start a fight with him. He might bring up the topic she most wanted to avoid—her baby. Becca straightened, trying to make room between the baby and her lungs, releasing a groan of frustration. How she longed to tell Aiden what she really thought of him.
“Hey.” He peered at her. “You don’t look so good. Let’s take a breather.” Aiden stepped closer, towering above her only because of the steep incline. He held out his canteen.
“I’ve got water, thanks.” Somehow, she managed to regain her composure, although she had to clench her teeth to do so. Without accepting his canteen or reaching for her own water, she looked at her watch, still unable to believe he’d sent Julia back. Why would he do that without asking her? “I’m running late.” This was her chance to talk some sense into Carl. It was clear they weren’t getting any air support from NIFC.
Canteen still in hand, Aiden glanced at his own watch. “What’s your hurry? Everybody needs a breather now and then, especially a pregnant woman. Let’s just sit down and talk until you’re ready to go again.”
And then Becca realized why he’d sent Julia back. He wanted to talk to her about the baby. He couldn’t do that with Julia tagging along.
She slapped his canteen away and tried to step past him. “You’ll have to do better than that.”
“Calm down,” he advised with his arms spread to block her way, as if he actually cared what happened to her, sounding and looking so sincere that Becca almost believed him, until the baby kicked her.
He was sneaky all right. If she didn’t watch out, he’d tell everyone in the fire industry what they’d done in Las Vegas, destroying her credibility, making her unemployable. Then he’d take this baby from her.
A pregnant woman’s paranoid delusions? Hardly. What did she really know about Aiden? And if he trapped her into some kind of visitation or custody agreement, she had no way of knowing what kind of father he’d be.
Becca’s breath came in quick, shallow gasps now. Too much air. She was going to have a panic attack. All because of him.
“Hey, slow down. This is how accidents happen.” Aiden spread his arms out again and wouldn’t let her pass.
“If you don’t move out of my way,” she managed to pant, “what happens next will be no accident.” She’d taken self-defense. Perhaps it was time to put it to good use, although she couldn’t imagine doing much damage in her current pregnant state.
Her distress must have penetrated that thick skull of his because Aiden moved aside. “Okay, how much farther until we reach Carl?”
“Another ten to fifteen minutes.” She puffed past Aiden, barely able to resist slapping at him, which was so unlike her that she nearly stumbled. Her cheeks felt hot and her eyes filled with tears. The dratted hormones, the plans she had for the future at risk, and Aiden’s knowing the truth had made her into a paranoid, monster-woman. It wasn’t the best of moods to confront Carl.
Aiden didn’t say a word, but she could hear his booted feet following her up the ever-steepening trail. She was giving him a great view of her wide ass-ets, when her best feature was now her bountiful boobs—not that she wanted him looking at those either. At any moment, she expected him to ask about Las Vegas or the baby, until she became so taut and filled with tension that she wanted to scream. At any moment—
“I was wondering—”
“Don’t.” Becca spun, fully intending to cut off any attempt for the talk to become personal, but she lost her footing and slid down into him.
“All right, let’s sit down.” Aiden put a hand on her arm andfirmly guided Becca down to the ground, squatting in front of her. “Trust me. Don’t push it in the mountains. The meteorologist will wait. It’s time for a drink.”
“I don’t want a drink.” And Becca hadn’t a minute ago, but as she looked into his dark eyes, her mouth seemed to dry out. She sat awkwardly on
“Hey.” He peered at her. “You don’t look so good. Let’s take a breather.” Aiden stepped closer, towering above her only because of the steep incline. He held out his canteen.
“I’ve got water, thanks.” Somehow, she managed to regain her composure, although she had to clench her teeth to do so. Without accepting his canteen or reaching for her own water, she looked at her watch, still unable to believe he’d sent Julia back. Why would he do that without asking her? “I’m running late.” This was her chance to talk some sense into Carl. It was clear they weren’t getting any air support from NIFC.
Canteen still in hand, Aiden glanced at his own watch. “What’s your hurry? Everybody needs a breather now and then, especially a pregnant woman. Let’s just sit down and talk until you’re ready to go again.”
And then Becca realized why he’d sent Julia back. He wanted to talk to her about the baby. He couldn’t do that with Julia tagging along.
She slapped his canteen away and tried to step past him. “You’ll have to do better than that.”
“Calm down,” he advised with his arms spread to block her way, as if he actually cared what happened to her, sounding and looking so sincere that Becca almost believed him, until the baby kicked her.
He was sneaky all right. If she didn’t watch out, he’d tell everyone in the fire industry what they’d done in Las Vegas, destroying her credibility, making her unemployable. Then he’d take this baby from her.
A pregnant woman’s paranoid delusions? Hardly. What did she really know about Aiden? And if he trapped her into some kind of visitation or custody agreement, she had no way of knowing what kind of father he’d be.
Becca’s breath came in quick, shallow gasps now. Too much air. She was going to have a panic attack. All because of him.
“Hey, slow down. This is how accidents happen.” Aiden spread his arms out again and wouldn’t let her pass.
“If you don’t move out of my way,” she managed to pant, “what happens next will be no accident.” She’d taken self-defense. Perhaps it was time to put it to good use, although she couldn’t imagine doing much damage in her current pregnant state.
Her distress must have penetrated that thick skull of his because Aiden moved aside. “Okay, how much farther until we reach Carl?”
“Another ten to fifteen minutes.” She puffed past Aiden, barely able to resist slapping at him, which was so unlike her that she nearly stumbled. Her cheeks felt hot and her eyes filled with tears. The dratted hormones, the plans she had for the future at risk, and Aiden’s knowing the truth had made her into a paranoid, monster-woman. It wasn’t the best of moods to confront Carl.
Aiden didn’t say a word, but she could hear his booted feet following her up the ever-steepening trail. She was giving him a great view of her wide ass-ets, when her best feature was now her bountiful boobs—not that she wanted him looking at those either. At any moment, she expected him to ask about Las Vegas or the baby, until she became so taut and filled with tension that she wanted to scream. At any moment—
“I was wondering—”
“Don’t.” Becca spun, fully intending to cut off any attempt for the talk to become personal, but she lost her footing and slid down into him.
“All right, let’s sit down.” Aiden put a hand on her arm andfirmly guided Becca down to the ground, squatting in front of her. “Trust me. Don’t push it in the mountains. The meteorologist will wait. It’s time for a drink.”
“I don’t want a drink.” And Becca hadn’t a minute ago, but as she looked into his dark eyes, her mouth seemed to dry out. She sat awkwardly on
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