21. Dawson

Dawson could count on one hand the things he was afraid of, and tonight he'd tiptoed around two of the main ones.

First, being rejected by Olivia. Granted, he'd lived through a few minor ones–the kind that laughed off his attempt and promptly erased the moment from their history.

Then, he'd kissed her, and she hadn't backed away. Instead, she'd met his moves match for match, searing a brand on his heart. It was a kiss to top all kisses. The relief was immediate and incredible. Totally worth the ten-year wait.

The second fear–and the most intense–was anything happening to Olivia or his family.

If the wolves were still out there, he couldn't hear them over the roaring in his ears. He'd barely spotted the one behind her, and he'd almost dismissed it for a trick of the light.

Except the dim beam from his flashlight hadn't lied. The dark-gray predator had locked in on Olivia with hunger in its eyes.

Olivia's whole body shook in his arms as he tried and failed to comfort her. Maybe if he squeezed her hard enough, she'd forget about the brush with death.

No, neither of them would be forgetting anytime soon. The woman he loved enough to die for had almost been snatched from him by teeth and claws.

His chest rose and fell in deep waves, and if he let go of Olivia, he'd probably be shaking too.

Releasing Olivia from the rib-crushing hug wasn't happening anytime soon. Not until he could get that image of the wolf stalking her out of his head.

"Dawson?"

His name on her lips cracked just like his heart. Man, this woman had the ability to cut him open and lay his deepest, darkest secrets out for everyone to see.

"You're safe. I promise."

Promise. Swear. Vow. Guarantee. Mark it in stone. Write it in blood. He was certain she was safe as long as he was around. Nothing short of a direct hit by lightning would keep him from protecting her.

"Is it gone?" she asked, almost too quietly to be heard.

"I don't know, but I'm not taking any chances." He focused on lightening his tone. "I think we should just stay right here forever. Sound good? Good. We have beef jerky and water."

That earned him a little laugh, but he was kind of serious.

Well, as serious as someone could be about hiding out in a truck in the middle of the Wyoming wilderness for eternity. As crazy as it should have sounded, he'd do anything for Olivia, even become a hermit and give up Skittles.

Because spending a lifetime with Olivia was the stuff of dreams. It didn't matter where they were. As long as they were together, he was happy.

He brushed a hand over her hair and kissed her head. "You're safe. I promise." Maybe if he said the words enough she'd believe him. He'd protect her until the last beat of his heart.

She inhaled a deep, shuddering breath. "I think I'm okay now."

"Are you sure?" He didn't want to beg, but he'd hoped to hold her longer.

Lifting her head, she brushed back the hairs that had come loose from her ponytail. "Yeah. I'm okay. Thanks to you, I guess."

"If you'd like to call me your hero, my alter-ego is known as Prince Charming. Please don't tell anyone. I don't enjoy taking photographs with strangers."

She laughed again, and his true superpower was at work. That sound had every atom in his body humming to life. It was as if she called to him at the most basic level.

Dawson glanced out the window, and his vision adjusted to the low light. The wolf was still out there, and he had friends.

"Looks like the pack wants to wait us out," Dawson said as he let his hands brush down her arms. He held onto one of her wrists, not ready to let go.

"Great. We're sitting ducks."

"Don't give up just yet." He lifted his hips in a cramped backseat and pulled his phone from his back pocket. "Let's call the others and tell them to be on guard."

"Don't ask them to come out here!" Olivia cried.

"No. I don't want anyone walking around in the dark. I'll just let them know where we are."

He pressed the button to call Lucas, but nothing happened. His phone was in emergency mode. "Shoot. I forgot there's no cell service out here."

Olivia pulled her phone out of her coat pocket. "None for me either." She let the phone fall to her lap. "Are we stuck here?"

Dawson brushed his hand up and down her arm. "Don't panic. I promise we'll be fine."

The tension in her shoulders slipped out of her. "I know. I trust you. If it wasn't for you, a wolf would be flossing his teeth with my tendons right now."

Dawson tried not to react to that disturbing visual. "Can we not talk about that?"

She picked up the flashlight from where it had fallen onto the floorboard. Pointing it straight up, it lit the cab, casting shadows all around. "Why aren't the cab lights on?"

He'd been asking himself that question, and he was not excited to know the answer. Mostly because he knew the reason, and he didn't like it. He reached up and pressed the interior light. Nothing.

"Don't tell me," Olivia whispered, staring up at the light as if she could will it to illuminate with her mind.

"Okay. I won't tell you."

"Dawson!" she whisper-screamed.

"You said you didn't want to know," he reminded her.

She huffed and shoved his shoulder. "Is the battery dead?"

"‘Fraid so, my queen." He looked around the cab and located her purse. "Found it."

She took the purse and rummaged inside. A few seconds later, she pulled out a pill bottle and shook one out into her hand.

Dawson handed her a bottle of water from a six-pack he kept as an emergency stash in the truck. "Mission accomplished."

Olivia swallowed the pill and tightened the cap back on. "Now what? You think we can honk the horn and scare them off?"

"The battery is dead," Dawson reminded her.

She threw her head back and groaned. "Ugh. I forgot. Looks like we're not going anywhere."

Dawson turned off the flashlight and tried to count the eyes glowing in the muted moonlight. He had his gun on his hip, and he could use it if necessary. Though, he didn't pose the option since Olivia would shut it down faster than a bear trap could snap.

Olivia rested back against the seat and turned to him. He could barely make out the lines of her face in the dark, but he knew those features by heart. Long lashes covered the most beautiful hazel eyes he'd ever seen. The gold flecks in the center drew him in like a moth to a flame. Her cheeks were rounded and almost always lifted with her smile.

And that smile? Now that he knew how that smile tasted, he wanted more. He'd never get enough.

They were completely alone. No distractions. Nothing reminding them to keep their distance. Nothing standing between them. Even the forest hid them from the reality waiting just beyond its edges.

But for now, she was all his.

"Dawson?" His name on her soft breath was barely a whisper.

"Yeah?"

"We kissed."

A chuckle escaped before he had a chance to contain it. "Is that just now sinking in?"

Olivia covered her mouth with both hands, and the low moonlight reflected off her wide eyes. Her words were muffled by her hands. "I can't believe we did that. I'm freaking out a little."

Dawson tilted his head. "I'm not sure if I should be flattered or offended if you're more freaked out about our kiss than you are the pack of wolves we just escaped."

Olivia's hands fell from her mouth instantly, and she sat up straight. "I'm serious! What do you think about this?"

"‘Bout time," Dawson said just as Olivia swatted his chest. "I'm serious. I've only wanted to kiss you for the last decade."

Olivia's breaths came in short gasps as she shifted her hands to frame her face. "I'm not supposed to want you like this. It's wrong."

So, she wanted him. That was the best news he'd heard in his life. He'd be playing those last words on repeat in his mind for the rest of his days.

Reaching out, Dawson rested his hands on her arms and rubbed his thumbs in small circles over her shoulders until her hands relaxed in her lap. "This is not wrong. It's right."

He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her cheek, then her temple. His hands slid over her shoulders to her neck and up to cradle her face.

Leaning his forehead against hers, he closed his eyes and stayed there until her breathing evened out. Slowly, she lifted her hands and pressed them on top of his.

When he was sure she wasn't in danger of hyperventilating, he brushed the side of his nose against hers before pressing their lips together.

Now he was the one losing his breath. Kissing Olivia was like crashing into the sun. It burned him on contact and left him lit up like a blue flame long after.

When he broke the kiss, he didn't pull away. "This is right," he whispered, praying she could sense the honesty in his words.

"But you don't understand. I–I don't even know what this is yet."

"Let me fill you in. You're my best friend, and while that friendship is one of the most prized relationships in my life, I want to be more than just your friend."

There. He'd laid it all out on the line, and now he just had to wait to see if she loved or hated this new development.

Olivia pressed her fingertips to her lips. "I have feelings for you that are…more than friendly. On the one hand, I want more than friendship between us." She paused and looked at her hands in her lap. "But there are reasons we shouldn't."

"Reasons with an S? As in plural?" Dawson asked. Had she tallied up a defense against him, or was she just being cautious? "What are you talking about?"

She let out a deep sigh. "It's not just about us. There are reasons why we shouldn't…"

"You said that, but I don't know what these reasons are. Please, explain."

Olivia lifted her head, and he could have sworn there was a glint of the light in her eye. He brushed his thumb over her cheek where a tear had just escaped.

"Talk to me, Liv."

"There's someone in our lives who would be hurt if we were together."

Dawson stared into her eyes, hoping to find the answer to that vague revelation in their shadows. "Are you talking about Beau? Yeah, he's your brother, but he already knows I'd fight him and whoever else for you. So that's not an issue."

"What do you mean he already knows?" Olivia asked.

"He knows how I feel. He knows I'd do anything for you. I'd never hurt you."

Dawson almost let the word love slip out. While it was entirely true, he didn't think Olivia would take it too well if he kissed her and threw his undying love on the table in the same night.

Olivia paused before saying, "I can't believe you told Beau."

"I would have told you too if you weren't so stubborn."

"I'm not stubborn." She said the words, but there wasn't a fire behind them.

"Yes, you are. But that's…" He'd almost let the L-word slip again. "That's a good thing."

Olivia lifted his hand and slipped her fingers in the spaces between his. That connection zipped all the way to his toes, and the longer their palms were pressed together, the harder it was to tell where he ended and she began.

"I wasn't talking about Beau," she whispered. "It's really not my place to tell."

"If it affects us, then I think we should talk about it."

Olivia sighed and lifted her chin. "It's Anna."

Dawson narrowed his eyes, hoping to get a better look at Olivia's expression in the darkness. "Um, why would she care?"

Olivia huffed. "You really have no idea. She likes you, and she's been dying for you to notice her for years."

Dawson straightened, waiting for the punchline that didn't come. "Are you serious? Anna Harris?"

Olivia only nodded.

Wow. That was unexpected. He'd known Anna all his life, but he'd never had more than friendly feelings for her. She was beautiful, but their personalities didn't match up.

He was the life of the party, and while Anna was usually smiling, it was more friendly than joking. She hardly ever responded to his humor.

That wasn't to say he didn't get along with her. He did. It was just easier in group situations.

Olivia fidgeted her fingers. "She's been hoping you'd notice her for a while. It"s been tearing me up because I want her to be happy, and I felt terrible hoping you'd notice me too."

"Ha! Notice you? I am borderline obsessed with you, and you were the only one who didn't notice."

She chuckled. "I'm your friend, and we hang out a lot."

"Ever wonder why I drop everything when you call? You're my queen because you have my loyalty, my protection, and my entire heart."

Olivia hung her head, covering her face with her hands.

Dawson reached for her, gently pulling her hands down. "Does this help?"

"It should, shouldn't it? We're on the same page, but I'm still an awful friend. I can't stand the thought of hurting her. I need to know if this is real or just a phase for you."

"Are you kidding me, woman?" He wanted to drop the word love and put her fears to rest, but he'd always been patient with Olivia, and he'd stick to that plan. "Don't take my word for it. I'll prove it to you. I've got nothing but time."

"So, you don't think I should tell Anna yet?"

"I'm not telling you what to do, but the whole Anna thing is a non-issue."

Olivia pressed her hand to her chest. "It is to me!"

"I didn't mean it like that. I'm saying nothing is ever going to happen with Anna and me. She's great, but she's not the one I want."

Dawson gripped Olivia's hand. "I admire your loyalty, but there are no feelings for Anna. You, on the other hand, have all of me. I could never belong to anyone else."