Page 18 of Winters Heat

He placed her on bare feet, holding her shoulders to keep her upright. As he murmured to her, he smoothed a stray strand of hair. They had to get a move on. But he needed one more minute to confirm she was alive. That she was his. “You’re a funny girl, you know that? Are you okay?”

“That’s a ridiculous question.” She scowled at him, trying to get her balance. Her arms counteracted her sway, outstretched and wavering. Her words slurred, but she didn’t try to dust him away like a pestering fly.

Winters laughed again, a smile staying on his cheeks.This is my kind of woman. No bullshit and plenty of sass. She impressed him, and it wasn’t the first or second time she’d pulled that card.

“Ready to get out of here, doll?”

She nodded, but still, she wobbled, bracing against him. Her palms on his chest, though unsure and drugged, did a hell of a thing to him. He ran his hands over her forearms and dropped to her waist. It was more possessive than steadying.

“Then let’s go. I just need to figure out where their car might have been.”

She slipped her hands over his and turned to walk. He took one step in the direction of the highway, then dropped his gaze to her bare feet and the underbrush. With an easy swing, he lofted her into his arms. She didn’t fight him and fit perfect against his chest like the missing piece in a jigsaw puzzle.

She rubbed against his shoulder, bemoaning her lack of strength and judgment. He ignored her words and focused on her nuzzling him. There was no denying how satisfying it was to hold her.

“Whytheir car? I want our truck.”

Her rasp wasn’t meant to be seductive. He knew that. It shouldn’t have done a thing to turn him on. But it sounded like amorning afterrasp, all scratchy and grated, and it made him twitchy and turned-on.

What the hell was his problem? Awareness was key to their survival. Her survival.

Tonight, he was out of character, starting with missing the signs of impending assault, all the way up to here and now. He shouldn’t be running around with a hard-on. His concentration should’ve been laser-beam focused on their safety and the disk in his back pocket.

He cleared his throat and foraged a path through the woods. “I have to assume the cops are seconds away from the gas station. So, forget our pickup truck. It was rented with an alias anyway. No biggie.”

“Colby?”

“Yes, doll?”

He stepped through the thicket and pushed low-hanging branches away from her. She nestled against his chest.

“Thank you for saving me. Again.” She paused for a heartbeat. “Is it going to stop?”

The innocence in her words killed him. He growled with heated emotion. Anger. Lust. Possessiveness. “Hell, yes, it’s going to stop. So don’t worry about it. I’m going to fix all of it.”

Winters dropped his chin to her silky, tangled hair and breathed her in. Her hair pressed against his skin, tempting his control. Despite the day, she still smelled like butterscotch and vanilla. He heard a sigh that caught him off guard. It was his sigh. He rolled his eyes but sighed again, kissing her forehead and letting it linger.

She tightened her muscles in his arms and stiffened. “Please don’t do that.”

“What? Kiss you?” He knew he shouldn’t have. He stepped over more branches and pushed another thorny branch away from her. Why did he kiss her just now? She was scared, and he was on the job. If there was a better reminder of that than a shootout at a gas station, he didn’t know what it was.

“Yeah, just don’t.” Her body remained as still as a sniper blending into brush.

“I’m sorry about that. I don’t know what came over me.” That was the hundredth apology for the day. It had to be a record considering he apologized… never, whether he should have or not. Strange. Mia tested him in a way he didn’t know possible. Hell. Strange didn’t even begin to describe it.

“You should be sorry.” She looked tart. Her lips parsed together, and the bridge of her nose scrunched in a wrinkle.

That was one confusing look. This was why he shouldn’t mix it up with her. Why he didn’t mix it up with any woman who wanted more than an exchange of first names. Then again, he liked knowing that Mia was Mia Kensington.Whatever. His blood sugar must’ve been low or something. He continued to cover ground in search of the car.

“Wanna explain the attitude?” Was he auditioning for Dr. Phil’s job? Christ.

“I heard you back at the gas station.I love you?” She mocked. “I heard you talking to your wife or girlfriend or whatever.”

He laughed.This shit’s funny.Of course she heard him. He knew she was too close. This was funny, but he kept that to himself, instead opting to tighten his hold. More of a hug, really.

An abandoned car sat on an access road, closed the distance like he just saw a sign screaming it was two-for-one freebie day at Glock and Company. She fought the hold, pushing her shoulders away from him, but he couldn’t have cared less, and he worked to not chuckle out loud.

“You’re cute when you’re jealous,” he said and kissed her nose.

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