he squeezed Samantha’s hand, and something inside him sensed this cabin was not just part of a dream. Somehow it was tied to the haunted look in Samantha’s eyes and the reason she kept herself closed off from those around her.
“Samantha,” he said again softly.
She blinked rapidly. “Stupid, huh? Bet you could analyze the heck out of that one.” She pulled her hand from his and started walking again. “Where’s that darn dog? Grimly!”
Ethan followed Sam away from the shack. He wanted to know more about the cabin and her dream but sensed this wasn’t the time. Samantha was already nervous around him. Just the fact she was opening up to him at all was a step in the right direction.
Grimly’s incessant barking echoed through the trees.
“I sure hope he hasn’t found a skunk again,” she said. “I’m going to kill that dog if he went after one.”
Ethan laughed behind her and slipped his hands into his pockets, relieved she sounded normal once more. “Yeah, me too. That’d seriously ruin my appetite, and my plans to hit on you later at dinner.”
She smiled back at him. A big, gorgeous smile. One that brought the heat right back to his belly and made him forget that cabin, the waterfall, and everything else he didn’t want to remember. “He loves to dig. The last time he disturbed a sleeping family of skunks, he reeked for a week. Trust me, it wasn’t funny.”
Ethan caught up with her and reached for her hand again. Her fingers were warm where they slid around his. Warm and soft and perfect. And once again those tingles spread up his arm and down into his chest. “Maybe we shouldn’t chance leaving him alone. We should stay in tonight.”
Amusement lit her eyes. “I don’t cook.”
“That’s okay. I do.”
He tightened his grasp on her hand, pulling her to a stop. Interest sparked in her eyes. Interest and excitement.
“You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you, doc?”
He reached for her other hand, lacing his fingers with hers. “I try to be. Wanna make out in the woods?”
She laughed. “It’s cold out here.”
“I know it sounds cliché, but I could warm you.”
Her lips curved into a smile. A tempting, seductive, tantalizing smile. “I think you might be trouble, Dr. McClane.”
When she didn’t make any move to pull away, he let go of her hands and slid his arms around her back, tugging her body against his. Her hands flattened against his chest, and her hips drew flush to his, sending all those tingles straight into his groin. “The best kind, though, right?”
She laughed again, then drew in a breath as he lowered his head and kissed her.
Her lips were soft and cool, her mouth hot and oh so tempting when she opened. And the moment his tongue met hers and their kiss deepened, what was left of his anxiety slipped away, leaving behind only heat and need and a burning desire to get close to this woman in any way he could.
Grimly’s bark interrupted their kiss, and Samantha eased back and dropped her forehead to Ethan’s chest. “That dog has the absolute worst timing.”
He did, but Ethan didn’t really care. Because just knowing she was as disappointed as him made the interruption bearable.
“What do you say we go get him and head back?” He slid his hands to her arms, easing away just enough to look down at her glimmering eyes and cheeks flushed from their kiss. “Then maybe think about picking up where we left off.”
“I—”
Grimly let out a sharp yelp, and Samantha jerked and twisted in the direction of the sound. “Grimly?”
She took off at a run and disappeared around a bend in the path, calling Grimly’s name.
“Samantha, wait.” Ethan’s adrenaline shot up as he followed. Rounding the corner, he spotted Samantha drawing to a stop not far ahead. Past her, Grimly frantically dug and growled and whined at something he’d found in the earth.
“Grimly,” Samantha yelled at the dog. “Stop that.”
Grimly dropped and rolled over the
“Samantha,” he said again softly.
She blinked rapidly. “Stupid, huh? Bet you could analyze the heck out of that one.” She pulled her hand from his and started walking again. “Where’s that darn dog? Grimly!”
Ethan followed Sam away from the shack. He wanted to know more about the cabin and her dream but sensed this wasn’t the time. Samantha was already nervous around him. Just the fact she was opening up to him at all was a step in the right direction.
Grimly’s incessant barking echoed through the trees.
“I sure hope he hasn’t found a skunk again,” she said. “I’m going to kill that dog if he went after one.”
Ethan laughed behind her and slipped his hands into his pockets, relieved she sounded normal once more. “Yeah, me too. That’d seriously ruin my appetite, and my plans to hit on you later at dinner.”
She smiled back at him. A big, gorgeous smile. One that brought the heat right back to his belly and made him forget that cabin, the waterfall, and everything else he didn’t want to remember. “He loves to dig. The last time he disturbed a sleeping family of skunks, he reeked for a week. Trust me, it wasn’t funny.”
Ethan caught up with her and reached for her hand again. Her fingers were warm where they slid around his. Warm and soft and perfect. And once again those tingles spread up his arm and down into his chest. “Maybe we shouldn’t chance leaving him alone. We should stay in tonight.”
Amusement lit her eyes. “I don’t cook.”
“That’s okay. I do.”
He tightened his grasp on her hand, pulling her to a stop. Interest sparked in her eyes. Interest and excitement.
“You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you, doc?”
He reached for her other hand, lacing his fingers with hers. “I try to be. Wanna make out in the woods?”
She laughed. “It’s cold out here.”
“I know it sounds cliché, but I could warm you.”
Her lips curved into a smile. A tempting, seductive, tantalizing smile. “I think you might be trouble, Dr. McClane.”
When she didn’t make any move to pull away, he let go of her hands and slid his arms around her back, tugging her body against his. Her hands flattened against his chest, and her hips drew flush to his, sending all those tingles straight into his groin. “The best kind, though, right?”
She laughed again, then drew in a breath as he lowered his head and kissed her.
Her lips were soft and cool, her mouth hot and oh so tempting when she opened. And the moment his tongue met hers and their kiss deepened, what was left of his anxiety slipped away, leaving behind only heat and need and a burning desire to get close to this woman in any way he could.
Grimly’s bark interrupted their kiss, and Samantha eased back and dropped her forehead to Ethan’s chest. “That dog has the absolute worst timing.”
He did, but Ethan didn’t really care. Because just knowing she was as disappointed as him made the interruption bearable.
“What do you say we go get him and head back?” He slid his hands to her arms, easing away just enough to look down at her glimmering eyes and cheeks flushed from their kiss. “Then maybe think about picking up where we left off.”
“I—”
Grimly let out a sharp yelp, and Samantha jerked and twisted in the direction of the sound. “Grimly?”
She took off at a run and disappeared around a bend in the path, calling Grimly’s name.
“Samantha, wait.” Ethan’s adrenaline shot up as he followed. Rounding the corner, he spotted Samantha drawing to a stop not far ahead. Past her, Grimly frantically dug and growled and whined at something he’d found in the earth.
“Grimly,” Samantha yelled at the dog. “Stop that.”
Grimly dropped and rolled over the
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