Another sideways pace to my rear, another glance up.Leaving your territory, brother. Didn’t mean to bother you.
As if he can sense my thoughts, the bear snorts and turns, then goes back the way he’d presumably come, his black pelt quickly being swallowed up in the twilight.
Still I’m holding her close, breathing in a perfume that makes my nostrils twitch, nothing fancy, just soap, shampoo, and her.Her fear. I can almost taste it.
I wait, hearing the sounds of the bear retreating until the rustling fades. My adrenaline now starts to recede, its place being taken by anger.What the fuck is she doing here? Alone, and in near darkness. Is she crazy?
Chapter 2
Mariana
An angry looking bear is a few yards in front of me, a very masculine body far too close in my personal space at my back.Extremely close.I get the sense of a hard cock pressing into my rear. I’m pinned to his chest, a hand with the odour of horse over my face, and I’ve no idea whether it’s the bear or man I’m in danger from most.
Until a voice speaks into my ear, “Face up to bears, but keep calm. Screaming scares them into making an attack.”
Jesus.He’s right. In my panic my only thought had been to make the bear frightened so he’d go away. But it appears the one most scared had been myself. Mr Bear there, or Mrs, what do I know? Well, he looked completely in control of himself.
The man behind me is saving me. Rescuing me. When he takes his hand away, I’ve learned my lesson and don’t let out another scream. Not one damn peep. Forcing my taut muscles to relax, I move back with him. Distracted, I focus on the bear, then reluctantly lower my eyes when instructed.
Another few steps back, my feet fumbling to stay out of the way of his, and to avoid putting more pressure on his groin. Then I can’t resist opening my eyes and peering through my eyelashes.Thank the Lord. The bear is moving away.
I’m breathing fast, the blood rushing through my ears is deafening. I’m shaking, the arm holding me relaxes, but now I need the support to keep myself upright.I’d been terrified.I’ll be the first to admit it.
The arm loosens again, and now I lean forward, placing my hands on my knees and taking long deep breaths. I’m just starting to calm, recognising I’m now out of danger.
“What the fuck are you doing out here? Are you alone? Is someone with you?” I glance up, seeing a face looking around me as if searching for somebody hiding.
“If there was anyone they’d have fucked off,” I hiss back. “What kind of friend would they have been to just leave me?” I pull myself upright for the first time, able to properly see the features of the man who’s rescued me.He’s gorgeous. Native American by the look of it.His long black hair reaches down to his waist, tied back with a leather thong. His pupils are so big and dark, there’s almost no white in his eyes at all. His tanned looking skin is dark against my more olive shade.
“You haven’t answered my question,” he demands in clipped tones, anger making his cheeks blaze.
It makes my temper rise too. “What the fuck is it to you?”
He rolls those beautiful eyes. “My business, if I make it. I suspect you wandered off the trail, got lost. Now I’ve got options. I can leave you here, or take you back to civilisation. There. My offers are on the table. Make your mind up. I haven’t got all day.” He pauses and looks around. “All night,” he corrects.
His words draw my attention to the fact it’s getting darker by the second. Where a short time ago twilight lit the area around me, now it’s hard to make out anything. The sky above is clear, but there’s no moon tonight, and though stars are starting to appear, they give off next to no light.
He tsks a little impatiently. “Well? Have you supplies in that backpack…?”
Interrupting him, I tell him the truth. “You’re right. Came out for a hike, ate everything I had around lunchtime. I got a little distracted, got off the path, then couldn’t find it again.” I’d been lost before the bear, and then my rescuer, found me. Nowthat the wildlife danger has dissipated, my previous worry about my main predicament returns.I’m lucky he came along. I could have been walking around in circles all night.
He lets out a sigh as if this wasn’t the way he saw his evening, and says a little grumpily, “Come then. I’ll take you back.” Immediately he turns, and within seconds has been swallowed up in the darkness. Instead of following what I know is a small, if little-used path, he’s gone straight into some bushes.
At my squeak, the bushes part again and he reappears. This time he takes my hand, and I can do nothing more than hold on and follow him. Over in the direction he’s leading me, I can hear the sounds of a bridle jangling, a horse snorting, and a hoof hitting the ground as though in impatience.Is it only him? Or is somebody else there waiting?While I’m grateful not to be alone any longer, I start feeling nervous about who exactly has rescued me.What am I getting myself into here?If that horse I hear is his form of transportation, I’ll need to explain I’ve never been on such a beast in my life. I’m just about to ask him when his arm shoots out again and stops my progress.
He waits. Beneath us, in the quiet, I hear a slithering noise.
“What is it?” I whisper.
“Rattlesnake. Still too hot for them to hunt during the day.”
“Are you going to shoot it, or something?” I’d felt the bulge of his holster and gun when he’d been holding me earlier.
He sucks in a breath. “It doing anything to hurt you?”
I shake my head, realise he can’t see it, then reply, “I suppose not.” Only the fact it’s alive and near me. I press closer to his back as though, like he did with the bear, he can protect me.
Instead of continuing to be annoyed, he reaches back his other hand and squeezes my arm. “It’s gone now. Hoping to find its dinner for the night, which wouldn’t in any case have been you. Doesn’t deserve death just for frightening you.”
