Page 78 of Protective Heroes

He grinned and pulled me closer. He touched his lips to mine and nothing had ever felt more perfect than standing in this beautiful place and being kissed by this ruggedly handsome man.

He slowly pulled his head back so he could smile down at me. “Let’s get you inside and warm.”

“Lead the way,” I said, and as the words left my mouth, it occurred to me that if he kept kissing me like that, I’d probably follow him anywhere. For once the thought of putting my trust in someone else didn’t sound like the scariest thing in the world.

We walked through the trees for several minutes until we reached a fork in the path. One led deeper into the spruce forest. Trevor tugged me down the other.

We walked out of the trees and were met by the sight of an enormous lodge. Built with logs and stone, it fit perfectly into the natural environment surrounding it. An enormous porch welcomed us in.

The rest of the place did not disappoint. The great room in the center of the lodge had cathedral ceilings and huge windows that made you feel part of the gorgeous scenery outside.

I could easily imagine having a wedding ceremony in front of the stone fireplace. Guests could step out onto the porch for a cocktail hour while the great room was reconfigured for a reception.

“This would be perfect for Lily’s wedding,” I breathed. “It’s stunning.”

“You think this is a better choice than the meadow?”

I tilted my head and pulled my bottom lip between my teeth before I shrugged sheepishly. “Is it terrible to admit I don’t want to bring anyone else to our meadow?”

And that’s how I thought of it. Our meadow. When he and I were there yesterday, for a short amount of time, it felt like we were the only two people in a magical world.

“It’s not terrible.” He gave me a quick kiss. “Come see the rest.”

We wandered into guest rooms and a modern kitchen. The lodge had amazing patios along the back that provided incredible views of the remote location. Everything was perfect for a wedding.

“Do you think your friends would rent it out for a wedding?” I asked when we were back in the kitchen sharing another lunch packed by Mrs. Morgan.

“They do a few every year. I’m sure they’d be happy to talk to you about it when they get back.”

“It really is perfect.” Just like everything else in Hartwood. Thinking about leaving in a few days caused a spot in the center of my chest to ache. I looked up at Trevor, a lump forming in my throat. It was more than just the wilderness I would miss. In fact, I was pretty sure that I’d feel this way about Trevor no matter where we stood—wilderness or city, tropical beach or the side of a mountain. Three more days wasn’t close to being enough now that I had spent time with him again and let old feelings have their way with my current emotions.

“You ready to head back to Hartwood?” Trevor asked while we cleaned up after our meal.

I sighed. “I kind of wish we could hole up here for the next six months. I don’t think I’ve ever been anywhere so isolated before. I’d have thought I’d hate it, but…I can’t explain it. Something about it just gives me this incredible sense of peace. It’s kind of perfect.”

I looked up to find Trevor grinning at me. “You won’t get any arguments from me, sweetheart.”

He hooked an arm around my waste and guided me back to the great room. I turned toward the big front door, but stopped when Trevor pulled me around in the opposite direction.

“What…” I didn’t say another word. I didn’t need to. I could see exactly what caught Trevor’s attention.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I could see that the flurries that started while we were headed into the lodge had turned into a massive snowstorm while we toured the place and had our lunch.

“Looks like you’ll get your wish. We might not get to hole up here for six months, but we’re definitely not going anywhere tonight.”

My eyes widened and I stared up at him as emotion surged through me. A week ago I’d have assumed what I’d be feeling in this situation would be fear. But the reality was something entirely different.

At the prospect of spending an entire night in the isolated lodge with Trevor Ford, all I could think was about him getting me naked.

Eight

Kami

“The good news is they keep staples in the kitchen for emergencies like this,” Trevor told me, laughter lurking in his dark eyes.

“And the bad news?”

“No Mrs. Morgan here to cook for us.”

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