Page 26 of Eyes Like a Hurricane

She looks at me with a furrowed brow. “You’re more than welcome. I hope I can volunteer in other ways. Joining trail rides and that sort of thing. I’m not a huge fan of mucking stalls, but if push came to shove, you could count me in for stall duty. But only on a rare and very desperate occasion.”

I try not to laugh but realize it’s a lost cause and erupt into laughter. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, that's why we have Callum.”

She giggles, then asks, “Are the sheep also named after weather features like the horses?”

Chuckling, I shake my head and reply, “I let Callum name the sheep. He thought they looked like big, fluffy clouds. Therefore, he named them after types of clouds, except for one.We have Nimbus, Anvil, Cirrus, Cumulus, and Stratus. Then, since Callum loves football, he named the last one Hail Mary.”

Covering her mouth as a snort sneaks out, she exclaims, “A play on 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' and football. That's hilarious.” She shakes her head as I grin back at her.

I lift my shoulder in a shrug. “Eh, that's Callum for you.”

As we round the last bend, Aislinn gasps at the panoramic view of Glacier National Park sitting proudly in front of us. I slide out of my saddle and tie Thunder’s reins to a small tree. I pat his shoulder and tell him how great he did before I make my way over to Aislinn. She is still staring out over the ridge.

She looks down at me as I offer to lift her down. Her eyes glisten, and in a voice filled with awe, she whispers, “This may be the most beautiful place I have ever seen, Lachlan.”

With a wink, I wrap my arm around her and pull her close as I lower her onto the ground. Pressing a kiss to her temple, I close my eyes and inhale her scent. It’s such a gentle combination of lavender and vanilla that’s strictly her. If fifty women lined up, I could pick her out blindfolded from her scent alone.

Chapter 25

Aislinn

Iam utterly speechless. I rotate my body in Lachlan’s embrace so that my back is pressed against his chest. I wrap my hands around his forearms and smile. This panoramic view is spectacular and unlike anything I have ever seen. The sun is getting lower in the sky, and I have a feeling the sunset will be mesmerizing.

I glance up, looking over my shoulder, “Thank you for bringing me here. It feels like we're the last people on Earth standing on this ridge. I can’t see another soul anywhere.”

He kisses my temple. “I wanted you to see Topaz Ridge at dusk. The light dances off the pines and rocks. The valley below lights up in various colors of pink and orange during sunset.” His eyes move to my mouth, and he audibly swallows. “Can I kiss you?” he asks, his voice barely above a rough whisper.

I tilt my head further back and press my hands against his forearms to give myself leverage. My mouth connects with his, and he hums with pleasure. He tastes like mint chocolate, and his lips are soft in comparison to the roughness of his stubble. I moan into the kiss. I feel his tongue swipe against the seam of my lips, and I slowly open them to allow the kiss to deepen. He releases a groan from the back of his throat as I press intohim further. Our tongues explore each other as our lips dance together.

His hands move to my hips, and without breaking our kiss, he spins me in his arms. My breasts press against his chest as his fingers explore the exposed skin below my shirt. I move my fingers up his neck and run them through his thick hair, pulling him closer to me. I feel like I can't get close enough or deep enough. My skin warms as his hands move under my shirt. His left hand gently grips my upper hip, and his right hand begins to move upward. Just as his fingers graze the bottom of my bra, he breaks the kiss.

As he catches his breath, his voice is rough as he asks, “Is this okay? Can I touch you?” The sexy timbre of his voice is lighting me on fire.

Nodding and with a ragged breath, I reply, “Yes, Lachlan. It’s perfect.”

He presses his forehead to mine, but his hands have halted their movement. “I’ve wanted to do this all day. I’m dying to know what you taste like. I’m desperate to know what sounds you make when I touch you.”

I reach up, grabbing the back of his neck, and pulling his lips back toward mine. We collide in a hungrier kiss. His right hand palms me over my bra as he kneads my breast. His thumb makes a circular motion over my nipple, causing my hips to buck against him. He groans deeply, and his fingertips glide under the top edge of my bra. He lowers the lining and cups my breast. The weight settles in his palm, and his thumb continues to rub across the surface of my nipple. His calluses provide a delicious friction against my tender skin. The sensation sends electricity across every inch of me. With his thumb and forefinger, he pinches my nipple softly to gauge my reaction. I go to moan his name but gasp when he is roughly shoved from behind.

Our kiss abruptly stops as he looks around to see the cause of the intrusion. A chestnut snout rests just behind his shoulder, and a honey-brown eye looks at me suspiciously.

“I think she might be jealous or concerned,” I say, trying to catch my breath. “What do you think?”

He lets out an annoyed chuckle but grins up at Hurricane. “I forgot to tie you with Thunder. What’s the matter, girl?” He gently removes his hand from beneath my shirt and grabs onto my hand. As he turns to address Hurricane, she shoves him again, but this time it knocks him off balance. In slow motion, his shoulder connects with my chest and I begin to fall off the ledge where we are standing. Both feet slip off the edge, and my other arm flails to regain my balance.

“Aislinn! Don’t let go. I have you, sweetheart,” Lachlan says with a tremor in his voice.

My boots try but fail to dig into the slope. My other hand reaches to the side and grabs onto a branch. I look down and am relieved to see a large ledge about ten feet down. There are lots of roots and branches for me to grab onto.

I look up at Lachlan, who's lying on his stomach with his torso hanging off the ledge. One arm is extended toward me as he continues gripping my hand, while his other hand is reaching behind him, wrapped around Hurricane’s reins.

Knowing he can’t hold this uncomfortable position for much longer, I say, “Lachlan, you need to let go of me so you can get some rope. My boots don’t have enough grip to dig into the hillside.”

He shakes his head. With wide eyes, he responds in a strangled voice, “You can’t be serious, Aislinn. I’m not letting you go. I just found you, and I refuse to let you get hurt. I think I can pull you up!”

“No, Lachlan,” I say. “There is a huge ledge about ten feet down, and there are enough handholds for me to lower myself down. I just can't get my feet to find traction. My arms aren't strong enough to pull myself up, but I can carefully slide down to the ledge. Once you have some rope, you can safely pull me back up. If you let go of Hurricane’s reins, she might bolt, and you can’t pull me up with one hand, as I can’t find any foot holds.”

“Are you sure?” he asks with tension in his voice. “On three, I’ll let go, but you better be alright. Promise me you’ll be okay, Aislinn.”

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