"You," he mumbled, his voice a deep burr, "are so creepy."
Grinning I set my chin on my folded hands. "Why?" I asked. "Because I'm staring at you while you sleep?"
He stirred but still didn't open his eyes.
"Yes."
"It's the only time you're not talking."
He cracked a grin and my heart melted a little more. Moving fast, he wrapped his arms around me, flipped me on my back, and trapped me beneath him. His beard tickled my neck as he nuzzled into me. The weight of his body and the warmth of his skin was the only reassurance I needed that I was in safe hands.
"I have to get out of this bed," he growled, "before I kiss you while I have morning breath. But just know that I want to."
With a long kiss to my cheek, and the burn of his lingering breath on my neck, he disappeared off the bed. I laughed outright when he landed on the floor in an ungracious thunk and a string of muttered curses followed.
"Mountain man indeed," I murmured, then doubled over laughing again when he flipped me the bird.
Half an hour later, Mark placed a hand on the small of my back and spun me around. We'd just finished a quick breakfast with Megan and Justin, who left to change, when Mark pulled me back into his arms. I went willingly, wishing we could stay all day like that.
"Yes?" I drawled.
He grinned. "I have an idea."
"It's clear by that gleam in your eyes, yes."
"Then I won't disappoint you. There's a snow storm coming up this weekend. It's supposed to drop a foot here in the mountains. Which means it'll probably drop a crud more. They're anticipating ice on the roads because it's supposed to be warm the days before the storm. Rain + freezing temps = ice. So the highway may be closed for a bit. I want to get supplies."
"Okay," I drawled.
He tightened his hold on my waist. The edges of his eyes crinkled a little, as if with concern. "Come with me into town. We'll get you out before we hunker in for a while."
"But . . ."
"I know. Joshua was likely in Pineville yesterday, but we're going to Jackson City. And if that creeper is watching us, so what? What will he figure out that he probably hasn't already? That you're with me? That I'll beat the hell out of him if he even looks at you?"
His arms clenched, so I put a hand on his right bicep. He relaxed and looked adorably sheepish. The color had heightened on his cheeks.
"Sorry," he mumbled like a guilty child. His gaze dropped. "I just . . . I don't think you should have to hole up here, afraid for your life, when I'm with you. You know I'll keep you safe."
The idea of Mark against Joshua was an interesting one. Joshua wasn't a wimp, by any stretch of the imagination, but he did lack Mark's brawn. More than that, Mark had a force of willpower the size of a bull and the passion to drive someone all the way to the end of their life. His ability to protect me from Joshua wasn't in question.
The wisdom of venturing into the world to taunt Joshua, however, was. Even if Mark could beat Joshua, did I want to take that chance?
Not at all.
"My dad was right," he continued, as if he could see the war in my gaze. "Joshua hasn't made a move yet that we can act on and he may not. So why put you through more trauma and hiding? Besides, I'll be with you the whole time. Justin and Atticus will stay here while we're gone."
The situation with Joshua didn't seem as terrifying in the light of day as it always did at night, nor when Mark wasn't with me. But it seemed . . . reckless to go out into public notwithstanding.
However, the lure of civilization did call. Visiting with Meg and Justin had been restorative, but it would be nice to see people again. Even if I didn't talk with those people, there was a sort of community power that came from being around others. The noise, energy, and action. I craved just a bit more normal chaos for a while.
Megan was planning on just one more night here anyway before she went to stay with her Mom for a night. Mark and I would have plenty of time to figure out a way to save Adventura. And possibly kiss way too much.
Which idea I liked very much.
"Okay."
He'd opened his mouth to say something else, but snapped it closed. Startled, he blinked several times. I smiled.
"I'll go," I said. "I'm not super comfortable with it, but I also think that you're right. Joshua probably wants to have some power over me. To make me feel afraid. To . . . live small. If you will be there with me, I'll go. And thankfully, because as much as I love your house, these walls do kind of get small. Plus, I'm having a big craving for Mexican food."
Mark grinned, gave me a quick kiss, and then another, and finally took three steps back with a charming little wink.
"Then let's go! We have delicious burritos and toilet paper to buy."
While Mark made obnoxious motorcycle noises and steered a cart around a grocery store in Jackson City, I picked a card for grandma's upcoming birthday and made a mental tally of what we had left to buy. Not to mention the fact that Mark had exactly zero dollars in his accounts.
I knew because I checked them daily.
The $500 that I'd originally given him lay in my pocket, and I silently tried to conspire a way to get him away from the checkout line so I could pay. We still had
