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Getting comfortable was impossible, so he sat up and put his feet on the shtly better Count sheep, he told himself, but when he closed his eyes, sheep wasn’t what ca him

Naked

Damn if that wasn’t a hell of a lot better than sheep But it wasn’t exactly conducive to falling sleep, so he rose, thinking a kitchen raid ht work A rustle warned him that he wasn’t the only one awake just as he collided into a ar her, he dropped backward to the couch, taking her with him

She landed sprawled over the top of hiainst his chest with every breath "You okay?"

Apparently she was, because she fisted both hands in his hair and kissed him, a really deep, wet, hot holy shit kiss Yeah, this This hat he’d needed all fking day long It was perfect

She was perfect

Instantly hard, he rolled to tuck her beneath his with his tointo her so that he was cradled between her thighs It was dark so he couldn’t see much, but he sure could feel And what he felt just about stopped his heart She appeared to be wearing an oversized shirt, panties, and nothing else, as he discovered when his hands slid beneath the shirt to cup her bare breasts

A he had her pinned beneath him, a perfect breast in each hand And he wanted to keep kissing her, keep touching her until she was too hot to stop hiotten the reason he was even here--Riley was in the next rooo of Amy and rise to his feet

The distance didn’t help Nor did the sight of A to catch her breath Her shirt had risen up, her cute little panties looking very white in the dark of the room He wanted in those little panties Wanted thatup the pillow and blanket, he strode to the door "I’ to sleep at all

"I thought the truck was uncomfortable," she said

Yes, and so was a hard-on He’d just have to live with it

Chapter 8

The best things in life are chocolate

Aet up to Sierra Meadows and back Try being the key word She wasn’t at all sure she had any confidence in her ability to do so, but she had to try

She had so whether or not to leave Riley a note or wake her up when the teen staggered out of the spare bedroo the same ratty jeans as yesterday but a different shirt, this one strategically torn in soer sense of fashion

"Sleep okay?" Amy asked her

"Yeah" Riley looked out the kitchen"The cop’s gone"

Yes, Matt was gone She’d heard hi in her bed awake, hot, aching, re what his hands had felt like on her when she’d heard his truck start up and drive away "And he’s not a cop He’s a forest ranger"

"Sanized soh since she’d always had her own to contend with "Listen, I’ up to Sierra Meadows Feel free to stay and catch up on some sleep There’s food, hot water… TV"

Riley looked around, her wariness showing "I don’t know"

"No one will bother you here Is that what you’re worried about? Because if so you, maybe I can help--"

"No," Riley said quickly Too quickly "I don’t need help I’ht there where Riley was, terrified and alone with no one to turn to Well, actually that wasn’t quite correct She’d had people to turn to, but she’d screwed that up, so when she’d needed help, no one had believed her

"You’re safe here," Amy said

Riley nodded, and Amy felt relieved Maybe she’d stay and be safe for the day, at least "Is there someone I can call for you, to let the shot

"I left out some spare clothes if you’re interested," Ae, but not much If you walk down to the diner later, I’llto eat, whatever you want"

"Why?"

Riley wasn’t asking about the food, and Amy knew it What she didn’t knoas how to answer, so she ith to-the-bone honesty "Because I kno it sucks to not knohere your nextto come from You don’t need to feel that, not today anyway"

It took Aet up to Sierra Meadows, s screa like a lunatic, she clio she’d teetered and then fallen, sliding down on her ass in the inky dark

There was no fog now so she could see, and the vieas breathtakingly gorgeous The sun poked through the lush growth, dappling the trail Far belon in the meadow, the stea her careful way down the steep incline to the rass and wildflowers to the wall of thirty-foot prehistoric rocks on the far side The er than it appeared from above, and there was no path, so this took another half hour Finally she stood before the towering rocks, feeling quite s, she sloalked the entire length of them Names and dates had been carved into the lower stones by countless clirandht curve as far as she could and found the last huge "dialy read each and every one, looking for the RB and SB that was Rose Barrett and Scott Barrett It took her another thirty minutes to decide they weren’t there

Frustrated, she sat in the wild grass and stared at the rock To give herself some time to think, she pulled out her sketch pad and drew the rocks She needed to start back soon but she was hesitant to leave without answers She looked at the rocks again and let out a breath

Then she reached for her phone and called the one person who could help her

"Hello?"

Amy went still at the sound of her mom’s voice

"Amy?"

Amy cleared her throat, but the eret "How did you know?"

"You’re the only one who ever calls and says nothing Though it’s been a few years" Her "

Amy closed her eyes "Yeah"

Now her mother was quiet

"I’ton State"