“You honestly don’t know?”
Damn it, no, he didn’t. But now that she was tied up in knots over April’s disappearance, there was no way he could push her on it.
He never should have asked her for an explanation in the first place. Not when it only gave away exactly how much he’d once cared about her. Not when neither of them needed another reminder of how hot their passion had been and that they’d had a bond that went beyond the physical.
She was moving restlessly around the room when he walked back in. He got a full twenty seconds to appreciate her curves before she noticed him.
“Oh, you’re back!” she exclaimed, her hand moving over her heart. Her cheeks were flushed and she looked kissable. Utterly irresistible.
Wanting to keep something in front of the raging hard-on he was sporting, he dumped the contents of the backpacks on the bed.
“Climbing gear, sleeping bags, life jackets, lightweight shirts, pants, socks, waterproof boots.”
“I didn’t realize we’d need so much stuff.”
Still trying to push lust away, he went into teach-a-rookie-the-ropes mode.
“As far as I’m concerned, hightailing it through the Rockies is going to be no different than going in to fight a wildfire. I make sure my guys respect the power of the flames before they head out to beat the crap out of them. I want to make sure you have a healthy respect for nature’s power, too.”
Her eyes grew big as she took in the amount of equipment. He hadn’t meant to overwhelm her, hadn’t meant to make it all sound so frightening. But before he could take a step back and gently explain what everything was, he saw the pile of sexy lingerie sitting in the middle of the bed.
A cold sweat broke out across his forehead. Even at eighteen, when Dianna hadn’t been the least bit into fashion, he’d been amazed by how sexy her undergarments were. All that lace and silk had driven him crazy.
Just thinking of Dianna wearing the red panties made his blood run hot enough to start a fire. Way too close to the edge already, Sam simply couldn’t stop from wondering what she was wearing right that very second beneath her sweater and jeans.
How the hell could he keep it all business, all the time when all he wanted to do was pull Dianna into his arms and taste her sweetness? He shoved a life vest back into the backpack so hard that the shiny fabric nearly popped beneath the force of his fingers.
“Will’s going to meet us in back of the hospital at five thirty a.m. tomorrow.” His voice was husky with repressed need so he cleared his throat before continuing. “Do you feel well enough to check out right now?”
“I’m fine.”
“Good,” he said, even though he wasn’t sure he believed her.
If he saw anything that made him question her health—dizziness, slurred speech, grimacing—he’d go after April on his own.
He hoisted both packs onto his shoulders. “I saw a motel next door—figured we’d try there first.”
As if he’d be able to sleep with her only a wall away. Maybe they could get rooms on opposite sides of the building. Maybe then he wouldn’t feel like a chunk of metal being drawn against his will to her sexy-as-hell magnet.
“I scoped out a back exit so we can avoid reporters. I’m assuming you don’t want them to know about April, right?”
She shook her head and sighed. “I can’t believe I forgot about the press. Do you really think we can get out of here without them noticing?”
“Here,” he said, slipping one of the backpacks on her shoulders.
She stumbled beneath the weight for a split second before finding her balance. He pulled out one of the hats he’d bought and shoved it on her head.
“They won’t think to take a second look at a hiker.”
He didn’t want her to know the truth, that anyone who looked closely would be able to see her poise and grace beneath the backpack and goofy-looking hat.
She gave him a weak smile. “If it works, I’ll have to try this disguise again.”
Jesus, he actually felt like his heart skipped a beat as he looked at her smiling at him.
A few minutes later, after they’d seamlessly made their getaway and were heading into the motel’s lobby, she said, “I’d better wait outside until you have the key.”
He nodded, knowing if anyone at the motel got wind of their high-profile guest, it wouldn’t be long before they put in a call to the reporters.
A TV was on as he headed to the front desk, a clip of Dianna interviewing a pop star playing. Momentarily mesmerized, Sam stopped and watched it.
He couldn’t help but be impressed by how good she was at her job. She made talking to a twenty-year-old with whom she had nothing in common look effortless. He’d hung out with enough kids that age to know how difficult it could be to find any common ground whatsoever.
Pulling out a credit card, he got them each a room, knowing it wasn’t exactly what they’d prefer, but deciding to take what they could get at this point.
He didn’t beat around the bush when he emerged from the lobby. “They only had one room left.”
Her eyes widened in alarm. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I want you to stay here, just in case there are more reporters roaming around town. Don’t worry, I’ll find another place to sleep.”
“No, that doesn’t make sense.” She took a deep breath. “I can handle sharing a room if you can.”
Well, shit, he couldn’t exactly admit that he couldn’t control himself around her, could he?
“No problem,” he lied, even though he couldn’t think of a much bigger problem at present.
He hadn’t come here looking for trouble. But he seemed to have found it at every turn.
The motel room was extremely basic with only a bed, a dresser, a TV, and a small sofa. It struck him that Dianna looked like a mouse caught in a small cage, looking for anywhere to escape.
Clearly, he wasn’t the only one having a hard time with their little reunion. He got more satisfaction from that than he should have.
His stomach growled and when hers quickly followed suit he said, “I’m going to call for a pizza.”
“No thanks. I’m not hungry.”
He frowned. She’d always been up for a meal, any time of day or night. It had been one of the things he liked about her, that she was a pretty girl who ate like a normal person, rather than starving herself to fit into a pair of jeans. Had that changed, too?