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Excerpt:
I think
I’m nearby. Shine a flashlight, call my name, I’ll find you.
Josh’s text sent a surge of relief through
Delilah, and she sagged against the tree, eyes closed. “Oh thank God.” Seconds
later, panic hit. Worried he would give up and leave before he found her, she
scrambled to her feet, wincing as she accidentally put weight on her left foot.
One hand braced against the tree trunk, she shouted his name, waving her
flashlight over her head like a shipwreck survivor who’d finally spotted a
Coast Guard vessel.
When
he raced into the clearing, Delilah launched herself into his arms. He stumbled
back a few steps before he caught his balance, wrapping her tightly in his
arms, murmuring, “I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”
She pulled back to see his face, and suddenly, her lips
met his—or his met hers, she couldn’t tell which—and they were kissing with the
kind of desperation reserved for real shipwreck survivors. The kiss went on and
on, sensations rushing over her faster than she could sort them out. She
wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer still, nuzzling his
neck, sighing as he murmured in her hair and placed soft kisses along her jaw.
His grip shifted, and she realized her legs were wrapped around his waist after
she’d climbed him like a tree. His hands cupped her bottom, and when she
crossed her ankles to get closer still, she winced in pain.
The
moment shattered, and he slowly pulled back. She blinked, dazed and not at all
sure she wanted the kiss to end. His eyes said he felt the same, but even so,
reason had reasserted itself. He brushed her lips once more, then steadied her
as she unwrapped her legs and lowered them to the ground. She winced again when
her injured ankle touched down. His grip on her waist tightened. “Easy. Go
slow.”
With
infinite care, he maneuvered her down against the tree, then crouched beside
her. He ran his flashlight over her with crisp efficiency before he set it off
to the side so it wouldn’t blind them. His touch was gentle as he tipped her
head up so he could see her face. “Are you okay? Which ankle?”
She
met his concerned gaze. “Left one. And I’m fine. Nothing much injured except my
pride.” She couldn’t believe she’d launched herself at him. “Sorry I, ah,
overreacted.”
One
side of his mouth curved upward. “The forest can be unsettling at night.” Then
his grin widened. “But feel free to overreact anytime you want.”
They
grinned at each other like idiots for a minute before she remembered she had to
keep her distance. But dang, the man could kiss. He removed her boot, and the
sharp pain jerked her back to the present. He ran his big hands from her calf
all the way to her toes, then carefully rotated her ankle, and she bit her lip
to keep from crying out. When he was done, he gently slid her foot back into
the boot, tucking the laces inside rather than tying them, since it was already
starting to swell.
“The
good news is I don’t think it’s broken.” He sent her the lopsided smile that
turned her insides to mush. “The bad news is that I don’t think you’re going to
be able to walk on it.”
“How
far away is your truck?” she asked.
“Not
too far if you have two good legs.” He stood and held out his hands to help her
to her feet. The moment she was upright, he pulled her into his arms and
wrapped her securely against his hard chest again. “I’m so glad you weren’t
hurt worse.”
He
kissed her again, gently this time, and Delilah slid into the kiss like a warm
bath. She absorbed the strength of his arms around her and the beat of his
heart thundering against her chest, feeling cherished and protected in a way
she never had before. Slowly, reluctantly, she pulled back, and their eyes met
and held, awareness buzzing between them like an electrical current. The heat
in his eyes sent a low hum through her body. It buzzed through her a split
second before he slapped at a mosquito on her cheek. She yelped in surprise,
and he grinned. “Sorry. Bloodthirsty little buggers. Let’s get out of here.”
Keeping
one of her hands in his, he turned his back and crouched. “Climb on. I’ll carry
you back to my truck.”
Delilah
was shaking her head no before he finished speaking. “You can’t carry me. I’m
way too heavy.”
He
raised an eyebrow. “Are you doubting my manly strength?”
The
absurdity surprised a laugh out of her. “I would never doubt your manly
strength, Officer Tanner.”
“Then
climb on, and let’s get out of here already.” He crouched lower. “And stop
calling me Officer Tanner.”
Since she didn’t have much choice at this point, Delilah
gingerly climbed on. He scooped her up, piggyback style, and set off into the
forest. He spun her around a few times as he walked, singing an off-key version
of the seven dwarves song. “Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it’s through the woods we go,”
then he whistled the rest, making up words here and there.
Delilah
laughed and attempted, badly, to sing along, appreciating his attempt to
distract her from her throbbing ankle. She took her cue from him and decided to
enjoy the ride, the feel of her arms wrapped around his neck, his rock-hard
arms supporting her as he strolled through the forest as though she weighed
nothing. She was used to thinking her way through life, but with Josh, she was
learning to simply enjoy the moment.
***
Excerpted from Beyond Power by Connie Mann. © 2020 by Connie Mann. Used with
permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks
Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.
CONNIE MANN is a licensed boat captain.
When she’s not dreaming up plotlines, you’ll find “Captain Connie” on the
waterways, introducing boatloads of schoolchildren to their first alligator.
She and her husband live in central Florida just a stone’s throw from Ocala
National Forest.
Author
Website: https://www.conniemann.com/
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