If he did as she asked, she wouldn’t spend the night wandering in the dark looking for him. Desire edged at the fear inside her. Finding Nathan Bradshaw in the dark could have some interesting possibilities.
“I plan to have my trusty trail guide with me if I venture onto the trail,” Nathan said.
She stopped and faced him, feeling uneasy about the idea of Nathan depending on her too strongly. “I said I would help you, but I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to do. Don’t get your hopes up.” Set the bar low and be pleasantly surprised if things went well.
Nathan touched her upper arm and heat waves shuddered down her body. “You’ve already helped more than you know, and I have confidence in your outdoor skills.”
She gave him a wry grin and stepped away from him. “Usually people assume when it comes to the trail, I’m incapable and incompetent.”
“Why’s that?” Nathan asked.
Was he digging into her psyche or did he really not know? “I’m a woman, which many people assume means I don’t know how to rough it or that I’ll complain if I can’t wash my hair. Also, I’m what my dad used to call ‘scrawny.’” All her life she’d been waiting for curves that hadn’t come. “I don’t pack a lot of muscle but I’ve got endurance, and on the trail that can be important.”
Autumn took the stairs to the front door of the cabin. She looked around and noticed that Roger Ford was watching them. Why was he opposed to Nathan working the case? Did he worry that Nathan would undercover something he couldn’t?
“I don’t think you’re incompetent or incapable, but I do want you to be cautious.” Nathan was standing close behind her, his breath hot on her neck. “I’ll be watching over you, and I take that job seriously. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
A warm shiver ran down her spine. She fumbled with the keys trying to make them work, her hands behaving as though disconnected from her brain. With Nathan standing behind her, she felt jittery and nervous in a very feminine, giddy way. “I will advise you to do the same.”
His fingers reached and covered her hand, taking the keys from her. “Let me try.”
The brushing of his hand against hers sent electric currents moving from the point of contact all the way to her toes. She released the keys and he unlocked the door quickly, pushing it open and stepping inside.
She could feel the heat radiating from his body, and she fought the impulse to lean close. Entirely inappropriate. Uncalled for. She had more control than this. Nathan would think she came on to every man who stayed here. She shoved her loneliness into a deep, dark place and slammed the door on it.
“Nice place,” he said, no hint of sarcasm in his voice. “I’ve stayed in motels less inviting.”
It had been Autumn’s idea to remodel the cabins and outfit them with modern-day luxuries—coffeemakers, microwaves and quality linens and curtains to create a sense of home away from home. She did the cleaning and maintenance herself. Though the cabins were small, she’d arranged the furniture into a small eating area and a sitting area and placed a queen-size bed in the alcove opposite the fireplace. Two additional single beds folded out from furniture in the sitting area for children. The pellet stove in the middle of the room generated enough heat to keep the cabin toasty in the winter, and the shade from the trees kept it cool in the summer.
Autumn walked to the far end of the room where a double bay window gave an amazing daytime view of the forest. “This cabin is one of my favorites. It was the first one we remodeled.” Autumn pulled closed the hunter green curtains that covered the windows. Not being able to see into the woods made her feel as if someone was watching them. “In the morning, you’ll probably catch a few deer wandering past. I’ve seen a few foxes at night, too. I think they have a den nearby. I’ll bring you some fire starters and some logs.” She turned, feeling the heat of Nathan’s gaze at her back. He was watching her with those perceptive eyes, eyes she knew were taking in every detail.
She started the pellet stove. Though it was weak when first ignited, an hour from now, it would be throwing off a lot of heat.
“Don’t put yourself out. I can gather wood if I need it.” His voice had taken on a husky baritone, lower than it had been before. She felt the shift in the atmosphere, heat that crackled in the air.
Her skin felt achy and hungry to be touched. It had been six months, almost seven, since she’d had a date, too long since she’d gone out with a man. Her last date had been with Daniel, and by then their relationship had been circling the drain. She had found out he was cheating, and they’d been pretending they could move past it. That denial lasted about a week. “If you’re running short on time and can’t find dry wood, I have a woodshed twenty feet behind my cabin. You’re welcome to take whatever you need. The pellet stove is pretty warm, but it can get cold in the morning. The bucket on the hearth has more fuel.” She was rambling, a nervous habit, trying to deflect some of her feelings away from Nathan and fixate instead on the cabin.
He stopped a foot from her, sliding his hands into his trouser pockets, setting his attention on her. His gaze smoldered and a shower of sparks burst from her chest. Was she imagining the fire between them, or was this a reflection of her feelings for him?
He shifted and she caught a glimpse of the gun strapped to his side. His eyes blazed with passion, never leaving her face. This man was dangerous in more than one way.
She was hyperaware of the bed eight feet away, knowing the sheets would be cool and clean, and the feel of his body on top of hers heavenly. She drew in a deep breath, feeling as if there wasn’t enough oxygen in it. She wouldn’t let herself be stupid over a man again.
Nathan had warning signs she couldn’t ignore. He had lost his sister, he was desperate for her help to find a killer and he was around for only a short time. They could keep their relationship firmly on professional ground for a week. When the killer moved on, so would Nathan.
Autumn needed to go outside and get some fresh air before she became light-headed. “Let me know if I can get you anything.” She said it casually, but replaying the words in her mind, she wondered if he heard the unintended double entendre. Anything. Her in bed?
He caught her arm and heat sizzled in his touch. “Tomorrow evening, drinks and dinner at seven?”
She made the mistake of meeting his gaze. It was impossible to say no to him when his face filled with intensity and expectation. “Seven is fine, but I can’t stay out late.” She needed some boundaries between them and she wanted an excuse to end the night early.
He dropped her arm and stepped back. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
With a final nod, Autumn fled outside.
* * *
The FBI and park rangers finished at the scene at 10:00 a.m. the morning after Autumn and her dog had found the body. The last vehicle to leave was the county coroner’s van.
Nathan had slept restlessly. It wasn’t just the noise. It wasn’t just the gorgeous brunette sleeping in the cabin next door. He was closer than he’d ever been to catching the Huntsman. Excitement and determination sizzled in his veins. Nothing could get in his way. Not Roger Ford and not Nathan’s attraction to Autumn Reed.
Nathan dragged a hand through his hair, rereading the page of case notes he’d written. Too little sleep and too much coffee had his nerves on edge, his concentration frayed. The words on the page were interrupted by thoughts of Autumn Reed. Of course the only witness on the case would be strikingly beautiful. Nathan enjoyed the company of a pretty woman, but in this situation, he would have preferred a bridge troll whom he found unbelievably unattractive and who wouldn’t create any unnecessary distractions. He needed to focus on the case. He had enough factors playing against him.
Nathan turned to a fresh sheet of paper and jotted down a few notes about Autumn, her brother, Blaine, and the Trail’s Edge. It