How to Lose a Fiancé Read online

  Kaimbrey had been walking quietly behind him, though she was drenched and had to be exhausted and terrified. At least there was no sign of the big, blond guy. Brody was still amazed the guy had woken and slipped away sometime while Brody was fighting with or tying up the bald guy.

  The sky was a shade away from inky black as he kept plunging through the forest. He had a small flashlight in his backpack, but he didn’t pull it out. It wouldn’t do much to penetrate this gloom, and there was also the concern that it would draw the blond guy right to them. Search and rescue had to be combing this forest, but unless they’d found Tate and Cally or the campsite the girls had been kept at, they wouldn’t have a base point. They could be covering hundreds of miles of thick forest. They might not be anywhere close to finding them.

  With these discouraging thoughts swirling in his head, Brody pushed the water off his face and started walking along the cliffs to the north; at least that was somewhat the right direction. He was so wet that he didn’t care much about the rain still pouring over him, but he was afraid that Kaimbrey was freezing, especially as her teeth were chattering pretty loudly.

  He stopped under a very small overhang of rock and turned to her, taking both of her hands in his. They were icy. She stared up at him, so appealing and beautiful with her dark eyes full of trust and appreciation for him. Her dark skin was moist from the rainwater, and her lips were full and inviting.

  “You doing okay?” he asked, swiping the wetness out of his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time.

  “Right as rain,” she said.

  Brody laughed. “This rain doesn’t feel too right anymore. You’re freezing.”

  He lifted their clasped hands and blew warm air onto her knuckles. She shivered, but he didn’t think it was from cold this time. There was an awareness, a desire in her gaze. She wanted to kiss him every bit as much as he wanted to kiss her, but first they had to get somewhere safe and hopefully dry. The question was where.

  “I don’t think we’re going to find help tonight,” he admitted.

  Instead of freaking out, she simply nodded.

  “Are you okay to keep moving along this rock wall for a while, and hopefully we’ll find a larger overhang than this one or a cave? We’ll hunker down and get you home in the morning.”

  “Lead the way to the cave of dryness.” She squeezed his hand and winked.

  Brody laughed. She was so great. He was back to similar thoughts from last night, that he may have found the woman for him. And now that he knew she hadn’t ditched him earlier, he was scheming all kinds of dates and adventures with her, spending more time getting to know her, after they got off this mountain.

  Kaimbrey slogged through the mud after Brody, staring at his broad back as they walked. It was getting so dark that she could only see him right in front of her; everything else was a murky blur. Could he really find a cave, or was he just trying to keep her moving so she didn’t freeze to death or complain? She’d love to just cuddle into him, be warm, and get through this night.

  Could she spend the entire night being wet, cold, and miserable? She wouldn’t complain, but she wasn’t quite certain how to deal with these conditions. Kaimbrey had traveled throughout the United States and to many different countries, but she had never in her life been camping. Well, once her parents had bought a half-a-million-dollar RV and taken her and her older brother on a tour of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but that wasn’t exactly roughing it.

  Brody stopped, and she bumped into his back. Reaching out a hand, she steadied herself by clasping onto his bicep. My, oh my, that was a nicely built appendage. She was quickly distracted from her worries of the miserable night as she appreciated the bulge of his finely honed muscle. “Wowzers, you’re a built one,” she said through her chattering teeth.

  Brody chuckled. “Thank you. I think I found a spot we can get out of the rain.” He swung off his backpack and pulled out a flashlight. Switching it on, he illuminated a large overhang that did indeed look dry.

  “You’ve had a flashlight this whole time?” she asked, blinking to clear the rain from her vision. The sight of light and the dry spot were both amazing.

  “Yeah.” He took her arm and ushered her inside.

  Kaimbrey gratefully sank onto the dirt and leaned against the rough wall. “What else are you hiding in that bag of tricks?”

  Brody settled in next to her and switched the flashlight off.

  “Hey! What was that for? I like the light.”

  “Sorry, sweetheart. I don’t want anything that might lead that blond guy to us.”

  “Jack.” Kaimbrey shuddered as she said the name. “Thanks for the reminder. I’d gone ten minutes without thinking he was going to pop out from behind a tree and succeed in cutting out my tongue.”

  “Sorry for the reminder, but you have to believe I will never let him hurt you.” His voice was so intense, so caring, that Kaimbrey all but melted.

  “I do believe you,” she said, as serious as she’d ever been.

  “Thank you.” She could hear him shuffling around in his bag. “I’ve got some granola bars, bags of almonds, and water bottles.”

  “Yes, please, and thank you.” She rubbed her arms with her hands to try to warm them up. Her stomach ached with hunger, but being wet and cold was the worst part.

  Brody’s fingers brushed her arm. She put her hand out, and he put a granola bar in it. His warm fingers shot awareness through her. He’d teased earlier about her giving him a kiss of gratitude. She was so tempted to forget chewing this stale granola bar, climb onto his lap, and kiss the night away. Then she’d be warm and happy. But then what would she have to lure him with? She wanted to start her charity so badly it consumed her.

  Tonight only reinforced how desperately she needed to help. She felt crappy and cold. Her head still hurt from earlier. All she wanted was a warm bath, a hot meal, and a bed. How many people experienced this without any hope that there was an end in sight? She chafed at the thought of families without a place to stay, without a future or an opportunity to get off the streets. She’d been so spoiled for her entire life, and when she saw the injustices of life as a young adult, it had been too much for her soft heart. Now she was so close to finally doing something about it. This night just reaffirmed how miserable those people must be and how she had to help.

  Yet she had to get a proposal from this amazing man by the night of Bri’s wedding to secure the funding. She felt a twinge of guilt as she thought about tricking Brody into a proposal. He’d rescued her and she felt so appreciative of him and drawn to him, but her charity was bigger than two people. After she secured the funding, she’d explain to Brody, and if she was still feeling this taken with him—and if he could forgive her for luring him in—she’d love to date him properly. Right now, it had to be about getting the proposal. She had to play it right and make him salivate for her kiss. Yet as his hand brushed hers again handing her a water bottle, her stomach swirled with heat and she had no clue how she’d get through this night without at least one kiss.

  Neither of them had said anything as they ate. Kaimbrey could’ve still eaten a steak dinner, but the food and water had made her stomach less cavernous. She heard Brody stashing the garbage back in his pack.

  “Are you comfortable?” he asked. It was a simple question, but the deep rumble of his voice, the fact that they were very much alone, and the implication that he could help her be more comfortable all made her heart beat faster.

  “I’m … okay,” she managed. Comfortable? No, she’d lost all feeling in her fingers and toes, and she had a rock poking her in the upper back and another one in the thigh.

  “Do you want to be more than okay?” he asked.

  “Brody Jepson, what exactly are you suggesting?” Kaimbrey demanded. Her toes and fingers might be cold, but her cheeks were plenty hot.

  Brody chuckled. “Just that I could hold you to make you warmer and more comfortable.”

  Kaimbrey smiled to hersel
f, but her palms were sweating. She didn’t want him to get frustrated and give up. That would mess up the entire plan, right? She determined that letting him hold her would be a good step, and the warmth and safety in his arms sounded too appetizing to pass up.

  “I guess that would be okay,” she said sassily. “But you had better promise to be a gentleman.”

  “Always.” But the mischievous lilt to his voice made her wonder who was getting played here.

  He didn’t waste any time, but scooped her off the hard ground and cradled her in his arms. Kaimbrey sighed as his strength surrounded her. She rested one arm on his firm chest muscles, which were easily defined through his damp shirt, and laid her head in the crook of his neck. Brody’s hands tightened around her waist and her legs. She cuddled into him and thought this was a little piece of heaven.

  “Better?” he murmured, his breath warm against her forehead.

  “So much,” she admitted. “But you can’t be very comfortable.”

  “I’m good.”

  Kaimbrey could barely make out his features in the dark, even as close as they were, but she knew that if she tilted her face up, their lips would be in the perfect position to connect. She was tempted. No, tempted didn’t begin to describe how badly she wanted to taste those lips. She burrowed deeper into his chest and prayed for strength. She had to play her cards right and make him wait. A player like Brody could burn through her and move on before the weekend was done. She needed to slow this down and drag that proposal out of him.

  Brody’s breathing wasn’t exactly ragged, but she could tell he was amped up: his heart was beating just a bit quicker under her palm, and his breath on her forehead was coming faster. The warmth inside her became an inferno, and she couldn’t even feel the wet misery of a few minutes ago. She wanted to kiss him, right now. She had to kiss him. Just one sweet kiss. That wouldn’t mess things up too badly, would it? He had saved her life, after all, and was taking very good care of her. It was only proper to give him a little kiss of gratitude, right?

  Her thoughts became more selfish as she pushed the vision of her charity aside, savored the perfect lines of Brody’s muscles pressing against her, and let the heat of the moment build. She slid her hand from his chest down to his firm abdomen, and he let out a soft groan. Kaimbrey’s heart was fluttering so fast, she was having a hard time remembering the meaning of the word calm.

  Brody tenderly kissed her forehead, and Kaimbrey sucked in a breath. His lips felt so good on her skin. How would they feel on her own lips? She felt her self-control slip, or more accurately disappear, and her face slowly lifted toward his. It was as if some invisible force was tilting her face up to meet his and she was powerless to resist it.

  His soft yet firm lips were so close that they trailed from her forehead, across her closed eyelid, and along her cheek. Kaimbrey was panting for air as she tilted her head slightly to the side and their lips finally, finally met. Brody gave her a soft, sweet kiss, and Kaimbrey moaned against his mouth. Every nerve fired in her lips as he pulled slightly back and made her lean closer, aching for more.

  He paused for one more count, and Kaimbrey could hardly stand not kissing him again. Just as she was about to either give up hope of another kiss or make her own move, Brody met her mouth with an intensity that almost took her by surprise. Yet the thirst and hunger for this incredible man that had been building inside of her had her meeting him with an intensity of her own.

  Their lips moved in synchrony as they exchanged kisses and warm breath and hopes and dreams. Kaimbrey couldn’t fathom why she’d ever wasted time kissing any other man. Brody’s kisses filled her with such happiness and joy, exactly like his fun-loving personality, that she didn’t know if she could ever get enough of either. He made her feel like she was created for him and him alone.

  She slid her hands up around his neck and clung to him as he held her close and continued to work his magic on her mouth. Brody was the man she’d been waiting for. All worries over him being a player and her getting the proposal were shoved so far away she could barely glimpse them. Brody and his delicious kisses were her world, and she could easily focus on both for the rest of her existence and never utter a word of complaint.

  The rain dripped outside and there could be one very awful man coming after them, yet they were safe in the haven under this overhang. Kaimbrey didn’t care if they got rescued. She didn’t care if they died of hunger or froze. All she cared about was more time and more kisses shared with this incredible man.

  Chapter Eleven

  Brody awoke to a sharp pain in his lower back and heaven lying in his arms. Kaimbrey was clinging to his waist as her head rested against his chest. It was still predawn, but he could make out her beautiful features. He loved her smooth skin and long, curly hair. He wished her eyes would open so he could see them sparkle and her mouth would open and sass him. Oh, that mouth. Her lips seemed swollen, maybe from all the kisses they’d exchanged last night. Brody grinned. He’d take a horrible night’s sleep and a pain in his back if it meant kissing away most of the night like that again. Kaimbrey was quite simply the most appealing and angelic woman he’d ever been around.

  The rain had stopped, and they’d survived the night without that Jack guy appearing. Brody needed to get her to safety and make sure those two men had been caught and that Cally and Tate were okay. Then he would take her on a real date and focus on securing his future with this beautiful, spicy lady. His devotion to her was too fast and should have scared him, but Brody was never one to question instinct or a great thing, and he instinctively knew that he and Kaimbrey were a great thing.

  He shifted to ease the pain in his back and tightened his arms around her. Kaimbrey’s eyelids fluttered open. Her dark, expressive eyes stared up at him.

  “Good morning, beautiful.”

  Kaimbrey blinked a few times, and then her eyes widened in horror. She slipped out of his arms and stood. “Oh my goodness, oh my goodness! Did I mack-daddy with you most of the night?”

  Brody stood too, smiling at her feistiness, but not sure why she’d pulled away. “Unless that was all just a really amazing dream, I would say yes.” He held out his hand. “Please tell me you’re not regretting it.”

  Kaimbrey backed a step away and pushed her dark hair over her shoulder. “I, um … I don’t want you to think I’m some loose woman.”

  Brody tilted his head, confused. They’d only kissed. “I don’t,” he tried to reassure her.

  She shook her head and bit at her lip. “You’re just too … appealing. Your lips on my forehead, you so close, I couldn’t resist kissing you, and then once we started ....” She blew out a breath. “Incredible.”

  Brody grinned and stepped up close to her. “Good to hear I’m irresistible and incredible.”

  She looked up at him with the cutest perplexed expression.

  He couldn’t resist wrapping her in his arms. “Why are you so upset about us kissing the night away, sweetheart?”

  Kaimbrey’s eyes filled with indecision and she didn’t return the hug, but she didn’t step away either. She wanted to share something with him; he could feel it. Finally, she glanced out at the forest, lighting a little bit with dawn approaching and the rain finally letting up. She swung back to glare at him.

  Their gazes locked, and he could see into her soul, sense her fears, her hopes, her dreams. The rocks could come down around them, encasing them in darkness, and they would still be gazing into each other’s souls. Brody was about ready to pledge his eternal devotion when Kaimbrey’s next words surprised him.

  “Tell me you’re not a player,” she demanded.

  Brody’s eyebrows lifted and he chose his next words carefully. “If you’re asking if I would just kiss you like that and then ditch you, the answer is no.”

  “But you date a lot of different women and you never commit to any of them, right?”

  Brody didn’t want to lie to her, but the absolute truth right now was going to hurt him. He swallowe
d hard and admitted it, because his dad hadn’t raised any lying losers. “I do date a lot. I was hurt badly my senior year of college by a woman I thought I loved who was only using me.”

  Kaimbrey’s expressive eyes filled with compassion and understanding.

  “Since then, I have dated a lot of women and have never committed to one, but I have never felt this way before. You’re amazing, Kaimbrey, and I want to be with you, get to know you better, see where these strong feelings for you can go.”

  She blinked up at him. “That’s the line all the players use: ‘I’ve never felt this way before.’”

  Brody’s lips twisted, but he knew what was going on. “You’ve been hurt also.”

  She stared at him for a few seconds, then finally gave a tight nod.

  Brody wished he could thump the guy who’d hurt her. “The only thing we can do is give each other a chance. You have to admit there’s something incredible between us. Give it time, K. Let me earn your trust.” He dropped his voice. “And earn a lot more of those kisses.”

  Kaimbrey studied him, and for the first time since he’d met her, he couldn’t distinguish the emotions in her eyes. Just when he thought she was going to pull away and break his heart, she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him fiercely. Tears ran down her face, and that made him feel horrible, but he didn’t think he’d caused the tears. She was hurting, just like he’d been hurt. He wanted to be the one to fix it.