Ten Below Zero(44)

“I didn’t ask you to pursue me.” My defensive instincts kicked in and I took a step back.

Everett reached forward and wrapped an arm around my waist, bringing me back to him. “I know. You don’t play games. Well, not the usual games women play.” He wrapped his other arm around my waist pulling me tighter. I put my hands flat on his chest, ready to push him away. “You’re a bad actress anyway, so you’d suck at most of those games.” I rolled my eyes and pushed slightly. It was futile. The arms around my waist wouldn’t budge. “I like you, Parker. In spite of yourself and all your bad habits, I like you.”

“Ugh,” I said, pushing against him. “What happened to being nice? One of my rules?”

“I’m getting there. But you keep interrupting. One of your bad habits.” One of his hands slid up to my neck. I felt his fingers press into my skin there and I stopped breathing. “I like that you challenge me. That’s new. I like that you don’t go easy on me. I like that you question everything. I want you to keep questioning everything.” He brought his cheek to mine, so he was holding me like closely. Not quite a hug; he made sure there was enough distance to make me comfortable. “I like how you smell.” He nuzzled into my neck and my knees went a little weak at the contact of his facial hair on my skin. “I like seeing the fight in your eyes. I like seeing anger color your cheeks. I like hearing your breathing stop when I’m close to you, and I like feeling your heart pick up its speed in your chest when were close like this. I like that a lot, actually, the sound of your heart beating. So alive, a frantic mess of beats.” He kissed the skin behind my ear. “I like the feeling of you in my arms, the way our bodies align.” He moved his lips across my cheek. “I like watching your eyes close and knowing I’m the reason, the reason you’re feeling this.” He pushed his lips to mine and pulled back slightly. I felt his hands cradle my cheeks. One thumb brushed against my scar, but I kept my eyes closed. I was afraid to open them. “So those so-called bad qualities? I actually like them. It’s why I’m stuck on you. I want you to make me explain myself. I want you to get a rise out of me.” He kissed me again, longer this time. I wanted to drown in this moment, with Everett.

When he pulled back, he was still holding my face in his hands. I slowly opened my eyes. “I booked our hotel tonight while you used the restroom at the last gas station.”

“Okay?”

“No suite this time.” He searched my eyes before the side of his mouth lifted. “One bed. We’re going to have to share a bed tonight.”

I was surprised to find that I didn’t mind. Probably because I was itching to spend more one-one-one sans clothing time with Everett, especially after that kiss. So for once, I made it easy on Everett. “Sounds good to me.”

His eyes widened. It had to be shock registering on his face. “You’re not going to argue?”

I shook my head and brought my hands up his chest to link around his neck. “That actually sounds like a good idea.”

“Wow, you’re just full of high praise for me.” He laughed and pressed one more kiss to my lips. “Let’s go, explore the ghost town, and hurry to the hotel then. I’m feeling impatient.”





Vulture Mine was a legitimate ghost town. There were dozens of structures still standing, some brick, some stone. All of the buildings were neglected, but they looked like someone had picked up and left, leaving things behind. There was mining equipment left on the side of the road, rusted and brittle from exposure. There were clusters of buildings built along a slight slope, with cacti growing in between each of them. The gas station was primitive, and clearly from another era. There were still tires resting against the building, and a bunch of random objects scattered around the building itself. It was spooky, seeing that whoever had left hadn’t bothered bringing these things with them.

There was barbed wire up over some of the buildings, preventing us from doing a lot of exploring. And as the sign we’d seen on the way in had informed us, we’d missed the mine tour. Instead, we walked along the property in silence, the only sound came from the natural sounds of the desert around us and our shoes crunching into rock and branches.

We passed an outhouse that was falling apart. It was a walk through the past.

“It’s kind of sad, isn’t it?” I asked Everett.

He nodded, looking around at all the abandoned buildings. “It is. Let’s get out of here.”

I followed him to the car. Instead of feeling intrigued, I felt like an intruder. It was uncomfortable, seeing the ruins of lives all around us. We climbed into the car and Everett backed out.

“Sorry,” he said as we drove off.

“I didn’t think I’d feel that way seeing it all.”

“Me neither.” He frowned. “I’m ready to get off the road, are you?”

“Yes.”



I was still trying to shake off the discomfort I felt at seeing Vulture Mine when we checked into the hotel room. Both of us were in weird moods. We didn’t speak as we settled in, eating our drive-thru dinner we’d picked up on the way in.

When I slid into the sheets, I turned on my side to face Everett. He was wearing glasses and writing in his notebook, careful to keep what he was writing from my view. His lips were pursed, his eyebrows drawn together.