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I nodded, cuddling Takoda in my arms. “I’m on my way to Arizona to see my sister.”
“And someone let you take off across country in that old piece of shit van you were in?” His eyes widened in disbelief. “That seems like a ballsy thing to do for a little woman like yourself. It could be dangerous.”
I snorted, shaking my head at his old school thinking. “A little woman like myself? Thanks, but I havenoproblem taking care of myself. I’ve been doing it my whole life. I don’t need anyone’s help.”
“Until a massive tornado rolls through while you’re stranded on the side of the highway.” He raised an eyebrow at me.
I was just about to shoot a snide remark back at him, when the sound of the wind swirling outside picked up, and the cellar door began to rattle. It sounded as though we were in the middle of a war zone, and my entire body began to tremble, unable to hear my own thoughts.
“Shit,” he shouted before heading toward where I was sitting. “That latch is old—I don’t know if it’ll hold!”
Fear thrummed through my body as I watched his concerns become a reality. The cellar door came unhinged, and not only did it tear open...
It ripped right off the hinges. A scream erupted from my throat, and as the hail and rain poured into the cellar, he swooped me up into his arms, taking me and Takoda to the far back corner. Standing over us as a shield, he wrapped his body around us. The scent of leather and bergamot filled my nostrils as I caught myself leaning into his chest.
“It’ll pass over,” he said, his voice gruff.
But as the wind roared into the cellar, chilling my already soaked body, I wasn’t so sure I could trust him...
Or if either of us was getting out alive.
ChapterTwo
Wade
Iwasn’t sure who was shaking worse—her or her dog. But I held onto them, the scent of vanilla and oranges coming from her soft black hair. If it wasn’t for the tornado roaring around us, I might let myself get caught up in the moment...
But therewasa tornado.
And women were nothing but trouble anyway.
“How long is this going to last?” she cried out into my chest.
“I don’t know.” I squeezed her small frame, and tried to ignore just how nice it was to have the warmth of her body against mine. Rain blowing into the small underground shelter pelted my back, and I winced as I did my best to ignore just how bad it stung. I kept my head down, thankful for my hat.
Please be over soon.
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to think about all the worst-case scenarios. I had never heard of anyone getting sucked out of a storm shelter, but my mind seemed to think it was a possibility...
But then the wind died down.
And despite the heavy rains still pouring from the sky, it was no longer pelting my back. I breathed a sigh of relief, my grip loosening slightly.
“Is it over?” She looked up at me, her dark brown eyes tinged with just the slightest golden hue. They were...
Breathtaking.
I caught myself lost in them for a moment, her luscious, plump lips tempting me to taste them. Something about her olive skin and thick eyelashes were just a jolt right to the core. As her body pressed to mine, I was suddenly more aware than ever just how undeniably sexy she was and as her breath hitched, I leaned in...
Wait, what the hell am I doing?
I ripped backwards from her, but not before noticing the surprise on her face. “The front of the storm, where the tornado was, has passed over. I might be able to get you back to your van,” I choked out, embarrassment filling my chest.
God, I hope she can’t see that I’m aroused.
She gave me a weird, startled look, but nodded. “Are you sure we shouldn’t wait a little longer? I mean, I don’t want to get caught in anything...” The worry was evident in the creases on her face, and I felt a pang of sympathy for her.
“There won’t be any tornados behind the cold front that just rolled through. I mean, that would just be very rare. We should be fine to go ahead and leave. It smells like shit down here anyway.”
