Heart of the Wild by Rita Hestand

thinking? Had she lost her mind? This was Amory, the man that despised her.
    "Sorry," she murmured backing away from him, her eyes not quite meeting his.
    "For what?" he asked, as his eyes blazed.
    She forgot the knife still dangling in her hand, and that she was clutching it so hard her knuckles were turning white, until his eyes lowered. She tossed it in the sink, and rubbed her hands together.
    He started to pull her back into his arms, but she pushed him away.
    "I—I don't need your comfort," she insisted, holding her head high.
    He looked as though he was summing up the situation. He stood rock still, then slowly—shook his head.
    "No, you probably don't. You're a strong woman. But you do need a scolding. My God, Kasie, feeding a bear! I'd have thought even you would know better."
    She faced him, the shock of his words like a hard slap on the face.
    How long had he been out there? Had he witnessed everything?
    "If I hadn't come back when I did, you might have been in real trouble," he added, stalking the small space between them.
    He seemed bigger than life, and more dangerous than Ole Blue.
    Kasie's emotions erupted like a volcano. She didn't know if she should throw something at this big brute, or just be thankful he came back when he did.
    "I found his den," he was saying, still pacing, not looking directly at her. "It's not far from here. Something is going to have to be done about him. Otherwise, we'll have regular visits. Especially since you decided to feed him. Now he knows exactly where to come. He'll be worse than any pet you've ever known." He glanced down at her as she blinked hard.
    "Never, I mean never, feed a bear. Because if you should fail to fill him—," he paused his eyes going over her thoroughly. "Do you understand?"
    When she said nothing, he grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her until her head fell backwards, her hair splayed over her shoulders like white silk.
    Hot tears stung her eyes. She wasn't afraid of him or the bear right now. No, right now she was angry. So angry that she wanted to strike out at him.
    Not once, not once had he bothered to compliment her on saving his precious lean-to. No, instead he was reprimanding her for feeding an obviously hungry old bear. She felt like the unsung hero.
    "Listen," she said squaring her shoulders and facing him, finally. One finger shot out to punch him in the chest, "you insensitive bully." She came boldly closer. "I don't need your lectures. And I won't stand here another minute listening to you rant and rave. I'm sorry I didn't do the right thing, according to Chayton Amory, the wilderness expert. But you left me here alone. Alone! Without adequate protection! I did everything, I mean everything, I possibly could think of. And for your information, I saved your damned lean-to for you."
    She was seething, the fury building within her as she approached him, and wishing she hadn't thrown the knife down so soon.
    "Saved my—"
    "So stop giving me lectures on bears."
    Disbelief registered on his face. "Why, you ungrateful little brat! I ought to turn you over my knee and blister the tar out of you. Don't you realize the danger you were in? You may not need my lectures," he stated, his voice rough and ragged, "... but you sure as hell need this ..." he muttered as he jerked her none too gently back into his arms, and his lips clamped down on hers with such finality even she couldn't fight it.
    Ice met fire! Cold met hot!
    Rampant emotions washed through Kasie like a high tide at sea. Like the tide itself, his lips washed over hers in unhurried motions. Wave after wonderful wave. Fighting and yielding became one and the same. She had to fight him, for he had stolen her heart once. He could easily do it again. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she knew she should be struggling against this sweet torture, but it died a slow, sizzling death. How could she fight the rightness of it? Amory was kissing her, and she blanked out everything else.
    Her mind