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THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED with each step Kate took into the cave. The air grew darker and damper too. But it was comforting to walk on solid bedrock rather than balance on an eroded ledge. She still gripped Jack’s hand and she didn’t intend to let go. This wasn’t exactly a flat field. And a cave could be treacherous, with eroded limestone and bottomless holes just waiting to snatch unwary visitors.
Jack shared her caution. He felt his way, his steps slow and deliberate as he maneuvered around a stalactite, all the while panning the cave with his light. The sound of dripping water was relaxing, hinting of a larger network of caves. But they saw nothing except dried rodent dung, eerie mineral formations and a scatter of bleached bones.
“Nothing back here,” he said, sighing in disappointment. “And it’s warmer near the front. But at least there’s water.” He skimmed his light over a large crack at the back of the glistening walls. “Unless there’s another chamber behind that fissure. The opening isn’t very big though. Think you could fit?”
“I could try,” she said. But she didn’t really want to go in there alone. There might be a steep ledge on the other side. And rescuers never came when you needed them.
But Jack was already pressing his phone into her hand.
“I know you’re cold,” he said. “But we can warm up later. For now, you’re going to take this light, squeeze through that hole and check it out. You can hold on to the end of my belt the whole time. I promise I won’t let you go.”
His voice was so calm, so confident, that she nodded her head, hiding her reluctance.
He removed his belt. Pressed the hard buckle against her palm, his warm fingers brushing her skin. Then he tugged her to the opening, passed her the light and turned her sideways. Gave a gentle but insistent nudge.
She inched into the crack, one hand gripping the light, the other clenching his belt. The opening tightened. Rock pressed against her ribs, squeezing like a vice. For a moment it seemed she was stuck. But Jack was holding the end of the belt and she knew he’d never leave her alone, pinned between the walls.
She blew out her breath, narrowing her chest. Gave a determined wiggle and push, took a small breath, then wiggled some more. Trying not to think or feel. To only move forward.
Now her ribs weren’t so compressed. The crack seemed to be widening. She wiggled again and pushed, gasping in triumph as the rocky vice loosened, releasing her into another cavern.
“You’re right!” she called triumphantly. “There is another cave.”
She panned the light around her feet, checking the floor. Solid rock, no holes to plunge through. She inched forward, emboldened. The air was better here, fresher and not as cold and damp, the cavern not nearly as black. Pinpoints of her light reflected over the walls, bouncing back in a boomerang effect. But that didn’t make sense. Jack’s beam cast too narrow a light to illuminate the entire cave.
She switched off the light. The cave still twinkled. She strained to see where the light was coming from, but Jack’s belt was too short.
“I feel fresh air,” she said, turning the light back on and twisting toward him. “Light too. There might be an opening. I’m going to let go of the belt now.”
“No, wait!” Jack called. “Don’t go too far. Is it a cave? Or a tunnel?”
“A cave, I think.”
She dropped the belt buckle and stepped forward, running her light over the walls. “This place has a nice feel,” she said. “It’s different. Wow, look at this.”
Jack muttered something but she was too busy reading the proclamation on the wall. Those who love here, will love forever. Over a score of names followed and seeing evidence that other people had been here, even if it was graffiti, was absurdly comforting.
“What do you see?” Jack asked, his frustration obvious.
“It’s a neat spot.” She peered at the dates. “Like a love cave. But the last entry was made eight months ago.”
She blew out a sigh. They certainly couldn’t wait to be rescued by lovesick hikers. Still, if people had climbed in here, there must be a way out.
She followed the wall, her hand on the rock, heading toward the end of the cave with the most light. She walked twenty-one feet, counting carefully, then pulled in a hopeful breath and tilted her head. And there was the sky, dotted with twinkling stars and all the familiar constellations, shining down on her like old friends. They felt unusually close, as if she could reach out and touch them.
“Wow,” she said, almost reverently.
“What do you see?” Jack called.
“It’s beautiful here,” she said. “Like a cathedral, with the most amazing skylight.”
“Can you get any reception?”
She pulled her gaze away from the swathe of stars and checked his phone. “Still no bars,” she said.
“Can you climb out of there?” he asked.
She edged around an outcrop of rock and stared up. The walls were rocky but steep and sharply angled. Her ex-boyfriend had been a world-class climber but even Andrew would have needed equipment to scale this wall. Someone like her could never manage.
“Can you climb out?” Jack repeated.
She shook her head, even though he couldn’t see her. But there was no way she could climb that high. “No,” she said.
“Is there anything in there? Anything we can use?”
She circled around the small cave, flicking the light back and forth over the rock. “Just a little wood and some charred logs” she said. Nothing of use. A fire would only serve as a beacon for Logan.
“It’s a pretty cave though,” she added. “Wish you could see it. Maybe you can fit.”
She assessed the crack with hopeful eyes, shining the light from top to bottom. But the crack was too narrow. Barely eight inches. It seemed impossible she’d managed to wiggle through. And she was hit with the fear she’d never get back to Jack. That they’d be forever separated by a rock wall, with only their voices for company.
“I’m coming back now.” She shoved her arm into the crevice and reached out. For a paralyzing second, she felt nothing but space. Then his strong grip encased her hand and her heart kicked with relief. She let out a deep breath, wiggled sideways and let him tug her safely to the other side.
Emotion propelled her forward and she landed against his chest, her arms reaching up and wrapping around his neck.
“I’m cold,” she said, covering her reaction. “That other cave is much warmer.”
His arms tightened, keeping her against him even though she had no desire to move any time soon. “It’s probably fifty degrees here,” he said. “Next time we come, it’ll be in style. In the meantime, I’ll share all my protein bars. Even the chocolate ones.”
“Water too?”
“Absolutely,” he said, his voice smiling.
He pried the light from her hands, but kept his arm around her waist as he guided her back to the front of the cave. He switched off the light a prudent distance from the opening. She wished it could stay on but knew they didn’t want to announce their location. Besides, it was a positive sign he was trying to save the battery. As if he really believed they’d be able to climb high enough to find phone reception.
“Let’s see what we have for supplies,” he said.
She sat down and tugged off her boots, giving her toes a grateful wiggle. Then reached into her backpack and pulled out the contents: matches, fire starter, protein bars, jackknife, a ball of twine, wool socks, two full water bottles, three bandages, a garbage bag and a pink roll of vet wrap.
He was already opening the saddlebags but paused, his smile widening when he spotted the range of her offerings. “Perfect,” he said, tossing her a rolled blanket. “Now we have a ground sheet as well as a blanket.”
She sighed with pleasure, cradling the wool blanket against her chest. She’d spent many long nights in the woods, staying warm with only a thin survival blanket. A wool blanket and a garbage bag were total luxury. And then she spotted two pita sandwiches and couldn’t stop grinning. She’d expected only a power bar for supper, maybe two if they splurged. But the prospect of real food sent her scrambling to her feet.
She dropped the blanket and scooped up a wrap, peering delightedly at the contents. “Oh, wow! Cheese and ham. My favorite.”
She gave an ecstatic grin, then stilled. He was staring at her with the strangest expression. And then she realized her mistake—he’d only offered to share the protein bars. Not his pita wraps.
She quickly placed it back down. Obviously he needed more food than she did. Besides, Jack had been carrying the saddlebags and had pretty much pushed her halfway up a mountain. He was the important one.
“I just need a protein bar,” she said, miserable that she was such a liability. He could have moved faster alone, would have been able to climb higher. Once, she might have been able to hold her own. Well, not compared to him because clearly he was a super stud. But before the accident, she could have contributed more. Would have been a bigger help in keeping Courtney safe.
“I’m not even that hungry,” she added, scooping up a protein bar, but this time making sure it was one that had come from her own pocket.
She didn’t see him move—still wasn’t used to his uncanny quickness. But his arms banded around her. “You’re so big-hearted,” he muttered. “So kind. And so goddamn brave.”
Her jaw dropped. She was so stunned she just stood there, staring. It wasn’t only his words but the emotion in his voice. Then his head dipped, his mouth claiming hers, and she guessed maybe he’d intended to share his food after all. But right now it was obvious he had a different kind of hunger.
He’d kissed her last night but that had been a polite parlor kiss compared to this. She hadn’t even realized the extent of his restraint. It was a good thing he hadn’t done this with his mouth on the dance floor. She would have melted, and it wouldn’t have mattered if her boss or Allie or any of her other co-workers had been watching. Right now, Jack was her focal point. The only person who mattered.
He’d tilted her back so he had full access to her mouth, his lips taking possession, taking control. His fingers splayed over her back, urging her closer. His big hand slid beneath her shirt, sliding over her rib cage and higher. He cupped her breast, the hard calluses on his palm igniting her nerve endings, sending shivers of delight shooting to her core.
She felt her bra release, her shirt tugged away. Cool air brushed her nipples, quickly replaced by a rasp of stubble, then his warm mouth. And she was no longer cold. She was burning up, heady with need. It felt like he had two mouths and four hands and he was using every one of them. And when he wedged his hard thigh between her legs, she arched against him, making a sound of suppressed need.
“Drop your jeans, Kate,” he said, his voice a husky whisper.
But she was much more intent on his jeans, her hands already fumbling with his belt buckle. And then he jutted free, so big and rampantly male she shivered with arousal. Maybe it was his experience with strip searches or the fact that he was remarkably adept at everything he did, but he didn’t wait for her to unzip her pants. He had her naked and flat on her back in less than a minute, no help required. His mouth slanted back down, his tongue dancing erotically with hers, even as his hand slipped between her bare thighs, a tease of finger and thumb that sent moisture pooling between her legs.
She arched against him, her sensitive breasts pressing against the wall of his chest, aching for fulfillment. He entered her quickly, not a slow tentative thrust, but hard and bold, pumping with powerful strokes, one hand tunneled through her hair, holding her in place, while the other cupped her breast.
She knew she wouldn’t last long, not the way he was making her body clench and burn. But it didn’t matter. Her only regret was that they only had this one night. And even that wasn’t a regret. Not here. Not now.
