Page 11 of The Maverick of the Mountain
Never want to see or smell that again.
“So how about it, uh…” I let the sentence hang.
“Corinne,” she says as she tries to tuck a clump of hair behind her ear.
“Corinne,” I rasp, letting it roll over my tongue. It suits her. Never met a Corinne before, but I’m glad she’s my first. “Well, nice to meet you. Are you able to walk?”
She takes a few shaky steps, nearly falling, but I catch her.
“It’s okay,” I mutter. “Just take it easy. I’ll carry you back. Hank,” I rasp, turning my head. “You’ve got four working paws, so use ‘em.”
He makes a defiant grunt.
“I don’t want to hear it. Off.”
He slinks off my back and then toward the cabin, stopping a few yards away to wait for us.
Corinne looks at me. “He doesn’t understand you, right?”
I shrug. “Maybe. Maybe not. But he understands context and tone better than most animals I’ve come across.”
She shakes her head in disbelief, but I don’t mind. Once she gets to know Hank.Me. She’ll come around.
“Now let’s get going.” I flash a quick smile. “I think I heard a wolf howling.”
Her eyes light up, and then she squeals as I lean forward and throw her over my shoulder. Holding her feels even better thanI imagined. So much so that I’m not sure I’ll let her go when we get back to our cabin.
Our cabin? I’m done for.
Chapter 4
Corinne
I’m findingit hard to think straight, but it’s not from fatigue, dehydration, or the general pain I feel everywhere, compliments of chipmunks and bear mace. Well, maybe they’re playing a small role in my inability to concentrate, but the biggest reason is kneeling in front of me. The man I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since I saw him earlier is tending to me. Caring for me.Touchingme.
I don’t understand what it is about his hands that drives my body wild, but from the moment he threw me onto his shoulder, I’ve been all mixed up. Tingles and a racing heartbeat. Flushed and then freezing. Panic to calm. It’s like there’s a chimpanzee in charge of my body and emotions, flipping switches, sliding buttons, and turning knobs at random to ensure I have no idea what to expect next.
Maverick wrings out warm water from a cloth and then grabs my calf in one hand, wiping the mud and forest grime. My other foot soaks in the tub of warm water as I try to sink back into the chair and relax. But it’s hard with Maverick’s hands on me and not a wedding band in sight. Maybe I was wrong.
“So what brings you here?” He dips the cloth in the water again, and I shiver lightly as it caresses the arch of my foot.
I swallow. “A wedding.”
Immediately, the air shifts. His muscles tense. His grip tightens around my calf. It feels… possessive. Protective. I like it.
“Where’s your man?” he rasps, gruffly. It comes out less like a question than a demand. “He let you out here on the mountain alone in a storm like this?”
His grip relaxes, and then he removes his hand and scrubs his face. “Sorry,” he mutters. “Shouldn’t have?—”
“It’s fine.” Tingles dance along my skin as I smile. “It’s not my wedding. I’m the photographer. And I don’t have a man,” I add, pausing as I notice him perk up a little. Hell, even Hank chitters, running over and patting Maverick on his back.
I blush, liking his reaction far more than I should. His hands returning to my leg might be helping too.
“I saw the mountains from town, so I thought I’d take a little hike up here.” I want to mention the diner, hoping that maybe he remembered me, but I also don’t want to get my hopes up.
…or sound like a weirdo stalker. It’s not like I planned this.
Maverick grunts, setting my left foot down in the basin and turning his attention to the right. I cringe when he picks it up.
