Rebecca Zanetti - Against the Wall

Jake drew in air, his gut tightening as if Guardian had kicked him. Sophie’s vanilla scent still wrapped around him. His hands itched with the desire to haul her back on the horse, but he contented himself with studying her head to toe. Sunlight turned her mass of shoulder-length curls to shiny wheat, the color both sweet and sassy. God, she was beautiful. Maybe not in the conventional movie-star way, more like a fierce “I’m going to knock you on your ass” way. He’d fought in combat, and he’d seen courage. The woman had shown bravery and brains when she’d faced him and settled her stance to fight. An irresistible combination.

At only an inch taller than Dawnie, Sophie was small. Faded jean capris cradled her sweet heart-shaped ass. An ass he’d love to dig his hands into. Her waist was tiny enough his arm had easily wrapped around it, and he couldn’t forget the feeling of the full breasts resting just out of reach.

But those eyes.

They were the color of the deep blue irises his mama carefully tended each spring. And Sophie was a scrapper. She had been more than willing to try and knock him on his butt.

Quinn caught his eye, amusement lifting his lips.

Jake half shrugged. Yeah, he was checking out the city lady. The fierce look in Sophie’s pretty eyes had contrasted nicely with her pale skin and classic features when she had prepared to take him down. As a lawyer, he enjoyed a good contrast. His gut heated as he steered Guardian through the meadow. He’d love to wrestle with her.

She made the appropriate noises while looking through the viewfinder of Dawn’s digital camera before his sister removed it and folded the tripod.

“I guess Jake will take you back to your car,” Dawn said absently, handing the equipment up to Colton. Then she reached an arm to Quinn, who tugged her to sit behind him on his pawing horse.

Jake fought a grin at the panic that rushed across Sophie’s face.

“No, er, I’ll just walk.” She peered uncertainly around the clearing into the nearby trees, her pretty pink lips pursing.

“We came a lot farther than you think.” Jake tried to sound reassuring. “I promise I’ll go slow.”

Sophie shook her head, sending blond curls flying. “Not a chance, sport. I’m walking.” She turned and headed toward a trail barely visible between two bulky bull pines.

Quinn shrugged. “You’re on your own. I have to get to work.” His brother clicked his mount into a gallop, and he and Dawn took off, leaving him with Colton.

Sophie escaped between two trees.

“Do you think you can handle the pint-sized city girl, or do you need help?” Colton grinned as his horse danced impatiently to the side.

“The day I need help from you, shoot me, little brother.” Jake tightened his knees on Guardian, who was ready to run again.

“With pleasure.” Colton nodded toward the tree line. “You’d better get going. She just turned the wrong way.”

Jake grinned before pressing in with one thigh, turning the mount. Guardian plodded impatiently into the forest. Sophie came into view, picking her way carefully along scattered pinecones and exposed tree roots. Her spine straightened, and her shoulders firmed as he narrowed the gap between them, but she didn’t acknowledge him otherwise.

Why did he like that about her? The woman was lost as a person could be, yet she marched forward into darkness. The trees soon thickened along with prickly brushes and slash piles.

“You’re going the wrong way, Sunshine.”

She came to an abrupt stop at his soft words. Jake reined in Guardian, waiting for Sophie to turn around and face him. It took longer than he would have thought—stubborn was an understatement with the woman.

As she slowly turned, he could have kicked himself at the intelligent wariness in her gaze. She was alone in the middle of the forest with a strange man. He had a daughter, a little sister…he should’ve known better. They stared at each other, forest sounds surrounding them. Jake searched for the right words. “I won’t hurt you. I just want to get you to your car.”

Sophie lifted her chin but otherwise didn’t move.

“I’ll let you drive,” Jake cajoled.

The smile that lit her pretty face warmed him. “There’s no way I can drive that beast.” She took a small step toward him.

“Sure you can.” Jake reached down to offer an arm. He didn’t question why it mattered that she trust him. It just did.

Vulnerability glimmered in her eyes. “Maybe we should walk instead.”

He forced himself to relax, to appear as unthreatening as a guy twice her size could look.

Thunder rolled in the distance. Damn it. Storm season had definitely arrived early.

He slid his most earnest, trust-me, closing-argument grin into place. If the storm brought lightning, they’d need to dive for a ditch. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her. “Believe me, this is faster, and there’s a heck of a storm coming.”

Sophie eyed the darkening sky. With a deep breath, she stepped up to the quiet horse. “Okay, but we go slow. I mean, unless lightning starts to strike. Then we go fast. How do I get back on?”

The woman’s bravery tempted him to haul her close. So he gave them both a moment as he shifted his weight. The thunder bellowed louder.

They only had minutes until the rain hit. He balanced himself with his thighs, reached down, and lifted her by the waist to perch in front of him. She fit nicely into his hold, and something clicked into place. “Relax,” he whispered in her ear, placing her hands securely on the silky black mane. “If you’re relaxed, the horse will relax.”

“Right.” Sophie coughed, and her muscles eased into something slightly less than rigor mortis.

“Okay, now grip the horse with your thighs, and tug him the way you want to go.” Jake forced his libido into submission. The act was difficult, considering how tight his jeans had just become.

Sophie tugged, and Guardian shifted around to retrace his steps. “He’s going,” she whispered, her voice lowering in delight.

“Yep.” Damn. Her voice was sexy as hell. The soft tenor shivered across his nerves. He hardened. Basketball scores. Baseball stats. National holidays. His mind reeled facts around in a futile effort to control his reaction.

Sharp pangs of light shot through the awning of pine needles and clouds rolling in. The horse meandered through the trees and past rambling huckleberry bushes. Jake let Sophie set the pace, and her muscles soon relaxed against him. Finally, they emerged out of the forest to the narrow dirt road where her Jeep waited.

Jake helped her to the ground.

She self-consciously stepped away and tossed curls out of her face. “Thanks for the lift,” she said, backing up even more.

“Any time, Sunshine,” he said.

“It was, ah, nice to have met you.” She pivoted and all but bolted for her Jeep.

The woman wanted to be rid of him. He fought another grin. Too bad she wasn’t going to get what she wanted—this time. Boy, was she in for a surprise.

He waited until she jumped into the vehicle and watched until it was out of sight, his heart lighter than usual as Guardian waited for the command to run.

Several hours after her unexpected horseback ride, Sophie pored over papers scattered across the bedspread as hazy light glinted off the brass bedrail in her room. She loved the bed & breakfast with the burnished antique furnishings and lemon-oil smell. The milk-glass lamp added to the moonlight from the open window as she lay back in her warm T-shirt and boxers. The needles from the massive bull pine outside her window scraped against the glass.

Get out of town before you get hurt. The peaceful surroundings washed away her unease as she perused the hastily scrawled note stuck on her windshield. She rolled her eyes. If they thought that would scare her, they were crazy. She shifted her attention to the legal documents her staff had faxed to her, and her head started to pound as she prepared for the early meeting with the Kooskia Tribe.

Her cell phone chattered a nameless tune, and she stretched to reach it.

“Hi, Sophia. How’s life in the middle of nowhere?” The deep voice elicited a familiar fluttering in her lower stomach.

“Hi, Preston. I’m in Montana. I think it’s somewhere.” She settled more comfortably against the flowered pillows. “Why are you calling so late? Don’t tell me your date had an early math test tomorrow.” She grinned at her own joke as she imagined his blue eyes sparkling with humor.

“Funny. The blonde you met before leaving town works at Shinnies and isn’t a college freshman. Do they even have running water where you are?”

“Running water, paved roads, and even electricity.” Sophie lost her grin at the image of the too-perfect waitress. “When are you going to stop dating bubble-headed Barbies?”

“When the right girl comes along, I guess.”

The words hurt more than they should have. She reminded herself they were just friends. One freakin’ kiss didn’t make a relationship. She cringed as she thought of how distant he’d been afterward—at least until she reassured him they were just friends and the kiss had been a mistake.

“In fact,” Preston’s cultured voice reached across the miles, “I’ve been thinking quite a bit about that kiss at the Christmas party.”

Sophie focused all her attention on the little phone in her ear and struggled to keep her voice calm. “What kiss?”

Preston chuckled. “You know exactly what kiss.”

Of course she did. She’d only relived the whole evening in her mind for months afterward. “I know. But Preston—”