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Katelynn carried the dustpan out the door, keeping her back turned to block the breeze. Quint stepped out from the woodshed and took in her flushed face. She wore her hair piled up on her head, and he recognized the bandana she used to hold all the strands off her neck as one from his drawer in the bedroom.
He jumped over the firepit on his way to her.
She bent over and dumped the dirt under the bush at the side of the building. He hurried forward and hooked her around her waist, turning her.
He captured her squeak of surprise and soothed her adrenaline rush with his tongue until she melted against him. The heat was getting to him.
Coming up for air, he let her go, but she continued to hold him. It wasn't even noon, and he'd found every excuse to stay close.
Katelynn plucked the front of his flannel with her thumb and finger. "I don't know which one of us is dirtier."
Just like that, ideas involving soap, water, and her naked body filled his head.
He turned around and squatted down. "Get on."
She laughed. "What?"
"I'll give you a ride." He patted his shoulder.
"Oh, I'm sure you will," she drawled, wrapping her arms around his neck and laughing as he straightened to his feet, and she left the ground. "What are we doing?"
"You'll see." He walked across the road carrying her on his back, cut through an empty camping spot, and followed the road around to the back loop.
Campers nearby stopped and watched him. He nodded, not missing a step. There was no trail where he planned to go.
He stepped over branches, dodged bear grass, and wound his way around the huckleberry bushes. Five minutes later, at the river's edge, he let go of Katelynn's thighs and let her slide down his back.
"Get undressed." He bent at the waist and unlaced his boots.
"Oh, my God. You've got to be kidding me." She planted her hands on her hips. "I'm supposed to be in the office."
"Your boss won't fire you." He toed off his shoes and undid his belt, working on his zipper. "You've got thirty seconds, and I'm going to take you in the river with me."
Her eyes widened. "Any of the campers could walk up on us."
"Then, the faster you get in the water, the better chance at not getting caught naked." He unbuttoned his shirt, eyeing her.
She studied him, catching her lip between her teeth. He peeled off his flannel and pushed his jeans down, leaving them in a puddle at his feet. It took him no time to remove his socks, and he stepped toward her.
She gawked. He wrapped his arm around her thighs and picked her up fully dressed.
"Put me down. I can't..." She bounced against his chest. "Don't you dare get me wet."
He strode out into the river, ignoring the slick rocks trying to unbalance him. The coldness seeped into his bones, and he gritted his teeth as the water went from his thighs to his waist. Even the shock of the temperature failed to take his desire to have Katelynn in the water.
"Quint! You're crazy." Katelynn arched in his arms as the cold water hit her ass. "You're going to drown me."
"Can you swim?" he asked.
"Yes, but I have my clothes—"
He tossed her into the water. Following her, he dunked below the surface. As he came back up, he caught sight of her flinging her hair over her shoulder, gasping for breath.
Blinking wildly, Katelynn glared at him, but amusement touched her lips. She swam over to him and stood, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Her legs floated up around his hips. He cupped her ass and felt her relax.
"Despite it being the middle of a workday, and it's going to suck when I have to get out of the water, and my clothes are soaking wet, this feels wonderful." She kissed him. "I hope you realize the office is open and nobody is there to help the guests."
"They can wait." He kissed her.
"What about the petty cash?" she mumbled against his lips. "Or, the—?"
He shoved his tongue in her mouth to shut her up. No amount of money would make him get out of the river and away from her.
She giggled and broke the kiss. Tightening her arms around him, she laid her head on his shoulders, sighing heavily.
He held her, relaxing in the sunlight without feeling the overwhelming heat. Closing his eyes, he tilted back his head. With Katelynn around, he found himself making excuses to get out of work to be with her. He couldn't remember the last time he went swimming in the river.
There was always something to do at the campground. The land needed to be maintained—the trails manicured, the firepits cleaned, the conveniences kept in working order. And, the requests from the campers was never-ending.
Katelynn shivered. He rubbed her back, opening his eyes.
"Cold?" He squinted against the glare coming off the water.
She rubbed her face against his shoulder. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, shuddering.
"Hey," he said, trying to pull her off him to see her face when she refused to answer but she held on tighter.
His heart pounded. Was she crying?
"Katelynn?" He kissed the side of her neck. "Talk to me."
Her upper body expanded and deflated as she struggled to gain control over her emotions. He held her, wanting to take the pain she was going through.
She'd been doing better lately after suffering each day over what she'd done to Miller. He kissed the back of her head. But he knew, flashbacks would come back to her at the oddest times, and she'd need to learn how to handle them.
He lived with his past and understood how devastating those feelings could be when they caught him by surprise.
"Bitterroot Campground closes in two weeks," she said, barely loud enough for him to hear her over the rush of the current.
Aware of the time limit, he steeled himself. If he could invite her to stay and know she'd be safe, he'd have already asked her. But, with Jaster and McCloud still out there, he wouldn't risk her life by keeping her.
The memory of losing Two-crow last winter and how close they'd come to losing Iliana fresh in his mind, he wouldn't risk her life.
What good would he be to her if he ended up getting killed? She'd have more pain to deal with alone.
"You deserve to start fresh and forget what happened here." He swallowed. "You're a strong woman, Katelynn. You need to look toward the future—"
"No." She pulled back, her eyes bloodshot.
He carried her to the bank of the river and set her down on her feet without saying more. Grabbing his clothes, he dressed as an excuse not to answer the questions he spotted in her gaze, and yet remained unasked.
"I'll cover the office while you go to the cabin and change into dry clothes." He turned to her, and his gut tightened.
He'd hurt her.
"Change of plans." He moved toward her and cupped her face. "I want you to take the rest of the day off. The cabin will be cooler than headquarters, and you haven't had any time to yourself to be lazy since you started working for me."
Her shoulders sagged. "Quint."
His chest squeezed. Standing there with her wet clothes clinging to her and her eyes red and swollen, he'd whisk her out of the country if he knew it would allow them to stay together. But men had been after him since he was fifteen years old. It was his life.
He kissed her. "I'll try and get back to the cabin early tonight, okay?"
"I can work—"
"Do it for me. Go pamper yourself." He inhaled deeply. "Please?"
She nodded. He dropped his hands to his sides, and she walked away with her head lowered. Maybe he should put her on a plane and let her go now.
He never expected to grow close to her or have sex turn into a relationship, but her feelings toward him were only half what he felt for her. The emotions she brought out in him, he never thought possible.
Hell, he had no idea they even existed. No one had ever put him first because he'd had no one but caregivers and foster parents growing up. The closest he'd come to care about someone was during the years he was held captive in Mexico.
Anders, Will, Mark, Two-crow, and Joney became like brothers. They'd had each other's back, worried about each other, and shared their fears and dreams when they believed tomorrow would be their last day alive.
But, he couldn't even compare how he felt about Katelynn to the others. He woke up every morning wanting to make her smile and went to sleep every night worried he wasn't enough for her.
Maybe he'd been drawn to her because of her own life experiences. She was a survivor and had taken an impossible situation with her parents and got out of there, taking care of herself. When she'd killed Cord, she'd been alone.
It was natural for him to help her. But, his need to be there for her and be a part of her life had come as a surprise.
He lost sight of Katelynn and set off making his way toward headquarters. It was because he was falling in love with her that he had to send her away.