Across the Line (In The Zone) Read Online Free PDF

going to see how cold the water is,” Becca announced. She shed the pack and laid it on the ground.
    “Wait a sec. Let me help you. The way down looks a little dicey.”
    She gave him a look. “Calder, I’m not helpless. I can handle it.”
    Chastised, he followed carefully, still alert to the danger of reinjuring his knee. The path she was taking didn’t look too dangerous. He had his stick, a bit more rustic and thick than his hockey stick, but it was helping. There were large boulders and numerous bushes and trees to navigate between. Becca seemed nimble enough, managing to choose her footing with alacrity. She’d worn hiking boots, which would help support her ankles.
    They were almost to a flat place where she could crouch to feel the water, when she suddenly froze. Despite the number of hikers that tramped through on a regular basis, the wildlife still came to drink. He wondered if she’d spotted a deer or a rabbit maybe. But then, a split second later, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold.

Chapter Five
    Becca rarely spotted animals when hiking. She wasn’t sure if it was because she wasn’t observant or if the critters hid because they heard her coming. Either way, if she’d been born in another time, she’d have had to be one of the gatherers because she’d have epically failed at hunting.
    Which was why she was almost on top of the snake before it made its presence known.
    A slight movement on the ground caught her eye and the dry, menacing rattle started out softly, sounding almost like dry leaves, but then it gained intensity and volume. Mostly brown with thick darker brown and thin black ragged stripes, it was a pretty big snake and looked like it was gathering itself for a strike. The triangular head and flickering tongue struck fear in her belly.
    “ Fuck. ” Calder’s voice cut into her consciousness at about the same time she became aware of him crashing toward her.
    She was about to stick her arm out to stop him from coming any closer when he went into hockey mode. After shouldering her aside like he might an opponent on the ice, he used the stick to slap the snake away as if clearing the puck out of his team’s zone. The viper flew about ten feet while Becca stumbled and ended up sitting in the stream, the water almost up to her neck.
    His gaze still fixed on the snake, which was slithering away, he asked, “Fuck, are you okay?”
    “I—I’m fine.” The knee-deep cold water shocked her but other than that, she was unharmed. “Thank you.”
    “Stay there. I want to make sure there aren’t any more of those fuckers around.” He took a few steps, poking with his stick in between the rocks and sweeping it through the grass and leaves.
    Becca stood. Now that the danger had passed, she felt shaky.
    “Oh my God, I can’t believe that just happened. I was almost on top of it. And did you see how huge it was? Thing had to be three feet long.” She slogged through the water back to him, glad of the sunshine.
    Calder didn’t say anything. He had a strange wide-eyed expression on his face. When she looked down at herself, she realized why. Her shirt was plastered to her body, leaving nothing to the imagination. Immediately, she pulled the shirt away, but when she let go, it just molded itself right back to her. Her bra didn’t help much in the way of modesty, not with her nipples wide awake and ready to party.
    “Christ,” he said, turning around. “Put a sweater on or something.”
    Seeing him so flustered made Becca smile. “I don’t have a sweater. Hold on, I’m going to wring out my shirt. Maybe that’ll help. Is your knee okay?”
    Still facing away from her, he bent it a couple of times. “It’s fine.”
    “Good.” As she put her wrinkled shirt back on, she replayed in her mind how Calder’s forearms flexed when he swung at the snake, and how he’d blocked her from harm with his big body, rescuing her from a terrifyingly venomous snake. Holy shit. That kind of