River’s End

forest so they never feel closed in. What do you think about an indoor pool?”
    “I wouldn’t consider a home without one.”
    He grinned, then caught her off balance by leaning in, capturing her mouth in a long, hard kiss. “Good. The house should be stone and wood, don’t you think?”
    His hand was in her hair, just toying with the ends. “This is hardly the spot for vinyl siding.”
    “We’ll plant the garden together.” His teeth scraped lightly over her bottom lip. “Kiss me back, Olivia. Slide in. Just once.”
    She already was. couldn’t do otherwise. The picture he painted was so soft, so dreamy she glided inside it. And found him. Found him surprisingly solid and real. And there. The sound she made was equal parts despair and delight as her arms locked tight around him.
    How could it be he who snapped it all into place? Who made it all fit? All the misty wishes of childhood, all the half-formed fantasies of a young girl, all the darker needs of a woman swirled together inside her and re-formed into just one question. He was the answer.
    Rocked by the tumble of her own heart, she jerked back. She couldn’t let it happen, not with him. Not with anyone. “We have to get started.”
    There was fear in her eyes. He wasn’t quite sure how he felt about being the one to cause it. “Why are you so sure I’ll hurt you again?”
    “I’m not sure of anything when it comes to you, and I don’t like it. We need to go. There’s more than an hour left to hike before we hit camp.”
    “Time’s not the problem here. So why don’t we—” He broke off as a movement behind her caught his eye. He shifted his gaze, focused and felt the blood drain out of his head. “Jesus Christ. Don’t move.”
    She smelled it now—the wild and dangerous scent. Her heart slammed once against her ribs, and before she could get to her feet, Noah was springing up to put himself between her and the cougar.
    It was a full-grown male, perched on the rocks just above with his eyes glinting in the sunlight. Now he shifted, let out a low, guttural growl and flashed teeth.
    “Keep your eyes on his,” Olivia instructed as she rose. “Don’t run.”
    Noah already had his hand on the hilt of his knife. He had no intention of running. “Go.” He bared his own teeth and shifted when Olivia tried to step out from behind him. “Start moving back down the trail.”
    “That’s exactly right.” She kept her voice calm. “No sudden moves, no fleeing motions. We just ease back, give him room. He’s got the advantage. Higher ground. And he’s showing aggressive behavior. Don’t take your eyes off him, don’t turn your back.”
    “I said, ‘Go.’ “
    It took every ounce of willpower not to turn around and shove her down the trail. One thin stream of sweat trickled down his back.
    “He must have a kill near here. He’s just trying to protect it.” She bent, keeping her eyes on the cat’s, and scooped up two rocks. “Back away, we just back away.”
    The cat hissed again, and his ears went back flat. “Yell!” Olivia ordered, continuing the backward motion even as she winged the first rock. It struck the cougar sharply on the side.
    She continued to shout, heaved the second rock. The cat spat furiously, swiped at the air. And as Noah drew the knife from his belt, the cat slunk away. Noah continued to move slowly, kept Olivia behind him, scanning rock and brush. “Are you all right?”
    “Stupid! Just plain stupid!” She tore her cap off, kicked at a rock. “Sitting there necking as if we were in the backseat of a Buick. I wasn’t paying attention. What the hell is wrong with me?”
    Furious with herself, she pulled the cap back on, wiped her sweaty palms on her thighs. “I know better than that. Sightings of cougar are rare, but they happen. So do attacks, especially if you’re just an idiot.” She pressed her hands to her eyes, rubbed hard. “I wasn’t looking for signs, I wasn’t even looking. And then sitting there that way. without keeping alert. I’d fire any one of my guides for that kind of careless behavior.”
    “Okay, you’re fired.” He’d yet to sheathe his knife and remained braced. “Let’s just keep moving.”
    “He’s not bothered with us now.” She blew out a breath. “He was protecting a kill, doing what he’s meant to do. We’re the intruders here.”
    “Fine. I guess we’ll build the house somewhere else.”
    She opened her mouth, shut it, then shocked herself by