Stroke Of Fear by Alla Kar Read Free Book Online Page B

Woodsy. Thick. I had smelled it today when I fell on him. I wanted to swim in it , bury myself in it, let it consume me inside and out. It feels like my hormones drank fifty energy shots. They’re running irrationally inside of me, holding up a banner saying Fucking jump his bones.
       “I know you’re there,” I whisper, my voice fading against the crickets in the distance.
       A few sticks protest against his weight, and then I feel his body warmth beside mine. “You’re not scared out here in the woods by yourself?”
       It’s not the question that I expected. How are you? What happened? You want to talk about it? “I’m not scared of the woods,” I say. “They’re calming. Safe.”
       “I couldn’t agree with you more. I used to go outside and stay in the woods. Whether I’m hunting, fishing, or walking. I love being outside. There isn’t anything better.”
       I nod, knowing he can’t see. A gust of wind whips around us, blowing my hair away from my shoulder. I shiver as the coldness rolls over my skin, and my arm brushing against his.
       “Cold?” Tanner asks, his voice closer than I remembered.
       “Just a bit. I guess I’m going to head back. I don’t need to get sick.”
       I try to stand , but I feel his hand touch my thigh. The shiver before has nothing on the shiver that jolts through me know. My hormones are going insane. The banners are down and now they’re protesting, sending heat to the most sensitive of places. “Here,” he whispers. I can barely make out his figure, but I hear the rustling of clothes. “Take this. It’ll keep you warm.”
       My fingers wrap around the cloth. “Is this your shirt? You’re going to freeze to death. You keep it.”
       He pushes it back toward me. “I can handle it. That thin little thing you’re wearing isn’t gonna keep ya warm, darlin’. Just a little bit longer and we can go back to the cabin.”
       Gripping the fabric, I slide it over me. His scent almost knocks me back onto the ground by itself. The soft cotton gives me a barrier from the soft, chilly wind.
       I lie back and stare up at the trees. “I’m surprised Jake didn’t come out here,” I say.
       Tanner keeps quiet for a few minutes before letting out a long sigh. His fingers twitch next to mine, and the very tip touches my own. “Did you want him to come out here?”
       I swallow and close my eyes. It sounds more like he doesn’t want me to want Jake. He’s got his wish, because Jake is now the last person I want out here with me. “No way in hell did I want him to come out here.”
       A chuckle rises from his throat. “Good,” he whispers.
       A few comfortable minutes pass by. The wind has dropped a few degrees, and his shirt is starting not to help as much.
       “We need to head back to your cabin. It’s gettin’ colder out here.”
       I nod, keeping my eyes closed for a few short minutes. A light touch travels from the crease of my elbow to my hand. Christ, his hand is so perfectly calloused and gentle. Tanner pulls, helping me to my feet.
       I brush off my pants. “I can’t see,” I say.
       Fingers trail against my skin until our fingers are intertwined with each other’s. “I’ve got you, darlin’. Follow me.” God, who in their right mind could say no to that?
       My heart is pounding. My stomach in knots. His fingers feel so right. They fit each other like they were meant to be. I try not to like it, but it’s far too late. “You lived here your entire life?”
       “Yes, since I was born. I live in San Francisco.”
       “You like it?”
       I shrug. “It’s always so busy, so…crazy. You never know if someone is watching you, because there are so many people around all the time. That’s why I like the woods. They’re silent. Peaceful. You rarely get a surprise.” I bite my lip as soon as I finish. Did I really just say all of that?
       “You think someone is following you?”