. She didn’t even flinch. “As far as hunting goes, I have Friday and Saturday nights off. Friday night after you get off, will that work? That way if I screw up, I have Saturday night to get it right or recuperate.”
“I don’t think that will be a problem.” She chuckled and nodded her head in agreement.
The weekend seemed too far off, so on impulse he asked, “Hey, would you like to come over tomorrow evening and watch movies? I have a great home theater system. We could get to know each other, maybe play ten questions. I’ll answer questions you have about me if you’ll answer ten questions I want to know about you?”
“Sounds fair, but I have one stipulation—no subject is off limits.”
“Nope, won’t agree to that.” He wasn’t ready to go there yet.
“Then no deal.” She paused. “But I’ll come over and watch movies anyway. Fair enough?”
“That works. What time do you get off work?”
“Usually by four. I’ll pick up a bite to eat and come on over. You don’t mind if I eat in front of you?”
“No, not at all.” He gave her directions to his cabin and then drove her home.
****
The streetlights cast amber pools of light on the darkened street as Stefan strolled down the sidewalk to work. At 11:48, he sauntered into the control room.
Cody looked at him and deliberately glanced at the clock. “I see you got a life again. Glad to see it was worth me getting up at an ungodly hour this morning to cover for you. You gonna tell me how it went, or do I have to drag it out of you?” Cody took a menacing step toward Stefan, grabbing for his arm, but only caught hold of his coat sleeve.
An amused sneer formed on Stefan’s lips. Hell would freeze over before you would be able to drag anything out of me. He liked Cody in spite of himself, so he played along.
“Okay, okay, I’ll tell.” Stefan brushed Cody’s hand off his coat, feigning fear. If he only knew. He smiled to himself. “It was good. A little uncomfortable at first, but by the end of the night…well, let’s just say things look promising.”
“You’re going to ask her out again, right?”
“It’s none of your business. But yes, she is coming over to watch movies tonight.”
“At your place? Wow, you prepared for company? Place cleaned up, food and drink in the fridge? How about romantic music and flowers? Maybe a few candles sitting around. You know…set the stage.” He grinned, winking knowingly.
“I’ll be ready, but flowers and candles aren’t my style.” Sounded good, but Stefan really didn’t know what his style was anymore, especially now that it really mattered.
The six-hour shift flew by. He made sure Rocky’s music and playlist were ready when the skinny kid came in for the morning shift. Stefan walked out the station door at five minutes after six.
It was too early to head into town to pick up a few things, so he decided to go home, finish the laundry, and put it away. It didn’t take long to clean up the cabin. Remembering what Cody said, he looked around, wondering if he should set the scene. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much here to create any kind of ambiance. He never saw the need for more than the essentials until recently.
Pictures that hung on the cabin wall were of Stefan’s favorites places in Glacier. Russ, an amateur photographer, provided the framed photos. After hanging pictures, Russ claimed it looked more like someone actually lived here rather than just existed. Toward that end, Stefan splurged and bought a theater system with surround sound and a sixty-inch 3D HD TV. The system could rattle the walls when he was in the mood.
Turning his attention back to the problem at hand, he considered perhaps Cody was right and drove into town. First stop was a flower shop where the clerk helped him pick out a bouquet of wildflowers with a few yellow long-stemmed roses mixed in. She arranged them in a tall crystal vase, tying a burgundy ribbon near the top. Next, he visited the market, bought a couple of six packs of soft drinks, and several bottles of iced tea. Brandy always had a bottle of iced tea or bottled water in her hand. Passing by a display of fragranced candles of various colors, sizes, and shapes, he decided it couldn’t hurt. Picking out a few candles with holders, he paid for everything and headed home.
While putting the purchases away, someone knocked on his door. Stefan yanked open the door. Cody stood grinning on the doorstep with a bag of ice, a bottle of wine, and a covered basket.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Stefan asked, slightly annoyed. The people he’d kept at arm’s length for several months seemed to be swarming around him like mosquitoes. What was their deal?
“Tracy brought in some of her world-famous cinnamon apple tarts especially for you and Brandy.” Cody held up the covered basket sheepishly. The mouth-watering scent wound around Stefan and wafted into the cabin.
Too bad that type of food doesn’t taste as good as it smells anymore. Another downside to being a vampire.
“I kinda told her you were having Brandy over tonight. You can’t have dessert without wine.” He raised the bottle of wine, wiggling his eyebrows, grinning. “Last, but not least, you have to chill this wine, so I brought ice and a bucket to put it in.”
Stefan opened the door wider to allow Cody inside the cabin. “I do know what I’m doing. This isn’t my first rodeo,” he said stiffly, then his voice softened. “But I really appreciate all this, and I’ll thank Tracy tomorrow. Now, Brandy will be here soon. You can’t be here when she arrives. Got it?”
“Yeah, yeah, we just wanted to make sure you didn’t screw it up again.” He hooked his thumbs in his belt loops, rocked back on his heels, and looked around. “You fixed this place up nice.”
“I know. Now get out!” Stefan grabbed Cody’s arm, spun him around, and shoved him out the door, closing it behind him. Stefan watched out the window as Cody strolled down the path whistling, hands in his pockets. Stefan shook his head and blew out a breath. “Shit, there’s just no discouraging that man.”
Stefan held a couple of candles in one hand, wondering just how to…set the scene. He decided to put a candle on the tables at each end of the leather couch, one candle in the middle of the breakfast bar, and he set two on top of the entertainment center across the room. Opening the DVD player, he found one of his favorite CDs still inside. He pushed play and the room filled with strains of a soft, relaxing guitar instrumental.
Candles lit, he stood back to admire his work. The flames cast shadows against the wall, seeming to sway in time to the music. Not a bad start. He walked to the fireplace, struck a match against the stone hearth, and tossed it into the crumpled newspaper. Flames curled out of the paper, licking the sides of the dried kindling. Smoke billowed up the chimney as the blue-tinged orange flames raced to the larger pieces of pine, crackling and hissing as the blaze reached higher, warming the room.
Movement outside the front window caught his attention. Brandy picked her way up the path. Large wet snowflakes swirled around her. He greeted her at the door, reaching for her elbow as she stepped inside. She stopped and leaned over to remove her boots. When she bent over, he couldn’t help but notice her backside. Round, firm, and…this kind of thinking will get me in all kinds of trouble. He averted his eyes, tuning into what she was saying.
“Boy, this snow storm came out of nowhere. Wasn’t it just yesterday morning we enjoyed a great hike in the sunshine?” She laughed, shaking the snow out of her hair. “Springtime in the Rockies.”
He took her parka and hung it in the closet. “I’ll get you a towel to dry your hair,” he said over his shoulder, walking down the hallway to the bathroom. Grabbing a towel, he silently returned, stopping in the doorway, and leaned his shoulder against the doorframe, watching Brandy.
She wandered around the room. It was tidy but masculine with polished hardwood floors and lodge-style furnishings. Brandy touched the vase of flowers as her gaze wandered to the lit candles placed around the room. Her eyes lingered on a guitar sitting in its uniquely carved wooden stand in the corner.
“What a wonderful place. Do you play?” She nodded toward the guitar.
“Thanks. Yes, I do.”
She crossed the room, kneeling in front of the guitar. “Gibson? Is that mother-of-pearl inlay on the neck?”
“Sure is. Do you play?”
“No, I tried several times but just didn’t seem to have a talent for it. Enjoy listening though. Would you play something tonight?” she asked, getting to her feet.
“Maybe later.” He eyed the bag in her hand. “Your food is getting cold.” He motioned to the breakfast bar. “Have a seat and enjoy your dinner. I’ve cola and root beer in the fridge along with regular and raspberry iced tea. What’s your pleasure?”
Eyeing him speculatively, she asked, “Since when does a vampire have soft drinks and iced tea in his fridge? Blood, yes, but soft drinks?” She raised a sleek red brow in question. A teasing smile played at the corners of her mouth. “Thanks. I’ll take a raspberry iced tea.”
“For the record, I keep my blood in the freezer in case my guests are squeamish.” A laugh rumbled deep in his chest.
“And just how many guests have you lured to your humble abode?”
“Oh, let’s see…at last count…one,” he said dryly.
She sniffed, looking around the kitchen. “Do I smell…” She sniffed again, one eyebrow raised. “Tracy’s world-famous cinnamon apple tarts?”
“Yep, sure do. She baked them especially for you, actually.” He shrugged again and shoved his hands in his pockets.
“For me?”
“Apparently my coworkers have very little faith in my ability to entertain a woman. Earlier this afternoon, I opened the door to find Cody standing on my porch with a bottle of wine—dessert wine, he claimed—a bag of ice, an ice bucket, and Tracy’s homemade tarts.”
Brandy burst out laughing, then covered her mouth, trying to stifle the laughter. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to get those tarts? You have to order several days in advance.” She waved her hand toward the counter where the tarts sat in the basket. “And you get them in one day. She must really like you.”
“Or feel sorry for me. I’ve gone from being the strange, scary midnight DJ rarely seen during daylight hours to everyone’s favorite charity case. You’re to blame, you know. It all changed when you attended the ball game.”
She hopped up on the stool, reached into her bag, pulled out a chicken sandwich, and took a bite, smoothing out the bag to set the sandwich on. “You’re welcome,” she called over her shoulder. “You’re the one who invited me to the softball game. It is a small town, after all.”
Moving around the breakfast bar, he said sarcastically, “I have plates.” Taking a plate out of the cupboard, he slid the sandwich from the bag to the plate, crumpled the bag, and tossed it in the garbage.
“Sorry. I wasn’t sure what creature comforts you’d have.”
“I have glasses too. Wine glasses, to be exact, just in case you were wondering.” He winked at her and walked around behind her, laying his hands on her shoulders, slowly sliding them down her arms. Stefan leaned into her, enjoying her warmth. “I’m glad you came,” he whispered against her ear.
He sauntered back into the kitchen and grabbed a crystal glass from the cupboard and a bottle of iced tea out of the fridge. Setting the glass in front of her, he added a few ice cubes and poured the tea over the ice with a flourish. Then he handed her a napkin and sat across from her. “What brought you to Montana?”
She took another bite of her sandwich, chewed thoughtfully, then took a sip of iced tea. “The desire to travel, I suppose. See new things and get away from a controlling, possessive Irishman.”
“Oh, so you have a boyfriend?” he asked, a knot forming in his stomach.
She’d taken another bite of sandwich and nearly choked. “No!” she sputtered. “We were high school sweethearts. After graduation, he expected to marry me. He wasn’t what I was looking for in a mate…ah, man. Like my sister, I applied to a college in America, was accepted, and I left.”
“You’re not involved with anyone in Ireland or here?” Stefan felt that knot ease.
“Relax. I’m not involved with anyone at the moment but you. Is that what you want to hear?” She narrowed her eyes, watching him over the rim of her iced tea as she took another sip.
“Sure is.” He shifted in his seat, glad to get that out of the way. “Your sister still in the States?”
“Aye, she lives in Maine. Hannah attended Yale as an exchange student. A cyber security firm grabbed her up right after college. She’s been there ever since.” Brandy popped the final bite of her sandwich in her mouth, picked up the plate, and put it in the sink.
“Wow, I’m impressed. That’s not an easy college to get into.”
Brandy padded back to her seat and settled in. “Ma and Da always insisted on a good education for us. We’ve relatives that are well connected. They pulled strings to get her admitted. She was an excellent student. Even before graduation, she got the job offer of her dreams that she couldn’t refuse—working for Black Hawk Cyber in Maine. She never returned to Ireland. When she was out on her own, she called every week with tales of what she’d seen and done. Then she met a man, and everything changed. Her calls were sporadic. She became secretive.”
Stefan washed and dried the dish, sliding it back in the cupboard. “What happened?”
“It got to a point where she rarely returned my phone calls. When she did call, she was distant and evasive. Three months passed. Ma and Da didn’t hear a thing from her, and they were worried. I went to check on her.”
“I don’t mean to pry. The couple of weeks you were gone, did that have to do with your sister?”
“It did. I could tell something was up the last time she called. My job was crazy, but as soon as I could, I caught the first plane to Misty Harbor for a surprise visit. But the surprise was on me. I arrived on her wedding day immediately after she’d said ‘I do.’”
“Wow, that must have been a shock. Did you know the relationship was serious?”
“Not exactly, but she seemed glad to see me. Tristian, her husband, was cordial enough but distant. It was a small wedding with his family and friends in attendance.” Brandy paused. Better not tell any more about what I actually learned. “Hannah introduced me, assured me everything was fine, and promised to call more often. She seemed happy. I left it at that and flew back.”
Stefan nodded, rounded the counter, and sat in the chair next to her.
Brandy shrugged, her forehead creased. “She won’t let me tell Ma and Da about her marriage. That bothers me. Hannah says she’ll tell them when the time is right. She swore me to secrecy.”
“Won’t they be upset when they do find out?”
She threw her hands up in the air. “Oh, upset doesn’t begin to describe the fireworks that will go off. Not to mention how hurt they’ll be. In Ireland, a wedding is a big deal, a huge celebration.”
Brandy’s eyes clouded with sadness and worry, but Stefan said nothing.
Shaking her head as if to dislodge unpleasant thoughts, she shifted in her chair. “Okay, enough about me. I want to hear about you.”
“You’re much more interesting than I am.”
“Don’t think so.” Brandy grinned. “Tell me about your family.”
“I don’t really have one.” He got up and walked across the room to the entertainment center that spanned the entire living room wall. “Last winter, I built this and that corner hutch over there out of aspen during a snow storm that nearly buried us.” Stefan slid his fingers over the smooth wood.
“I remember that one. It was just before Christmas last year.”
“That’s the one.”
“I’d planned to fly to Ireland for Christmas. The frigging storm made travel impossible. Ma and Da were so disappointed. Now, tell me about your family,” she insisted.
“No,” he said flatly. “I don’t have any family. End of story.”
Her eyes rounded in surprise, but she didn’t miss a beat. “Okay, tell me what brought you here.”
“Why don’t you pick out a movie for us to watch? They’re in the corner cabinet, arranged in alphabetical order.” He waved his hand toward the cabinet in the corner.
She sighed, moving toward the cabinet, then abruptly turned around to face him. “I’d rather hear you play.” Pointing toward the other corner where his guitar stood.
Relieved that she’d dropped her line of questioning, he reached over, turned off the DVD player, and picked up the guitar.
Brandy plucked a coaster from its holder and sat her tea glass on the oak table in front of the couch. She sat down and curled her legs up under her.
Stefan sat cross-legged on the floor just below her, leaning against the couch. “What would you like to hear?”
“Anything. I liked the instrumental that was playing when I arrived. Can you play something like that?”
“I can.” He played a couple of the songs that were actually on that CD, then several more that were not. She seemed to enjoy the music so much that he decided to risk playing a song he’d been working on. “Stay right here. I’ll be right back.”
He ambled to the entertainment center and opened the side door. Several sheets of music fluttered in the air, landing lightly on the floor. He gathered the sheets, thumbing through them until he found the one he wanted. “This song still needs some work, but I’d like to know what you think.”
As she watched him, her eyes lit up with understanding. “You write your own music?”
“Sometimes.” Checking the notes on the sheet of paper, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the song, its feeling and story. His callused fingers slid over the strings, coaxing out a haunting melody. Finished, he slowly opened one eye, then the other, to take in Brandy’s expression. Her eyes were closed, her body swaying to the final chords of the song.
A little sigh slipped from her lips as she blinked her eyes open. “It doesn’t need any work. It’s beautiful. You are very talented.” She was silent for a couple of minutes. “That was you playing on the CD.”
“Guilty. Music is the one thing that brings me peace.” Reaching out, he placed his guitar gently in its stand and leaned back against the couch.
She stretched her long slender legs out in front of her, then in one fluid movement, slid from the couch to the floor next to him, shoulder to shoulder. Drawing her legs up in a triangle, she wrapped her arms around them and laid her cheek on her knees. She looked up at him from under long copper-red lashes as the tip of her tongue slowly traced her pouty lips.
“You know, Stefan, every experience you’ve had up until this moment makes you what you are, what I find so fascinating. Any woman alive would consider herself lucky to be sitting here with you.”
He raised a dark brow in disbelief. “Glad you feel that way but doubt others would. Not that it matters.”
“That would be their loss.” Her voice was firm and final.
Scooping an arm around her, he brought her into his lap, enjoying her delicious warmth, oddly comforted by the constant beat of her heart. He wrapped his arms around her and held her against his chest, existing only in a moment where nothing else mattered.
Unsure of how long they’d sat there, her regular breathing told him she’d fallen asleep. Stefan knew she’d been up long before sunrise this morning to lead another morning hike. It must have caught up with her. He didn’t mind. This way there was no pressure or questions he didn’t want to answer. Just her wonderful scent and body cuddled against him. Could I really make this work?