Page 49 of Lethal Threat

A whisper of thought crosses through my mind.

What if she doesn’t ever remember?

Could she ever grow to love me?

After a long pause, he drags me back to the call. “Cole, are you still there?”

“Rabbit holes man. Between those and the landmines, there’s nowhere left to walk.”

“Wouldn’t want to be in your shoes.”

I find myself at the window again, watching the wind move the tree branches back and forth. “The kicker is, I am over the moon that Sierra is here. Just being with her… it makes me feel alive. That’s fucked, isn’t it?”

“Nope. That’s love.”

Love.

The ache in my throat drops to the center of my chest. I have a hard time speaking past the pain. “I need to go.”

“Get some sleep, Cole. Things will be clearer once you’ve had some rest.”

“We’ll see. Catch you another time. Thanks, man.” I disconnect as I stare sightlessly into the snowy night.

Things will be clearer.

Tell that to someone else. I already know that there’s no clear path for a man that’s in love with a woman that hated him, that he’s pretending to be engaged to. Not when one memory or one uttered truth will slice his soul to shreds. Again.

Chapter Eighteen

SIERRA

Pale blue light fills the room. The sun rises slowly, its glow tempered by snow. Outside the cabin window, fat, white flakes drift steadily past.

Snuggling deeper under the down comforter, I bask in the quiet, safe feeling of the bedroom. Cole’s guest room.

Did he leave?The house feels quiet.

Or is he in his own bed watching the snowfall?

I raise my head up and look down my body at the blankets. Not a wrinkle. I must have slept like the dead.

Stretching, I enjoy the sleek feel of his sheets. Deliciously smooth. Unfortunately, my bruises, tender places on my legs, back, and arms remind me of the accident that I can’t remember.

My eyes wander over the bedroom, relieved that I didn’t forget where I was while I slept. Somehow, that makes me feel just a teeny bit better.

But the story behind our relationship is an even bigger mystery than it was.

Footfalls in the hallway make my heart jump start. So, he didn’t leave. A soft knock confirms he’s stopped outside the door. “Sierra?”

“Yeah.”

“Just checking on you. I didn’t hear you and I wanted to make sure?—”

“You can come in.”

There’s a long stretch of silence. My mouth goes dry with anticipation. What is he thinking out there?

Finally, the door eases open and Cole steps inside. He’s shirtless. And breathtaking. With well-worn jeans hung low on his hips. His strong feet are bare on the naked wooden floor.