“You’re not fine. And I’ll do my part,” he said, his words gruff. “But first, we need to get you both back to the US. And we’ll need more supplies for—” he hesitated, waving at the baby. “It.”
“She’s your daughter, not a chair,” Serena snorted. “And sorry, but there aren’t any baby supply stores in the middle of the rainforest.” She shrugged as the microwave beeped. “Don’t worry. I’ve got some supplies in my knapsack. And we used cloth diapers at the villa, so I can just wash them out and reuse them. The low supply of baby wipes might be a problem, but if you can find me a pair of scissors, I can cut up some of the sheets in the closet over there to make some spares to use in a pinch. And as long as I’ve got my boobs, I’ve got food for her, so that’s covered too.”
“What about carrying her? You can’t use that sling forever.” Noah frowned. “We’re going to be on foot for a while tomorrow and the terrain is rough. You’re already at a disadvantage with those shoes.”
“Well,” Serena said, pulling out a large bowl of what looked like vegetable soup from the microwave and setting it on the table. “I also found some boots in the closet over there. They’re men’s and way too big for me, but if I stuff them with more sheets, then maybe I can make them work. Problem solved. And we can share the carrying duties. She’s small and doesn’t weigh much yet, plus she naps a lot.”
“Hmm.” Noah still wasn’t so sure. Besides, the Serena he remembered had been feisty, but pampered. He didn’t completely trust this new, resourceful and adaptable woman yet. He took the seat opposite her at the table and watched as she dished them each out a bowl of soup, then handed him a spoon. He’d not eaten since that morning and after the long hike he was hungry. He tried a bite of soup, then eyed her from across the table. “How’d you become a prepper?”
“Prepper?” Serena laughed. “Like doomsday? I’m hardly that. Consider it being a responsible parent. Once I found out I was pregnant, I had to make some tough decisions pretty quickly. Like how I wanted to live my life and what kind of person I wanted to be. Everything I do now puts Gracie first.” She tilted her head, narrowing her eyes on him. “If you’re going to be in her life, then I’ll need to know that you have the same attitude. If you think being a dad means visiting her once or twice a year—on your schedule rather than hers—then don’t bother. Still sure you want to keep that ‘I’ll do my part’ promise?”
“Always.” He hoped he sounded more certain than he felt. Honestly, he had no idea what he was doing where the baby was concerned, but damn if he’d walk away now. “I’ll figure it out. Trust me.”
She put the baby over her shoulder and frowned. “I don’t trust anyone anymore.”
4
Later that night, Serena lay awake on the cot in the cabin, Gracie asleep beside her, and that’s when it finally hit her. She was free. Adrenaline buzzed in her system at the thought. There’d been days when she’d wondered if she’d ever get to think those words again. And sure, her captivity had been a walk in the park compared to what many people experienced, but still. Being held against your will sucked, whether it was in a cage or a castle.
Noah had bunked down on the sofa across the room, but she couldn’t help being attuned to his every move. Even though they’d only spent the one night together all those months ago, she felt connected to him, and not just because of Gracie.
r /> He’d rescued her. Like some frigging hero in a fairy tale or something.
Giddiness bubbled up inside her when she remembered him bursting through that door earlier, and she struggled to tamp it down. It had taken her longer than usual to get Gracie to sleep tonight, most likely due to the stress of the day and the weird surroundings, and she didn’t want to risk waking her again. It was hard to stay calm and still, though.
Every fibre of her being seemed to call out for her to get up and go to Noah, to confirm that all this was really real. For so long, she’d dreamed about him. He was her guardian angel. Today, he’d proved that beyond the shadow of a doubt. Thankfulness and relief and need melded into a warm rush inside her.
Saved. Noah Wild had saved her. How cool was that? Even cooler was the fact that she finally knew his last name. Wild. Like the nature outside. Like the man himself. Way back when, in that art gallery, she’d sensed it inside him: that feral, alpha streak. His eyes were kind, but his rocking bod looked ready to kick ass at a moment’s notice. Wild, indeed.
The rustle of movement whispered through the air and she called out quietly before she could stop herself, “Noah?”
“Yeah?” he said, voice low and rough from sleep. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She bit her lip, then moved to get up, slowly so as not to wake her daughter. On bare, silent feet, Serena padded over to the sofa, unable to resist any longer. In the darkness, she knelt down beside him and reached out her hand to lay it on his forearm, pale moonlight slanting in through the windows and casting a hazy glow around them. “I wanted to say thank you.”
“For what?” His dark brows drew together and his blue eyes glinted in the half-light.
“For everything you did today.” Tears prickled her eyes, but she blinked them away, unexpected desperation making her shiver. “I tried to be brave, for myself and for my baby, but deep down, I was so scared. I didn’t even realize how scared until that feeling finally went away. If you hadn’t arrived today, I don’t know what would’ve happened and I’m just so grateful to you for helping me and—” The more she talked, the more her voice quavered and now she was crying and oh God.
“Hey, hey,” Noah said, sitting up and trapping her between his rock-solid thighs. He cupped her cheek and stroked her skin gently with the pad of this thumb. For such a big man, he treated her like fragile porcelain and damn if that didn’t make her cry even more. “Shush. Come here. It’s okay.”
He drew her up off the floor and into his lap, rocking her slowly in his arms while she cried into his chest, his warm skin muffling her sobs so she didn’t wake the baby. While she got it out of her system, he murmured sweet nothings into her hair, rubbing soft circles on her back, making her feel cherished and protected and cared for all at once. It was too much. It would never be enough.
Not only had she been starved of freedom all these months, she’d been starved of basic human touch too. Yes, she’d had her sweet Gracie, but cuddling her baby didn’t make up for the fact that there was no one to make her feel cradled and cherished. She wanted to hold onto him, crawl inside him and never come out. She wanted to kiss him and stroke him like he was doing to her. Show him how much his actions meant to her.
Before she could stop herself, Serena raised her head and kissed his neck, nuzzled that sensitive spot at the base of his throat that she remembered drove him nuts and made him utter those low moans that drove her cravings higher. It worked just as well as it had before. Soon, she’d licked a path up to his strong jaw, then higher still until her lips met his.
This wasn’t about lust. It wasn’t about passion either, not entirely. This was about life.
She was alive and well and it was all because of Noah Wild, her saviour. She kissed him hard and long and deep, savoring the taste of him—salt from their soup dinner and a hint of mint from the toothpaste he’d used, and something uniquely Noah. For a moment, he seemed taken aback by her actions, but soon enough, he responded, one hand holding the back of her head in place, the other drifting down to grip her hip and rock her against the growing bulging of his cock beneath her.
She’d missed this. Missed him, even if she hadn’t known it until now.
Forgetting everything but him, she groaned and shifted to straddle him, grinding the heat between her legs against him, frantic to have more of him, before he disappeared again, before she was locked away and never found again, and…
Her chest seized and suddenly she couldn’t breathe. The small cabin seemed to grow smaller by the second. She felt hot and dizzy and completely disoriented.
OhGodOhGodOhGod.