Spurs 'n Surrender (Operation Cowboy Book 2)(50)

“It’s Anya.” The voice was closer than he’d guessed—and his heart fell to the toes of his boots, then rose right back up.

He stuck his sidearm back into his jeans and followed the notes of her voice. Fear and anger merged in his chest to create a cement brick. She’d risked herself coming up here after him? At night no less?

When he rounded a grouping of rocks and spotted her beautiful face, it punched the breath from him.

“Dammit, what are you doing here?”

She stared at him, and though he couldn’t make out her expression, her eyes glittered. With anger or tears? It had better be tears or he was going to lose his cool faster than one of those wild boars.

“I’m coming after you.” Her quiet words didn’t sound angry, and he pressed his lips into a straight line.

He stomped up to her. Wearing shorts, her skin was stippled with goosebumps. “Woman, do you have no sense at all? You should be wearing pants out here, and what the hell is on your back?”

“A backpack.”

The so-called backpack was the size of a handbag. “What’s in it? Makeup?”

“I come all the way up here to be with you and make sure you’re all right and you’re going to crack beauty queen jokes?” Hurt crossed her lovely features.

Reeling from her admission, he grabbed her. Dragging her against his chest, he buried his nose against her hair and breathed deep. She’d been walking a long time—he detected a salty, womanly tang and a hint of fear. She probably hadn’t realized she’d have to walk so far to find him. Hell, she was lucky she hadn’t gotten lost. It wasn’t like he’d left a trail of breadcrumbs to follow.

“I can’t believe you risked coming here. Do you have any idea what kind of things you could have encountered?”

“Rattlesnakes.”

His heart did a two-step and changed rhythm. “Did you see any?”

“A couple. Thankfully while it was still light. Do you…have any water? I ran out a while ago.”

“Jesus Christ.” He wrapped his hand around her arm and led her to his camp. There he rummaged through his pack until he located a thermos of water he’d filtered back at the last standing water he’d run across.

When he put the water into her hands, she tipped it up and took huge gulps that spoke of how badly she needed it. When she was finished, he said, “It’s more than dangerous to go without water. What were you thinking?”

“I had water with me, just not enough.”

“What if you hadn’t found me tonight?”

“I knew I would. I could smell your fire for the past hour, and the sun hasn’t been down that long.”

He felt his eyes bug. “You’ve been wandering around following the scent of my fire?”

“More or less. But I did know how to get here, you know. The caves are mapped, and I looked at the map before I left town. Oh, and I had my GPS.” She held up her phone.

“Well, at least you sort of prepared.” He met Anya’s wide eyes. God, she was beautiful. Hair wisps falling from a ponytail and with a smudge of dirt on the side of her nose. He put his hands on her—he couldn’t stop himself.

When she moved into his arms, he groaned and claimed her lips. Her plump mouth was still wet from drinking. She was sweet, pure woman.

Growling, he pulled her into his arms and sank to the ground with her on his lap, her round ass cradling the erection that had sprung the minute he’d set eyes on her. She curled into his chest and kissed him for long minutes as he wrapped his head around the fact that she was here. She’d come after him.

Lifting his head, he looked into her eyes. “Why, sweetheart?”

“You know why.” Her whisper did things to his heart—and libido.

Feeling the stirring, she wiggled in his lap until he pinned her in place.

“I want you, Wydell.” Her words sent him spinning.

“Not yet,” he forced between clenched teeth. “First we talk.”

She skimmed her palm down his cheek. “Do you want to hear that I came after you because I hated how we’d left things? And how it wasn’t like you to walk out on me like that?”

He dropped his head. “I’m sorry for that.”

“I’m worried about what’s going on in your head. I know you struggle and have no idea where to put all those feelings.”

That’s where she was wrong—partially. He knew how to categorize all his emotions, except those concerning her. She confused the hell outta him. But why should she? She was a gorgeous and good woman. Who cared if they weren’t raised similarly or didn’t share a passion for miniature housing?

All that mattered was she felt right in his lap. Perfect, actually.

He flexed his arms around her, bringing her close. She cuddled against him, giving a small shiver. “I have blankets in my bag,” he said.

“I’ll warm up in a minute. The fire feels good—and so do you.”

“How can I chide you about wearing shorts when you say things like that? You could have gotten lost, or worse. This might be Texas, but this time of year it gets cold fast. It doesn’t take much for a little thing like you to be in trouble.”

“Wydell?”

“Hmm.”

“Shut up and hold me.”