He studied her intently as a caribou strayed from the herd in the distance. The sun slashed across the sky, reflecting off the snow, and she realized she was seeing him fully for the first time. Yesterday had been overcast with the storm, and the cave had been shadowy at best. The impact of his undiluted stare sent a quiver of awareness down her spine, a gush of longing through her veins.
What if they’d met in a normal setting, on equal footing? What if he’d walked into her business, a newcomer to town looking for a guide to familiarize him with their mountain?
A rustle behind her gave only a second of warning to brace herself before Chewie barreled into her shoulder. His bulk showered a sheet of snow into her face. The frigid splash brought her back to reality. Daydreaming was dangerous. She was a practical woman, damn it. She refused to be swayed by a hot body and intense eyes. And she might not have another chance to escape.
Before she could weaken or second-guess, she shoved to her feet and ran her heart out. A rational part of her brain insisted that she stop, conserve her resources, come up with another story that he wouldn’t believe but that would buy her more time. And yet, she couldn’t stop running. Something inside her had snapped, until she felt like a frantic ground squirrel on the run from a red fox.
Chewie loped beside her. Her pulse drummed in her ears. A long shadow stretched over her, a man’s shadow, closer, closer still. Chewie stopped, howling. But still she ran.
The ground fell out from under her.
Screaming, she clawed at the icy wall. Her feet backpedaled, seeking purchase on ground giving way. Distantly, she heard Wade shout from above. Oh God, she was going to die. Frozen chunks of earth battered her body as she plummeted downward while her stomach rose to meet her throat. There was no way to see the bottom, to know when she would die, to prepare for—
Impact.
Pain splintered through her body. Sparks danced in front of her eyes like a northern lights show on speed swirl. Blood filled her mouth as she bit her tongue. The metallic tang saturated her taste buds with the reminder that thank you, God, thank you, God, she was still alive.
She stared up at the circle of light overhead, not all that far, but whew, how it was spinning. Blurring. Then finally it slowed and she saw Wade.
He scaled down the side without any formal climbing gear.
Holy crap. She’d lived in this area for fifteen years and still she was stunned. Like Spider-Man in camo, Wade worked his way down with just a rope around his waist anchored into the ice above. Closer, closer still, he moved until he dropped the rest of the way, landing beside her with surefooted grace.
His face cast in shadows, he leaned over her. “Are you okay?”
Why hadn’t she checked herself over instead of lying here mesmerized by him? She must be more dazed than she’d thought.
She wriggled her toes, her fingers, then sat up cautiously. Chewie whined from above at the edge of the drop-off. The world bobbled, then settled. “I think so. Just stunned.”
His head tipped, his face bathed in sunlight again. Fury burned from his eyes as he leaned over her. She scrambled backward without much success, her braid coming loose from her jacket as her head swam.
“Don’t try to get up yet, not until I can check you over more fully,” he commanded.
She’d forgotten about his medic training. Wow, they could use a guy like him where she lived. The silly, unattainable thought made her realize just how scrambled her brain really was by the fall.
Silent, brooding, he knelt beside her, his face taut with anger. He stripped off his outer gloves until he wore what appeared to be thin pilot’s gloves. One limb at a time, he moved her legs and arms, working them back and forth, side to side. The feel of his hands on her body, even through layers, unsettled her, stirred her. Sure, he was doing the whole medical thing and no doubt he was mad as hell. He wasn’t doing anything different from how she checked people over during a trek if they pulled a muscle.
Still, somehow she knew. This was different.
He ended by placing his hands on either side of her face and staring into her eyes. Checking to see if her