She scanned the hard line of his jaw, the implacable set to his shoulders, and realized she couldn’t convince him. He was determined to protect her, even at his own expense.

She huffed out her breath. “Fine.” So she would bolt down some food and act refreshed so they could get back on the trail. And then somehow, she would hike like a maniac to that clearing.

Cade lowered himself to the grass in front of a rock, his face tightening when he jostled his arm. Jordan joined him, careful to keep the dog between them, particularly with the memory of that kiss so fresh.

She pulled the remaining cheese and salami from her bag, then considered the orange. “How long will it take us to get there?”

“We’ll make it by nightfall.”

The finality in his voice plucked at her nerves. What happened if they hiked too slowly? She tightened her grip on the orange. “So we don’t have to make this food last?”

“Probably not, but we’ll save a can of tuna just in case.” He pulled the other can from his PG bag, along with his canteen.

She scanned what remained of their food. “You want the rest of the sandwich?”

“Go ahead. I’ll eat the tuna.”

The distance in his voice made her frown. Was he that worried about the fire, or just determined to ignore the kiss?

Either way, she should be grateful. Better to treat it as a moment of insanity and forget it.

She reached over and popped the pull-top on the can of tuna. “Why don’t I put the tuna on bread? It’ll be easier for you to eat that way.”

“All right.” He leaned against the rock and closed his eyes. Fatigue hardened the planes of his face, along with deep lines of tension.

Just how close was that fire?

Her nerves drumming, she split the remaining bread into quarters. Glad to have an activity to distract her, she heaped the tuna on one piece and made a sandwich for Cade, then piled the cheese and salami on her own. Despite her intentions, her thoughts kept sliding from the fire to that kiss, and her nerves wound even higher.

She tossed the dog a chunk of salami. “Do you mind if I give Dusty your beef jerky?”

“Go ahead.” He opened his eyes and took the sandwich. His gaze landed on the dog, and his expression turned thoughtful. “You know,” he said, “that mutt was damned lucky. That cat could have torn him apart.”

“I know.” A spasm clenched her throat at the memory. She’d been terrified that she couldn’t save him. And when that cat had prepared to leap…

Her hand trembling, she reached out to the dog and stroked the soft gray fur between his ears. His golden eyes lifted to hers, and she felt the tug to her heart. “It was close, wasn’t it, Dusty?” Far too close. She never wanted to feel that fear again.

She gave him a final pat, filled his water bowl and fed him the jerky. Then she settled back against the rock to eat her sandwich. The stale bread had the texture of tree bark, but she devoured it anyway.

“Jordan.” Cade’s low tone pricked at her nerves. She met his gaze, and dread trickled into her gut. She’d never seen him look so serious.

“I meant what I said back there. It could get dangerous up on that mountain. Fire behavior can get extreme. And if it blows up, it happens fast. The conditions can change in seconds.” His blue eyes stayed steady on hers. “So if I tell you to do something, I need to know that you’ll listen. Even if it means leaving the dog.”

She made an anguished sound. Leave the dog? And let him die? Her gaze fell to his furry face and her heart cramped even tighter. No way. She could never leave him behind.

Not even if it cost them their lives?

Her stomach balled in a surge of panic. Cade didn’t know what he was asking. She pulled Dusty to her lap and hugged him, and buried her face in his fur. She couldn’t fail this dog. He trusted her. He depended on her to get him to safety.

But she’d seen that blaze up close-the roiling smoke, the thundering flames. Fire streaming and exploding through trees.

“I’m serious,” Cade said. “Our survival could depend on how fast we move.”

Feeling shredded inside, she raised her gaze to his. And for an endless moment, she just looked at him, absorbing his strength and resolve.

And a deep sense of certainty filled her. No matter what had happened in their past or how he felt about her now, this man would do anything to protect her. She could trust him with her life.

She had to, because each time she’d ignored his directions, she’d caused more problems. So far, she’d only delayed them, and acquired some bruises and scrapes. Next time, she could get them both killed.

And no matter how wrenching it would be to leave the dog, she couldn’t endanger Cade. “I understand,” she whispered.

“Good.”

She dragged her gaze back to the dog. But their situation would have to get extremely dire before she abandoned him. And she wouldn’t let it reach that point. She’d hike like a demon to that clearing so they could outrun that fire.

Resolved now, she polished off the last of her sandwich and leaned back, pretending to rest. It wasn’t hard. In fact, she had to fight the urge to sleep. The dry breeze swished through the weeds beside the trail, its hypnotic murmur sedating. Insects droned in the rising heat, lulling her into closing her eyes.

Determined to stay awake, she jerked her eyes back open. Then she brushed the dirt off her torn jeans and grimaced. God, she was filthy. What she wouldn’t give for a shower and bed. A moan rose in her throat at the thought.

Cade reached for his canteen. “How’s your shoulder?” she asked.

“Could be worse.”

Or better, she suspected. He tapped several ibuprofen onto his thigh, tossed them into his mouth and chased them down with water. His Adam’s apple dipped as he drank.

Her gaze slid down his whiskered throat, over the sinewy cords of his neck, to the makeshift sling cradling his arm. She felt a spurt of admiration. God, he was stoic. He had to feel worse than she did. He’d jumped from a plane, battled the fire and been crushed by a burning tree. Then he’d forded a river, tramped over the mountain, and stopped a predator from attacking. Yet he managed to keep himself going.

And if he could do it, so could she. “You ready to go?” she asked.

“In a minute.” He passed her the canteen, then leaned back and closed his eyes.

“Mind if I take one of your pills?”

“Help yourself.”

Deciding one wouldn’t do, she shook three from the plastic vial and gulped them down. With a sigh, she recapped the canteen. Even warm, the water eased her dry throat. Now if she could only close her eyes…But she didn’t dare. She’d fall asleep in seconds and not budge again for hours.

Unfortunately, that didn’t give her much to do except look at Cade. Her gaze traveled over his familiar, handsome face. Dirt streaked his temples. A two-day growth of beard lined his lean jaw. Her pulse hummed. In all her life, she’d never seen a sexier man.

Without warning, he opened his eyes. His gaze seared into hers and her breath jammed. Her heart stilled, as if trapped by that heated stare, and she couldn’t look away.

And the memory of that kiss swept through her. The frantic hunger, the clawing need. The pulsing surge of desire.

His hot eyes narrowed on hers. “So, who are you engaged to?” he asked.

Thrown by that question, she sucked in her breath. She couldn’t lie to Cade, nor did she want to. They’d had too many misunderstandings in the past. They needed honesty now.

“No one, actually,” she admitted. She lifted her hand. “Phil asked me. He’s a guy I’ve dated for a couple of years, but I…I haven’t made up my mind.”

His gaze held hers for a long moment, but she couldn’t read his expression. Then he stood. “Why not?”

Good question. Ignoring her protesting body, she rose to her feet and gathered their trash. “No reason. I guess I just needed time. He’s a great guy. Steady, dependable.”

Like a dog.

Their gazes latched. Cade’s accusation hung in the air between them. He lifted his brows, as if daring her to deny it.

Her face hot, she jerked her gaze away. She snatched up her bag and grabbed Dusty’s leash, but questions crowded her mind.

Was Cade right? Was she expecting too much from a man? Was she wrong to want her husband to stay home?

Phil wouldn’t think so. He never felt the need to roam, and he certainly never sought out risky adventures. His idea of a thrill was cramming in an extra round of golf before the evening sprinklers came on. And he’d gladly spend nights at her side.

But Phil had never kissed her like that.

“We need to head back down the road a half mile, then cut across the valley,” Cade said. “We’ll look for a game trail to follow.”

“All right.” Grateful for the change of subject, she quickly fell in beside him. But as she tramped along, trying to ignore her blisters and aches, she faced another harsh fact. If she married Phil, she’d never feel that excitement again. The only man who created that havoc was Cade.

And why was that? She loved Phil, didn’t she? Frowning, she skirted a rut in the trail. Of course she loved him. Their relationship was just more mature, based on stability and respect.

Boredom?

Doubt slowed her steps. No, that wasn’t true. Of course Phil didn’t bore her. He relaxed her, sure, but wasn’t that better than a roller-coaster relationship filled with extreme highs and lows? It was certainly easier on her nerves.

But if she loved Phil, then why did Cade affect her so strongly? Was it just lust? A heavy dose of sexual chemistry? Or something deeper?

That thought stopped her cold. Cade glanced back, and she hurried to catch up. Panic raced through her chest. She couldn’t still love Cade. No, absolutely not. Loving him meant months of loneliness, reliving the misery of her childhood, being forever left behind.