* * * *
His heart pounded with a surge of adrenaline. He’d almost approached Jordan walking her dog, but the desire to talk to her—maybe touch her—battled with his cautious nature. In the end, he’d forced himself to wait. It was too soon. She needed time to get to know him before he made a move.
He lay still in his bunk, too excited to sleep. Today had been the best day of his life. He’d watched Jordan at the lake, wearing a bathing suit that revealed her beautiful body. The water had glistened on her flawless skin when she emerged from the lake, and her nipples were hard little points. Someday they would respond to his touch the way they had to the chilly water. Someday she would look at him with love in her eyes. Maybe not yet, but soon.
A frown drew his brows together, and his burgeoning erection wilted. The day would have been a perfect if Jordan hadn’t ruined it by sitting with Kane Lafferty at the bonfire. Jealousy roiled in his gut. She shouldn’t have sat so close to another man. She shouldn’t have let him put his filthy hands on her. She should save herself for the only one who truly loved her.
He was a patient man, a forgiving man, but there were limits to what he could endure. Watching Jordan with someone else wasn’t something he would tolerate.
He’d waited fourteen years for this moment, fourteen long years to make her his own. Failure wasn’t an option.
Chapter 6
“Daughter number one off to paint flowers. Check. Daughter number two staring down her competition with a gleam in her eye. Check.”
Kane smiled at the humor in Rachel’s voice then raised a brow. “Daughter number three doing her own thing as usual, I suspect.”
“At least she’s not moping.”
His spirits lifted as he and Rachel hiked toward the north, following the Pacific Crest Trail on a steep uphill climb. Sweat stuck his shirt to his back and glistened on Rachel’s brow before he finally stopped near a stream. The temperature was climbing, and looking at this woman with her toned arms and slim hips made him even hotter. Definitely time to cool off.
She tipped back her water bottle and gulped then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Daisy teetered on the edge of the creek. When the dog’s front feet slipped, and she landed nose first in the water, Rachel laughed.
Kane grinned. “You have a weird dog. Doesn’t she know retrievers are supposed to like water?”
“I don’t think she even knows she’s a dog.”
“That’s because you treat her like one of your kids. Are you ready to go, or would you like to rest a while longer?”
If they didn’t keep walking, he wouldn’t be able to keep from touching her, and the last thing he wanted was to scare her off.
“I’m ready.” She shoved the water bottle back into her daypack. “Where’re we headed?”
“There’s a pretty little lake about an hour from here. I thought we’d stop there for lunch.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
A short distance later, the trail leveled out and they were able to walk side by side with Daisy leading the way. A light breeze set the pine trees swaying as Rachel tucked a stray curl behind her ear and lifted her face to the sun.
Kane gave her ponytail a gentle tug. “Did you put on sunscreen? At this altitude, people burn easily.”
She nodded. “I slathered it on all of us this morning before breakfast, and the girls have strict instructions to reapply. What about you? You look awfully tan.”
He glanced down at his nut-brown arms. “I wear it, but I still tan. Jed does, too, so it must be in our genes.”
“I’ve been wondering how your brother owns a camp in the middle of all this.” She spread her arms wide. “Isn’t this area part of the Tahoe National Forest?”
“Yes, but Jed has some sort of ninety-nine year lease from the Forest Service. I’m not sure exactly how it works.”
“What does he do in the winter?”
“He lives up here year round.”
“Surely not at the camp! It must be buried under twenty feet of snow by February.”
“Sometimes more.” Kane laughed. “Don’t look so horror-stricken. He has a cabin near Norden, the little town just off the freeway. He works out of a ski rental shop, offering guided cross-country tours.”
“Your brother’s obviously the outdoorsy type. What about you?”
“I am, too. I hike and mountain bike in the summer and ski in the winter whenever I have time. With my job, it isn’t as often as I’d like. Sometimes I envy Jed his lifestyle.”
She was quiet for a moment then blurted, “I know about your partner getting shot and the boy you killed. Grace told me.”
Kane sucked in a breath. Pressure weighed on his chest like a ten-ton boulder. The day had been going so well, too. They’d been getting to know each other, taking it slow. Now this.
“Nolan has a big mouth.”
She touched his arm. “Grace was concerned about me. She noticed the chemistry between us right away. I’m sorry. I don’t want to spoil the day, but I wasn’t comfortable keeping it a secret.”
The trail meandered out of the trees onto a ridgeline, which dropped off in a sheer descent to a valley below. Kane stopped and turned to face her, holding her gaze.
“Are you attracted to me?”
A blush colored her cheeks, but she didn’t hesitate to speak. “Yes, my sister knows me well.”
A bit of the weight eased. “The feeling’s mutual.” He bent to pick up a rock then sent it soaring into space. “So, Nolan and Grace wanted to warn you I’m a head case.”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“Then what was it like?”
Rachel sighed. “My marriage ended in disaster, and I haven’t dated much since. When it comes to men, Grace is overly protective. She doesn’t want me to get hurt again.”
“And based on a half-hour conversation, she thought I would hurt you? Or was that Nolan’s idea?”
“Grace wanted me to know you have some personal issues to deal with. She thought you might not be a great relationship risk at the moment.”
“All I did was walk you to your car.”
Rachel crossed her arms and gazed out at the view. “She didn’t say a word until I told her I was coming up here. Then she got it into her head I was planning this vacation as a way to see you again.”
His heart jumped. He reached out a finger to stroke her cheek. “Was she right?”
“I had several reasons for wanting to make this trip.”
“Was I one of them?”
She nodded and licked her lips. The flick of her tongue destroyed his self-control. Stepping forward, he gripped her arms as his mouth covered hers in a quick hard kiss. When it ended, he didn’t release her.
“I like being a reason.” His breath stirred the hair at her temple as he inhaled an intoxicating scent of floral shampoo, sunscreen and woman. “Are you sorry you came?”
“No.” She rested her forehead against his chest for a moment. “Should I be?”
He pulled back far enough to look her in the eye. “I hope not. Seeing you again has made me happier than I’ve been in months, but Nolan was right.” The tightness in his chest returned. “Shooting that kid screwed me up. I’m not sure what I’ll do when I get home. When I