Page 18 of Stranded with the SEAL
“It can’t be that far if we walked here.”
“You didn’t walk. I carried you.” She met his eyes and he shrugged one shoulder. “You were unconscious.”
She frowned. “But how far…”
“About a mile.”
“You carried me for a mile?”
“Maybe more.”
She blew out air. “I find that hard to believe. No offense.”
“None taken.”
She frowned. “I really want to see my car.”
“You can’t. At least two feet of snow has fallen since then, and with that kind of hike, you’d be putting yourself in danger. Your concussion makes it dangerous for you to push yourself too far.”
“Trevor, I just want to see that you’re telling the truth, that I got here because of a car accident.”
“You got here because of a car accident. You’re just going to have to trust me.”
“And if I don’t like that answer?”
“I guess that’s just too bad, Olivia.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Listen, I need to go out and find some gasoline.”
“What? Where?”
“There’s a snowmobile in the garage, but no gas. I’m going to go look for some.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “You think there’s a gas station on the corner?”
“I’ll find another vehicle. A lawn mower. Anything.”
“The snow will be up to your waist.”
“Not quite.” He gestured to the wall above the fireplace. “But those are real snowshoes, so it doesn’t matter.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“I’ll make sure you have plenty of wood for the fire before I go. There’s enough food here for several weeks, if not longer.”
“Whoa, wait. You’re just going to leave me here?”
“I have to. I have things I need to do, and you seem like you’re feeling better.”
“But apparently, you’ve lost your freaking mind. We’re stranded in the middle of a blizzard on an all-but-deserted mountaintop, and you’re going to use the snowshoes from the living room wall — which were probably made in China and sold in some home decor store, by the way — to go hiking by yourself in search of gasoline?”
He narrowed his eyes. “‘All-but-deserted mountaintop? How do you know where we are?” He walked toward her.
“I don’t. That’s the point. You can’t leave me here all by myself.” She touched his arm. “Please.”
He took in her sweet, smooth complexion and her damp, curling hair. Not as young as he thought, just unusually beautiful. His gaze slipped lower, trailing along the neckline of the T-shirt, and watched the quickening rise and fall of her chest. His hands ached to touch her skin, to see if she was as soft as she looked. And that smell. The smell of her was so strong here, rising up from her neck with the warmth of her body.
Olivia’s eyes were wide, and he stared into them, mesmerized as they dilated. He clenched his fists to keep from reaching for her, his chest and his hips and his face all sensitized for her touch, waiting. A rosy flush settled across her chest and neck, spreading to her cheeks, an answering excitement brewing in his belly.
Her stare dropped to his mouth, almost begging him to kiss her.