Read Online Burn on the Western Slope (Crimson Romance) by Angela Smith - Free Book Online
Authors: Angela Smith
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tumbling as she slid, giggling, into a heap beside him.
“You okay?” he asked, his eyes flashing.
“Yeah. You?”
He gazed at her, a smile on his face like it belonged and he was perfectly happy with it. Like he didn’t have any worries, cares, or concerns except how to get to his next adventure. She forgot where she was, what she was doing, and the goals she set for this trip. Have fun, but remain realistic. Don’t get too comfortable, but don’t balk at every opportunity.
She had a feeling with Garret in the picture, she wouldn’t have to worry about getting too comfortable.
He leaned against the tree. Reagan snapped a picture of him sprawled on the snow against the tree, his hat askew, the sled beside him.
She’d have to get copies of the digital pictures later so she could ogle him every night. Or use the photo as a basis to sketch his portrait. Yes, that was her plan. She wasn’t a crazy psycho stalker woman to obsess over him and flutter at his every move.
No matter how much she wanted to.
Steeling her mind against the onslaught of delusion, she snapped one more photo as he posed with the sled. “You enjoy photography?” she asked.
“Yes, it’s a hobby of mine.”
He tore his cockeyed beanie from his head, mussing his hair. Combing it with his fingers, he only tousled it more. She clicked another picture, wondering if she ran her fingers through his hair if it’d be as soft as it appeared.
“Did you take those pictures on my mantel?” she asked.
“Some of them.”
“Some?”
“Your uncle took a lot, too.”
Reagan paused, wondering how to respond. She wanted to learn about her uncle, but she didn’t want to spoil their mood. She didn’t know how well Garret knew Ray, if he was still grieving over his neighbor’s death, or how to speak of his loss when she knew nothing about his life.
“So you know my uncle?” she asked softly.
“Yeah, I knew him.” He stood and dusted snow from his pants. Holding out his hand, he grabbed hers and pulled her up, then dropped her hand.
But he didn’t move away. They were close — so close — close enough for her to see the rise and fall of his chest behind his heavy layers. His jaw twitched as he glanced at her lips, his eyes darkening when his gaze latched to hers. His back was practically against the tree, but she didn’t step away. He could have moved to the side away from her, but he remained where he was.
Neither moved to break the space between them.
• • •
She wasn’t at all what he expected. Okay, he’d thought it before, but he couldn’t get her out of his mind, even when she wasn’t standing right in front of him.
She was cute, flirty, not afraid to speak her mind but surprisingly shy and vulnerable, like she wasn’t as self-confident as she should be, as she had every right to be. She wasn’t manipulative, or at least that personality hadn’t materialized yet. He had a lot to learn and it was too early to judge, but he liked her.
Problem was, his job didn’t include appraising her character. His job was to investigate her knowledge of a very dangerous man. And Garret knew that even the most innocent and infallible women could know a lot about danger.
And dangerous men.
“It’s time to eat.” Garret stepped away, tamping down on his lust before it got out of hand. “You hungry?”
Her eyes narrowed and she stepped away. “Starving.”
He took her hand and escorted her to Tanyon Creek, hoping she appreciated the beauty of the outdoors. The sun glistened across diamond-tipped water. Ribbons of ice punctuated the creek, making their steps crunch as they walked along the bed. Once they reached his favorite spot where a stream gushed through clusters of ice and rock, he dropped his backpack and spread a blanket on the ground. Reagan laughed as a bird nosed down and skated across icy patches of land only to swoop up, spin around, and do it again.
Garret removed a thermos of hot chocolate from his backpack and
“You okay?” he asked, his eyes flashing.
“Yeah. You?”
He gazed at her, a smile on his face like it belonged and he was perfectly happy with it. Like he didn’t have any worries, cares, or concerns except how to get to his next adventure. She forgot where she was, what she was doing, and the goals she set for this trip. Have fun, but remain realistic. Don’t get too comfortable, but don’t balk at every opportunity.
She had a feeling with Garret in the picture, she wouldn’t have to worry about getting too comfortable.
He leaned against the tree. Reagan snapped a picture of him sprawled on the snow against the tree, his hat askew, the sled beside him.
She’d have to get copies of the digital pictures later so she could ogle him every night. Or use the photo as a basis to sketch his portrait. Yes, that was her plan. She wasn’t a crazy psycho stalker woman to obsess over him and flutter at his every move.
No matter how much she wanted to.
Steeling her mind against the onslaught of delusion, she snapped one more photo as he posed with the sled. “You enjoy photography?” she asked.
“Yes, it’s a hobby of mine.”
He tore his cockeyed beanie from his head, mussing his hair. Combing it with his fingers, he only tousled it more. She clicked another picture, wondering if she ran her fingers through his hair if it’d be as soft as it appeared.
“Did you take those pictures on my mantel?” she asked.
“Some of them.”
“Some?”
“Your uncle took a lot, too.”
Reagan paused, wondering how to respond. She wanted to learn about her uncle, but she didn’t want to spoil their mood. She didn’t know how well Garret knew Ray, if he was still grieving over his neighbor’s death, or how to speak of his loss when she knew nothing about his life.
“So you know my uncle?” she asked softly.
“Yeah, I knew him.” He stood and dusted snow from his pants. Holding out his hand, he grabbed hers and pulled her up, then dropped her hand.
But he didn’t move away. They were close — so close — close enough for her to see the rise and fall of his chest behind his heavy layers. His jaw twitched as he glanced at her lips, his eyes darkening when his gaze latched to hers. His back was practically against the tree, but she didn’t step away. He could have moved to the side away from her, but he remained where he was.
Neither moved to break the space between them.
• • •
She wasn’t at all what he expected. Okay, he’d thought it before, but he couldn’t get her out of his mind, even when she wasn’t standing right in front of him.
She was cute, flirty, not afraid to speak her mind but surprisingly shy and vulnerable, like she wasn’t as self-confident as she should be, as she had every right to be. She wasn’t manipulative, or at least that personality hadn’t materialized yet. He had a lot to learn and it was too early to judge, but he liked her.
Problem was, his job didn’t include appraising her character. His job was to investigate her knowledge of a very dangerous man. And Garret knew that even the most innocent and infallible women could know a lot about danger.
And dangerous men.
“It’s time to eat.” Garret stepped away, tamping down on his lust before it got out of hand. “You hungry?”
Her eyes narrowed and she stepped away. “Starving.”
He took her hand and escorted her to Tanyon Creek, hoping she appreciated the beauty of the outdoors. The sun glistened across diamond-tipped water. Ribbons of ice punctuated the creek, making their steps crunch as they walked along the bed. Once they reached his favorite spot where a stream gushed through clusters of ice and rock, he dropped his backpack and spread a blanket on the ground. Reagan laughed as a bird nosed down and skated across icy patches of land only to swoop up, spin around, and do it again.
Garret removed a thermos of hot chocolate from his backpack and
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