Her smile bloomed, and my heart skipped a beat. “I will.”
I was fucked because I liked the sound of that.
Swiping my thumb across her lower lip, I lifted her face. Her high cheekbones made her look like a wild princess.
What has she done to me?
The thought of not having her within sight was crippling. Even though I didn’t know how she would fit in, I didn’t care. I’d take care of her. I cupped her face and pecked her damp lips.
“Let’s go.”
“No eat?” She suddenly lifted the dead rabbit. Blood dripped onto the ground. Her hopeful look made me want to take a bite of the freshly killed animal.
“Not right now,” I said and slid my fingers into her hair, rubbing them against her scalp.
A purr started in her chest, and she leaned into my hand. Heat pulsed in my chest. She was a beauty.
The initial urge to run off with her abated. I slid my palm lower on her waist, grazing the side of her ribcage, behind the mass of long hair that reached her ass. My fingertips grazed wet gashes, and I froze.
“You’re hurt.”
It was too dark to see the crimson I could feel on my hand.
Her steady stare would have unnerved a lesser man. I kept one hand on her hip, keeping her perched on my thigh, and reached for the slim backpack I’d leaned against the side of the boulder I’d perched on.
I flipped the top flap and rifled inside. My excursion was only supposed to take a few hours at most, which was why I hadn’t brought more for my journey. I’d been rationing my granola bars, but I was down to one, and I pulled it out. The wrappercrinkled as I made quick work of unwrapping it, binding it around the base of the bar. I held it out to her.
She cocked her head, staring from me to the nutty bar. “Eat,” I ordered gruffly.
My stomach pinched, but I didn’t pay it any mind. I’d survived worse. My eyes snagged on the rabbit, and my stomach cramped again. I was going to have to set up camp to tend to her wound and eat. I couldn’t risk weakening. Her palpable excitement when she brought me the rabbit flashed forward.
Without wasting another second, I lifted her and set her on the boulder. I crouched next to the pack and pulled out the slim material I’d been sleeping on to protect my body, then pulled out a lighter.
Peeking over at her, I found her engrossed. She had the granola bar raised, her eyes squinting at it. She leaned in and sniffed.
I stopped my smile from stretching any further.Focus.
In quick succession, I had a space cleared and stretched out the water-resistant fabric. Collecting surrounding foliage, I gathered it on the dirt ground. When I looked at her again, she had crumbs on her chin, and her eyes were wide and bright.
“More,” she ordered, holding her hand out.
I actively forced myself not to look down at her bouncing breasts. The tight, sexy flesh was a sinful temptation. I ripped my attention away, reached inside the pack, then grabbed the knife and the water left in my canister. It was less than half since I’d been rationing it.
“I don’t have anymore.” I couldn’t bite back the frustration. “But I’ll start the rabbit so you can eat after I dress your wound.” I swept up the rabbit by the limp leg and stepped a bit away to skin it. She kept watching me, her focus so intense it made the hair on the back of my neck stand.
Fleshy, bloody meat was exposed as I stripped away the fur. I stretched the meat over the boulder and sliced diagonally to chop off the hindquarter. I slid a stick through the meat and speared it into the ground right where the small flames flickered. Brushing my hands off on my thighs, I returned to her where she watched me, her legs pressed together, palms stretched behind her on the boulder.
“Lean forward,” I urged, clasping her shoulder, to guide her to expose the injury. The long, limber line of her back stretched, as did the torn flesh on her back. I could have sworn that was larger.
I ran my fingertips close to the edge, keeping a distance away. She rumbled and her back undulated.
“Fuck, I have to wash it out. We need antibiotics,” I muttered to myself. The second part was key, because even if I washed it out, the elements surrounding her could cause an infection.
She didn’t move, letting me eye and prod the wound. I grabbed the water I had left and trickled some on it. She hissed and stiffened. As I watched, holding her shoulder still, blood trickled away.Was it becoming smaller?
I sucked in a breath. Itwas.
She let out a deep, annoyed growl and slid out from under my touch. “You’re healing?” Shock and amazement seeped into my tone. I carefully placed the bit of water left on the ground.
