“I think I’m pretty well rested. I should at least make a plan for today. Do you have a phone I could use? An iPhone charger?”
“Why?”
“To make some calls. Check in at work. Check around. If anything, I should figure out what happened to Bentley. I feel like a bad sister, lounging around while he could be lost on the mountain. Or worse. What if he hit his head too?”
“He’s not on the mountain. I had Matthias and my brothers who do search and rescue scour the mountain for him. If he’s here, he’s hidden well. It’s more likely that he’s left. I have a team working on tracking him.”
“A team? That sounds serious.”
“Sorry babygirl, I don’t want to scare you. He’s probably fine. ”
“Yeah, he probably is. Maybe we had a falling out before I hit my head, and that’s why he left me.”
Teddy opens his mouth, then closes it and squeezes my hand. “Yeah.” He clears his throat. “That could be.”
“Bentley’s always been rough with me. I seem to get on his every nerve by just existing.” I shrug because as much as I don’t want that to be true, as much as I’d love it not to be true, when I’m honest with myself, I know it just is. I can still make the best of right now. “Well, I can at least get into town and find a way to charge my phone. Or fix it. I’m not up to hiking to the summit, but a gentle stroll back down to a place where I can catch a ride—”
I trail off because Teddy’s shaking his head.
“Or do you have a car I can borrow? I’m a good driver.”
“No car.”
“A bike? A burro? A golf cart retrofitted with ATV tires?”
He’s still shaking his head. “Nope.”
“Oh well, guess I’ll have to walk.” I rise to my feet and sashay to the door, testing something.
I don’t get more than five feet away from the couch before Teddy scoops me up and drags me back.
“Just as I suspected.” I plant my finger in his chest. His pecs are so firm, I bend my finger. “You don't want me to leave.”
“You’re hurt,” he growls.
After years of Bentley’s cruelty and my parents' indifference, his concern makes me feel all melty inside. And fuels my inner sunshine. My cells seem to pulse light as I’m cuddled in this gorgeous Viking’s arms. How did I get so lucky? Like seriously, what happened?
“I’m an important woman. Things to do. Places to see.” I push at him with a bit of flirt, torn between wanting to be productive and wanting to stay right here in his arms forever, but he doesn’t budge. “Seriously, Teddy, how long do you think you can keep me here?” I blink up at him, really looking into his eyes, wondering who is this kind Viking and where he’s been all my life.
His eyes flash with a bright color. It’s there one moment, gone the next. Must be a trick of the light. “As long as I want to.”
Long. Yeah, that works for me. Let’s see if he really means it.
“Oh yeah? We’ll see about that.” While holding his gaze, I turn, ‘accidentally’ planting my backside in his lap and wriggling around until he growls and grips my hips.
“Lana,” he warns.
“Viking,” I answer, my core clenching so tightly, he’s got to feel my body responding. I bite my lip, hoping he does.
He tips me onto my back on the couch and leans over me with his hand planted next to my head. “You’re not leaving. I mean it.”
“You can’t stop me,” I whisper back, thrilled with this new game.
“Try me.” He rests his weight on me, not all of it, but just enough to keep me pinned and let me feel his erection, which feels like a giant compass needle pointing me to true north. Heaven.
“I’ll run away when you’re not looking.”
He nuzzles along my face. His beard scratches deliciously along my soft cheek. “I’ll tie you to my bed.”
My insides seize. “I might like that.” My voice comes out strangled.
“Oh yeah, babygirl? Then I might have to think up some other ways to punish you.”
O. M. G. “Promise?”
He slants his head and kisses me. Heat flares between us. His hand is under my thigh, massaging, promising me to touch me in other ways. I grab him, tugging him down. I want his full weight on me. It might leave a permanent imprint on the couch, but it’d be worth it.
I’m caught up in a daze, hitching myself under Teddy to rub my lower half against him when my stomach growls.
Teddy breaks the kiss and frowns down at me.
“Ignore that?” I ask, even as my stomach snarls again. “Please?”
“I can’t.” He brushes a final kiss to my mouth and slides off the couch. “I need to feed you.” I reach for him with a whine, and he catches my hands, kissing the palms and rising. “Breakfast first.”