Page 22 of Kissing Her Rescuer

The dark shape of the shed came into view. “Do you think there are snakes in there?”

“What is it with you and snakes?”

She could hear the smile in his voice. Taking a chance, she interlaced her fingers with his. “I feel like that's a natural thing to be afraid of while stomping through the woods at night in Georgia in the middle of the summer. I don't have any boots like you, or else I might be a little less worried.”

“I'll buy you a pair.”

She almost made a joke in return, but he stopped at the door to the shed. Or what was left of the door. Her body stumbled into the back of his. He didn't even shift. Like a solid wall of warm man. And after her two and a half margaritas, she was bold enough to rest a hand on his lower back as she peeked around him. God, she was pathetic, looking for a reason to touch him.

He opened the slanted door. It hung off the top hinge, and the bottom corner had rotted away. It creaked like something from a Halloween movie. The inside smelled musty and damp.

She shifted a little closer to him. “Did you bring your phone?” She'd left hers back in her purse. One of Becky's rules to keep her from constantly checking on Carrie.

The flashlight on his phone turned on. “One step ahead of you. See,” he said, shining it on the ground as he led them into the dark space, “no snakes.”

“I'm still going to think about them.” The flashlight turned off, and he closed the partial door behind them. “We don't have to shut it off yet, do we?”

“It's already been five minutes. Don't want to give away our location, do you?” He led her deeper into the shed until they were both in front of the partially broken window looking outside at the dark woods.

Dewey shifted behind her, his hands on either side of hers on the window sill. Boxed in.

She let herself lean back, resting against his chest. It was too easy to be with him.

His head tilted closer. “I've been worried about trying to keep my distance.”

She took a breath to reply, but he stopped her.

“Don't say anything. I know it's the tequila making this easier, but maybe that's what I needed.” His breath whispered across her neck. That rumble in his chest lured her closer. “Damn Becky and her games putting me alone with you. You wanted me to act normal, to be myself. With you, this is how I'd act.”

Eliza closed her eyes, her head leaning to the side. His lips pressed against the column of her throat. His hand slid across her stomach, pulling her gently to him, eliminating any remaining distance between their bodies.

“Kiss me, Eliza. We can figure it out tomorrow.”

She turned in his arms. And froze as a shadow streaked along the back wall.

He brought his head up. “What's wrong?”

Something hissed in the dark. She tightened her grip on his shoulders. “Dewey?”

“Shhh,” he said, reaching for his belt where he kept his knife.

Another shadow moved, smaller. “There's two,” she whispered, her eyes fixed on where they went. Raccoons. Had to be with that hissing noise and the way they scurried. They looked huge.

“I hear them. They shouldn’t attack us.” He shifted his weight. “Unless we’ve cornered them.”

The door swung open. “Caught ya!” Becky's high-pitched voice and flashlight made Eliza jump to him, and the scurrying back and forth behind them louder. “Oh, look at you two. I figured it'd had taken at least two rounds. Proud of you, Dewey.”

“Shut up, Becky, and give Hudson the light and walk away about fifteen feet back toward the house.”

“Why? I wrestled him and won, so I get to hold the light.”

Dewey swore under his breath. “There are two raccoons trapped in here with us, and you are useless without your shotgun, so give Hudson the flashlight so we can figure out what to do to get either them or us out of here.”

At the sound of another loud hiss, Becky all but threw the flashlight at Hudson. He scanned the cabin with the light and then clicked it off. “You're wrong.”

“Not raccoons?” Dewey asked.

“You were right about the animal. It's just there's a whole litter of them. Probably four or five with the mom. And damn, that’s a big mom.”

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