Page 28 of Undoing His Innocent Enemy (Hot Winter Escapes)

How could she bear the humiliation? The knowing that somehow, somewhere, in some foolish corner of her heart, she had hoped for more from him? Had needed more?

‘We will leave at first light tomorrow,’ he said. ‘Once you are returned to your vehicle, you can call for rescue.’

She nodded, but there was something in his voice—something wary and defensive—that didn’t make any sense.

‘Good,’ she said, even as that foolish feeling of disappointment pushed at her chest.

She grabbed her discarded clothing and finally made her exit from his bedroom. But as she returned to her room, took a long hot shower, and found herself attempting to scrub off the scent of sex that clung to her skin, her father’s angry words echoed in her head.

The brutal shame engulfed her again, because those words still had the power to hurt and humiliate her—after all this time.

But as she lay in bed afterwards, she thought of Logan, wild and untamed—and the intense silvery blue gaze that hid so many secrets. He had made love to her with such passion and purpose—she’d been the centre of his universe and she’d loved it. And then the memory of her father’s words had turned the whole experience to crap.

But she could also recall the flash of regret in Logan’s eyes as he had informed her he would take her to her snowmobile first thing in the morning. And suddenly, nothing seemed clear any more.

She had taken offence at his desire to be rid of her, because some of that abused girl still lurked inside her—needing validation and approval from a man.

Thanks, Da.

But what if his insistence that she had to leave had never been about her? Had always been about his fierce need for privacy, for solitude, his desperation to shun human contact?

She had breached his defences, but because of her own insecurities, she hadn’t pushed her advantage.

She rolled over on the bed, curled into herself. And wanted to scream. Finally forced to admit the truth... She didn’t want to leave first thing tomorrow.

He fascinated her and excited her in a way no other man ever had. Plus, she’d waited this long to finally know what all the fuss was about sex, and it had been glorious.

How did she let all that go, without any regrets?

But how did she ask him to let her stay, without seeming needy and pathetic? And how did she get him to admit he wanted to explore that connection too, without exposing herself and her emotions even more?

Damn the man!

CHAPTER SEVEN

LOGANBRAKEDHISsnowmobile as they entered the forest clearing where Cara’s broken vehicle lay buried under a drift. Cara’s arms loosened from around his waist. And let go.

His breath eased out through lungs tight with something he couldn’t name... Something he did not want to name.

He’d spent the long winter night working furiously on his latest piece. Tempering the block of solid pine to carve it into the basic form of a golden eagle in flight. And trying not to think about the woman in his home. And the moment when he had come apart inside her.

But of course, it had been impossible.

He never should have touched her. He should have known it would make him lose focus. Force him into a situation he didn’t understand.

He still hadn’t figured out what they had argued about afterwards, but then his mind had been shattered, so no surprise there.

But as she climbed off his snowmobile and headed across the clearing towards her buried vehicle, his gaze remained fixed on her. She was dressed in six layers of thermal clothing, so it was hard to make out her shape, but the padded disguise did nothing to stop the memory of her skin—soft, malleable, responsive beneath his fingertips, his tongue—blasting into his brain.

He ripped off his goggles.

Aware that he was becoming aroused... Again.

This was an addiction, already. One single taste of her had turned him into a sex addict. Not good. When he had to let her go now.

They had barely spoken when she had appeared in the kitchen this morning. She had looked as if she hadn’t slept well at all. He would have taken some comfort from that, except he had hardly slept himself.

He dismounted to follow her across the clearing.

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