Aside from the fact that it felt like he’d had his own heart cut out and fed to him raw, Eric was doing super-duper great this frigid fucking morning. He steered the truck on the two-lane highway through Bridger-Teton National Forest between Jackson and Copper River. The guests were nice enough guys, more city slicker than rugged hunters, but he and Kerr would make sure the men had a terrific time and bagged game, even with it being the tail end of the season.
He stared at the sky. Low clouds. Likely snow coming. Bad conditions and Eric wallowing in a foul mood. What a great combination for success.
Trying to focus on the question from one of the men in the back of the king cab, he answered, “We’re going to a medium altitude site for our base camp. Easy enough to get into this time of year, especially since there’s not a lot of snow yet. But we’ll have the flexibility to go high or low, depending on where the deer are.”
“How about hot meals?” The man typed away on his laptop.
Eric plastered a smile on his face. “Nothing but the finest camp cooking from Kerr and myself.”
“Bet the ladies love that you can cook, huh?” The guy chuckled.
“Among other things,” he managed to reply.
Everyone laughed. Except for Eric.
He turned down the long road to the ranch, pointing out a few mountains nearby and the main ranch house, the small temporary barn, and the half-constructed new main barn. They pulled up next to the large horse trailer, and the men jumped out.
“Nice place here.” The blogger whistled.
“It’s Kerr’s family’s spread. They all live here, and there’re kids and ladies around. So no cussing, please.” Because it wasn’t Eric’s house. Wasn’t his family, either. But despite getting his ass handed to him by one of the inhabitants, still, he would protect all of it like his own.
The blogger eyed the house. “Any good-looking ladies?”
“They’re all spoken for,” Eric gritted out.
Kerr appeared from the side of the horse trailer. “Gentlemen.” He shook hands and Eric did the introductions. Pulling down the tailgate of Eric’s truck, he opened a map and pointed. “Here’s where we are going for the next several days. We’ll take a little over a half hour to drive up to the drop-off point and then go by horse another hour to base camp.” He paused. “From there, it’s up to you and the wildlife what happens next.”
“This is going to be great,” the blogger said, eyes avid, reaching for his gun case.
Kerr stepped smoothly between the man and the case, taking it from the guy’s hands and setting it down in the truck bed. “Once we reach the drop-off point, we’ll take some time and help you sight in the guns. If there’s time tonight once we get to base camp, we can try a short trip for an hour at dusk.”
“Great. Let’s go,” the men said.
“Eric, if you could grab the cooler from the kitchen, we should be all ready to go.”
Damn his friend. The last place Eric wanted to go was inside the ranch house. But it wasn’t like he could ask Kerr to lug the cooler himself, with the bad leg and all.
What if Eric saw Shelby?
Was he sorry or mad? Hell if he knew. That woman had him wrapped around her finger and tied into knots at the same time. And he hadn’t been able to get her out of his head for the past twelve hours. He didn’t trust himself to think clearly around her. He didn’t trust what he would say.
He trudged up the three stairs to the back door and opened it.
The scent of simmering soup, apple pie, and mountain air hit him right as she spun around.
He half expected her to run and jump into his arms, judging by the hope reflected in those wide eyes and raised eyebrows.
Then her face fell. She backed as far away from him as possible and set down the ladle. A wary frown creased her brows.
“I’m sorry—” she whispered.
“Me too. For everything.”
She opened her mouth, setting off all sorts of inappropriate memories about what had been in that hot, sweet mouth the night before.
Her cheeks and neck turned a wild shade of red, and her breathing sped up.
“Are you really picking up what I’m thinking? Or did you just make the story up to get rid of me?” he asked.
“I can hear everything.” Her voice came out tight, strangled.
“All of it?”
“Yeah. Good and bad.”
“Um. So?” He crossed the room in a few strides. Then he stopped a foot away from her.
She looked like a deer about to bolt, backed against the kitchen counter. The image sparked ideas of what he’d like to do back at his place. God knew the possibilities were endless.
Gasping, she held her hands out. “Stop.”
“Shit. You can actually hear and see what I’m thinking?”
“Yes.”
A man who had nothing to lose, he went for broke. “Do you, um, like what you see?” He pointed at his head.
The flush crept onto her cheeks. “Well, yeah. But that’s not the point.”
“I’d love to make all of it come true. With you.” He glanced down at the floor, then cut back to her eyes. “Unless the ideas scare you, or they’re too, um, rough?”
“The roughness isn’t the problem.” Her damp lips parted and a need to taste her mouth tilted his equilibrium. “It’s too much information. The thoughts kind of take over my brain.”
His jaw dropped open. “You weren’t just trying to get out of the situation last night?”
“No. God, of course not.” Her pupils dilated. “I would have loved to stay and do . . . more.” She crossed her arms and rested a hand against the base of her neck.
“But it hurts you?” Shit, he’d been such an idiot to think this problem was all about him. His gut twisted into a wretched knot. The glistening in her eyes told the truth.
The corners of her sexy mouth dropped. “Having your thoughts running front and center in my head? It pushes me away. I’m nowhere. I get squeezed out. I disappear.”
“Geezus. Wow. You think we can fix this?”
Her chin quivered. “You still want to try with . . . us?” She blinked. “Because I believe you kicked me out of your house.”
Crossing his arms, he dropped his head. “Yeah. About that.” He thumbed the brim of his hat up. “Shit, Shelby. I don’t know what to do to fix this situation. But I sure as hell am sorry that I hurt you.”
“Me too.”
His heart drummed in his chest. “Look, if you think we could and work through all of this stuff, I want to try.”
He had to strain to hear her words. “I don’t know if this problem has a solution.”
With a finger, he tilted her chin up until her gold and brown gaze slammed into his. “Don’t you want to see if it’s possible? I don’t want to give up. Not yet.” He concentrated to project only positive thoughts and only about Shelby.
“I don’t want to give up, either. But . . .”
He lowered his head until only a breath spanned the distance between them. “What’s the problem?”
“I—”
Moving the half inch forward, giving her time to pull away and relieved when she didn’t, he kissed her, while pouring as many strong feelings of affection, approval, and desire into the action. A few mental pictures of her screaming in pleasure beneath him wouldn’t hurt, either.
He gripped her denim-clad hips as he fought the urge to pull her closer. He leaned back and ran his hands over her waist. “Please tell me we can talk about this when I get back from the trip. At least discuss things.”
“I’ve never—” She swallowed. “I’ve never had this open a channel with anyone ever, and it scares the hell out of me. I can’t think with all the images from your brain going through mine. I can’t function.”
He stroked her jaw and smiled. “At least you know honesty won’t be an issue from me.”
“That’s the part I’m afraid of.”
An imaginary fist twisted in his gut. “Do you think we have a chance?” Damn him, but her answer had more value to Eric than all the gold in the world.
“I don’t know. I’m not sure what will happen if I continue to absorb those thoughts long term. Don’t know what it will do to my head.”
“So, can we at least try?”
She nodded. “Maybe.”
“I’ll take it for now.”
Dropping a kiss on her forehead, he made a conscious effort to step away, before ripping her clothes off right here in the kitchen and scooting her up on the countertop so he could . . .
Shelby gasped. Her pupils had dilated. Right. Because she knew everything he was thinking.
This could be fun. He’d have to be careful what he thought, but he could adjust the way his entire brain worked if that’s what it took to be with her.
“Will you be here when I get back?”
“Right here.” Shit, she panted.
Just like he was starting to do.
“Good.”
As he stepped through empty space to pick up the cooler and head to the door, he half-turned back to her.
And created the most fabulous, sexy, and insane image he could conjure up with Shelby playing a starring role.
“Oh my Go—”
He walked through the door and out to the guys waiting near the truck. The chilly air didn’t feel so cold right about now.