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He went to the stove to refill his boith aze with those lovely blue eyes of his

More of hi heat he'd lit within her wasn't just her i to et soood idea Don't forget your vest," he reminded her

Noelle strapped herself inside the vest and pulled on her coat The sky was clear and blue, but the as cold

She made quick use of the drafty facilities and was headed back inside to the relative war made her stop She wasn't sure if it was a noise she'd heard or the forest going quiet under the sound of wind through the branches, or if it was just her iination, but Noelle turned around and searched the trees to figure out what had spooked her Fear dampened her palms and she was sure she could hear the sound of her heart racing even through the heavy padding of her coat

It was just her iain That was all Just like those footprints She sure as hell wasn't going to run to David with claiain

The low branches of a nearby bush shifted suddenly as if so thehtened with terror That was not her iination Not this tis felt heavy, locked to the earth "David!"

He burst out of the cabin with a big black gun in hand He hadn't bothered pulling on his coat or his own Kevlar vest "You okay?"

"I, uh, heard so I think Saw some branches move"

"Where?"

Noelle pointed to the spot, and David placed himself between those branches and her

"Get inside and stay low" he ordered

Noelle's legs were heavy, but at least this ti his vest and she wasn'tabout to leave hirabbed it off the nail by the door

When she swung the door open to bring it to him, his voice lashed out at her, cold and hard "Don't you dare co alone if you get yourself killed" Just the thought of hih to make her break out in a cold sweat "Besides, it was probably just an ani any chances"

"Neither a to cower in the cabin when there was anything she could do to help hier, but he let her slip the vest over his wide shoulders while he kept the gun in his hands

"Show me exactly where you saw the movement"

Noelle pointed to the bushes just to the right of the Bronco "Right there"

The bushes swayed again, and David shoved her behind hiun at the branches

"Get back inside," he ordered in a voice she was sure rown men jump to obey

Before Noelle could turn, a deer shot across the clearing, disappearing in the thick trees on the far side

Noelle's heart harip on David's arm

"Just a deer" Relief was clear in his tone "To be on the safe side, I' to check it out and I want you back inside I'll just be a minute"

Noelle hated to leave him alone, but she knew she was of no use to him now This was his area of expertise, and all she could do to help was stay out of his way She went back inside the cabin, hating the sturdy little building un that David had given her and set it carefully beside her, keeping her eyes fixed on the cabin door

Her hands were shaking too badly for her to trust herself not to shoot David when he came back And he would come back It was just a deer She had to believe that

Seconds ticked by slowly Her pulse pounded painfully in her te seemed too loud in the eh her breathing slowed, adrenaline still rushed painfully through her bloodstrea her sweat She stripped out of her coat but left the vest on

David had his vest, too At least she'd ed to protect him that much

The heavy tread of boots sounded just outside, and Noelle placed her hand on the gun, just in case She didn't dare dwell on how easily her mind had turned to violence as a solution She was sure itso trivial mattered when David was still out there alone

"It's h the door "There was no one out there Just that deer"

Noelle just drank in the sight of him, thankful he'd come back in one piece He looked beautiful

"You okay?" he asked her, his voice gentle

Noelle nodded "You?"

He spread his thick ar hiood"

"You look a little shaken," he said, his eyes surveying her with that cautious, worried look thather un and slid it out of her easy reach Not a good sign