“Did the horse get you in the head? Maybe you shouldn’t be standing.”
I roll my eyes, looking at my horse to luckily find Tonka as calm as ever. At least we didn’t lose both of them with Camden’s stupid idea.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have lost one of our horses,” I spit. “Rebel will know how to get back to the stables, but he certainly won’t come back here.”
His nostrils flare as his eyes track my entire body. The lust that was in his eyes earlier is gone. Now, there’s concern in them as he thoroughly inspects every inch of my body.
“Anything hurting?”
“I’m not the one who’s bleeding,” I answer, nodding toward the blood trickling from the wound on his arm. He looks at it, his eyebrows going to his hairline like he didn’t even realize it was there.
Maybe if he wasn’t so busy worrying about me, he’d notice that his stupidity got him hurt. It can’t be bothering him too much if he didn’t even notice it to begin with.
“Maybe you should worry about your arm—or the fact we’re down to one horse—and stop hovering over me and pretending you give a shit. Now we have to share a horse the entire ride down.” I tense up at the thought of having to feel his body pressed against mine for an hour. I’m pissed at him, no longer wanting to kiss him but back to considering strangling him. I don’t want to have to be anywhere near him, but he wanted away from me so fast that he lost one of the horses in the process of getting the hell away from me.
Cade is going to go into a tailspin when Rebel returns alone.
Camden’s jaw flexes, and I swear I can hear the sound of his teeth grinding against one another. “We’ll call for someone to bring us a new one.”
I narrow my eyes, trying to stifle the angry laugh bubbling inside my chest. “Good luck getting service. And even if we could, they wouldn’t be up here for at least an hour. Is the thought of sharing a horse with me that bad?”
“Yes,” he answers immediately. His voice is lower, more uncontrolled than what I’m used to with him. It almost sounds strained, like it pains him to imagine sharing a horse on the way down. That would make two of us.
“God, you’re so hot and cold.” I angrily untie Tonka’s reins from a branch. He whinnies at me happily, ready to get going and completely unaware of the tension between Camden and me.
“I’m not getting on the horse with you.” He’s regained composure in his voice, his cold, calculating demeanor firmly back in place.
I finish stuffing our belongings back in the saddle bags, completely ignoring him. I don’t even look in his direction until I’m in the saddle and ready to go.
He scowls as I stare down at him. He looks so out of place up here in the mountains. His hands are shoved into his pockets uncomfortably, blood and dirt still coating his forearm. Camden could look good in anything, but it looks unnatural to see him in a T-shirt and jeans.
“I’m not getting on there with you, shortcake,” he repeats, trying to avoid looking me in the eye.
“It’s going to be a long walk down, then,” I respond, directing Tonka forward.
22
CAMDEN
Maybe I could keep walking until I got service. Then I could arrange for someone to pick me up. Or I could just find my way down the mountain on my own. I’ve watched hiking documentaries before. Surely if I kept walking down, I wouldn’t end up lost.
My fingers pinch the bridge of my nose in frustration. I don’t have a lot of options but to get on the damn horse with her.
“Fuck,” I rant under my breath, watching her and the horse disappear between the thick foliage of the trees. There’s no hope of me ever finding my way back to her family’s ranch, and I can’t bank on finding cell service anytime soon.
Which leads me to only one other option.
“Shortcake!” I shout, defeat clear in my voice. “Wait,” I add, jogging toward her. My toes are getting pinched in the tip of my boots. They’re probably half a size too small, creating blisters on the back of my heels as well. I ignore the dull ache of the boots and make my way to her, thankful that she at least listened for once and halted.
After stopping what was about to happen between us, it wouldn’t surprise me if she abandoned me at the top of the mountain. It might even serve me right.
I couldn’t help it. Once reality hit, I knew I couldn’t kiss her. I knew that it was the worst idea possible to involve myself with a woman who hates my guts—a woman who keeps trying to prove to me that I’m better than I am when I know I’m not. A kiss would lead to me wanting more of her. More of her past, more of her body, more of her rage. I’d want more and more until I was done with her, and for some reason, I know I wouldn’t be able to look at myself if I used her and left like I normally do. The women I involve myself with always know the rules, but some end up hurt anyway.