Her caress slackened. Her fingertips grazed his temple, and she cupped his warm, smooth cheek before her hand dropped onto his shoulder. She felt the dormant bands of muscle beneath her open palm. The puckered scar on the back of his neck, no longer hidden by a curtain of thick black hair, seared her fingertips.
Amanda stiffened and started to pull away, only to find her wrist abruptly ensnared by rough copper fingers. His grip wasn't painful, but it was tight, insistent. Her gaze lifted, and she found herself a willing captive of hot, molten silver.
"It's in the past, where it belongs," he said, his voice still low and gritty from sleep. "Let it go."
"Can you, Jake? Can you let it go?"
"Yes. With your help."
Only a declaration of love would have sounded sweeter to Amanda's ears. A trickle of hope warmed her blood. With your help. Surely those weren't the words of a man ready to saddle his horse and ride out. Were they? "Jake, I—"
"Amanda—"
A sudden, tense pause crackled between them. Amanda was the first to break it. "I should see to breakfast," she said quickly as, gathering the top blanket around her, she pushed shakily to her feet. Jake, she noticed from the corner of her eye, made no move to toss the other blanket over himself. Instead, he lay unabashedly naked, his hard-muscled body molded to the ground beneath him as though he were one with it. Wasn't he cold? If so, he didn't show it.
"You're making breakfast?" he muttered, and levered himself up on one elbow. The beginnings of a sarcastic grin tugged at one corner of his mouth, even as his gaze raked her. "I didn't know princesses could cook."
"We royals are just full of surprises," Amanda quipped. With a toss of her head, she walked toward her saddlebag. From over her shoulder she added, "Don't expect anything fancy. Jerky and beans is about the extent of what I can do. I'd offer you some peaches, but..."
She'd knelt down beside the saddlebag and thrown open the flap, rummaging inside by feel alone. Her voice faded when she felt the cold side of a tin can graze her fingertips. Frowning, she pulled it free. Amanda had to read the label three times before she trusted herself to turn only her glare on Jake. "You've been following me!"
His expression was as readable as a rock. That in itself was condemning as hell. "What makes you think so?"
She gestured to him with the can. "Peaches," she said triumphantly, as though that explained everything.
"I know what it is. I can read labels, princess."
"No, no, obviously you don't understand. I ate my last can of peaches last night."
"Yeah? So?"
"So... where did this can come from?"
"Your saddlebag?"
"Don't get fresh with me. This wasn't in there last night, Jake. I know. I would have eaten it if it had been."
Jake cleared his throat, shrugged, and glanced away. "Maybe you didn't see it."
"Maybe. Or maybe you put it there."
This time the grin that curled over his lips was full and steeped in secretive humor. His eyes twinkled devilishly. "Now why would I do that, princess?"
Amanda's breath caught. Lord, when he smiled...!
She lost her train of thought, remembering it only when her fingers instinctively flexed around the can. "You have been following me, haven't you?" She didn't wait for an answer; the broadening of his grin told her all she needed to know. "For how long? And... why?"
Jake sighed, and pushed to his feet. With every step that brought him closer, Amanda's heartbeat grew weaker. Her palms were suddenly moist. Drawing breath into her burning lungs took more concentration than she wanted to spare. Her gaze was fixed on Jake. The way the morning light kissed his body—all of his body—made him look sleek and powerful and... beautiful. There was no other word to describe him.
He stopped beside her, crouching until they were on eye-level. His calloused thumb scraped the delicate line of her jaw. As though he couldn't resist, he leaned forward and brushed his lips over hers. The contact was brief but jarring. To them both.
"Amanda, honey," he said finally, his tone serious and controlled—even though his gaze continued to sparkle with... what? "Did you know you're in Wyoming? You have been for about a day and a half now."
"I'm... what?" she squeaked, then blinked hard and frowned. Wyoming? Not Idaho? But how could that be?
"Yup. See, the way I figure it, at the rate you're traveling you should hit Mexico in a couple of months."
"Mexico? But I don't want to go to Mexico!"