Page 19 of Love Me Dangerous

Maybe I won’t have to drive out to the horse place later after all.

The bus swings around the final curve, jostling me against Ava.

“Want me to help you corner him?” she whispers in my ear, then covers her giggle. I give her a look. I don’t want to corner him.

His sharp words replay in my mind. Quit it, or you’ll drown us both.

Okay, maybe a part of medoeswant to corner him. But I’m notadmitting that to anyone, not even Ava. I don’t even know who Zach is. Or why he’s being so damn secretive.

Or why I can’t seem to forget him.

He’s wearing a ball cap, and his dark hair looks damp, as if he showered moments before getting on the bus. His muscular shoulders stretch the fabric of his work shirt, confirming the strength I remember when he carried me to safety—all while I struggled to go back for Jesse.

My stomach feels rubbery, like I’m nervous. It’s annoying. I don’t get nervous.

He makes short, sweeping motions with his arm, but because of the seat, I can’t see what he’s doing. Reading? Or drawing like when I noticed him in the diner?

At the crest of the hill, the lodge and the destination village buildings rise into view, nestled at the base of the impressive mountain amphitheater. Two ski lifts branch from the base area. One is a gondola heading to the top of Saddle Mountain, and the other is a quad that cuts through thick forest to Glory Basin. The quad is running, with a handful of mountain bikers catching a lift, their shiny bikes dangling off the chair by special hooks.

The bus stops in the loop adjacent to Bear Lodge, well out of sight from the guests who enter from a separate road. I keep Zach in my sights so I don’t lose him in the shuffle. He’s one of the first off the bus, forcing me to squeeze past several groups in order to keep up. But he turns from the path, heading across the meadow toward the ski lift.

“Hey,” I call out, breaking from the others filing into the lodge at the side entrance.

But it’s like he can’t hear me over the steady hum of the ski lift and the rock music blasting from the lift shack.

“Hey!” I say, louder this time. I’m almost to him when he glances over his shoulder. Though his face is shaded, the angle of the sun catches his eyes—lighting up that intense slate-blue framed by dark lashes.

“What’s up?” His tense tone snaps me back to the meadow.

Shit, was I staring?

“Where are you going?” I ask.

Behind him, two mountain bikers cruise to a stop at the ski lift, chattering loudly with the lift attendant.

To my frustration, Zach turns away, taking long strides toward the lift.

With a glance back at the lodge, I hurry to catch up. If I’m late, Ava can cover for me.

“How did you end up here?” I ask him.

He sends me a sharp look but doesn’t break his stride or answer me.

The two mountain bikers load and are whisked off. To my surprise, Zach enters the loading queue and slips off his backpack, like he’s going up.

Nolan, the liftie, gives Zach a nod.

As the chair swings around the back of the lift, I hurry over and join Zach just as Nolan guides the chair to the loading spot. Then, the chair zips us up into the air.

Zach scowls at me as the autumn breeze hits us head-on and our legs dangle into space. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”

“Why won’t you talk to me?”

He looks away, giving me a moment to take in his profile. The strong nose and thoughtful press of his lips. “I’m not looking for trouble, okay?”

This is an odd answer, and though he couldn’t possibly know about my past, it’s a hot button for me. “Talking to me is trouble?”

Our chair bounces as above us, the cable passes through the pulley wheels of the first lift tower.

---