Swept Away (2 page)

She struggled briefly, mumbling something, as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest. The buzz of adrenaline flooded his system, blocking out the cold, the current, and everything but the need to keep her head above water and bring her to shore. He kicked hard to propel them away from the strongest part of the current. Working with the flow of the river and not against it was crucial in getting them both out alive.

The river slowed as they approached the eddy. Carson adjusted his grip and his hand slid up over the smooth curve of her breast. He corrected his hold on her, but not before his thumb grazed her nipple.

Focus.

Get her out of the water.

All the hours of training drained from his head. This wasn’t the first time he’d rescued someone from the river. It certainly wasn’t the first time he’d touched a woman’s breast. He should be able to get his mind back on track. Once they made it back to dry land, then he could think about her perfect breasts. When she was safe, he could let his mind wander in the direction his fingers had wanted to go. Not to mention his mouth.

“I’ve got you.” He tried to sound calm, in control. Like someone who knew what he was doing. Her life was still in his hands. “Trust me.”

Her body relaxed against his as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Relief flooded him as he realized she wasn’t going to panic and try to fight him. He still had to get her out of the water. Then get her somewhere warm. The image of his bed flashed through his mind and he brushed it away like a pesky mosquito.

Cody stood downstream, holding his rod case over the water. A rope would be better, but they’d left the hoopi in the truck. The tubular nylon webbing, often used by climbers, was one of their most valuable pieces of river gear. Almost as versatile as duct tape, and Carson wished he had some with him. He did have his brother. Cody might not remember to pay his cell phone bill on time, but get him on the river and he was one of the most reliable men around.

“Hold tight.” Carson reached for the case, and grabbed hold as Cody pulled them toward the shore, reeling them in like a couple of steelhead. Carson got his feet under him and helped the woman stand.

“You’re okay. You’re going to be just fine.” His legs felt like wet beef jerky now that the adrenaline drained from his system. His heart rate should be returning to normal, but he’d just felt her up in the middle of the river and he didn’t even know what color her eyes were. Let alone her name.

“Thank you.” She shivered.

Hidden Creek would be a very different river in another month. Once the runoff slowed, it would be marked with gentle riffles, calm pools, and some of the best trout fishing in Northern California. Today, it was a surging flow carrying a winter’s worth of snowmelt as it merged into the South Fork of the American River. Not as cold as it had been a few weeks ago, but still cold enough that twenty more minutes might have led to a different ending.

Carson tore off his wet shirt and pulled the woman against his bare skin. “I’ve got to get your core temperature up.” He massaged her arms and torso briskly, hoping she wouldn’t think he was some kind of perv. But, damn, she felt good pressed against him, soft in all the right places and naked except for her bikini bottoms. The idea was to warm her up, but he was the one on fire.

“Cody. Give me your shirt.” His words came out harsh and demanding. His brother obeyed, pulling the dry T-shirt off and tossing it to him in one swift motion. Carson slipped it over her head, breaking the contact but not the impact of her bare skin against his.

“What’s your name?” Carson asked.

“Lily Johnson.” She held her hand out, but quickly retreated. “Sorry. It’s Price. Lily Price.”

She shook her head before extending her hand again. Her grip was firm and surprisingly warm. Had she recently changed her name or was her confusion because of injury? He glanced down at her left hand. Bare. But that didn’t mean a thing. The river was a thief. She’d been known to take jewelry, sunglasses, and bathing suits. Even lives.

“I’m Carson Swift.” Carson dropped her hand, but he still felt the charge as if he’d been struck by lightning, and the water only intensified the conductivity. “This is my brother, Cody.”

“Oh, so there are two of you.” She let out a sigh of relief. “I thought I was seeing double.”

“We’re twins.” Cody reached out to shake hands. “Identical.”

“Nice to meet you both.” Lily glanced from one brother to the other. The glazed look in her honey-gold eyes told Carson she’d have to work at telling them apart. They were too much alike. On the outside.

“It’s our pleasure.” Cody emphasized the last word, letting her know that he was interested. Then again, Cody rarely met a good-looking woman he wasn’t interested in.

“Well, thank you both for…” Lily held her breath just long enough for Carson to suspect she was not as calm as she pretended to be. “Saving my life.” She flashed them a fake smile to let them know she was fine, thank-you-very-much.

“Hey, no problem.” Carson wanted her to believe it was no big deal. All in a day’s work.

Except it was a problem. A big problem. He couldn’t just walk away from her now.

Physically, she’d recover. She’d be sore for a few days, but the color had already returned to her cheeks. She stretched her arms overhead and rolled her head from side to side. He almost expected her to throw a few jabs in the air just to prove she was a fighter. But she kept casting glances at the river as if it might reach up and swallow her. Carson worried more about her emotional state. Fear could creep in like an unwanted vine and if left unchecked, it would take over, choking the life out of her.

“Let’s get you someplace warm.” Carson took her arm to lead her back up the path. “My truck is just down the creek.”

“Oh, that’s okay.” Lily eyed the water again with mistrust. “My cabin is right on the river.”

“Cedar shingles? Green trim?” Cody asked. They had fished this stretch of the river enough times to know the place she was talking about.

“That’s the one.” Lily’s face lit up with pride. There were only a few residences along the way and hers was by far the most welcoming.

“Trust me,” Carson said. “My truck is much closer.”

She shrugged and then bent down to pick up his keys and phone.

“You might need these then.” She handed the keys to him and their fingers brushed, sending a shiver down his spine.

“Is there someone we should call?” Carson asked as he took the phone.

“No.” Lily shook her head. Sadness flickered across her face, disappearing almost instantly. “I’m enjoying the solitude of Hidden Creek.”

“So you’re all alone out here?” Cody’s voice dripped with invitation. Could he be any more obvious? The woman had just been plucked from the river and Cody was trying to get her into bed.

“I’m taking a much-needed vacation.” Lily’s voice held a hint of defiance. “The first since my honeymoon seven years ago.”

“So will your husband be joining you?” Carson’s voice cracked like a thirteen-year-old boy. He half-hoped she was still married. Then he could just forget about her.

Yeah. Right.

“My
ex
-husband can go to hell.” Lily’s voice shook a little. As if she wasn’t used to using such strong language. Or maybe she wasn’t used to standing up for herself. “Did I say that out loud?”

“You did.” She made him laugh, in spite of everything.

“I am so embarrassed.” Lily blushed, a deep, dark pink. “I’m not really the bitter ex. I swear.”

“What, did the guy cheat on you?” Cody asked. Leave it to his brother to use a woman’s divorce as an opener to hit on her.

“Yeah. Among other things.” Lily looked down at the trail, as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Obviously she didn’t want to talk about it. She marched forward, but stumbled on an exposed root.

Carson grabbed her arm. Just to steady her. The sooner he got her back to her cabin, the better.

“Let’s get you home. Get you warmed up, and we’ll be on our way.” Carson would sleep better knowing she had no lasting effects of her ordeal. Besides, he already felt responsible for her.

He needed someone else to worry about like he needed another Swift River Adventures T-shirt.

Maybe he could use another shirt. His was dripping wet and covered in dirt. Lily was the only one of them wearing a shirt, dry or otherwise. And damn, if she didn’t look really good in it. Her hips swayed ever so slightly as she walked. She wasn’t very tall, but her legs stretched long and lean beneath the faded blue shirt. Her damp hair fell just below her shoulders. Carson couldn’t tell if it was light brown or dark blonde, but either way it would look great spread across his pillow.

He didn’t need to peek at Cody to know he was thinking the same thing. They were way past the age of acting like horny teenagers. Or they should be. Besides, Carson wasn’t going to stick around; he had no business lusting after her.

She was just something else he would leave behind.

* * * *

“So, Lily, what were you doing swimming in such high water?” one of the brothers asked. The one who’d pulled them both from the river. He’d also given her the shirt off his back. Literally.

“I wasn’t swimming.” Lily didn’t like the defensive tone in her voice. “I… I fell in.”

“Well, it’s a good thing we came along when we did,” the other brother said. He tried to keep his tone light, but Lily sensed an undercurrent of worry. They all knew what might have happened if the brothers hadn’t been there.

Some Mother’s Day this turned out to be. Not that she was fortunate enough to be a mother. And instead of being a good daughter, spending an uncomfortable day not talking about her divorce with her mom, she’d decided to relax in the sun, finally diving into that novel she bought for herself last Christmas. With everything that happened to her in the last few months, Lily hadn’t had time for small pleasures. Now she had all the time in the world. The next few months, at least. She planned on taking the summer off before looking for another bookkeeping job, or even landing clients of her own.

Lily had felt a little reckless sunbathing on that rock like a teenager. She’d even switched to SPF 15 instead of her usual 50. UV rays had turned out to be the least of her worries. She should have waited for the paperback or gotten an eBook. With the bulk and weight of a hardcover edition, the book had slipped out of her hands and as she reached for it, she’d tumbled head first into Hidden Creek.

She was a strong swimmer, an experienced swimmer, but the swift current had taken her by surprise. She’d tried swimming back toward the rock, but there was no way she could fight the force of all that water. Disoriented and a little ticked off at the twenty-seven dollars she’d spent on that book she’d never get to finish, she’d started flailing about, reaching for something, anything to grab onto so she could get her feet back under her.

She’d been in the water ten minutes, maybe longer, when she’d heard a deep male voice, felt strong arms around her, and realized she wasn’t alone in the water.

The rest happened so fast. She was in the water. Then out. Somewhere along the way, she’d lost her bathing suit top and this man was holding her close. There was a second man, identical to the first. He gave up his shirt and flirted with her. The first guy seemed worried about her. But she was fine. Really. They were making too much of a fuss over her. “Sorry to interrupt your fishing trip.” Lily tried to steady her voice, to sound like a woman who could take care of herself.

“Hey, it’s okay,” one of the guys said. “The water’s a little high for good fishing, anyway.”

“We caught something much better.” His brother smiled and spoke with a light-hearted tone. He was definitely flirting with her. She remembered flirting. It’s what her ex had done with every woman but her.

“Tell me again who’s who.” They’d reached the end of the trail. Lily was trying to keep them straight, knowing it must be hard to be constantly mistaken for your twin.

“I’m Cody, the good-looking one.” The first brother flashed his dimples and smoothed back his blond hair in an over-the-top, I-know-I’m-good-looking way.

“Yeah? When was the last time you got a haircut, you hippie?” His brother gave him a friendly shove. Lily’s gaze strayed to his wet shorts. He’d been the one to jump in the water after her. He’d been the one to really save her life. She shivered at the thought. And at the way the damp fabric clung to his muscular thighs.

“At least I don’t look like an escapee from boot camp, like Carson here.” Cody snapped to attention and offered a salute.

“I like it short.” Carson sounded a little offended. “Besides, my hair’s so thick if I go more than four or five weeks without a trim, I have to put stuff in it.”

“And it would just run out into the river, poisoning the fish.” Cody recited the words like scolded schoolboy. “Lighten up, man.”

“So I care about what gets washed into the river.” Carson shook his head and chuckled. “You only care about what you pull out.”

“Hey, at least I catch something once in a while.”

“I’m not talking about the fish.”

They teased each other, but there was genuine affection in their banter. Lily envied their closeness. As an only child, she’d envisioned a large family of her own someday. Three, maybe four kids running through the house. Walking down to Fairy Tale Town or the Sacramento Zoo. Baking cookies and hanging their artwork on the refrigerator door. The only thing hanging on her refrigerator now was an appointment card for Foothills Fertility Clinic.

She followed the twins to a white double-cab Toyota truck. Carson clicked open the locks and held the front passenger door for her. He offered his arm to help her climb up into the cab. A jolt, almost as startling as the icy-cold water, shot straight through her.

How long had it been since she’d been touched, really touched, by a man? For the last few years, sex had been entirely clinical. An act of procreation—and desperation—that had nothing to do with intimacy.

But he hadn’t really touched her. Not like that. He was only trying to help. Like he’d been trying to help when he pulled her against him. And he was only trying to help when he’d touched her breast. Lily wasn’t going to read anything into it. She didn’t need a man. She definitely didn’t need two of them.