Captivating Witness. Melinda Lorenzo Di

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       Chapter 4

      Brayden cursed himself for giving in to a rare moment of spontaneous emotion. Though giving in implied he’d done it consciously. The move had been pure instinct. The impulsive seizure of a moment. Not something he’d consider doing under normal circumstances.

      And for your moment, you chose a kiss on her hand? Really, Maxwell? When her mouth was just as close?

      But he couldn’t deny the impact of the small gesture. He could still taste her salty, dust-covered palm. Still feel the coolness of it on his lips. It was a sharp contrast to the warmth everywhere else their bodies had touched. Continued to touch. It dulled some—if not all—of his irritation at her sudden flight and brought him back to his typically patient self.

      “M—er, Brayden?”

      “Mmph,” he mumbled back.

      “Aren’t we going the wrong way?”

      “Nope.”

      “I came in from the other direction.”

      “Yeah. And you kind of ran in a circle.”

      “I did?”

      “That’s how I managed to catch up with you,” he said, grateful for the distracting conversation. “Took me about ninety seconds to figure out you were too smart to head right back into town. Went back to the house to get a flashlight so I could search for you, and I heard you crashing around above the cabins.”

      “Crap.”

      “Yep.”

      “I guess I’m not very experienced at running and hiding.”

      “That’s a good thing. Most of the time anyway.”

      Brayden pushed through the last thick patch of trees. The far-range, motion-detection light came on immediately, illuminating the rear of his rented cabin.

      “See?” he said. “Here we are.”

      Reggie blinked at the light. “Wow. I’m not just bad at running away. I’m terrible.”

      Brayden couldn’t help but laugh. “I’d tell you it takes some practice, but that probably wouldn’t be very reassuring.”

      “Definitely not.”

      He moved quickly from the back of the cabin to the front, where he paused at the bottom on the stairs and asked teasingly, “You ready to be carried over the threshold?”

      Even in the dim light, he could see the color bloom in her cheeks. “I could try walking.”

      He glanced down at her dirty, battered-looking feet. “Might be better not to. Unless you want to add splinter removal to my list of first aid duties. And call me crazy, but I think checking you over for a concussion and tending to those cuts is probably enough of a first aid order for one night, don’t you?”

      She wrinkled her nose. “Ugh.”

      “What?”

      “Now I can’t insist on being independent without making it seem like I’m trying to create more work for you.”

      “I’d apologize, but I’m not really sorry.”

      “Fine. Carry away.”

      Grinning to himself, he took the steps quickly, then paused at the door and adjusted so he could drag out his key. He held her tightly all the way into the house, not releasing her until he’d flicked on the lights in the rustic cabin and made his way through the country-style kitchen into the living room. There, he settled her onto the love seat and took a step back.

      “How’s your head?” he asked.

      “Not too bad.”

      “Still dizzy?”

      “Just a bit,” she admitted. “Mostly when I move quickly.”

      “Like when you run through the woods barefoot?”

      “Funny.”

      “I thought so. Any nausea?”

      “No.”

      “All right. Close your eyes, count to thirty, then open them and look up at the light.”

      “Okay.”

      She dropped her lids, but when Brayden moved closer and positioned himself over her, her eyes flew open again immediately.

      “I don’t think you counted to ten, let alone thirty,” СКАЧАТЬ