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I shake my head. “They’re well-trained. They won’t move until I give them permission. But you don’t need to fear them. They won’t hurt you.”
“Yeah, right. They were plotting to maul me and drag me into the woods for a midnight snack.”
I stifle a laugh. “You always did have an active imagination. Now, come on down. I won’t let you fall.”
Carly climbs down until she can reach my arms, allowing me to help her the rest of the way. When her feet are firmly on the ground, I stare down at her beautiful face.
Carly Ormsbee isfinallyback in Mercury Ridge. Where she belongs. With me.
“William…” Sierra shouts to me from an upstairs window, startling me. I’d forgotten she was here.
I pry my gaze away from Carly to look up at her. “Yeah?”
She cocks an eyebrow. “I couldn’t reach the sheriff, but Romeo’s on the phone. He’s on his way. Should he call in the calvary? Or is everything good here?”
I look back at Carly with a smile on my face. “What do you think? Do we need the calv—" My voice trails off abruptly as I truly take in her appearance for the first time.
Her hair and clothes are soaked through, and her jacket looksverythin—ill-suited for fall, let alone winter.She’s shivering.
Just how long was she stuck in the tree?
A second later, the shivering worsens. She’s shaking as hard as a fish trapped in a net.
“I’m c-c-cold,” she says, her teeth chattering.
Several emotions crash over me at once. I try to sort through them for the most helpful, but anger bursts to the surface like the goddamn Kool-Aid Man. “What in the hell are you wearing?” I roar.
Without waiting for an answer, I throw her over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes and run toward the house.
Four
Carly
“William,I’mfine,”Iinsist, as he wraps me in yet another blanket.
After carrying me inside and dumping me on the rug in front of the fireplace, he’d made it his mission to bury me under a mountain of blankets. Once he was satisfied that I wouldn’t freeze to death, he’d moved on to building the fire. Now that the fireplace is flickering with flames, he’s obsessing over blankets again.
I must admit, the possessive and protective alpha-male vibe isextremelysexy. It’d be a lot more enjoyable if his wife and child weren’t staring at me from the sofa, though.
I force myself to meet the beautiful redhead’s eyes. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Jones.”
“Call me Sierra,” she says kindly, bouncing the baby on her knees. “And you certainly don’t need to apologize to me.”
Oh, but I do. I’m lusting after your husband…
I gulp. “Thank you, Sierra. That’s very kind.”
William kneels in front of me, cradling my face in his hands. His touch is gentle, but his dark eyes still burn with fury. “Your skin is still cold,” he says, his tone an accusation.
“I’m fine.” And it’s the truth. Now that I’m inside, under the blankets, and next to the fire, I don’t feel as cold.Or maybe it’s just my desire for William warming me from the inside out.
Hereallyshouldn’t be touching me like this in front of his wife. I should pull away. Any second now, I’ll find the strength…
“Do you have a suitcase in your car?” he asks.
I nod. “Yes, but…”
William doesn’t wait for me to finish the sentence before he storms out into the snow.
