Page 13 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Pilot
“Family matters,” I repeated, a small smile playing at my lips despite everything.“That’s deliberately vague.”
“Yes, it is.”For the first time, I detected a hint of humor in his tone, a barely perceptible softening around the edges of his words.
“Do you always answer personal questions like you’re being interrogated by the FBI?”
“Only when I am,” he said, and I could hear the slight smile in his voice.The sound sent an unexpected warmth through me that had nothing to do with body temperature.
“Fine.Keep your secrets, Mr.Roberts.”The way he evaded simple questions should have heightened my suspicion, but instead, I found myself intrigued.
We reached a promising rock formation that jutted out from the mountainside.Tanner moved ahead, scanning the area with an intensity that struck me as unusual.He navigated the darkness with surprising ease, moving across the treacherous terrain as if he could see perfectly.I caught myself studying the broad expanse of his shoulders as he moved, the way his body cut through the darkness with a fluid, almost predatory grace.Even in crisis, there was something magnetic about him that I couldn’t explain.
I tried to give him the flashlight, but he brushed me off.“Wait here,” he commanded, before disappearing around a rocky outcropping.
I leaned against the cold stone, too exhausted to argue.My head throbbed in time with my heartbeat, each pulse a reminder of how precarious our situation was.Snow collected on my eyelashes, and I blinked it away, trying to stay focused on something to keep consciousness from slipping away.
Tanner reappeared minutes later, his face illuminated briefly by moonlight breaking through the clouds.The silver light caught in his eyes, highlighting flecks of amber within the deep brown that I hadn’t noticed before.Little details that shouldn’t matter in a life-or-death situation, yet somehow did.
“Found something,” he announced.“Cave entrance, partially hidden by snow and some vegetation.It’s not deep, but it’ll shelter us from the wind.”
Relief flooded through me, making my knees weak.“Lead the way.”
The cave entrance was narrow but opened into a space large enough for both of us.The moment we were inside and protected from the wind, my body betrayed me.My legs simply gave out, dropping me to the cold stone floor as exhaustion and injury finally claimed their due.
“Stay awake,” Tanner ordered, his voice sharp with concern.He knelt beside me and gently examined my head wound.I was struck by the contradiction of such large, powerful hands moving with unexpected tenderness.“I need to check this again,” he whispered.
I nodded weakly, fighting the seductive pull of unconsciousness.“I’m awake.Just resting.”My eyes focused on the furrow between his brows as he concentrated, and the way his forehead creased with concern.It was strange seeing worry etched so plainly on a face that had seemed carved from stone back at the airstrip.
I shivered, my entire body shaking from the cold.
“Here,” he said suddenly, shrugging out of his down-filled jacket.The gesture was so unexpected, so at odds with his earlier gruffness, that I stared at him in surprise.“Put this on.”
“Then you’ll freeze,” I protested, even as my eyes traced the broad expanse of his chest now visible through the open top of his shirt.
“I run hot,” he replied simply.“And we can share body heat.It’s survival, not a proposition.”
I wanted to refuse out of pride, but my chattering teeth betrayed me.I accepted his coat, wrapping it around my shoulders.The downy softness was like sinking into a heavenly warm cloud.I closed my eyes, taking in a deep breath as his scent, all male musk and safety, surrounded me.The intimate nature of wearing his clothing sent an unexpected thrill through me, and I found myself inhaling deeply, drawing his scent into my lungs.
Tanner worked with efficient, practiced movements, pulling items from the survival pack and foraging outside for kindling.Within minutes, he had a small fire going, the flames casting dancing shadows across the cave walls and illuminating the sharp angles of his face.The heat was meager but felt like heaven against my frozen skin.
As the fire’s light lit up our shelter, I studied Tanner covertly beneath the thick collar of his jacket.He moved with confidence and a gracefulness that I had never seen before in another man.He constantly tilted his head as if listening to sounds I couldn’t hear.Even in the freezing temperature and without his jacket, heat seemed to radiate from his body.Normal people didn’t run that hot, especially not in these conditions.The mystery surrounding him deepened with each passing moment.
“My pendant,” I said, suddenly remembering.“You picked it up from the cockpit.”
Tanner reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the silver necklace.I stretched out my hand, relief washing over me as the familiar weight settled in my palm.Our fingers brushed during the exchange, and an unexpected surge of warmth traveled up my arm.I clutched the pendant tightly, feeling the familiar warmth that always seemed to emanate from the metal.
“Thank you,” I whispered, emotion making my voice thick.“My mother gave it to me.”
“Must be important to risk your life for it,” he observed, feeding another small branch to our fire.There was no judgment in his tone, only genuine curiosity.
I traced etchings and gemstones embedded on the surface.“My mother’s in a nursing home now.Early-onset dementia.She doesn’t even recognize me anymore.”My voice cracked slightly.“This pendant is all I have left of who she used to be.”
Tanner’s expression softened, the hard mask slipping to reveal something vulnerable underneath.“I understand holding onto things that keep memories alive,” he said quietly, and for a moment, I saw the pain in his eyes before he blinked it away, returning to his methodical inspection of our shelter.
He moved with purpose, checking every corner and crevice of the small cave.“We’re secure here,” he announced after completing his survey.“No signs of animal habitation, and the entrance is narrow enough to block most of the wind.”
“Good news at last,” I said, attempting a weak smile.“So what are our chances, realistically?”
Tanner sat across from me, the firelight casting his face into a captivating interplay of light and shadow.The flames illuminated the fullness of his lower lip, the sharp cut of his cheekbones, and caught golden reflections in his eyes that seemed almost to glow from within.
