Merry and Bright(43)

Danny leaped forward and let out a primal yell born of sheer terror, accompanying that with waving his arms like an idiot; that’s what he’d read one was supposed to do with bears in the wild. Be big and strong and intimidating.

God, he hoped he was looking big and strong and intimidating.

He frightened the baby bear, who cried out and leaped forward to the closet tree, which it scaled in a matter of two seconds all the while whimpering for its momma— Who turned to the new threat and looked at Danny as if maybe he was a twelve-course meal and she was suddenly starving.

Danny grabbed Hope and tugged her behind him.

Oddly enough, his life didn’t flash across his eyes. Probably because Hope shoved free of him and clapped her hands loudly. At the sound, the momma bear let out a low chugging noise in her throat, along with two long lines of drool from either side of her throat as she eyed Danny. My, but you look delicious— “Sorry, but he’s mine,” Hope told her and clapped again. With one more growl, the bear lumbered slowly off, stopping at the tree for her baby.

“Damn,” Hope said. “I must give good trash. That’s the fourth time this week she’s been by.”

Danny would have answered but he couldn’t. His legs were masquerading as overcooked noodles, and he sat so abruptly on the steps of the equipment shed that his glasses half slid off.

“Danny? You okay?”

Since he wasn’t at all sure, he lay back and stared up at the gorgeous sky. Snowflakes fell on him. One hit him on the nose.

“Danny?”

“Yeah.”

He heard her swear softly and drop to her knees at his side, her gloved hands running over him as she tried to figure out if he was hurt.

“I’m not injured,” he said. But was he okay? Maybe, if he discounted the fact that he was out in the middle of nowhere, no Thai takeout within sixty miles, actually enjoying the feel of the snow at his back soaking into his clothes.... And let’s not forget the biggee—that he was in all likelihood falling for a woman who was right now patting him down and making him wish they weren’t outside in the cold snow but somewhere warm.

And naked.

A woman he realized he wanted to fall for.

But other than that, yeah, he was just great.





7


Adrenaline flowing, Hope leaned over Danny. She couldn’t see any injuries, but the light was low and the snow falling pretty thickly.

Dammit.

Reaching behind him, she shoved open the equipment shed. “Scoot in,” she demanded.

“I’m fine.”

“Yeah? Well, I’m cold and wet. Scoot in.”

“City girl.”

Something about the roughness of his voice, with the slight—very slight—edge of humor got to her.

He got to her. “I thought you were hurt,” she said as they landed on the floor of the shed.

“Told you I’m not.” He pulled off his fogged glasses and cleaned them on the hem of his shirt sticking out from his jacket. “I’m tougher than you think.”

Yeah. Yeah, he was. And something else she was discovering . . . she wasn’t. She wasn’t nearly as tough as she’d thought, or she wouldn’t be so worked up right now, heart drumming, pulse racing, even as she rolled to face him. “Why did you try to get between me and that bear?”

He put on his glasses and stared at her. “I don’t know, it was instinctive.”

“What did you think you were going to do, save me?”

“Well . . . yeah.”

Now she stared at him. “Are you crazy?”

“You can face down a bear, but I can’t?”

“You don’t even like me, why would you take on a damn bear for me?”

He let out a low laugh and a shake of his head. “And here I thought you were such an observant woman.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means . . .” He reached up and touched her face, ran a finger over the small bruise she had on her forehead from when she’d managed to nearly knock herself out with the pipe in the cellar. “You’re not paying attention.”

“I’m paying attention.” It was why her heart was pounding in her ears. “Maybe . . . maybe you’re just trying to play me.”

“Maybe same goes,” he said evenly.

She choked on a mirthless laugh as her emotions got the best of her. Never a good thing, but she went into a flurry of motion to get as far away from him as fast as possible, except he anticipated and caught her.

She tried to twist away, but he completely negated her temper, turning into something else entirely when he pulled her down to him and pressed his mouth to hers in a long, deep, wet kiss full of such heat she nearly imploded. By the time he pulled back, she could barely speak. “I’m not a player.”

“Good. Neither am I.” His eyes verified that fact, and also what he felt for her. That knowledge, combined with the heat they were generating between them, nearly took her breath. But what he did next did take her breath. He covered her hand in his and pressed it to his chest. “I like you, Hope.” His heart was drumming, steady and just a little too fast. “That’s how much.”

“Maybe that’s adrenaline from the bear.”