Silver Mine (11 page)

“Depends how fast we walk.”

She snorted. “You going to be this talkative the entire time we’re out here?”

Chase blinked. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to be a chatterbox.” They stared at each other for a moment before he cracked a grin. “Kidding.”

Shelley shook her head and squatted by the creek to wash her hands. “Joker. There’s one in every crowd. Let me be more specific. If we keep walking at the rate we’re going, how long should it take to get where we’re going today?”

“Five hours.”

Whoa
. She sat on the ground and gawked at him as she considered. “Okay. I can do that. And tomorrow? We head to your place, right?”

“If the river isn’t in flood, four more hours. That will take us to my cabin.”

Shelley knew he lived remote, but man, this was serious business. “You do like your places wild.”

Chase shrugged. “I’m on the edge of the extreme area, really. The man we’re looking for will be two more days’ travel if he’s still where I found him before. They were mining, so he should be at one of two places I know they staked claims.”

She was doing the math, and suddenly this adventure was the big deal he’d warned her about. “That makes a minimum eight days’ walking.”

His brows rose. “Tell me now if you want to change your mind. It’s only an hour back to the car.”

“I’m not changing my mind, just making an observation.” Although feeling a touch uncomfortable she’d been so flippant when Caroline had asked if she’d really thought this through.

Enigma was safely ensconced with her sister for the duration, and she wasn’t worried about the final renovations to her shop. Caroline had promised to look after it, and that meant the job was as good as done.

Chase had told her they would be gone for at least ten days. She’d heard him. She had.

No, it was none of the big events involved in the trip that were currently making her head spin. Somehow during the time it had taken to pack and prepare, throughout the six-hour drive where she’d ended up reading and making research notes using her 3G phone, Shelley had managed to avoid considering one vital truth.

She was going to be in constant contact with this man for over a week.

He might be short on words, but long on allure. Something about him called to her. The sexual attraction between them was real. Shelley drank some of her water and pretended not to be checking him out as he stretched his arms.

Biceps that didn’t bulge so much as just scream competency and power. The curls of hair visible at the top button of his shirt—memories of dragging her fingers through that thick mat were far too clear.

And with shifter senses, there was no way he was unaware of her involuntary physical response.

His habitual silence became a blessing as he grabbed her pack and lifted it for her, that damn grin saying more than words could have.

The fourth time they stopped the scent lingering around her was making her ache. The heat of the sun had increased as they rose above the tree line, crossing through the low point of a mountain pass, and everything around them became more intense. The fragrance of her own body. The potent aroma that screamed Chase, which constantly poked and prodded her. Shelley kept moving forward in the hope she could stay ahead of the fragrance and remove the dire need to drool.

“Last stop,” Chase called.

He had chosen a clearing by the edge of a small pond, a pristine waterfall trickling down the mountain face into the rockbound pool. Shelley removed her pack with relief, holding in the groans she’d have liked to utter.

She was far from out of shape, but doing an hour-long workout a day was nothing compared to the nonstop marathon they’d nearly completed.

Still, she couldn’t complain about the scenery. The verdant green around them was a part of the northern colour-scape for such a short time of the year. It was incredible to be right out in the middle of the crisp newness. They munched yet another small, high-calorie snack while silently examining the view around them. The constant murmur of the water synchronized with the constant pulse of her blood as her heart rate slowed, and she returned to a state of tranquility.

Then Chase pulled off his shirt, and she wasn’t nearly as serene anymore. And when he rose and stepped behind her, pressing his hands onto her shoulders, the groan she’d managed to withhold earlier burst free.

Chase laughed. “You’ve done well. Nearly there.”

He massaged a little harder, manipulating the muscles until they relaxed.

Shelley squeezed out the words. “You do that for too long, and I won’t be able to bear putting the pack on again.”

His hands kept moving, but he paused before he spoke. “You done in? Want to camp here?”

Tempting and yet not. “I can do one more hour, but it’s up to you. Whatever you think is best.”

He didn’t answer with anything other than five more minutes of rubbing. She was too busy enjoying every second to worry about how turned on she was, with his half-naked body right behind her, pressing so close at moments that his chest brushed her. She wished she were half-naked again herself, to feel the caress of his heat, the slick of skin on skin.

Bad Shelley. Bad idea.

Chase squeezed one final time then tugged her arm to help her rise. Now that her shoulders weren’t screaming in pain, her thighs and calves loudly called out their protests. Mixing in the instant images she got of Chase massaging those aches away?

Her face must have been beet-red, but there was nothing she could do about it or the very apparent scent of her aroused body.

Damn wolf senses, anyway.

Shelley made it to her feet and smiled sheepishly at Chase. “Thank you.”

He nodded, his expression unreadable, although she didn’t think he was mad. Maybe she was driving him as crazy as he was making her.

She turned and bent to gather the few items she’d dropped to the ground. Chase moved forward at the same moment, and somehow they bumped and she lost her balance, tipping backward, arms flailing. There was a blur of limbs, and moment of being suspended in midair, then an icy-cold sensation enveloped her as she landed squarely in the tiny pond.

Shelley screamed as she landed, and Chase rushed forward to help her. It was terrible that his first thought was less about how horrible it was that she’d fallen, or about how shockingly cold she must be, but more a sense of relief that he had another opportunity to work the system to their advantage.

Guilt rushed in.

That particular emotion and him had never been close bed partners. You did what you needed in the north, did what was required to survive. He’d never been a deceitful man, but it seemed deception wasn’t a trait that needed much training to become instinctive.

Chase offered a hand to Shelley. “Did I bump you?”

She accepted his help and scrambled out as quickly as possible. “Not your fault, it’s fine. But holy cow, that water is cold.”

Her shirt clung to her, the gentle swells of her body clearer than before, and Chase swallowed hard.

This trip was going to be the death of him. He was the one who needed to fall into the pond and sit there for a few hours in the hopes his dick would smarten up. Or freeze. Or something. Sweet mercy, the woman was fine.

But untriggered. Damn and hell and…

He opened his pack and passed over a small cloth. “Chamois. Dry yourself off. Leave the pants—you’ll need the layer for the last part of the hike to go through the bramble bushes, but take off your top and dry down. I’ll get you something to wear.”

She must have been cold enough, or just trying really hard to do as she’d promised—the
listening to him
part. Shelley turned her back and pulled off her shirt, drying herself rapidly with the super-absorbent fabric, wringing it out a few times and carrying on to sop up her hair as well.

“If you pass me my backpack, I can grab another top,” she suggested.

Nope. While it wasn’t his fault she was soaking and cold, he had to take advantage of her misfortune. Fingers crossed it would work, Chase handed over his outer button-down shirt. “Why don’t you wear this until you can wash up for the night? We’re nearly there, hate to get something clean all sweaty.”

A gust of wind hit at the perfect moment, the rush of cooler air making goose bumps rise on her arms. She clutched his shirt tightly then slipped it on. “Thanks.”

Chase pulled back on his T-shirt. It wasn’t that cold out, even at nine in the evening. They could easily walk in shirtsleeves without needing protection, although the longer sleeves would help keep the bugs off her.

The bonus was that when he showed up at the cabin with Shelley in tow, she’d smell as if he’d been all over her. The fact he’d sneakily insisted she wear his pack all day would also have surrounded her with his scent as they walked.

It was a tangled web he was spinning, attempting to save her butt without letting her know what he was doing.

They grabbed packs and loaded up, Shelley squirming a little in her wet pants. “You’ll dry as we walk,” he reassured her.

One brow rose as she stared at him. “It’s not the most comfortable of situations, Chase, but I’ll live. Lead on.”

The final distance disappeared quicker than he’d expected. Maybe the short dip had refreshed Shelley, or maybe the thought of getting to their stop for the night increased her energy. Either way, he had to step quickly to stop her from dogging his heels.

“Want to tell me about the place we’re overnighting?”

Now it began.

“Was a regular cabin at one time. Family lived there for years before shipping out. Mom, Dad, couple kids and a cow—the works.”

“Ahh, that’s the Rachel you mentioned. So there’s no woman still living there?”

Oh hell, no. But he wasn’t going to even begin to tell Shelley about the last woman who lived there on a regular basis. He was sure she knew what a hooker was, but on the whole, not a conversation he wanted to have.

“It’s a gathering point. The men in the backcountry use the cabin as a convenient rest place. Not everyone stops if they’re close enough to simply find their way to Keno or Elsa. The folks out real far need the place though. There’s a stove. A roof. A few places to sleep.”

Shelley fell silent again. He wasn’t sure if he was wearing her out or if she was naturally reticent. It was nice listening to her, but not having her chatter constantly—man, he’d been damn glad when she’d kept herself pretty much occupied the entire car trip.

She’d been distracted enough to not notice he had to adjust position a number of times to release the pressure on his dick.

He needed relief, and it didn’t seem likely that he was going to get any. Now he couldn’t figure out if he wanted the cabin to be empty or full. Empty would mean less trouble in terms of defending Shelley, but would also mean they would be alone. Overnight. With beds.

Sometimes he figured he was being punished, but damn if he knew what for.

The scent of wood smoke answered one question while they were still at least thirty minutes out.

“We’ll have company tonight.”

“I figured,” Shelley answered. “Anything…well, you seem a little tense. Anything I need to know?”

Great opening. Perfect chance for him to share his concerns.

Right
.

Like that was going to happen.
You might want to stick close to my side. If you pretend I’m fucking your brains out that would also make life easier.
Sure, he was totally going to say that to her.

Still, she couldn’t be stupid. “I don’t know who’s there. Stay close. Most of them aren’t going to be trouble at Rachel’s. It’s considered neutral territory in some ways. But don’t assume.”

“I’ll follow your lead.”

She would—which was the only reason he wasn’t ready to completely panic. He did have more influence back here than most, even with the men who didn’t take to authority well.

The cabin came into sight, halfway around the edge of a tiny lake, and Chase decided that he must be a touch crazy to be looking forward to finally facing the first of the challenges of his wonderful home territory.

Ahh, shifters. Death threats, potential dismemberment… So entertaining, in so many ways.

Chapter Nine

There was a bear sitting on the front porch. Or more correctly, a bear sprawled in the rocking chair on the front porch. The oversized rocker that had been reinforced to hold shifter weight barely contained the grizzly’s massive bulk.

A wolf uncurled from his position in the sun at the base of the wide stairs. Another trotted up from the lake, and Chase slowed until Shelley was directly behind him, close enough to touch.

“Come on.”

To anyone not versed in shifter protocol, his actions would have appeared suicidal. He grabbed her hand and boldly led her to the front door, the wolves brushing past their knees to enter at their side, the bear lumbering to his feet. Chase suspected the man would shift before joining them.

The layers of dust on the glass panes dimmed the light beating against the windows. Lanterns hung in two spots, but even their warm yellow glow wasn’t enough to make things truly visible inside the dark cavern-like room. The wood-burning stove was lit, the shades of red, gold and orange reflecting through the glass front on the door lending a flickering Hades-like touch to the ambiance.