Free Look Before You Bake by Cassie Wright Page A

his touch shoots through the roof. A part of my mind suddenly wonders what it would be like to have those powerful fingers work my body in another way, and I immediately blush. He cups my calf and pushes in deep, and I almost yell, jumping an inch up from the rock.
    "There," he says, setting my leg down. "See if that's better."
    "I'll never walk again," I say, closing my eyes.
    "I have faith in you," he says, moving back to his rock.
    "Go on without me." I don't know why I feel so comfortable with him, showing this silly side of me that nobody else ever sees. "You have a whole life ahead of you. Don't waste it by staying here with me."
    "And never taste your cooking again? Unlikely."
    I open my eyes, mock-serious. "I'll mail you cookies. We can work this out."
    He stands, steps over to me, and then to my completely surprise lifts me to my feet as if I weigh nothing. "Never. Mail order cookies can't replace the real thing."
    I go to say something, a witty response, but my tongue trips all over itself. His hands are wrapped around my upper arms. His face is looking down into mine. His eyes are wide, and there's something in their depths that stills my voice. I gulp. Did I fall asleep against him last night? Will we have another night together tonight? I can't breathe. I look at his lips, and almost succumb to begging. Please kiss me , I think, and then remember how awful I must look. I blink and step back, wincing with each step, but he's right, it feels much better.
    "Maybe I can hobble," I say, turning away to cover my arousal.
    "I'll go slow."
    "Only at first," I say. "Then we can go faster." Where did that come from?
    "As fast as you like," he says, and I hear him step up behind me.
    I can't seem to control myself. I turn and look up into his face. "But not too fast. It's good when it lasts."
    His eyebrow goes up, and then a smoldering light catches fire in his amazing eyes. "Oh, we'll make it last. Don't worry about that."
    I'm horrified at myself. Scandalized by own words. Did I just say that? Out loud? It's good when it lasts? I always think those lines when I'm reading my romance novels, when I'm watching movies, but did I just – wait – and did he –
    It's too much. I snatch up my coffee, drink it in one gulp, scalding my tongue, then rush past him. "Time to pack! Early morning start! Fresh air! Trees!" I dive into my tent, zip the flap shut, and then bury my head under my pillow. Trees? Did I just say 'trees'? Oh god. Kill me now. How am I ever going to emerge from this tent? I can't. I'll have to live in here for the rest of my life.
    OK, play it cool. Just act like nothing happened. Pack up, all professional like, and then pretend to have some dignity.
    Ten minutes later we set out from camp. I keep a straight face and absolutely don't look at Arthur, who is clearly fighting back the urge to grin. I lead the way, ignoring the pain in my muscles, and thank god the trail heads down the mountain for the first hour. By the end of which my soreness has faded, I'm warmed up, and I'm actually enjoying the hike.
    The wilderness is beautiful, and during fall especially so. We hike for a good four hours, and eventually stop for lunch at a small lake that could be right out of a fairy tale. Surrounded by rushes, ringed in by mountains, on a grass-covered bank by the water's edge, we sit and picnic and I somehow manage not to put my foot in my mouth the whole time. Arthur asks me more about my past, and I dance around Gerry, Harold, and my father's obligations, while he in turn proves remarkably shy about giving any information about the werebear we're en route to find. After only half an hour we pack and head on to the final campsite.
    We arrive just as the sun's going down, and I'm quietly proud of how well I've managed to keep up. I feel like I'm rediscovering my old hiking muscles. Arthur leads us to an enchanted spot where a small stream waterfalls into a magical pool, then drains out into a taller waterfall that