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“No,” she whispered. “You won’t get me this time.” Rachel bunched her fists and waited for him to come to her. She’d fight him with all her might. He wouldn’t best her this time.
“Rachel,” a deep, familiar voice sounded in the darkness.
Thinking her mind was playing tricks on her, Rachel maintained her defensive stance, preparing to throw the first punch.
“Rachel, sweetheart, it’s me, Griff.” As the shadowy figure moved closer, the starlight glinted on his face.
Her body poised to fly at the enemy, she launched herself forward and hit him with the full weight of her body. At the same time, realization hit her.
Griff staggered backward, grabbed for a brace post and stopped his and Rachel’s fall before they hit the floor. Then he wrapped his arms around her and held her, stroking her hair and back. “Hey, hey. It’s okay. It’s just me.”
She pressed her face against his naked chest, her body trembling with relief. “I thought you were the killer.”
“Well, now you know I’m not. You’re okay. He’s not here.”
“I was dreaming,” she said, her voice muffled against his chest. “I was my sister, hiking along a mountain trail. He was following me. I ran, but the trail ended.”
“Shh,” Griff’s soothing voice helped calm her.
“He tried to strangle me with the veil. I pushed us both off the trail. We were falling when I woke up.”
“Now, you’re safe with me.” He tipped her chin up and brushed his lips across her forehead. “I’m not going to let him hurt you.” He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. “And good for you for pushing him off the cliff. Though I’d rather you hadn’t fallen with him.”
“I couldn’t let him win,” she whispered, mesmerized by the starlight glinting off his light blue eyes.
“That’s my girl.” This time, he brushed his lips across hers. “You’re the baddest badass I know.”
She wanted more than just a brush of a kiss. “Now, you’re teasing me,” she said, her pulse picking up again—this time for an entirely different reason.
His lips quirked. “Is it working?”
She nodded, her body becoming increasingly aware of how tightly she was pressed to him. The chill mountain air did nothing to cool the heat building at her core and spreading through her veins.
A shiver of anticipation rippled through her.
“Cold?” Griff backed away. “We should get you back to your room. You’re not dressed for this temperature.”
“You’re right.” She was overdressed for her body temperature. “We should go inside.”
Griff slipped his arm around her waist and guided her toward her room. Rachel stopped when they reached the open door, her heart racing again.
“Afraid you’ll step back into your nightmare?” he asked, his breath stirring the tendrils of hair near her ear.
She nodded. “It was so real.”
He reached inside, grabbed the door handle and pulled it closed. “You can stay in my room.”
She let him lead her toward his open door and into his room.
“I can sleep on the chair,” he said.
“No. This is your room, you’re big, and I’m not. I’ll sleep in the chair.”
Griff closed the door behind him and twisted the lock. Then he turned, scooped her up in his arms and deposited her on the bed. “I’ll take the chair,” he said.
Rachel wrapped her arm around his neck before he could back away. “I’ll sleep here on one condition…” She stared up into his eyes. “You sleep with me.” While she tried to look confident and secure in her desirability, her breath caught and held, afraid of his response. What if he wasn’t attracted to her? Her confidence slipped, and heat rose up her neck into her cheeks. “Unless you’re not interested in sleeping with me. In that case, forget it. I’ll sleep in my own room.” She started to get up but couldn’t with Griff still leaning over her. “Seriously, I shouldn’t have come on to you. You’re my bodyguard. I shouldn’t have suggested we sleep together. It can only cause a whole lot of trouble.”
Griff grinned and crushed her mouth with his, stopping her from making an even bigger fool of herself.
