Page 7 of The Hotshot's Prize
Figures that the man who looks like he just walked off the cover of some gritty action movie would be the type to run into fires for a living. With that rough voice and the intensity in his eyes, he screams confidence and danger and the kind of strength that turns a girl’s brain to mush if she’s not careful.
Butterflies flurry low in my stomach, right alongside the thunder.
He saved my life. That should be the headline. But instead, my brain insists on looping things like: His arms feel good around you and his jaw could cut glass.
Embarrassing much?
But also…a little exhilarating.
“Do you do this often?” I ask, mostly to distract myself. “Rescue clueless girls from rock ledges?”
His mouth twitches at the corner. “Only the cute ones.”
I swallow, almost choking on my spit.
Did he just—?
He doesn’t look at me when he says it, just keeps walking like it was nothing. But my heart practically explodes in my chest.
Cute? Me?
I mean, I’m not a troll or anything, but I’ve never exactly been the girl who gets called that. Especially not by guys who look like him. Guys with thick lashes and intense forearms and a voice like thunder wrapped in velvet.
Get it together, Ella.
We round a bend, and he ducks under an outcrop before stepping into a narrow crevice between two large rock walls. It’s darker here, but the moment we step in, the howling wind dies down. The air feels dense and still.
He gently sets me down on a flat part of the cave floor and squats in front of me again.
“This’ll shelter us,” he says, brushing dirt off his hands. “I’m gonna double back and grab your bag and mine. Won’t take long. Stay put, alright?”
My pulse leaps again, but not for the same reason as before. I hold out my hand before I can stop myself.
“Wait…you’re leaving?” I wince at how small my voice sounds.
He raises his brows. “Just for a few minutes. I’ll be back before the rain hits. Promise.”
I nod quickly, forcing a smile. “No, yeah. Of course. I’m fine. Totally fine.”
Lie. Every inch of me is still on edge. I hate being alone in strange places, and this cave feels like something out of a horror movie. But I’m not about to beg him to stay. I don’t want to seem clingy. Or pathetic.
I barely even know him.
He pauses, then pulls a flashlight from his belt and hands it to me, our fingers brushing.
“Just in case. I won’t be long.”
His eyes linger on mine for a long moment before he pulls his hand away.
And then he’s gone.
I sit there, clutching the flashlight like a lifeline, willing myself to calm the hell down.
It’s fine. You’re fine. He’ll be back.
Still, every creak of the rocks or gust of wind outside makes my nerves jump. I flick the flashlight on and scan the inside of thecave. It’s small but deep enough to protect us. A few old fire rings are scattered around the floor, probably from hikers or other wildland guys like Zack.
Zack.
