Page 62 of Mountain Impact

“I didn’t know how Amélie was feeling, I wouldn’t have known how to keep her alive, and if you’d died―” she sobbed.

Drake took each of those in turn. “I didn’t die, Isolde. I’m fine, and I’m here with you. We’re going to do our best to keep Amélie safe, and to get her the help she so clearly needs. And you couldn’t have known how she was feeling. First of all, because she isn’t your patient, but also because you aren’t a mind reader. I know you’ve heard this before, but this isn’t on you.”

He offered her the water bottle again. Isolde sniffled, looking up at him, but this time she drank. “You have answers for everything?”

“Come here, sweetheart.”

Isolde’s cheek felt warm against his chest.

“Thank you, Drake. For everything.”

Drake lifted her chin gently until they were looking directly at each other. The light from the fire shone in her honey-colored eyes.

He rubbed the heel of his palm against his eyes. “Jesus, when I think of how close I came to losing you, Isolde. You know I would do anything for you, right?”

He leaned down to kiss her forehead, needing the contact with her more than he needed his next breath, but her face came up at the last second, so his lips fell on her mouth instead. Drake’s desire ignited the moment his rough lips met Isolde’s soft lips. Then her lips parted slightly and her pink tongue came out, tracing the shape of his lips.

His eyes closed in pleasure as they explored each other’s mouths tenderly.

I love you.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, about to leave his mouth, when something suddenly moved to the side of them. Drake instinctively positioned himself between Isolde and the sound, until he realized it was just Amélie, thrashing around in the midst of a nightmare.

Isolde rushed to the woman’s side and held her bound hands, whispering soothing words.

“She’s cold, Drake.”

Drake fished in his backpack and came up with a slim sleeping bag. He shook it out to fluff it up, then unzipped the two halves.

“Here,” he said, wrapping one half of the sleeping bag around Amélie, right over the space blanket. “This should help trap warm air around her. Come on, Isolde, you need to get warm and rest as well.”

“I’m okay,” she said, but got up and followed him back to the other side of the cave. She sat on his coat, her back against the wall, leaving space for him on the other side.

Drake sat down next to her, dropping his pack beside him. He wrapped the sleeping bag tight around both of them.

“How are you feeling, Isolde?”

She considered for a moment.

“Hungry,” she said.

He laughed out loud. “Here, have this,” he said, pulling a power bar out of his pocket. He knew she wouldn’t eat the whole thing, so he broke it in half and started chewing on his half while offering the other piece to her.

She moaned appreciatively when the flavor hit her mouth―the sound going straight to his cock. Drake was glad now for the sleeping bag that covered his lap.

“You really are just like Mary Poppins,” she said, speaking around a mouthful. Then her expression got serious again. “Are we safe here, Drake?”

“You can rest, Isolde. I won’t let anything hurt you.”

“We can take turns keeping watch. I don’t want you to stay up all night.”

“I’m okay, I need little sleep. Rest, please, Isolde. You’ll need your energy tomorrow morning.”

He didn’t know when he’d be able to close his eyes again and not see Amélie waving her gun at Isolde―but that day wouldn’t be tonight.

He felt the moment her body relaxed against his. For hours he stayed still, unwilling to risk waking her up.

Outside, the storm raged―but inside the cave, Drake’s body was attuned to every small change in Isolde’s breathing pattern. A couple times she moaned and shuddered. Each time that happened, Drake grabbed her hands gently and whispered in her ear, which seemed to help quieten her down.