Molly faded in and out of consciousness. One moment she was being held in the arms of her rescuer, bouncing along a mountain trail. Dust kicked up around her, but she didn’t have the will to cough. She knew she should sit up and get herself off the mountain, but she didn’t have the energy. So, she rested her cheek against the solid wall of Joe’s chest and gave herself permission to go back to a very disturbed sleep where she couldn’t quite rest because her bruised body was being jolted until her teeth rattled in her head.

When the vehicle finally came to a halt, her head cleared long enough for her to think. Whoever had been shooting at her probably assumed she was dead. Which might be a better position to be in to continue her investigation. She’d have at least a few days to recuperate and lay low, giving the B&B time to report her missing. The missing person report would support her cover of being dead. The person who’d shot at her wouldn’t be concerned she’d mouth off to the authorities, and she’d have time to find the camp before the terrorists scrambled to leave the area.

Convincing “Just Joe” that she didn’t need to go to the hospital had been exhausting. Once he’d agreed, she’d faded out again.

How long she’d been out, she didn’t know. When she opened her eyes again, she had to blink several times. The room was so dark she’d thought she might have dreamed opening her eyes.

A dim light shined in the far corner of the dark room. As her vision cleared, she noted a potbellied stove glowing orange through a cast-iron grate.

She turned her cheek against the coarse fabric of a wool blanket and a damp nose bumped into her skin.

Molly jerked back and grinned when Six placed a paw on her arm and again nudged her with his snout.

“Hey, boy,” she said, her voice hoarse. When she tried to move her arms and legs, a shadow crossed the room and hovered over her.

Joe sat on the edge of the bed, slipped a hand beneath her shoulders and helped her rise up just a little.

Again, she groaned. “If this is being alive, death might have been preferable.”

“Take this.” He held out a capsule.

She frowned. “What is it?”

“A painkiller.”

Her frown deepened. “How do I know it’s not some date rape drug?”

“Lady, if I’d wanted to rape you, I could have done it any time in the past twenty-four hours.”

“Twenty-four hours!” She sat up straight and immediately regretted the sudden movement. Her strained muscles and bruises joined forces across her body to hurt all at the same time.

She collapsed against his arm, biting hard on her bottom lip to keep from crying out.

He shook his head. “Ready to take the pill?” Joe held it to her lips.

Obediently, she opened her mouth and took the offering, her lips touching his rough hands in the process.

He reached behind him for the tin cup on the nightstand beside the bed and held it to her lips. “Drink. You’re probably dehydrated after being out for so long. I was going to take you into town if you didn’t wake up soon.”

Molly swallowed the pill and drank several more sips before leaning back. “I’m sorry to be so much trouble.”

“I don’t understand why you don’t want to see a doctor. The kinds of injuries you sustained could kill you or leave you paralyzed for life.”

“I can move.” She raised her arm and winced at the number of bruises marring her skin. Then she noticed she wasn’t wearing the shirt she’d had on when she’d fallen down the hill. Frowning, she shot a glance at Joe. “This isn’t my shirt.” Heat blossomed in her cheeks when she moved her legs against the coarse wool blanket. The prickly fabric abraded her skin. She grabbed the edge of the blanket and pulled it up to her chin. “Where are my clothes?”

Joe’s lips twitched. He turned toward the potbellied stove and pointed at a line strung from one wall to another in the cozy room. On it hung her jeans, shirt, jacket and shoulder holster.

“My pistol?” she demanded.

“It’s on the table by the stove. You can have it when you can hold it up.”

“Did you…undress me?” she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.

He straightened, set the cup on the nightstand and went to the stove. “Since you refused to go to a doctor, I had to make sure you didn’t have any other injuries that needed attending. Removing the clothing allowed me to check you all over. After I cleaned your wounds, I couldn’t put dirty clothing back on you.” He nodded toward her drying shirt and pants. “I washed them. They should be dry by now.”

So, the big T-shirt that enveloped most of her body was one of his. She should have known. It smelled like him. A hint of musk and the woodsy scent of the outdoors. Despite the aches and pains from sliding halfway down a mountain, her body responded to the man, her core tightening. Her lips still tingled where they’d touched his hand.

Heat burned her cheeks at the thought of those big, rough hands touching her skin, brushing across her thighs as he’d pulled off her jeans. After a little wiggle, she could tell she still had on her panties and bra. God, had he removed them and put them back on her? She felt completely exposed and at his mercy. “You shouldn’t have removed my clothes without my permission.”

“You didn’t give me much of a choice. I would gladly have handed you over to the doctors and nurses at the emergency room and let them tally the wounds.”

She bit down on her lip. Yeah, she should be grateful he’d carried her down from the mountain and taken care of her. He didn’t have to. She wasn’t his responsibility. She wanted to be mad at him, but she couldn’t, since he’d gone to all the trouble to make certain she’d lived. “I suppose I should thank you,” she said, reluctantly.

He nodded. “As it is, I’m not equipped with enough bandages and supplies for someone with as many cuts and scrapes as you have. I need to make a run to town. I could drop you off anywhere you would like. Even the hospital, if you’ve changed your mind.”

Even before he finished the sentence, she shook her head. “I’d rather not go back until I figure out what exactly happened.”

“I can tell you want happened. I saw it all from the opposite end of the ridge.” His brows dipped into a fierce frown. “You jumped off your four-wheeler and fell to the bottom of a very steep hill. Then the guy on the other ATV shot at you. I take it you don’t know who he was?”

Molly nodded. “I have no idea who would want to shoot at me.”

“And then there’s the matter of the drone he shot down first.”

Molly’s eyes widened as the reason she’d been out there in the first place finally came back to her. “Oh, dear Lord.” She flung back the scratchy blanket and started to swing her legs over the side of the bed. The pain of movement, made her cry out. Then she glanced at her legs, appalled at the huge cuts and bruises making her skin look like the canvass of an angry painter.

Joe stood in front of her, blocking her from getting out of the bed.

Not that she could. Her muscles screamed and some of the bruises and cuts throbbed.

“Where do you think you’re going?’

“I need to find my drone and the controls.” God, her boss was going to kill her. She had to get to the device and see if there was anything to salvage.

“The drone crashed in the trees. More than likely it’s nothing more than scrap metal or plastic now.”

“Yeah, but I need to collect all of the pieces. There was a camera on it too.”

“It’ll have to stay where it went down until you’re well enough to climb around in the mountains.”

When she tried to rise again, he laid a hand on her shoulder and applied the slightest pressure. “Stay.”

Molly glared. “I’m not your dog to be trained and fed treats.” As soon as the words left her mouth, her stomach grumbled as if to prove her wrong. She’d gone more than twenty-four hours without food. Her belly was reminding her of the fact. She also realized it wasn’t fair for this man to have to feed, clothe and care for a stranger. “I should leave. You’ve done more than enough to help me.”

“Where will you go?”

“Back to the bed and breakfast in town.”

“And as soon as you do, the shooter will know you’re still alive. Not that I have a stake in this situation, but you seemed to care a lot about hiding the fact you’re still alive, thus the reason for your insistence on staying here.” He walked to where her clothes hung on the line near the fireplace and lifted a gadget from the table. “I found this in the four-wheeler’s basket. He held it out.

Molly stared at the device. “Oh, thank God.” The controls had a built-in recording device. “I don’t suppose you have a television or computer here?”

Joe snorted. “There’s not one for at least a five-mile radius. We don’t even have radio or cell phone reception out this far.”

She chewed on the tip of her fingernail. “Electricity?” For the first time, she noticed the cabin didn’t have a single light fixture—unless she counted the candles and oil lamp on the table.

“No.”

“Holy hell, how do you live?”

Joe burst out laughing.

Six’s ears perked, and he stared from Molly to Joe.

Up to that moment, Molly hadn’t considered Joe that handsome. He’d been too serious and stone-faced to be considered traditionally handsome. However, he was ruggedly attractive, and when he smiled and laughed, he was stunningly gorgeous. The dark hair falling over his forehead and the twinkle in his brown eyes made her heart flip in her chest and her nipples tingle.

Damn, she should have better sense than drool over a man she’d just met.

He’s seen me nearly naked.

Which didn’t count since she’d been unconscious at the time. Still, this man knew more about her body than any other stranger off the street.

Joe held up his hand. “Look, stay here one more day, and I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”

Molly frowned, trying to think of reasons she couldn’t, but the bottom line was that she could only go back into town and, once she did, her attacker would know he hadn’t killed her. Then it might become a race to see who could get to the downed drone first.

It had to be her. Until she was ready to go back into the woods, she’d be smarter to remain off-grid. That would give her time to recover from her injuries before she headed back out to that valley to retrieve the drone.

“Fine. I’ll stay one more night. As long as you promise not to take advantage of me in the meantime.”

He held up two fingers, Boy Scouts style. “I promise not to molest you, unless you want me to.” With a wink, he lowered his fingers. He turned to Six. “Stay.”

Six faced Joe, his tail sweeping the floor in rapid swipes.

Then Joe was gone, leaving Molly and Six alone in the dark cabin with only the light from the potbellied stove. The view through the door indicated it was light outside, though it was murky and dreary as if clouds covered the sun.

For a long time, Molly stared at the door through which Joe had disappeared. She knew nothing about him, but somehow she felt in her heart she could trust him.

Her glance went to the gun lying on the table. And apparently, he trusted her, especially since he’d convinced her to stay another day, instead of throwing her out on her injured ass. She could always get up, grab the gun and be out of there before he returned. She moved again and was reminded how badly movement hurt. The pill he’d given her was just beginning to take effect.

Molly yawned and lay back on the thin mattress.

Six laid his paw on her hand.

A chill settled over Molly, and despite the blanket wrapped snugly around her, she couldn’t get warm enough. Once the shivers started, she couldn’t stop them, and every tremble caused more pain, disturbing her stiff muscles and battered body.

The dog sniffed at her trembling body and whined quietly.

Molly patted the mattress beside her and said, “Up.”

Six glanced toward the door and back to her. Then he crawled up on the mattress beside her, sharing his warmth.

She needed rest to allow her body to recover. Molly fell asleep, cuddling up to the German Shepherd. When she woke, she’d get that gun and be on her way.