Page 19 of Saving Her Curves

“So,” she asked. “Where is he exactly?”

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“Hank? Are you in here?”

The sound of the female voice echoing through the cavernous room at the back of the search and rescue building had Hank’s stomach twisting into a tight knot and the hair on the back of his neck standing up straight. He gripped the rafter with his hand to steady himself and glanced down over his shoulder.

She was here.

The woman he’d been avoiding—and longing for—the past week. The woman who had stolen his heart and a big chunk of his soul over the two days and three nights they’d been snowbound together.

“Yeah, I’m here.” Immediately he started rappelling down the wall. Her footsteps moved toward him, following the sound of his voice. He felt her eyes upon him and tried to control the hardening of his body that had started the moment he’d heard her voice and the memories had flooded in.

He landed on the floor and quickly undid the rigging that had held him in place. He’d volunteered to test out the new equipment. Snow still covered most of the mountain top making a practical test run impossible.

“Hello, Skye.” He grabbed the t-shirt he’d worn beneath his uniform shirt and tugged it over his head. He watched as her dark gaze followed his movements. When her cheeks colored a rosy pink, he wanted to slow down, making her watch. Damn, how he’d missed her. They stood there for several seconds, neither talking.

“How’s your head?” Hank was the first to break the silence, walking toward her. He stopped, only inches away. One hand came up, pushing the heavy swath of her hair back to reveal the dark pink line on her forehead. “It seems to have healed nicely.”

“Yes.” She licked her lips as if his touch aroused her. He hoped to hell it had.

“How about…” She was wearing a loose necked sweater and he slipped his hand beneath the collar, pushing the material aside. He eased the strap of her bra away as well. He pushed until her shoulder and the top of her breast were bare. The red mark left from the seatbelt was fading, along with the slight bruising that had occurred.

He leaned forward, placing his lips on the faint outline that remained.

“Hank,” she groaned, her hands coming up, her fingers burying themselves in his hair.

Hank had planned on going to her cabin after work. This was his first full day back in town. Logan had sent him and two others across the state to help with a search and rescue. They had managed to recover the lost soul, but it had taken many long, difficult hours. Then, it had been his rotation and…

He’d never admit it to anyone, he’d been scared. Scared that she didn’t want what he wanted. Hadn’t missed him as much as he’d missed her.

He’d been busy, but mostly, he’d been working up the courage to face her. His life before the military wasn’t something he was proud of and he’d let the thought of who he’d once been affect his confidence.

It was while he’d been gone, having been loaned out to another outfit because they’d needed his tracking abilities to locate a teenager that had wandered off trail, that he’d figured out that the past didn’t matter. The future did. And his future was in front of him.

Yes, it had happened quickly, but then, every good thing in his life had come that way. The military had been a quick choice—an only choice really, but a good one. Coming to Middleton had been decided overnight. Joining the search and rescue team had been the only job he’d applied for.

When he found something that he wanted, it didn’t take him long to know it was right.

And he wanted Skye. As a lover. As a friend. As a potential business partner.

And most importantly, as his wife.

“I’ve missed you.”

“Have you?” Skye made herself remove her hands from the silkiness of his hair. Stepping back, she crossed her arms and looked up at him, hoping he couldn’t see that her nonchalance was all an act. She wanted to throw herself into his arms and beg him to take her back to his cabin.

“Yes, I have.” Hank kept his voice low. The rest of the guys were around, doing whatever needed to be done in various parts of the building. He didn’t want to be interrupted. They’d come running if they knew Skye was here just to needle him.

“Funny,” Skye shrugged, “when I miss someone, I usually pick up my phone and give them a call.”

Hank moved forward, encouraged when her eyes widened. “Then I guess you’ll have to give me your number, honey, ‘cause I’ll definitely be calling. A lot.”

Skye wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe that he’d just been so busy but… “I don’t know if I should.”

Hank hid a grin. “If you don’t, I’ll get my friend, Officer Palmer, to do a search of records for me.”

Skye’s eyes widened. “That would be considered misuse of a police data base.”

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