Unintended Love: A contemporary romantic novella Read Online Free PDF Page A

after the sweltering day. As there was no trail to follow, it occurred to Melanie that she might be the only human to have ever touched the ground she walked on.
    On the way back, she took a wrong turn somewhere, and after a few minutes of traipsing through the forest the way she thought she’d come, she realized with alarm that she’d been walking way too long.
    It was becoming hard to see now; all the shadows seemed to be converging on her.

CHAPTER 4
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    M elanie shivered, partly because it was growing colder, but mostly because the shadows were darkening and blending, making an eerie atmosphere as she walked through the trees.
    It had been foolish not to take the flashlight. The distance she could see was growing shorter by the minute. The forest was noisier too with unseen creatures communicating all around her, and the whispering sounds of things moving in the trees, and on the ground. When something rushed past her feet, she jumped and lost her balance falling hard onto the ragged stump of a fallen tree.
    “Oh, damn!” she cried out in frustration and pain. Now she had a few more scrapes and bruises to add to the others she’d received that day.
    Hugging her shoulders, she told herself to stay calm. She hadn’t walked far enough from their camp to be very lost, and if she had to, she could always shout for Alex.
    She didn’t want to do that though, because it was humiliating to be lost the very first time she’d walked away from him. It seemed almost pathetic. And for some reason, it was important to her that he didn’t think of her as the type woman who needed a man to get her out of foolish situations.
    But her concern was growing into fear. All the greens and browns in her sight were now shadowy greys, and although there were slices of daylight showing through the tops of the trees, that wouldn’t last long.
    She was about to give up and call out when she spied the orangey glow of their fire, small but clear, flickering through the dense trees. She sighed with relief, and keeping the flames in sight as much as possible and frequently stumbling over rocks and tree roots, she walked back.
    The first stars were out by the time she came to the small clearing, and Alex didn’t look happy.
    He handed her a plate of steaming ravioli. “It’s not much, but if you’re as hungry as I was, it will taste good.”
    She took the plate gratefully. “Thanks. I’m sorry it took me so long. I got a little turned around.”
    “No problem...,” he said.
    Then he frowned. “Actually, I guess it is a problem, Melanie. This is dangerous country. We have to be smart, or we may not make it out of here. Don’t wander off again.”
    She knew he was right, but was a little miffed at his implication that she wasn’t being smart. She couldn’t stop herself from putting up a weak defense. “I didn’t ‘wander off’ and I do know that it’s dangerous.” 
    He looked at her skeptically. “So you know about the bears and the wolves?”
    “Yes, I do.”
    She felt the heat rise to her cheeks. He didn’t need to be like this, so doubting of her.
    “And the snakes, and the cougars? What about hypothermia?”
    “Okay! You’ve made your point.”
    She heard her voice rise and felt bad, remembering that she had actually been lost. And she hadn’t told him, but her ankle was throbbing from her fall. “I’m sorry. I won’t wander off again. I promise.”
    Alex’s expression softened.  “Good.”
    While he put together a makeshift tent from the parachute material, Melanie rummaged through her bag and found blue jeans, a sweat shirt and some running shoes. She walked to the other side of the plane and slipped them on, feeling grateful for the warmth they offered.
    When she returned and saw Alex laying out blankets and the one sleeping bag, it struck her how lucky she was. Not only was she still alive, but her companion for this adventure was...well, thinking of some of the other pilots she’d