Page 15 of His Stormy Seduction

"Who says I'm demanding anything?" I tease, twisting my head to catch the glint in his eyes. "Maybe I just wanted to make sure my big bad rescue ranger was still with me."

"I'm not going anywhere." The words are laced with a quiet promise sending an unexpected frisson of warmth through my chest.

Before I can dwell too much on the unfamiliar feelings, Garrett leans in to capture my lips in a slow, smoldering kiss. I melt into the familiar heat of his mouth, the leisurely glide of his tongue instantly reigniting that delicious friction low in my belly.

Then, just as suddenly, he pulls back with one last lingering brush against my tingling lips. "I should check on the damage from the rockslide and see if there's a way out of here."

With a grunt of effort, he extricates himself from our tangled embrace, rising fluidly in the confined space before snagging his discarded clothes and quickly pulling them on. The sight of all that chiseled, bronzed muscle disappearing beneath layers of denim and cotton is almost painful to watch.

Once fully dressed, he crouches in front of me, that heated look never wavering. His palm cups the side of my jaw in an unexpectedly tender gesture, the calloused pads rasping against my cheek as his thumb traces the curve of my lower lip.

"I'll be right outside," he promises. "Whenever you're ready."

I nod mutely as he leans in for one last kiss, and by the time Garrett finally pulls away and slips out of the crevice entrance, I'm left in a dazed, trembling heap, the phantom echoes of his touch and taste seared onto every nerve-ending. I let out a low whine of pure, unfiltered longing, every molecule vibrating with the need to drag him back in here.

But the rational part of me knows he's right—we can't hide away in this sanctuary forever, as tempting as the notion is. We need to face reality, to figure out the next move.

Forcing myself into a semblance of calm, I start pulling on my clothes. My mind drifts as I methodically layer up, replaying every detail of our frantic, passionate sex on an endless loop.

How had things escalated so quickly between Garrett and me? Just yesterday, we were total strangers with absolutely nothing in common beyond an ill-timed run-in on the mountain trail. And yet, in the span of mere hours, he's somehow managed to work his way under my skin unlike any other man before.

I can't quite put my finger on what it is about him that calls to me on such a visceral level—the commanding alpha presence? The quiet intensity and unwavering sense of self? The way he makes me feel utterly possessed yet cherished all at once? Whatever the reason, the connection blazing between us is unlike anything I've experienced before.

And it terrifies me just as much as it thrills me.

Because how can a love like this possibly last? I'm the girl who chases horizons and scorns the very notion of being tamed. Yet here I am, already entertaining the idea of settling into the warm, steady embrace of a man whose very purpose in life revolves around safeguarding others. A man who wants to build a home and a life, to nurture and care for someone. There's a part of Garrett that's already staking an eternal claim on me, marking me as his.

And God help me, I think a part of me wants to let him.

Shoving those dangerous thoughts firmly aside, I quickly finish lacing up my boots and scramble out of our den, blinking rapidly against the harsh sunlight. I spot Garrett's tall frame crouched a few yards away near the base of the rock wall, intently studying the debris field from last night's rockslide.

"So what's the verdict?" I call out. "Think we've got any chance of picking our way through?"

"Hard to say." He straightens to his full height, turning to face me with those piercing dark eyes narrowed in assessment. "The damage is pretty extensive. But if we double back and try skirting the ridge, maybe..."

"Do you think there's any chance we can make it up to Falcon's Ridge from here?”

Garrett's expression instantly clouds over at my words. "You can't be serious."

"What?" I fire back, hackles rising at the condescending tone.

"Look at the mess we've found ourselves in because you insisted on chasing after that 'perfect shot' in the first place!" His eyes blaze as he gestures toward the field of rubble surrounding us, voice hardening with each word. "We're lucky to have gotten out of here with our lives. And now you're talking about pressing on to even riskier terrain just so you can get your damn photos?"

I bristle at his accusing tone, every ounce of my earlier contentment evaporating in a hot rush of anger. "So what, you want to just turn tail and run?"

Garrett's jaw tenses as he holds up a hand, something in his expression shifting. "I found my radio in the debris—it must have gotten knocked loose during the rockslide." He reaches into his jacket and retrieves the battered device, lips pressed into a grim line. "I already radioed for an evacuation chopper to pull us out of here while you were getting dressed."

My mouth drops open as his meaning sinks in. "You what? Without even asking me?"

"There was no need to ask you." His tone is clipped, final. "It's the only reasonable course of action given the circumstances."

"The only reasonable..." I trail off with an incredulous scoff, anger roaring through me in a scalding wave. "And who died and made you the authority on what's reasonable for me, Garrett?"

"Damn it, Bonnie!" He rakes a hand through his tousled hair, jaw working furiously. "You want to keep pressing on to who knows where, with no real plan beyond chasing your next damn photo op? That's reckless as hell!"

"And you think stripping me of any choice in the matter is somehow better?"

We're nearly chest to chest now, the air practically crackling with our heated glares. For someone who claims to want to protect me, Garrett sure has zero qualms about poking the angry wildcat.

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