Page 17 of Captive at Rescue Ridge

If the request caught him off guard, he didn’t show it. Instead, a half-second later, those gorgeous lips of his came crashing down on hers, causing a perfect storm of warmth and need to stir inside her.

She parted her lips enough for him to dip his tongue inside. He didn’t waste the moment, so she teased his tongue deeper.

His hands came up to cup her cheeks, tilting her face toward him. Hers went to his shoulders, where her nails dug in, holding on for dear life as a roller coaster of electrical impulses coursed through her.

Their breath quickened, chests rising and falling in perfect unison. But then, it had always been like that between them. Perfect unity.

And she got lost in everything that was Archer: strength, hotness, and intelligence. Not to mention the way his mouth moved against hers.

A twig snapped.

Archer pulled back and cursed as he surveyed the area. “Stay behind me.” He tucked her behind him before investigating the noise.

For the next few minutes, he walked the perimeter, ensuring nothing and no one was there. When he seemed satisfied, he turned to her.

“Kissing was a mistake,” he said. “Won’t happen again.”

Those words were the equivalent of shots to the heart.

“Okay,” was all she could say in response.

7

Archer had made a mistake. The kiss could have cost their lives and could have killed Owen to boot. What the hell kind of brother allowed himself to get caught up in a kiss when his brother was being held captive somewhere?

“It should be me,” he mumbled to no one in particular.

“We’ve been walking around in circles, Archer. I lost track of time hours ago.” A wall had come up. He heard the chill in Annalee’s voice. Good. Maybe she would keep him at arm’s length since he didn’t seem to have the willpower to keep a distance with her this close.

Owen deserved better.

“You’re right,” he said. “Maybe it’s time to leave here since we aren’t making any progress. I’ll grab a vehicle from the ranch. One that’s not tied to me, and we’ll find a new strategy to approach this situation and find my brother.”

“Okay.” The one-word response was another sign Annalee had closed up. It was for her own good. “Which way do we go to get out of here?”

Well, damn. That was a good question.

“Let’s head this way until I get my bearings again.”

After a nod, Annalee followed him. This time, she didn’t reach for his hand or walk close to him. Why did that bother him as much as it did?

They walked for at least ten minutes in silence. Then came, “Wait. I recognize this area.”

Annalee moved ahead of him, walking with purpose.

“If I’m right, that means…” She picked up the pace. Then, abruptly stopped.

She dropped down to her knees. “Ohmygod, Archer. It’s still here. We found it.”

He didn’t think this was the right time to point out the fact she’d found the backpack on her own. “Pop it on your back, and let’s get the hell out of here.”

The creepy feeling of eyes on him sent an icy chill down his spine. “We need to get going. Now.” He helped her to her feet since she was struggling. It meant her legs were giving out on her. Archer cursed the timing. It would be next to impossible to carry her and be ready in the event the shooter caught up to them. Out here, they could just as easily be prey to a mountain lion. Attacks might be rare, but he knew enough to watch out for the possibility of one. Feral hogs were just as dangerous, but they wouldn’t stalk their prey like a mountain lion would.

Annalee stumbled. He had to grab her to keep her from face-planting.

“I’m okay,” she said, dismissing the misstep as nothing. It was something, though. Because every instinct inside him said they needed to be ready to run. If a mountain lion wasn’t stalking them, the shooter could be. It was too soon to tell. Both might require quick maneuvers, and Annalee had no gas left in the tank.

Could he find a good spot to stop and rest? Give her an hour or two of shuteye? Just enough to keep her going without losing too much precious time?

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