Chapter 6

Six

Kami

S itting next to Trevor in his black SUV that looked like it had traveled more than a few back roads in its lifetime, I felt like I was back in high school all over again. Him driving, me sitting next to him as he drove me to my dad's.

Nerves twisted my stomach in knots and kept me tongue-tied. I wracked my brain for something to talk to him about, but I couldn't come up with a single thing. Nerves wiped my brain clean, too, I guessed.

"You okay?" Trevor asked.

I glanced at him and then found it impossible to look away. At that moment, I felt like I could spend the rest of my life just looking at him.

"I'm fine." And if my voice cracked a little bit and contradicted my words, well, there wasn't much I could do about it.

He took his eyes off the road for a few seconds to give me one of his penetrating looks. He returned his attention to the road, but at the same time reached over and took my hand, enveloping it in his much larger one. "You sure, baby?"

Energy crackled over my skin with my awareness of him. Every inch of me felt alive in a way I'd never experienced before. And I craved more.

"Yeah. I'm sure," I said. That time my voice might have been quiet, but it sounded certain as I laced our fingers together.

"I missed you, Trevor."

His fingers tightened around mine and I could feel the thousands of unspoken emotions between.

"I missed you, Kami. Fuck, baby. I missed you the second I left town."

"Then why did you? Leave I mean."

There's a long pause. "I needed to be better than my old man. He put my mother through hell barely scraping by. You deserved better. I wrote you a letter every week. Did you get them?"

I nodded. "I did up until I left Hartwood. And then I told my aunt to trash them."

I could sense the pain my words caused permeate the cabin of his truck.

"I don't blame you. I was a fool for leaving but you were not. You deserve to be happy."

But I'm not, I realized. New York City felt big and the persona I put on to make myself seem happy was a farce. This place, the mountain air, the trees and water are where my heart calls home.

"I still love you, you know." I'm scared to admit the truth but the second it entered my mind I put it out there. I'm nearing twenty-eight years old and I want to finally know what it is like to wake up next to someone I love.

"I never stopped loving you. The thought of coming home to you kept me alive nights I thought I might meet my end."

Shadows of pain passed over his expression.

I blinked and they were gone.

He flashed me a grin that made my heart pick up speed and he squeezed my hand. I thought he might let go, but instead he picked up our joined hands and rested them on his hard, muscular thigh.

I might have forgotten how to breathe for a few seconds there.

"Hartwood has changed a little since you were here. The place I want to show you first is right up here."

I blinked and made a concerted effort to act normally. No easy feat when every new look he gave me, every word he spoke in that incredible voice, sent my senses scattering.

I squeezed his hand. "I can't wait to see it," I said and moved a little closer.

The spot Trevor took me to was beautiful. Better than any of the places I'd seen yesterday on my own. But still not quite right.

I hesitated a little in telling him, but it was like he knew exactly how I felt without my having to say a word.

"This one isn't it," he said. He stood beside me as we looked out over a clearing in a field surrounded by towering pines.

"What makes you say that?"

He grinned down at me and raised a finger to trace the spot between my eyebrows.

"You scrunched your eyebrows together while you were looking around. And I know you. There's no spark in your eyes."

I looked up at him, my eyes going wide. "And from that you could tell I don't think this is the right spot?"

He nodded and slid his hand down to glide the backs of his fingers over my cheeks. I shivered.

"Oh," is the only thing I managed to get out.

Three buttons at the top of his shirt are popped open giving me a glimpse of taut pecs when he leaned in and brushed his lips over mine.

Before I could react to that, he grabbed my hand and led me back to his SUV. "Let's go. We have a mission to accomplish here and daylight is burning, baby."

I laughed and followed him, loving the feeling of my hand in his.

And the rest of the morning went pretty much the same way. Trevor drove me all over Hartwood and managed to bring me to some incredibly beautiful locations. Any of them would have been appropriate for Lily's wedding, but for some reason, I hesitated at each one. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something wasn't right in each spot.

Or I liked being alone with him.

Both answers were probably right.

I worried a bit that Trevor would get bored or impatient with me. That would have been a deal breaker for me. All attraction aside, I took my job seriously. I had no intention of lowering my standards to keep him happy.

But he didn't seem to mind. He walked at my side and pointed out different types of trees and plants, reminding me how much he loved being outside. He showed me signs that wildlife had been through and told me funny stories about some of the people he'd met since opening his outdoor expedition business. Through it all, he amazed me with how easily he seemed to be able to read my thoughts and feelings.

"Are we running out of locations?" I asked when we got back in his SUV after the fourth stop.

"There might be one more," he said with a grin.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Have you been holding out on me?"

He held up a hand, palm facing out. "I plead the fifth."

I giggled, but before I could respond to his teasing, my stomach grumbled.

I didn't get the chance to become embarrassed. Trevor reached over and, in a gesture that was beginning to feel familiar, took my hand in his and placed our linked fingers on his thigh. And I found I didn't mind one bit. It felt…dare I say natural? Like this should be us every day. I didn't want to think too far into the future. I'm out of my damn mind but I'm just going to enjoy the moment.

"Your appetite is right on time. We can eat the lunch Mrs. Morgan packed for us at the next spot," Trevor said.

I peered out the window. "Isn't it a little cold for a picnic?" The late spring temperature had dropped considerably since yesterday.

He shrugged and turned up the heat a little. I gave his hand a small squeeze at his thoughtfulness and was rewarded with an easy smile from him.

"Scoot over, baby. I need you to be close to me."

He tugs on my hand and I move until our thighs touch.

"We can eat in here and just enjoy the view."

A few minutes later we were driving along a dirt road into the woods. I wrinkled my nose, suddenly doubtful of the kind of view we might get. "This seems a little…rustic."

He chuckled. "I know the dirt road doesn't look like much, but we're going pretty deep into the woods. At least you know this would be accessible for all your guests."

"Okay." I tried to keep an open mind, but the farther we drove, the more oppressive the trees towered around us, blocking out the sunlight. Not to say the forest didn't have its own appeal, but it wasn't what I had in mind for a wedding.

The SUV crested a small hill and came to a stop. A gasp broke from me.

"What do you think?" Trevor asked next to my ear. Before I even thought about what I was doing, I unbuckled my seatbelt and scrambled out of the vehicle. The same sense of longing that hit me the first morning looking out the window at the scenery hit me even harder now, and I couldn't resist the pull of the wilderness.

We parked at the top of a small hill which sloped down into a valley. Even though cold spring air still hung in the air, the floor of the meadow was green and lush. Trees surrounded it, looking as if they stood guard. Dappled sunlight streamed through the fronds of the tall spruces, dancing over the meadow. It looked exactly like the enchanted forest I'd been holding in my mind's eye. So much so, I wouldn't have been surprised to see fairies darting in and out of the patches of sunshine.

I turned to Trevor. "This is incredible."

He grinned and ducked his head, an almost boyish expression on his face. "I'm glad you like it. And just picture it in another couple of weeks. Everything will be in bloom and the valley will be filled with wildflowers."

The look on his face might be even more enchanting than the scenery. I had to rip my gaze from his and make a real effort to turn my attention back to the forest and meadow.

"I can see what you mean about the road here," I said. "It might not look like much, but I can't imagine getting tents and tables, not to mention guests, up here without having a road in."

I could picture all of it so clearly as I planned and plotted for Lily's wedding day. I could see the tents and tables, flowers and chandeliers. I could hear the soft music playing and the clink of forks and glasses against fine china and crystal. I could imagine the bride and groom and their guests wandering through the enchanted meadow.

"It's so beautiful, I almost hate to bring people here," I whispered to Trevor. "I'd love to keep it just for us."

As soon as the words left my mouth, my eyes grew wide and my body froze. I couldn't believe I just said that. The words slipped from my mouth before I even really registered the thought.

Not that they weren't true. As I imagined all the people invading this space, I worried it would lose some of its magic. And if I was being completely honest, part of the magic had to do with the fact I got to experience it all with Trevor at my side.

My eyes flew to him. He wasn't grinning, but he didn't look irritated or impatient. If anything, his expression had grown softer as he looked at me. His gaze was no less penetrating, but at the same time it was filled with such warmth, it all but robbed me of the ability to speak.

"We can come here as often as you like, just the two of us," Trevor assured me.

Confusion drew my brows together. I only had a few more days left in Hartwood. How many opportunities would Trevor and I get to visit this spot?

The thought caused a sharp pain to shoot through my chest. Was it only two days ago I was packing and counting down the minutes until I could return home?

"Are you sure the people who own the property won't mind?" I managed to ask. Because despite my doubts, despite my fears, despite my feeling completely out of my depth, I couldn't bear the thought of this being the last moment I'd be standing out here with Trevor.

"I own this land. I'm happy to let you have your wedding here. There's another entrance that is a little smoother but it's coming from the opposite side. This way was quicker today."

"This is all yours?" My voice reflected my awe. I'd never considered myself anything but a city girl, but standing here surrounded by the wildness of nature and with Trevor at my side, I could imagine looking out at this spot every day for the rest of my life and loving every minute of it.

The thought jarred me. What was happening to me?

Before I could give any worries or fears free rein, Trevor stepped to my side and tugged me around to face him. The intensity of his expression stole my breath. I had no time to assemble my jumbled thoughts before his head bent toward me.

"All ours. I bought this land the second I left the Navy. I bought it for us," he said right before his lips hit mine.

In that instant, I was lost to him and the feeling of his mouth moving against mine. His arms came around me, tucking my body close to his. Between us I could feel the hard length of his arousal and now I was the one growling.

"Baby, I've missed you," he murmurs against my lips.

I gave in fully to the feelings he pulled from me.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and when his tongue traced the seam of my lips, I opened my mouth to him. With a groan, he deepened the kiss, his tongue diving in to taste and tease me.

It was as if the enchantment of the forest seeped into us and imbued us with its magic. As our bodies opened to each other, so did something else. Warmth built low down in my belly, but it also sparked and ignited something deep, deep inside me.

The kiss was both new and familiar. I reveled in learning the way he moved his mouth over mine, and I followed where he led. At the same time, I felt as if I'd been kissing him forever. As if this was a long-awaited homecoming that allowed me to recognize the warmth and familiarity that seemed to come from some soul-deep level.

When Trevor finally lifted his head and broke the kiss, a small mewl of protest escaped me. With a chuckle, he pressed a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth, another to my cheek, and another right beside my ear.

"Sorry, sweetheart," he said. "I would love nothing more than to kiss you all day, but where you're concerned, I don't think I could keep it to just kissing for very long. The way I'm craving you requires a bed. The first time after so long deserves better than the back of my truck."

Before I could pull my scattered thoughts together, my stomach responded for me, letting out a large growl.

Trevor laughed and tugged me toward the SUV. "Come on, sweetheart, let's get you fed."

Trevor

P ulling my mouth from Kami's had been the hardest fucking thing I'd ever had to do. Every instinct I possessed roared at me to rip her clothes off and fuck her until we both couldn't walk.

The only thing that kept me from dragging her down to the cool, lush grass of the meadow and making her mine was the thought of how she might feel afterward. All morning she'd allowed me to lead her wherever I wanted to bring her, but I got the sense that putting that much trust in me again was costing her.

She'd seemed to enjoy my light touches and holding her hand, but there was a tentativeness about her. Almost as if she questioned herself with each move she made. Not when it came to her business. Hearing her talk about her plans for the wedding, I'd loved her decisive and organized thought process.

When the conversation turned to anything more personal, she became almost shy. I could almost see her testing her words before she spoke.

And I couldn't blame her. I hurt her and now I'll have to work twice as hard for her to understand I am not going anywhere.

My younger self was an idiot to think I needed to prove myself a man before I could be with a woman.

I wished I could go back and kick my own ass. I resigned myself to never seeing her again after I left the Navy.

Until yesterday.

It was akin to having fate slap me in the face when I saw Kami in Mrs. Morgan's lodge dining room.

Parts of my soul rumbled and growled all morning, pushing me to go to her all night. When I arrived at the lodge to pick her up, I'd had to take a moment to get myself under control. I'd been waiting for her for so long, part of me was afraid that I'd toss her over my shoulder and carry her away into the woods. I still didn't know how I'd had the power to leave her the night before.

My nerves calmed the moment I had her alone in the truck. I reveled in the peace she brought me.

Wild how finally, finally having Kami here with me stirred my need to protect back to the surface. There was no way I was going to do anything to scare her away. I'd found myself treating her a bit like a captured wild animal all morning. I'd move in closer when she gave me the opening and pull back a little when her wariness came through.

But in that clearing, with her sky-blue eyes staring up at me in wonder, all thoughts of being careful with her flew out the window. I had no choice. I had to taste her and to claim her, at least in that small way.

Now sitting with her in my truck, I realized I'd made a tactical error. Not that I thought I'd pushed her too far. If anything, she seemed more comfortable after we shared that kiss.

No, my error had been in thinking that one taste of her would help calm me. The opposite was true. The thought of dropping her at the lodge and walking away again made me almost crazy.

"I might have to kidnap Mrs. Morgan and take her back to New York with me," Kami said with a sigh as she dug into the roasted chicken sandwich the older woman had packed for lunch.

The reminder that not only would I have to leave her at the lodge at the end of the day, but that in just a few short days she'd be flying far away from me, almost shoved me over the edge of sanity. I clamped my teeth together before blurting out that she should stay and forget going back east.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Kami's sweet, concerned voice calmed me.

"I was having too much fun watching you eat," I told her.

She laughed. "I never eat like this. It must be something about the Alaskan air. It's a good thing we walked all over God's creation today or I'd be five pounds heavier at least when I return home."

I kept a tight rein on my emotions and managed to ask her, "When do you go back to New York?" I bit into my sandwich and tried to act like her answer didn't mean everything to me.

A slightly wistful, almost sad expression passed over her face, there and gone so fast, if I wasn't watching so closely I might have missed it.

"I'm supposed to fly back on Friday."

Four days. The thought that I could have her here now only to lose her again in four short days made the bite of sandwich in my mouth taste like sand.

No. There's no way I was going to lose her. If I had to track her back to New York, that's what I'd do.

"I'd like to spend those days with you," I told her.

She raised startled blue eyes to meet mine. "I had hoped…"

I take her hand and kiss the ridges of her knuckles. "You have to feel what's between us, Kami. It never went anywhere. And to have you here now, I don't…"

"Do you think we might..."

"...Have a second chance," I finished for her.

She nodded and sank her teeth into her bottom lip. She dropped her head so her hair slid forward and hid her eyes from me.

"Kami? Please don't hide."

She raised her eyes to mine. "I have to be honest, I'm not a big believer in the idea of soulmates. Not anymore."

Guilt gripped my insides.

She tucked a few wayward strands of her honey blonde hair behind her ear and it was all I could do not to reach out and touch her.

"What I feel for you hasn't dimmed. I'll wait as long as you need to wrap your mind around us being fated, sweetheart. We were meant to be. Before Long I'm pretty fucking sure I would have ended up in New York looking for you. You're mine. You always have been."

Her eyes grew even wider. "How can you say that, Trevor?"

I couldn't resist her for another second. I used the back of my fingers to caress her soft cheek. "I can say it because it's true. The second I laid eyes on you, I knew you were meant to be mine. And then I left. That's not who I am anymore. The years in the Navy taught me what my father failed to teach me. You needed me at your side, not off trying to prove whatever it was my foolish ass thought I needed to prove."

That was the best I could come up with to explain my actions and how I feel now. I'd known the moment I laid eyes on her years ago that she was the one person in the world created just for me. She was mine. Now all I had to do was convince her and tread carefully so I didn't scare her away in the meantime.

"How do I know you don't feed that line to every female tourist that finds her way to Hartwood?"

I could see wariness fighting with hope behind her eyes. I hated that she felt she had anything to worry about, but I couldn't hold back the laugh that escaped me. "Sweetheart, you couldn't be farther from the truth. If you ask anyone on Hartwood that same question about me, they'd laugh themselves silly. All I talk about is you."

Her eyes narrowed. "You're lying."

I cranked a brow and barked out another laugh. "Ask Mrs. Morgan."

Her teeth returned to worrying her bottom lip as she weighed my words and I couldn't help myself. With my finger, I eased her lip out from the hold of her teeth. Then I leaned forward and pressed a hard, hungry kiss to her lips.

I pulled back and continued trying to reassure her. "Most of my time is either spent taking newly retirees out on fishing trips or building my home." Our home is what I want to say but I don't want to scare her off.

"You spend a lot of time alone, don't you?" she said, obviously not realizing exactly how much of her feelings for me she was sharing. "I do too and I'm tired of how that feels if I am being honest."

"So am I."

I was now a man on a mission. I had four days to convince her that she and I were fated to be together. Her soul and my soul.