Shelter (Heroes of Big Sky 2)

“My usual,” Seth says and then looks over at me.

“I’m going to do the cheeseburger and fries. And let’s be crazy and add a Coke.”

Shirley nods, jots it down, then winks and hurries away to put in our orders.

“So, you must come in here a lot.”

Seth nods and reaches over to take my hand. “My Aunt Cara brought me in here when I was a surly teenager, and Ed made me wash a whole bunch of dishes. She was teaching me a lesson that day.”

I blink in surprise. “Did it work?”

“Oh, yeah. I still had my moments, but I curbed the attitude a bit after that. I was an angry little shit.”

I smile and try to picture this big, strong man as a hurt little boy. “I think most of us were a challenge as preteens.”

“True,” he says. “Okay, tell me about your hikes. Where have you been going?”

We settle into a nice little rhythm of my talking about where I’ve gone and what I’ve seen.

“When do the bears go into hibernation?” I ask, just as Shirley sets our plates in front of us. “Holy shit, that’s a cheeseburger.”

Seth and Shirley laugh at me as I goggle at the monstrosity in front of me.

“There’s only one patty in there, right?”

“One patty and all the fixins,” Shirley confirms. “Can I bring you anything else?”

“Please don’t,” I reply, shaking my head. “This might kill me.”

“But what a way to go.” She winks and walks away, and I shake my head as Seth takes a huge bite out of his own burger. Instead of a tower of fries to match mine, there’s a pile of crispy onion rings on his plate.

“Will you slap my hand if I steal an onion ring?”

“No, I’ll trade you for some fries,” he says, and we make the exchange. “November.”

“Huh?”

“The bears are usually hibernating by the end of November,” he says. “But grizzlies don’t always sleep all winter. Sometimes, they get up and wander around a bit.”

“That’s terrifying.”

He laughs and munches on his onion rings. “It can be a surprise, yes. It’s not often that they don’t sleep all winter, but they’ve been known to do that. Most bears stay in their dens until about March, when things start to thaw. Why do you ask?”

“I’m just wondering how long I have to carry the bear spray. It’s added weight.”

“You always have to carry it.” All humor is gone from his face now. “It’s a permanent accessory if you’re in the outdoors here for any amount of time.”

“Even in the heart of winter?”

He nods. “Yep. Because what if Yogi decides he’d like to take a mid-winter walk?”

“Great.” I sip my Coke thoughtfully. “Do you get a lot of wildlife at the ranch? Besides wolves?”

“We get everything,” he says with a smile. “I had moose in my yard this morning.”

“That’s cool.”

“They’re beautiful. And can be scary, too. Any wild animal with babies is dangerous.”

“Right.” I watch him for a moment. “You’d be good at giving educational courses in the park. Or even at schools.”

He smirks, but I insist.

“Really. You’re smart, easy on the eyes, and fun to listen to.”

“Easy on the eyes, am I?”

I wrinkle my nose. “I mean, you’re okay.”

Hotter than hell. He’s sexy as sin.

“Uh-huh.” He glances around and then slips into the booth beside me and leans in to whisper in my ear. “You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, and I can’t wait to get you alone.”

He nuzzles my earlobe, kisses my temple, and then returns to his own side of the booth.

It’s suddenly so hot in here, I have to take another sip of my Coke. Seth just smiles happily from across the table like he has the best secret ever.

But I’m going to make him ask for the sex first because I’ll be damned if I don’t get him to hike with me to that damn glacier in the spring.

“Are you ready to go?” he asks.

“I’m finished.”

He stands and offers his hand.

“Don’t we have to pay?”

“They run me a tab,” he replies as I stand next to him.

“It really is 1956 in here.” I chuckle and follow Seth out of the diner and to his truck. Once we’re settled inside, he pulls away, and I recognize the route to his house.

I’m not insulted at all. It doesn’t make me feel weird that he bought me dinner and now assumes that I’ll just go home with him.

Because I want to go home with him.

I got a taste of what sex with Seth will be like when we were up at that chalet, and damn it, I want all of it. Every inch of him. Every sigh and nibble and thrust.

I. Want. Him.

And after days of aching for him, I finally get him.

The artist on the radio croons softly in the background as he drives the miles away from Cunningham Falls, but the silence between us is comfortable. When he turns off the highway and onto the road leading to his house, I’m not nervous at all.