Page 17 of Hunted

We walk in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before she asks, “Is he mad?”

“What? Who?” I ask, wondering where her train of thought is coming from.

“Reece?”

“No, why would you think that?”

She shrugs, looking down as we move towards the waterfall. “I dunno, after last night and this morning, he was pretty quiet.”

“I don’t think he knows how to act around you.”

She frowns up at me, a look of confusion etched in her face.

“Zee, he thought you had died. That kinda broke him. He’s never even looked at another girl.” A soft gasp escapes her lips, and I nod, pleased that she’s starting to understand why he is the way he is. “You remember our stories about him? How when we met him, he was so broken and angry?” She nods and I continue.

“Now you’re back, he’s trying to piece together the thirteen-year-old girl that he remembers with the new woman you are today. He feels like it’s his fault you’re here, and he’s trying to come to terms with that at the same time.”

“But it’s not his fault,” she says quietly.

“I know that, and you know that, and maybe someday, he’ll believe that, too.”

The sound of the waterfall reaches my ears, and when we round the corner, it comes into view.

“You know, I think I’ll miss this place when we get out of here.”

“It really is beautiful,” she says, a soft smile on her face.

Looking down at her, the wind blows her blonde hair away from her face and the sunlight breaks through the trees to catch a sparkle in her piercing green eyes. She’s fucking gorgeous. It’s hard to believe I get to call her mine. She catches me staring at her and she asks, “What?”

“I’m just admiring something truly beautiful.” Her cheeks redden and a huge smile splits my face. I bring my hand up to cup her cheek. “Fucking gorgeous.”

“Bower…” she whispers, her soft hand dropping my wrist, like she doesn’t want me to let go.

I pull off all the bags and dump them on the ground. Turning towards her, I grip her face between my hands as I stare down into her stunning eyes. “Do you know how hard it was keeping my hands off you last night? When I was helping you change?”

“Your hands were on me, though,” she says, licking her lips with a look of hunger in her eyes.

“Yes, but I wanted to be touching you somewhere else.”

I can see her breathing getting heavy as she whispers, “Where?”

My tongue pokes out as I consider my answer and how far I want to push her right now, but if the way she’s looking at me is any indication, she wants this to stop as much as I do, which is not at all.

“Want me to show you?” I ask, my hands sliding down her neck, over her shoulders, down her arms to land on her hips.

She nods her head before biting her lip, making me groan, my fingers tightening on her skin. “Arms up,” I command, and she raises theminstantly. I slide my hands up and take her top off, dropping it on top of our bags.

I take a second to admire her naked top half and let my hands wander to her chest. I grip both her breasts and squeeze them gently. She lets out a soft moan as she pushes herself against me, wanting more. I pinch her nipples and step closer, bending my head towards her as she tilts hers up to me.

I don't hesitate to kiss her. She opens eagerly for me and soon our tongues collide in a passionate dance. I rub soft circles on her nipples, and she gasps against me.

Finally, I let my hands roam lower, pushing her skirt down and letting it drop to the ground. “Spread your legs, baby,” I whisper, and she does as I command, giving me easier access to her core.

I start by gently rubbing her throbbing clit as she moans against me.

“Bower.” She says my name like a plea, and since I have no intention of making her beg, I slip a single finger into her. When she takes it easily, I add a second and slowly start pumping them into her.

“Bower!” she cries again, her hips moving against me harder, begging for more. “Bower, I want you.”