“I don’t know. I mean, would it be so far-fetched? We don’t know how long she was out there for, she has a head injury, and she was fucking beaten. Can’t say I’d be surprised if that is how she protects herself when she wakes up…If she wakes up.”
“Shit,” Nick mumbled under his breath. “We’ll take turns watching her overnight.”
With his last command, Ace watched as his cousin walked away. They were in a shitty fucking position. Neither of them had voiced it aloud, but he knew they were both thinking it. She could be it. She could be theirs. And yet, she might already be taken.
“Fuck,” he growled, rubbing a rough hand down his face.
She could reject them.
Chapter Two
Rough timber, warm light, soft yet hard hands.
It was all she felt, heard.
Wanted.
Her head was splitting like she had a hundred jackhammers pounding at her skull. Her body felt numb with pain, but nevertheless, throbbed with every beat of her heart.
Whispers were heard wherever she was. Encased in warmth, she had to wonder if she really wanted to wake. Was she safe, was he there, who was he? Turbulent questions ran through her mind like the race cars at Daytona. With no answers, her mind weakened. Her heart slowed to a snail’s pace.
The bed bounced, shocking her system into a pain so intense her breathing stalled. Soft murmurs could be heard quieting her moans. A light touch on her cheek was soothing, had her turning her head into the warmth and security offered to her fractured body.
As her mind and body finally relaxed into the heated comfort surrounding her frame, one thought stood out among the rest…
What’s my name?
Her moaning woke Nick from the light sleep he’d been sucked into after a restless night of pacing back and forth. When he finally sat down, he had crashed. His ass had barely been in the chair when his eyes drifted shut.
As Snow’s moaning grew louder, he jerked awake. Knowing immediately that she was in turmoil, he tucked the blankets further around her. Rubbing her cheek lightly, he spoke quietly to her as Roxie rolled around on the floor, only settling down once she did.
He and Ace felt bonded to her in a primitive way. He knew down to his bones that she was it for them. She was theirs. They had a long road ahead of not only healing her but getting to know her as well. Because while they knew who and what she was to them, she had no clue they even existed.
Twenty-four hours ago, he was drowning his sorrows in the bottom of a bottle because he had yet to find a woman who even peaked his interest, and now here she was. Ripe for the taking and completely off-limits.
When he looked at her nearly nude body as he and Ace had tried to clean her up the best they could, he’d been struck stupid by her sheer beauty. Curves for miles, thick thighs. Hips ready to take a man in his urgent hunger. She was everything he’d ever hoped for in a woman. Pure perfection. If only his unnatural fear of rejection would quit rearing its ugly head.
He wouldn’t accept anything less than her complete surrender to their will. She wasn’t married, no tan lines on her ring finger confirmed that. No pregnancy stretch marks to indicate she had children. So, he figured the worst they had to deal with was a boyfriend.
Frankly, if a man lost a woman like her, then he didn’t deserve her. She was better than what any guy could ever give her.
“How’s she doing?” Ace asked, coming into the dark room.
“Woke up moaning a few minutes ago. Roxie seems to be in tune with her, too.” Damn dog.
“Wanna catch some shut-eye while I watch her?”
Looking back at Snow, Nick had an ache in his chest just from the thought of not being in the same room as her. He couldn’t stand not to be near her. What if she needed him?
Fuck.
“I’ll go chop some more wood,” he told Ace as he got to his feet.
“Dude, it’s still dark out!” Ace called as he was putting his boots and coat on.
“I’m cutting fucking wood! Roxie!”
Nick needed space. Time to wrap his head around the fact that he was deeply embedded in having this woman in his life. The idea of not seeing her was unfathomable. She possessed his soul without ever doing a fucking thing. How was he supposed to process that? He couldn’t get attached. Not until he knew for sure who she was and what she was doing beaten up on that damn mountain.