They kissed and they kissed and they kissed until the light behind his eyelids darkened and the mountain air cooled. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized the sun was setting. The practical side of him said they were four miles from the car, and she was hurt. Darkness would soon descend, making the dirt trail more difficult to follow.
Another part of him wanted to gather sticks for her like the men of old used to do for their partners and build a fire for them. He could hunt down an animal to spit so they wouldn’t go hungry. And when their bellies were full, he’d make love to her by the light of the fire as the stars bore witness to their love.
She broke the kiss first but followed up with little pecks at his mouth, all the sweeter because he could feel her pulse against him, thrumming with desire.
“It’s getting dark,” she murmured, her voice all sensuality now.
He hadn’t heard that voice in so long, and he had the urge to find his phone and record it so he could play it later when they returned to their separate homes, separate beds.
He sighed and rested his forehead against hers. “I know, but I don’t want to leave.” I don’t want to lose what we just found again.
“Neither do I, but even as tough and manly as you are, you’re no match for wolves and coyotes and everything else that goes bump in the night.”
For her, he would have pitted himself against all of that and more. His hand stroked her thigh one last time and gave it a gentle squeeze. Her muscles twitched in response, and her legs shifted restlessly.
“Wolves and coyotes are misunderstood. They’re not that bad.” What was he saying?
“Well, if we had camping gear, I’d feel differently, but we need to go.” She leaned away and pushed off the ground.
His arms came around her as he helped her stand. “How’s the knee?”
“Fine,” she said like he expected. She always said something was fine when he knew it hurt.
Still neither of them moved. Thorn’s Peak was a black spear in the sky now. Streaks of violet and turquoise covered the ridge. The sky above them was turning into a blanket of stars, shining like brilliant diamonds.
Tell me this means something, he wanted to say again. Tell me you won’t step back.
They started down the trail again. Her gait wasn’t natural, so he knew her knee was hurting. Touchdown trotted along the pass ahead of them—their little sentry. Blake’s eyes adjusted to the change in the light so he could make out the edges of the trail where sage and brush began.
As they walked, all his old fears resurfaced, and with each step, he grew more and more uncertain.
And then he felt her fingertips brush his hand. He looked over. Even in the descending darkness, there was starlight in her eyes, the kind he used to see when they would wake at the same time in the middle of the night, as if designed, and make love.
She suddenly tripped on the path. He grabbed ahold of her hand to keep her from falling again. When she straightened, a second passed, and then another. She didn’t let go.
They walked through the darkness together.
Chapter 21
The meeting in Denver had only served to show Natalie how much her life had changed, both personally and professionally, since making the move to Dare Valley. As Natalie parked on 14th Street in Denver’s Larimar Square, she realized she hadn’t missed the city as much as she’d expected.
Too many people lined the sidewalks, walking briskly to restaurants or coffee shops or offices. And the traffic she’d suffered through to get there in the morning…well, it had given her way too much time to obsess over the monumental shift between her and Blake last night. That kiss had been like an earthquake, breaking apart the landscape inside her, which she’d grown accustomed to seeing as smooth and flat. Now all her feelings, all her hurts seemed to be exposed to the harsh light for him to see.
The meeting had gone well—a former client had agreed to let The Grand Mountain Hotel serve its catering needs—but her stomach had roiled the entire time. In truth, she was a little nervous about meeting her sisters for lunch. She wasn’t sure what, if anything, to tell them about Blake, but she wanted things between them to be back to normal. Lately, their interactions had been more shallow than usual, which she knew to be her fault. After all, she’d asked them not to push or press or ask questions. That wasn’t how they were with one another.
She was heading down the sidewalk to the restaurant she’d chosen for lunch when a bulky man in a cheap gray business suit stopped in front of her and stared at her with narrowed eyes. When she tried to move past him, he snagged her arm.
“Hey, aren’t you Blake Cunningham’s ex-wife?” he asked, his tone hostile.
She yanked her arm away, but he stepped in front of her, forcing her to either stop or walk into him.
“I saw you with him on Twitter this weekend,” he spat. “You cost us this coming season, bitch. I hope you’re happy.”
Her heart pounded in her ears as other people stopped to stare.