Storm Watch(17)

“Oh. Um. Yeah, that, too.”

He let out a low laugh. “You’ve got nerves of steel, Lizzy. Are you sure you’re all right?”

Let’s see. If she discounted the fact that her body was howling, howling, for him to finish her off, then maybe, maybe she was all right. “Yes. I’m sure.”

“The roads are getting tricky.”

“Can we make it?”

“I hope so.” He craned his neck right and left, looking around them. “Going to have to move those branches blocking the road first. Wait here.”

“You’ll need help.” She hopped out into the wild storm with him, the rain and wind pummeling them as her feet sank into nearly six inches of water.

“Go back,” Jason yelled.

She eyed the grove of trees lining the road on the left where the Jeep was. On the right was nothing but a rushing river of runoff, which was rising high and fast. It wouldn’t be much longer before that rushing water overtook the road entirely. Knowing it, she ran after Jason, to where he was dragging two of the branches to the side. She reached for another and tugged.

And didn’t budge it.

She reset her feet, squinted into the rain stinging her eyes and tried again.

Nothing.

She closed her eyes and strained, putting everything into it, and suddenly the branch lifted with ease. Shocked, she opened her eyes and met Jason’s from the other side, who took the thing from her and tossed it aside as if it weighed nothing.

Then he grabbed her hand and they ran back to the Jeep. Inside, he leaned back, breathing hard. “I’m going to need more Cheez Whiz.”

“Really?” She swiped rain from her eyes. “Because that looked pretty effortless.”

He slid her a look. He had water running down his face, his eyes deep and dark as they met hers.

“I couldn’t even budge that thing,” she pointed out.

“Are you going to say thank-you again?” he asked. “Because I’d rather receive my thanks in the form of food. Or…” Without moving a muscle on his face, he somehow managed to change his expression from exhausted to wickedly naughty.

She actually laughed. “I’m not thanking you with sex.”

“Well, damn.”

She pulled out an energy bar from her bag and handed it to him. “A peace offering.”

He stuffed half the bar into his mouth, handing her the other half. “You’ve grown up, Lizzy, and toughened up. That’s going to be a good thing today.”

She looked at him, really looked, knowing he’d grown up, too. Entirely.

“Ready?” he asked quietly.

Even more disconcerting than the fact that he’d grown up and moved on? The realization that she hadn’t. Nope. She still wanted the same thing her teenage self had wanted—him. Preferably naked and on a platter.

“Lizzy?”

“Yeah. I’m ready.” For far more than she cared to admit.



JASON THRUST THE Jeep into gear and hit the gas, getting his head into the game. Or trying to. It shouldn’t have been an issue, but hearing Lizzy say his name with such easy familiarity tended to make him think of things he shouldn’t have been thinking.

But then the tires spun uselessly, bringing him back.

“Try Reverse,” she said.

He did. More of the same.

“Oh, boy.” She looked out into the storm. “You don’t by any chance have any kitty litter in the back, which we could use as traction beneath the tires?”

“Good idea, but no.” He craned his neck and looked out the window, knowing there was only one thing to do. “Come here.”

“What?”

“Scoot over here.”

“You want me to drive? Sure,” she said, game. “But I might not be able to get us out any more than you could.”

He let out a low laugh. He loved her strength, her attitude. “No, I’m going to go out and push, and you’re going to—”

“Pop the Jeep out of Neutral and into Reverse, then hit the gas and keep it moving,” she guessed. Accurately. “Bad idea, though. The Jeep might slip and hit you.”

“Yeah, if you could not do that, that’d be great.”

“That’s not funny.”

“Just get the Jeep moving, I’ll handle the rest.”

“Okay, but once I do get it going, I won’t be able to stop or we’ll get stuck again.” She met his gaze. “Run fast.”

“Will do.” He hopped out and into driving rain. Making his way through the mud to the front of the Jeep, he braced himself, then looked through the windshield and met Lizzy’s calm gaze, very glad that if he had to do this, he was with someone who could hold their own. “On three,” he said. “One. Two. Three—” He shoved, and she got it into Reverse and hit the gas, steering out of the ditch. He ran after her, slogging through the water to hop into the passenger seat. “Nice.”