Left for Wild - Harloe Rae Page 0,29
march in the opposite direction until he’s no longer visible. Without wasting another precious second, I begin yanking at my pants. The layers of clothing aren’t helping with this chore. I can barely squat with the material bunched around my knees. Tipping over will make this experience that much more comical. At this point, I’m done caring about much other than getting the job done and staying dry in the process.
The instant I relieve myself is nothing short of pure bliss. I’m one hot burst away from moaning. Wouldn’t that be a cherry on top? I don’t spare an extra moment for drip-drying, but the coarse stubble on my legs stops me short. That scratchy length tells me it’s been three or four days since I last shaved. A gasp whizzes out of me at that discovery. Halder’s assumption is correct.
After my business is done, I make quick work of hiding the evidence with a mound of snow. I button up in a hurry, spinning on my heel with the recent confirmation taking charge. Halder is waiting for me in the center of our makeshift trail. I’m about to spill my news, but a niggling block traps the words.
Telling him I stroked my thigh won’t aid in lowering my ever-increasing embarrassment.
He turns at the sound of me approaching. “Better?”
“Much, thanks for asking. This trip is teaching me more lessons in humility than I care to count.”
“I lost all sense of that in prison. It’ll strengthen your gumption. That determination will serve you much better.”
“If you say so.” I’m not convinced, but what choice is there? This crusade will continue putting me to the test until we find a way out. I refuse to consider the alternative. Can people truly survive in the extreme wilderness for months? Years?
He passes me a bowl packed with glittering snow. “You can munch on this as we move along.”
I accept the dish with a laugh. “Delicious.”
“Just think of ice cream.”
I scoop a bite into my mouth and groan. “Vanilla bean. So good.”
“Next on the menu is chocolate.”
A pout forms on my mouth. “Don’t tease a girl.”
Halder’s eyes flash with a gleam of something naughty. “You might like it.”
I choke on my supposed treat. “Are you offering to try?”
“Wouldn’t have bothered suggesting it otherwise.” His stare is a feral burst of flames lashing at my cool skin. A flush scorches my cheeks, and I let a sigh escape. We’re several feet apart, but I can feel his suggestion stoking the cinders of longing inside of me. Soaking in the steamy daze he spills is enough to curl my toes. I could very easily be at his mercy. If this is his idea of a tease, I’m one hundred percent on board.
I exhale a cloud of pent-up smoke. “Um, okay.”
Halder’s gaze is still locked on me. Is he riding this high with me? Should I bring up our almost-kiss? The answer is a resounding no. Bad idea. Probably the worst ever. Even my chatty alter-ego is slapping a hand over her mouth. The buzzing in my veins fizzles. I need to steer us back on track. He’s stuck with me for the foreseeable future. The last thing I want to do is make things awkward. If I haven’t already.
But does he obsess over these sultry moments? I certainly am. Heck, the lava is on a constant simmer in my lower belly. Does it matter if he is either way? Pulling the trigger isn’t my specialty where this guy is involved.
I tug at the collar of my jacket, scrounging for an escape route.
“And on that note, we should probably go.” He hitches a thumb in the direction we’ve been walking.
“Right. Good plan.” I’m bobbing my head too fast.
Halder offers me a weak smile. “We’ll hike until the sun hits high noon. Unless we find something worth stopping for before that.”
“Fingers crossed,” I murmur.
He sets off at a leisurely pace I can follow without effort. Bright rays reflect through the treetops. Based on the early light cresting mid-sky, we’ll be on the move for hours. Spending that time in strained silence will be nothing short of brutal.
I need a distraction, for both our sakes. “What are your goals, Halder?”
A chuckle jostles his shoulders. “Finding food and shelter. Making sure you’re safe. Getting out of the Canadian wilderness alive. Just to name a few.”
I bristle from his frosty tone. “Other than that. If we hadn’t been abducted, what were your plans after being released?”
“Prove my innocence.”
“What do you mean?”
The ease