Page 33 of Fool Me (Timberline Peak #1)

CHAPTER

TWENTY-TWO

HARLOWE

“Can I kiss you?” His voice is low, steady, sure of what he’s asking. There’s no audience, no pretense. Just us.

Knowing my answer has the power to shift our entire dynamic changes nothing. I want him for me, just because he’s him. Deep down, I need to know if our chemistry can withstand normal circumstances, or if the unending need I feel for him is manufactured by the thrill of what we’re doing.

In my heart, I think I already know the answer, but my practical brain needs certainty.

Now that I’m positive he won’t bail and back away, I let my hand wander from the hold I had on him.

The dim light from the TV makes his amber eyes glow, combined with the rough stubble of his beard under my fingers, he looks and feels a little dangerous.

Like what he’s been telling me all along about not being the “good brother” might be true, because if the way he’s watching me is anything to go by, he looks like he’s about to devour me whole.

And I’m ready to sate his hunger. “Without a doubt, yes,” I breathe.

He doesn’t go straight for my mouth like I thought he would. His lips tip in a smile before he drops them to my neck. “Been dreaming about this for weeks.”

I hum because that magic he’s working as he kisses and scrapes along my neck has rendered me speechless. My fingers slide upward until they tangle with a mess of thick brown strands and I hold him to me.

“My god, do you even know how badly you make me want to just take from you? I want to be greedy with this mouth, your body, your mind, all of it. One look at you and I forget everything else.”

“Do it. You can have all of me,” I say breathlessly as he continues to suck and soothe then lick at my neck.

His kisses ascend, climbing higher until they reach my jaw, nipping at the skin there. I suck in a sharp breath of surprise. I expected him to be gentle, but this is so much better.

“Fuck me, Harlowe. I think I’ve completely lost it.” There’s a charged turbulence between us that makes the air heavy, like the crackling energy right before a storm. It vibrates all around us as he lifts, looking at me, his chest heaving and bumping against mine.

“Please kiss me, Altas,” I say. It’s the spark that ignites the forest after a lightning strike. He dips his head and I hold my breath.

I almost miss the distinct and untimely sound of my phone going off. It’s the tone for our SARalert system, effectively ending my night. Atlas drops his forehead to mine, understanding the need to check the alert. I mutter a curse as I lift my hips, fishing my phone from my back pocket.

“It’s okay,” he says, almost to himself. Like he knows that this is just a temporary pause. This is the job for both of us. We put the work first because, when we get that call, everything else waits. Even when the timing is god-awful.

The SARalert notification lights up my screen with a message from dispatch. “Shit,” I whisper, reading the brief message. My hand presses against Atlas’s chest, urging him back, and he immediately complies.

“Harlowe, what’s wrong?”

“A minor camper, age seven, fell into a ravine. She’s unresponsive and her dad was injured trying to get down to her.

I’ve got to go.” I’m already moving toward the door, calling for Echo to follow, as I shove my feet into my sandals.

My go bag is in Phantom, but I’ll change when I get to the meeting point and know more about our plan of attack.

Atlas’s heavy footsteps follow me. Fingers wrap around my wrist.

Lines of worry etch into his brow. “Be careful.” He swallows before he steps forward, his lips pressing against my forehead. “Please.”

I take one second to let my eyes fall close and brush my hand against his cheek. “I will, promise.”

My promise doesn’t ease the wrinkle on his forehead.

Knowing Atlas, it won’t disappear until he hears from me himself that the mission is cleared.

It’s the first time anyone but Vivi or my parents have cared so deeply about my wellbeing.

I consider what a future would look like where he’s part of the text thread I have with the three of them to check in.

Unlike Brady’s insinuation that having a partner outside of the field, and a full life beyond the job would steal the joy of the work, I don’t see it that way. What’s more motivating than wanting to get home safe to someone you care deeply about? It gives me a new perspective to bring to the role.

“I’ve got to go,” I explain, but Atlas just nods his understanding.

“Come back to me so we can finish what we started.”

Forty minutes later, I’m at the state park with the team, getting briefed. A distraught mom relayed everything the best she could, and the camp host helped fill in some blanks based on their familiarity with the area. Our hike into the ravine confirms the situation is dire.

The girl, Morgan, has been unresponsive for almost an hour after getting disoriented and falling while trying to get to the bathroom in the dark.

There’s a glacial creek running through the bottom of the ravine.

It’s dark and slippery from recent rain.

The team picks our way down because one of us getting hurt only slows our progress.

When we reach the dad, he’s rightfully distraught and uncooperative, refusing care and sending us after his daughter.

It’s not an unusual request, but he’s combative and nothing Travis does to de-escalate the situation works, and instead, only makes him more agitated.

Light from my headlamp catches a streak of red trickling down the dad’s neck. “Hey, Trav,” I say softly, touching the same spot on my neck and nodding to the dad.

“Steve, I know you said you’re feeling okay, just a little banged up. Are you sure you didn’t hit your head when you went down?” I ask carefully.

“What do you mean? Why are you asking me all these questions when my daughter is down there alone and scared?” He looks from me to Travis in his agitation.

I let Travis respond, knowing he’ll send me with Echo.

“Sir, we are going to get Morgan in a second. I’m going to send Harlowe and Cory down there to help her.”

“Morgan?” His unfocused eyes dart around in the dark. “Where’d she go? She was just here. I was taking her to the bathroom, but she snuck out while I was washing up.” He tries to push himself upright, grunting in pain as his footing slips on the steep embankment.

“Hey—careful—” Travis lunges, catching him just in time, their combined weight shifting dangerously before he hauls Steve back uphill. Travis groans from the impact, landing on his ribs. “Shit,” he hisses.

“Morgan!” Steve bellows, the name echoing into the quiet night.

Our leader doesn’t hesitate. “Harlowe, Cory, go. Eric and I will stay here with Steve.”

“You good, boss?”

He nods once. “Get to her, but be careful.”

As Cory and I make our way further from the campground and deeper into the ravine, I hear Travis on the radio. “Dispatch, we’ve got two patients. One unresponsive minor, one adult male with possible head trauma. Requesting air evac with hoist capability if possible—terrain’s tight.”

For a summer night, it’s cold—unpleasantly so.

Echo picks a path down, weaving back and forth as Cory and I follow.

The rain-slicked ground doesn’t help, and as we get closer to the creek, the chill cuts to the bone.

I’m scanning as we descend, looking for the pink unicorn pajamas the girl’s mom described her as wearing.

When Cory’s light catches on a bright spot against the dark forest floor, my stomach drops.

Echo is already on his way to her, his alerting bark ringing out.

My feet slip against the rocks as I scramble down the last few feet, running toward her.

“No. No. No,” I chant, my knees splashing into the frigid water.