Page 26 of Rock Giant

Like he’d mislaid her.

Which he kinda had.

Still holding her off her feet, he smacked a kiss on those delicious lips of hers.She made another surprised squeak but didn’t fight him off.Oh, no, her mouth was eager under his… welcoming… The taste of her gave him shivers.Hell, yes.Yes, he needed more of that.Kinda needed to take a breath too, though.She was tapping him on the arm.

Carefully, he set her back on her feet, but kept a hold of her, worried he’d conjured her out of thin air, and she’d evaporate into the ether if he let go.

“You,” she said, gazing up at him all wide-eyed astonishment.

“Yes, me.”

“How?”She cleared her throat.“I mean, you’re here.That is, I knew you were performing—”

Already done with the small talk, and ready to just bask in this fateful moment, he leaned in for another kiss.Alas, she wedged a hand between them and held him back with her palm flat against his chest.She might as well have been holding his heart in her hand.“Jodi Castle,” he repeated, undaunted.His gaze fastened on her lips, which were crooked in amusement.

“Wait, I can’t.”

“Can’t?”The words didn’t compute.

“I got engaged.”She raised her hand and flashed him an ugly oversized rock sitting on her finger.

“Why the fuck would you do that?”

“Duh, love,” she replied, sassy as ever.“Same reason as most.”

“Right.Love.”The notion positively sobered him.What the fuck!His kidnapper was getting hitched.He looked around at the nearby foragers, expecting to find her prospective spouse glaring daggers at him, but while there were certainly a few speculative glances being levelled their way, they seemed to belong to the neighbourhood nosy parkers rather than an irate fiancé.

He meant to ask who, but what came out was another “Why?”

“Why’d I love him?Um, ’cause I do.Or do you mean, why’d I find someone else?Well, duh, you’d pissed off.”He thought she’d intended that as a joke, but it rang with all too visceral hurt.

“Definitely didn’t.You left me.”

“I leftyoumy number.”

“Nope.”If she had, he’d have called, even if only to check up on the kittens and make sure she hadn’t got herself into more trouble, but she hadn’t, so he couldn’t…

Still, accidental collisions like this put a different spin on things.In these circumstances, it wasn’t chasing, it wasn’t not taking a hint, just amazing good fortune or the universe trying to tell you something.Like,Girl, you and me belong together.How about we lie down right here and I give you a green gown?

He cupped his hand over hers where it still lay against his chest.She was looking at him funny, like he’d sprouted antlers or something.Oops, had he offered to bang her?Well, it was a splendid idea.

Except, she had that rock on her finger.

Stupid rock.Ugly and ostentatious, but probably very useful if you wanted to put someone’s eye out.Still, he’d better mind his manners.“Okay, congrats,” he said and smooched her like crazy again.

She pulled free of his grip and smacked him across the cheek.“Paul!I said I can’t.”

Right, yes.Jodi Castle, sexy curvy lady, human magnet, disaster on legs, mean slap —he rubbed his jaw.And now apparently off limits.

Fuck, he hated limits.

CHAPTER 8

Jodi Castle

Earlier…

The stone circle was… Well, it was a stone circle.Grey rock, mostly upright, some of them a teeny bit tilted after centuries of the bracing British weather.On the other hand, there was something serene about the location.And it was blessedly quiet.No people, no noise, not even the distant hum of traffic.Just grey sky and grey rocks and bird song.