He stalked out of the crystal-clear lake, the water running down his body, distracting me and halting my steps. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”
“There’s adventure and then there’s freezing to death.”
Mesmerized by a drop running down his abs, I was too slow to evade his arms. He pulled me into a cold embrace, running his mouth along my neck and jawline, his wet hair dripping all over me.
I shrieked, the shock of the cold freezing me in place for a moment. I was only in my sweater, having already taken off my jacket in a moment of insanity when I thought I should join him in his endeavor.
Lucky for me, I’d come to my senses before I gave myself frostbite, even though my brain lost half its functionality whenever he took his clothes off.
His body didn’t stay cold long, and his kisses turned from playful nips to sensuous, open-mouthed explorations.
I couldn't remember why I'd wanted to get away from him as my arms wound around his neck and my mouth sought his.
My hands greedily roamed the hard planes of his body, savoring the feel of his velvety skin. When he eventually broke the kiss, I swayed forward, wanting more. It seemed like I always did when around Gunner. And I had a suspicion that my feelings had evolved from lust into something more.
He placed a kiss to my forehead and stepped back. “We should head back. It’s going to get dark soon.”
Forever the voice of reason. But I knew he was right. One encounter with a bear was enough to last me a lifetime. And who knew what came crawling out of the woods at night.
We both put our clothes back on, and Gunner slung the huge backpack over his shoulder. I’d offered to carry it—with lacking enthusiasm, if I was honest, because the thing was humongous—but he insisted on carrying it himself.
Today had been one of the best days of my life. Well, right after the last two days. They’d been pretty amazing too. I still knew hardly anything about him, but our conversations weren’t stilted, and his actions spoke of affection and respect.
The Gunner who’d tied me to the closest bolted-down object was gone. Instead, I was faced with someone impossible to resist.
He'd gone hunting again, not telling me what he’d caught, instead just cutting up the meat into supermarket-sized chunks before giving it to me.
And the way he already knew my body was like we’d been together for more than just a few days. But something I’d found out quickly: he paid attention. Oh boy, did he pay attention. To every little detail, movement, and sound. And he never forgot.
“What are you thinking about so hard over there?”
Hearing his voice was enough for my body to react, a flush sure to spread over my chest and face.
“Just things.”
He stopped, turning to face me. “You never just think about things. Is everything okay?”
Now he looked worried, a crease forming between his brows. I took a step forward, bringing us almost chest to chest, and smoothed my thumb over it. “Just processing the last couple days. A lot has happened.”
He relaxed into my touch, my hand now cupping his cheek. I loved the feel of his stubble on my palm. He placed his hand over mine, holding it in place, then turned his head and kissed my fingertips.
“You know you can always talk to me, right? We’re in this together. And I’ll do anything and everything I can to keep you safe. You don’t have to worry. After all, they tell me I’m the best in the business.”
His cocky smirk was back, and an amused chuckle burst out of me at his declaration. “If you didn’t know how to do your job, my dad wouldn’t have hired you.”
“Isn’t that the truth. Now let’s get back before you freeze your cute little butt off. I still have plans for it.”
He held my hand the rest of the walk back, and I skipped along beside him, excited for what was to come.
“We’re out of meat,” Gunner declared once the cabin came into view.
My excitement levels dropped, and I tried to think of supermarket shelves instead of what was about to happen.
“Don’t look at me like I kill your bunny every time I go out hunting, spitfire.”
I lowered my gaze, studying the forest floor instead. “I’m sorry. I know we need to eat something other than baked beans, but I can’t help it.”
My mind just couldn't make peace with it. If supermarkets ever closed down, I’d starve to death. Unless I had Gunner with me, of course.
