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“Erika.”
Ryan.
Her sweet, beautiful Ryan.
Pleasure welled up inside while a feeling of pure satisfaction overcame her. A smile spread across her lips as she buried further into his warm embrace.
“Erika,” he said again. “Sweetheart, you’re going to have to let go of Jay.”
Jay? What on earth was he talking about?
Her eyes flew open and she had to blink hard several times to focus. Morning had arrived and with it, daylight. Enough, that was, for her to see clearly the woolen coat directly in front of her face. And the large, robust neck inside it.
With a horrified gasp, she realized she was clutching at him like a drowning woman. Hurriedly, she scrambled out of his arms. “How dare you touch me, Jay Colby!”
He sighed with irritation. “There’s gratitude for ya.”
“You insolent man!” Her eyes blazed with distaste. “How dare you take advantage of me and then expect gratitude.”
A matching flame lit his eyes as he pushed himself up from the ground and stood at his full enormous height. Glaring down at her, he said, “You were freezing and weeping like a babe snatched from its mama’s breast.”
She gasped at his vulgar description and felt a flood of rage at his comparison of her to that of a baby. “Well I certainly never asked you to keep me warm. And I most certainly never asked you to—to—to hold me.”
“I didn’t hear any objections.” He pointed out.
She stiffened from humiliation. The memory of the patent joy that
overcame her when she melted into his arms was far too clear in her mind. In her defense, she had sincerely thought he was Ryan.
“Just stay away from me, Jay Colby.” She hoisted her skirts and stepped over the small snowdrifts he had built as their shelter.
“With pleasure,” he growled in response.
Thrusting at the infuriating needle branches blocking her path, she marched out of the small clearing searching the ground angrily. Thankfully, the pain in her hip had subsided and she was able to make a dignified retreat. Well, as dignified as one can look with a bruised hip, sore feet, and clothing and hair in such disarray, one might actually mistake her for a peasant woman.
Erika felt the back of her eyes burn. She was so unbelievably angry, she feared she would break down and cry. But there was no way she would give Jay that satisfaction. He already indicated his feelings regarding tears. Erika was not a baby, nor was she a princess. She would show Jay Colby that she was just as rough and tough as he was.
Now, where was that blasted hat?
Chapter 6
“Erika?” Ryan’s calming voice approached her cautiously.
She had almost forgotten all about him—and the way in which he had found her with Jay. Humiliation flooded her cheeks and turned them a horrible red.
“Are you all right, sweetheart?”
Nodding, she had difficulty looking him in the eye. “I’m sorry, Ryan.”
“What for?” He sounded sincere.
“Well, you know.” She shrugged and gestured off-handily toward the trees that hid their sleeping area. “But I thought he was you, truly.”
He didn’t reply, and she glanced over at him to see him studying his hands as if the map to the world’s greatest treasure could be found on them. Erika sighed. She had made him uncomfortable. Which he had every reason to be, she thought, and groaned inwardly. How presumptuous of her to state such a thing where they still had yet to share their first intimate union. Good Lord, they hadn’t even kissed!
“We should get going,” he stated.
Erika nodded with despair. She feared she lost something more valuable than her precious hat that morning.
