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Putting on a burst of speed, I ran faster, taking in every inch of the woman, scanning for injuries. But in a ski jacket and snow boots—not a single shoe like the one discarded by her car, she moved okay.
I had the whole crew out on a search. Ben had assumed command and taken off in pursuit of the car I’d seen, dividing Raphael and me up between the local roads and the village. Others were on their way to join our hunt.
I’d been furious at my assignment but had to accept it. I’d been certain the kidnapper had her in a car, but I’d been wrong. Here she was. I’d found her within minutes, and pure shock spurred me on.
I closed the distance and grabbed the lass into my arms, bringing her close with my hand to the back of her head, my fingers digging into her soft hair.
I turned us, still looking for the threat.
My heart in tatters and my mind scrambled.
There was just the two of us on the road, the village quiet, and the only sound my harsh draws of breath.
“Jackson?” Ariel said, muffled against my chest.
I centred my gaze on her.
She peeked up at me. “Are you all right?”
I wasn’t. Not on any planet. Not in any way. I forced my limbs to unlock and my grip to relax. But I didn’t let her go.
A beat passed, and awareness of what I was doing settled. We’d never touched like this and somehow still weren’t close enough. I should’ve released her, but I couldn’t. She held my gaze, her hands against my jacket, her warmth permeating through to me.
Raphael’s younger sister,I reminded myself.
Not mine. Not kidnapped either.
“No,” I managed. Then I added, “Wait.”
I spoke into the open line on my phone. “Target located. I’m in the village. All okay.”
Replies came, but I barely heard them.
Ariel’s eyebrows furrowed. “Who are you talking to? What was your target? Did I just walk into an exercise?”
A lock of her dark-brown hair fell over her forehead. With my thumb, I pushed it aside, my heart rate falling enough to let a degree of panic ease.
“No, I was looking for ye. I’ll explain,” I started.
Still wasn’t letting her go.
Somehow, I was stuck on the look in her eyes. Like she was now holding me rather than the other way around. I’d panicked her. Infected her with the fear I’d built and carried.
Yet even if I’d overreacted, her car had been hit and ransacked, for fuck’s sake. That part was fact. She wasn’t safe.
Again, I tried and failed to speak, battling demons that had long held me in their grip.
History hadn’t repeated. The scenarios I’d conjured while in pursuit didn’t come to pass. I’d been down this path before with the opposite result, and the impact had left me stunned.
“I just had to find ye,” I finally released.
Ariel took a rushed breath.
Then she pushed up on her toes and pressed her lips to mine.
Soft lips met my cold ones. In shock, I leaned in rather than pulled away.
I hadn’t kissed anyone in a long time, and in a heartbeat, I only needed more. I angled my head and kissed her back, part in relief that this had ended well, and part because I was on autopilot and driven by emotion.
