Sharp Shootin' Cowboy (Hot Cowboy Nights, #3)(77)

“I’m sorry, Reid. I swear to you I had nothing to do with that grizzly business.” She gazed into his face, praying he’d accept her words as truth.

“I believe you,” he replied.

She exhaled a lungful of relief.

“Why else would you come all the way out here?” he said.

“I had another reason, Reid…a much more personal reason.”

“And what’s that?” he prompted.

Her heart galloped violently in her chest. Now that the moment had come for her finally to confess her feelings, she felt herself faltering. Again. “Maybe this isn’t the best time.”

“Maybe not,” he pressed. “But I’m thinking I might want to hear it anyway.”

She drew a fortifying breath and then exhaled a long gush of words. “I’ve been unfair to you, Reid. I see that now. Horribly unfair. You said to make things work we’d have to meet in the middle. Well, here I am.” She gestured to the endless expanse of forest with a nervous laugh. “Meeting you right smack in the middle of nowhere.”

She searched his face for any encouraging sign, but his expression remained unreadable. Her eyes burned and her tongue felt too thick, but she forced herself to continue, “I came to tell you… What I need to say is…”

“What, sweetheart?” he finally prompted in a husky voice.

Sweetheart? The endearment was all the encouragement she needed. “I’m ready now, Reid,” she blurted. “That is, if you still—”

Without warning his big arms came crushing around her, squeezing her tight. His mouth claimed hers, branding her with his hot, hungry kiss that stole all her remaining breath.

She shut her eyes on a moan. Their tongues tangled. Her knees went weak.

In seconds he had her reeling like a drunk.

Dear God, how had she lived so long without this? Without him?

She shoved his hat off to curl her fingers in his hair. His hands slid down her back to cup her ass, lifting her clean off the ground. She clamped her legs around his waist, embracing him with her whole body, but it still wasn’t enough. They’d kissed many times before, but this was different. It was fevered and feral and almost frantic, as if they’d broken through some kind of barrier.

They were both panting when he finally broke the kiss. Reid raked a hand though his hair, looking as wild and desperate as she felt. “You’re right about one thing, sweetheart. You couldn’t have picked a more inconvenient time and place if you’d tried.”

*

Reid devoured her mouth once more before reluctantly setting her on the ground. He had some things to tell her too. Lots of things. But they’d have to wait just a little bit longer. Although the surrounding wilderness cried out to his primitive side to claim her in the most primal way, he held himself in check. Once he started, he intended to finish.

His mind raced until locking onto the perfect setting for what he had in mind. “C’mon. There’s something I want to show you.”

Moving with fast efficiency, he stripped the gear from the back of his saddle, moving it to the pack mules to make room for her. He then untied the dog, hoping the dumb mutt would have the sense to stay close. He mounted the horse first and then helped Haley up behind him.

She gazed at him in bewilderment. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see soon enough.”

It took a while to locate the overgrown trail that led back toward the river. They traveled several miles parallel to the waterway with her breasts at his back and her hands clasped on his hips. It was agony to want her so badly and to be so close. Soon, he told himself.

They waded on horseback up an icy stream running through a narrow canyon with two-hundred-foot cliffs on either side. Her grip tightened on him the deeper the water got. It had risen to the horse’s belly. Jethro swam happily beside them, seemingly oblivious to the frigid water.

“You’d better bring your legs up,” he warned, “or you’re going to get a soaking.”

She wrapped them around him about the same time a blast of arctic water filled his boots. Thankfully, it didn’t get any deeper. After a distance, the gorge widened to a large mouth. He’d found it—one of the best-kept secrets in this entire two-and-a-half-million-acre wilderness.

Reid guided the horses and mules up the embankment where moss-covered cliffs soared above a small clearing. Gushing from these cliff faces were numerous natural water jets blanketing the entire area in a fine mist. Interacting with the sunlight, the mist created rainbows all around.

Catching her first glimpse of it, Haley inhaled on a gasp. “This place is amazing. It’s like some kind of geothermal fairyland.”

“It gets better still,” Reid said.

He’d stumbled onto the hot springs a week earlier and had spent the better part of a day exploring it. “There’s a great place to make camp right there.” He pointed to an open space, just large enough for a couple of tents.

After helping her down from the horse, he set straight to work unpacking the gear while she tended to the animals. An hour later, they’d established a temporary claim on this secluded piece of paradise.

“C’mon.” Reid took her by the hand. “It’s time to show you the best part.” He led her down an overgrown trail to a sandy-bottomed pool of the clearest crystal blue.