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“But I didn’t. So no big deal.”
He snorts angrily. “It is a big deal. It’s still a big deal and it’s always gonna be a big deal. You shouldn’t put yourself at risk like that! Did you even tell anyone where you were going?”
Hunching my shoulders and gritting my teeth, I glare at him. His olive-green eyes flare with anger and darkness and I try to ignore the heated red on his tanned, lean cheeks.
“It’s none of your business what the hell I do, I’m a grown woman!”
He leans over me and I can smell that rich, masculine spice that clings to his bedding. It haunts me and I have to fight to keep my eyes from rolling back in my head.
“It. Is. My. Business.” His teeth are gritted so hard I’m surprised he doesn’t crack a tooth. “Anyone who comes up on this mountain is my business. Especially if they put themselves in danger and almost die!” He’s practically hollering it now and I sit up angrily in the bed.
I push my finger into his chest. “Well, luckily I’ll be out of your hair soon and you won’t have to worry about what stupid things that I’m doing!” Tears crowd my eyes and my side hurts like the damn dickens but I am done with letting men push me around. Fuck that!
He grabs my finger and holds it tightly in his hand and it feels like time stops. Everything moves so achingly slowly. My heart beats one. Two. Three. He takes a deep breath and lets it out gradually. It feels like all of this takes forever although it can’t possibly have been for more than a second or two.
He backs away one inch at a time and then seems to realize that he’s still holding my finger. He drops it and I pull it into my chest, holding it with my other hand, like it’s hurt somehow.
He clears his throat. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m gonna go get you some soup and then we can talk.”
I watch him run out the door so fast it’s like his damn ass is on fire. I huff and drop to the bed, wondering what the hell just happened. I’ve never yelled at someone like I did him. I’ve always been worried that someone would take exception and hurt me. In other words I was scared. I’m always scared.
Not with him though. I feel comfortable with him… somewhat. I mean, I don’t think he’ll hurt me. But there is something about him that makes me… let’s say uneasy.
Just not scared. Isn’t that fucking strange.
I run my hand underneath the quilt and feel along my side, gritting my teeth when I feel the bandage and all along it, tracing the size. Then I drop my head back and stare up at the ceiling, closing my eyes and trying to remember what the hell happened.
Gray. That’s all I remember is gray. Gray mist. Gray snow. All around me is gray.
Huffing out a breath, I tuck my chin in and rub my forehead, my eyes still closed.
“You shouldn’t try so hard. You’re going to give yourself a headache. It will come back. Just give it time.”
“I need to get out of your hair.” My eyes open and he’s staring at me holding a little tray. He walks closer and his mouth works but no sound comes out. Then he leans over me and settles the tray delicately right across my lap, making sure that no part of it touches my side.
Then he lifts his eyes, his dark and glittering with emotion. “Don’t worry about it. Besides there’s no way you’re going to be leaving any time soon.”
My head jerks back as he stands up straight and opens the curtain on the window across from the bed. I gasp, my fingers touching my lips.
Flakes of snow are still coming down in a slow, steady fall. But I can see that there is about seven inches already on the ground.
“Oh my God! How long was I asleep?”
He chuckles softly. “Not that long. But that winter storm they were forecasting at the top of the mountain hit harder than they thought. It will stop. But we might be locked in up here for a day or so.”
My mouth drops open and then I let my eyes drop to my lap again, hoping that he didn’t notice that I wasn’t as upset about being trapped as I should be.
“I’ll take good care of you though. And I will keep an eye on your stitches and make sure that they don’t get infected. You’re safe with me.”
I remember him saying that before.
Oddly, in some ways I feel as safe as a kid in a candy store. In other ways, I don’t feel safe at all. I feel out of control and crazy as all get out.
All because of this one man. Which should be a damn good reason to stay the hell away from him.
CHAPTERSIX
JUDE
