Gail Barrett - Feisty Firefighters Bundle

And he had to face the harsh truth. No other woman had ever felt this good-or ever would.

Even if she didn’t want him.

He jerked his head back and broke the kiss, then struggled to regain his sanity. This was wrong. Jordan had deserted him. And damned if he’d let her twist herself around his soul so she could do it again.

But her smoldering eyes locked on his, and she moved back into his arms. “Cade,” she whispered. “Please don’t stop.”

And despite knowing better, despite the warnings rocking his brain, he knew he was going to give in. He still wanted her. Damn, but he still wanted her. And hell if he could resist.

With a groan, he lowered his head and slanted his mouth over hers. He heard her small cry, felt her welcome as she opened beneath him.

A sense of finality filled him. Of rightness. As if he’d met his destiny and arrived where he belonged.

Tightening his hold, he kissed her deeply, invading her mouth with his tongue. Trying to ease the ache, the need he’d refused to acknowledge for years. The need for Jordan.

But it only fanned even higher.

Her hand crept through his hair, and her soft breasts brushed his trapped arm. Desperate to feel her, he widened his stance and pulled her lower body against him.

And felt that urgency rip through him, that electric rush of desire. The need to bury himself deep inside her and forget the pain.

“McKenzie.”

His blood thickened as he continued to kiss her. His mind blurred, while hunger twisted his gut.

“McKenzie.”

Irritated, he lifted his head. His brain still fuzzy, his breathing rough, he scowled around at the rocks.

Jordan’s eyes slowly opened and she blinked, looking as dazed as he felt. And as aroused. He wanted to haul her back into his arms. Even covered with grime, he’d never seen a more desirable woman.

“McKenzie,” the voice called again.

His radio. He battled the urge to ignore it. He wanted to feel her hot, naked skin under his. To slake this wild need clawing his gut. To lose control and make love to Jordan.

Shocked at himself, he dropped his hand and stepped back. What in the hell was he thinking? She didn’t want a smokejumper. She’d told him that point-blank. And no matter how strong the temptation, he refused to subject himself to that pain again.

Because this woman was different. They could never have an affair. Every time he touched her, he put his heart on the line.

Disgusted, he turned and strode to his PG bag. Even worse, that kiss had been unprofessional. A forest fire breathed up their backs. A mountain lion lurked nearby. They didn’t have time to fool around.

Appalled by his behavior, he jerked his radio from the bag and keyed the mike. The red light flashed, and he swore. Great. This was all he needed. The batteries were low, and he didn’t have any spares. He’d given his extras to Trey when he left the cabin.

“McKenzie here,” he snapped.

“This is dispatch.”

“Yeah.” He shook his head to clear it. “What’s up?”

“We checked out that clearing you saw, and think we can set down a chopper.”

He pulled his mind back to the fire. They could hike to the clearing, as long as Jordan held up. But did they have enough time? “What’s the fire doing?”

“It’s making a run to the north right now.”

Which meant it was heading straight toward them. He shot an uneasy gaze to the south, where the tall pines bobbed in his direction. If he hadn’t been so distracted by Jordan, he would have noticed the change.

“How long do you expect this wind to hold?”

“At least until tonight,” the dispatcher said. “We’ll get an update in a few hours.”

He thought hard. Alone, he could make that clearing in five or six hours, less if he picked up the pace. But Jordan could barely hang on now. And unless she got some rest soon, she’d collapse.

And if the wind switched back before they got to that clearing, they’d be in a hell of a mess. The worst place they could possibly be was on a steep slope with fire burning below them.

But did they have a choice? At the rate they were traveling, it would take days to reach that road. And if the wind didn’t shift, the fire would catch them right here.

He eyed the rock slide slowing their progress. “Any chance you can get a vehicle up this trail and meet us halfway?” That would shorten their hike.

“Hold on.” While the dispatcher murmured in the background, Cade shifted his gaze to Jordan. She knelt in the dirt, examining the dog. Her eyes lifted to his, and he felt the kick to his gut.

He had it bad, all right. Just looking at her stirred up those old feelings, dredging up memories he’d rather forget. Making him want things he couldn’t have.

Which was all the more reason to get the hell out of this forest.

“The road’s blocked a few miles from the junction,” the dispatcher told him. “Someone piled a wall of dirt across. We’ll have to bring in a bulldozer to clear it out.”

That wouldn’t gain them any time. “Never mind. We’ll get to that clearing. Just let me know if anything changes.”

He lowered his radio and tapped it against his thigh. They were committed to that clearing now. He just hoped to God the wind didn’t shift until they got there.

Jordan stroked the dog’s silky ears, her heart still fluttering madly from that kiss. God help her, but she couldn’t stop reliving those amazing sensations-Cade’s muscled body hard against hers, the exciting heat of his skin. The pleasure streaking through her nerves, turning need into desperation.

She dragged in a shaky breath. She had to get a grip. It was just a kiss, for goodness’ sake. It wasn’t that big a deal. Certainly no reason to act as though the earth had shifted.

She glanced at Cade as he stuffed his radio in his bag. Her gaze slid over the broad shoulders stretching the seams of his black T-shirt, the long, hard cords of his arms, the powerful thighs encased in dusty green pants, and down to his lug-soled boots.

And knew she was lying to herself. Cade’s kiss had been anything but ordinary.

And if she’d learned anything from that miscarriage years ago, it was to face reality. She no longer hid behind the fantasies she’d clung to as a child.

And the truth was that she’d never reacted like that to Phil. Never. Kissing Phil had felt pleasant, comfortable, even mildly arousing.

But she’d never experienced that molten heat, that instant, carnal desire. That total insanity that, years ago, had made her elope with a man she’d just met-and even after all this time, even knowing the pain it would cause, tempted her to do it again.

Cade lifted their bags and stood in one smooth movement. He strode toward her, and another truth rocked her world. She’d thought she’d exaggerated her memories of Cade. That the passion she remembered was an illusion embellished with the passage of time.

But Cade’s kiss had just blasted that theory. That passion was as real as this mountain. And it had nothing to do with her faulty memory. It had everything to do with this man.

She gave the dog a final scratch and rose. She struggled to compose herself as Cade drew closer, to act as if nothing had changed.

But then the seriousness of his expression caught her attention, and she shoved aside thoughts of the kiss. Something was wrong. Something to do with the fire. Alarm blazed through her nerves.

“What happened?” she asked.

His gaze met hers, and he stopped. The corners of his eyes tensed, and her foreboding grew. “They can land a helicopter in that clearing the next mountain over,” he said. “I told them we’d head there instead of the road.”

“Why?” He wouldn’t change directions without good reason.

“The wind shifted. We’ll be safer heading that way.”

Oh, God. The fire was coming straight at them. She jerked her gaze to the sky.

“We’ve got time,” he continued, his voice even. “We’ll take a break and eat before we start hiking.”

Her gaze swiveled back to his. “But, if the fire’s near-”

“It’s not that close yet. We’ve got time to rest.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but he turned and strode back toward the trail.

Still, doubts nagged at her as she followed him around the boulders and away from the rock slide. If they were fine, then why did he look so worried? And why wouldn’t he share his concerns? What was he protecting her from?

She gnawed at her bottom lip. She was tempted to pretend she believed him and indulge in a much-needed break. Hunger drilled a hole in her stomach. Her knee ached from the fall in the road, her ankle throbbed where the rock had struck it, and blisters had chafed her heels raw.

And God, she was exhausted. Her head pounded like an off-balance washing machine, and even her leg muscles shook. She wanted desperately to curl up and sleep.

But she knew they needed to hurry. If Cade wanted off this mountain, the situation had to be bad. He wasn’t the type to overreact.

And although he’d never admit it, this mess was completely her fault. She’d made them stop to rescue the dog. She’d gotten chilled in that river. She’d dropped the leash and spent the morning crawling across that rock slide.

Without her, Cade would be safe in Missoula right now.

Which meant it was up to her to keep them moving. She couldn’t endanger him more.

A few yards down the path, he dropped their bags in a patch of grass. She hobbled to a stop behind him. “Cade, listen. I’m not that hungry. Why don’t we take a break later?”

He swiveled around and faced her. “I’d rather eat now.”

“But I don’t think we-”

“And I told you we’ve got enough time.” His blue eyes narrowed on hers. “Look, I wouldn’t go that way if I didn’t think that we could make it.”