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Mack pulled her up and in, ever closer to his strong body, and then he deepened the kiss. Her mouth seemed to explode with tingles and warmth. Mack tilted his head and continued the exploration of her mouth. His kiss became more insistent and filled with passion. He picked her clean off the floor and pressed her against the door as he continued working his magic on her mouth.
Sariah had never, ever felt a kiss as deeply as she did this one. She loved it, but there were warning bells going off in the back of her mind. Ignoring them, she wrapped her legs around Mack’s back and clung to his broad shoulders with her hands.
Mack pushed off the door, and still kissing her, he walked slowly into the bedroom. The warning bells became fire sirens. Sariah’s body was on fire and she needed a pump truck to knock her over with water, right now. She pulled away from Mack’s kiss, gulped in air, and said loudly, “Please help us, dear Father in Heaven, to stop being stupid.”
Mack stopped in his tracks and stared at her, his breath coming hard and fast. He set her on her feet, stepped back and said, “You are an angel, Sariah.”
She backed away, bumping into the bed. “No, I’m not. I just kissed you like …” She couldn’t even say it. She’d heard Pastor warn about it, but had no clue passion could explode that quickly. She felt like she’d been consumed by fire and desire. Her prayer had been spot on. It was very, very stupid to risk their virtue and the purity of their developing relationship like that.
Mack’s blue gaze was very serious. “That was on me.” He shoved a hand through his short curls. “I love you, Sariah, and I let myself get carried away. It won’t happen again.”
Sariah believed him, and trusted him, but she had to go back to the first part of his statement. “You love me?”
He nodded and then shook his head. “I’m messing this all up. I wanted to tell you how I loved you in a beautiful way. Not when … I’d almost taken advantage of you.”
Sariah smiled softly at him. “You are a great man, Mack Quinn. We both let things get a little … heated, but I don’t believe you would ever take advantage of me.” She stepped up to him, stood on tiptoes and softly kissed him. “And I love you too.”
Mack’s chest rose and fell quickly. “I want to keep kissing you so badly right now.”
“But you love me too much to start that fire again,” she guessed.
He blinked down at her and tenderly cupped the left side of her face with his right hand. “Exactly.” He backed away, his hand dropping to his side. “Tomorrow I’ll give you the kiss I’m dying to give you right now.”
She tilted her head and tried for sass, but her heart was beating so fast she could hardly speak. “I’ll plan on that, Mr. Quinn.”
He grinned and then turned and hurried from the room, closing the door behind him. She heard his door shut as well. Sariah stood there until her heart stopping racing. That kiss had been insane and far too much for her inexperienced self to deal with. Tyler had tried to push her physically a few times, but she’d never felt desire like this and it had been easy to tell him no. Keeping her desires in control with Mack was definitely going to be a challenge, but Mack was a good man … a great man.
Her face heated up as she remembered how she’d said a prayer aloud. Some people would make fun of her for that. Not Mack. He’d told her she was an angel. She put a hand to her heart. She loved him so much. Maybe telling him her secrets wouldn’t be anything horrific like she’d envisioned.
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
Mack followed Sariah on his rented mountain bike along the Snodgrass Trail above Crested Butte. Everything in this valley was so lush and green. He was used to green, being from Rhode Island and living in Georgia, but the mountains and pine trees in Colorado were majestic and he loved the crisp, clean air.
Sariah kept up a good pace. He liked letting her lead. He was still humiliated thinking about last night. He’d almost let the fire for Sariah race out of control. He’d never had that happen to him before. He was almost afraid for tonight, but he’d be more careful. He loved that she’d stopped and said a vocal prayer. She was everything he’d always wanted. Now if only she’d tell him about her scars, and those horrible pictures. Did he bring it up or just keep waiting? He’d told her he loved her and she’d responded. He was still waiting for the perfect moment this morning to give her the kiss he’d promised last night. It had better be in a public place.
They finished the trail and returned the bikes to the concierge who had secured them from a local bike shop and ate a quick lunch in the hotel restaurant. Then they drove to the Judd Falls Trail, a trail that was supposed to be fabulous and was close to their hotel.
Again, Sariah set a great pace and they enjoyed looking down at Judd Falls then set off on the higher trail to the lake that was another four miles, if the people they’d questioned on the trail had accurate info. Mack’s gaze kept being pulled from the forest and towering mountain peaks to Sariah.
He was busy studying her beautiful frame and when she stopped suddenly, he almost plowed her over.
“You okay?” he asked, resting his hands on her waist.
“M-m-mack,” she whispered, turning toward him and clinging to his arm.
Hearing the fear in her voice, Mack stepped in front of her and searched for the source. A large black bear was down in the stream below the trail. The animal was busy searching for fish and hadn’t noticed them.
Mack wasn’t sure how to proceed. Black bears weren’t as dangerous as grizzlies but he knew they’d killed humans, Mack and Sariah were on his territory, and he hadn’t seen any other hikers for a while.
Mack reached back for Sariah. “Let’s just head slowly back,” he whispered.
She didn’t respond but started walking back down the trail.
Mack kept looking over his shoulder, his eyes on the bear as they eased quietly down the trail. Voices drifted down to him from farther up the trail. Mack’s gaze darted back to the bear. The bear’s head swiveled to the voices and it stopped searching for fish and watched to see who was approaching through the trees. Mack’s stomach dropped when he saw two teenage girls jogging down the trail, talking rapidly, not a care in the world. They were both small and that worried Mack. A bear might be threatened by someone his size, but not a skinny near-child.
The bear must’ve had the same thought as it lumbered up the short incline straight toward the girls.
“Sariah,” Mack muttered, ripping his keys out and putting them in her hand. “Run down to the Jeep. If I don’t come with the girls soon, get help.”
