He laughed. “I thought it might be fun to hike to our lunch spot.”
“Hike? Here in the woods? Aren’t there like bears and other wild animals?”
He pulled into the lot and parked the truck. Turning to face her, he tried to hide his grin. He patted her knee, need and want blistering from the touch. “Don’t worry, city girl. I’ll keep you safe.”
She looked down at his palm and back to him. The lure of her dark brown eyes wavered his defenses. Bently jerked his hand away like it was on fire. He was too exposed and vulnerable with her. He needed to get himself under control. Bently opened his door and walked around to her side. He held out his hands and she gripped his shoulders before sliding herself slowly to the ground. Her soft curves pressed against him, sending white-hot flames splintering through him. He set her on her feet and stepped away before she could feel what she did to him.
He’d promised her friendship, and anything more would scare her off for good, he was sure of it. The problem was, there was no way he could just be platonic with this woman. He craved her, desired her with every cell in his damaged body. But she needed slow. She’d only offered him friendship and he’d take what he could get. Someone like her would never want him long-term—not after she found out what a failure he truly was.
“Mount Agamenticus,” she read off the sign.
“It’s got a great view of the White Mountains and the ocean at the top.” He pulled the backpack from his truck bed and slung it over his shoulders before leading her towards the trail.
They walked in silence at first, passing other hikers every now and then. It wasn’t too busy this time of year. Most of the leaves had already fallen, covering the floor of the forest in the bright yellows, reds, and oranges. The trail was steep in many places. He slowed to stay in pace with Belle.
The farther they hiked, the closer she got to him. “Are you sure we won’t run into any bears?” Her hands touched his arm, and instinctively he wrapped his palm around hers and squeezed.
“No, we’ll be fine. This is a well-traveled area. I’ve hiked this mountain hundreds of times and never seen more than a squirrel or chipmunk.”
“Okay.” She seemed to breathe a little easier, but she didn’t let his hand go.
He’d protect her, even if it meant risking his life. That was part of his job—every day there was a risk he might not make it home because he’d sworn to protect and serve. But nothing about the softness of her hand entrusted in his felt like just another day. The ache in his chest at the fear in her eyes told him that whether he was a cop or not, it was more important to protect this woman than the next beat of his heart.
He was the one in danger.
Chapter 15
Bently
They were out of breath by the time they reached the summit. He led her to a wooden lookout, his leg muscles aching with every step. When he guided her to the top, he pointed out in the distance. “There are the White Mountains.”
“Where?” she asked.
He stepped behind her, one hand on her shoulder as he leaned in and pointed with the other one. “They’re easier to see when they have snow caps on them.”
She turned to face him. “And that other side is the ocean?”
He nodded, not taking his gaze off her. He leaned the tiniest bit forward, testing the waters.
Her stomach grumbled.
He chuckled. “Guess we better eat.”
She smiled bashfully. “I skipped breakfast.”
“You should have said something. We could have stopped for food.”
She shrugged as he led her towards a picnic table. “I just got busy and forgot. It’s not a big deal.”
“Do you do that a lot?”
“Skip breakfast?” she asked.
“Forget to take care of yourself?”
She opened her mouth to say something and then closed it. Belle remained silent as he pulled out the water bottles and handed her one.
“So glad we could make the reservations.” She cast him a skeptical look and twisted off the cap before taking a long gulp of water.
He smirked. “Wouldn’t want to miss the best seats in the house.” He laid out the sandwiches and fruit and veggie platter he’d packed on the wooden picnic table.
“Wow. You’ve really outdone yourself,” she said, unwrapping one of the sandwiches.
He shrugged. “Didn’t know what you’d like.”
“This is perfect,” she said before biting into the turkey sandwich.
After they’d finished eating, Belle said, “Tell me about yourself.”
He drained the rest of his drink before answering. “My favorite food is also Italian and my favorite color is green. I am the oldest of three and I like to hike in my spare time.”
She shook her head. “Is Jasmine your half sister?”
An uneasiness tumbled in his belly. “Yeah, same mom.”
“Are your parents still alive?”
He shifted in his seat and picked at the wrapper of the water bottle. “No.”
After a beat of silence, she shared, “I have no idea who my father is, or TJ’s for that matter. I was seven when he was born. My mother wasn’t exactly capable of taking care of us, so I stepped in. I have no idea if she’s dead or alive, but she’s not in our life and that’s a good thing.”
He swallowed. She’d said so much and yet left so many questions swirling in his mind. He’d experienced personally how incapable and downright toxic some parents could be. His gaze flashed to the collar of her jacket where he’d seen the scar earlier. The thought of this beautiful woman being hurt made his body hum
