Page 23 of Trail to Trouble

Large hands massaged her shoulder blades as soft lips massaged her neck. The enjoyment of it was almost too overwhelming, but not so much that she didn’t let him continue. Good heavens. Her knees grew almost too weak to hold her up. As if he’d read her mind, he spun her to face him and wrapped his muscular arms around her lower back and pulled her toward him. It was easy to forget her earlier reluctance.

Their lips met in a light and feathery manner. The slow pace was delightful. This pace was about all she could handle right now, considering all that had gone on with Sebastián in the recent past. She hadn’t thought she’d ever kiss again, but her fast-beating heart and humming lips urged her on.

Hunter kept the pace consistent. He’d obviously figured out that this was all she could handle right now.

His large hands loosened from around the small of her back, skimmed up her sides, not stopping until they cupped her cheeks. When his mouth stopped moving and he pulled away, she opened her eyes. Those beautiful, warm chestnut irises of his soothed her soul and had her wanting more from him.

“That was nice,” he said.

His sensual, husky voice caused her to quiver.

She inhaled deeply to calm herself. That was a mistake. That outdoorsy scent of his enhanced her desire for him, but was she really ready for more? No.

“It was nice, really nice,” she replied.

The amber hues in his irises brightened as he leaned forward and gave her a sweet peck on her forehead.

“We should probably get back to the others,” he said as he pulled his hands from her face and took a step back.

Her cheeks cooled.

“I suppose,” she replied with reluctance.

Though she didn’t want to leave this moment, getting back to her friends was the right thing to do. They’d come on this trip to spend time together before going their separate ways onto the next phase of adulthood. She hoped this phase would be better than the last one. College started out great, but went downhill fast at the beginning of her senior year.

Hunter snatched up her left hand, and she flinched and reeled back as a sharp pain stabbed through it. Her heart pounded.

Concern and fear were emitted from his gaze.

Embarrassment and shame caused her to look away from him.

“Sorry. Are you okay?”

She stared at her hand as she rubbed the phantom pain away.

“Hannah?”

Slowly, she lifted her gaze, returning it to him.

“I’m okay,” she whispered as she fought the tears stinging her eyes.

Hunter’s gaze lowered to her hand that she’d practically rubbed raw. The top of it was red except for the one-inch scar, which remained bone white.

That scar would stay with her for life as an ugly reminder of what Sebastián had done to her.

“Did you get stung by something?”

“No. It’s an old wound.”

She had intended on leaving it at that, but words escaped her mouth.

“Somehow, pain flares up in it still.”

“Can I see it?” he asked in such a soft and caring tone she couldn’t resist his wish.

She lifted her hand.

Moving slowly, he reached out and took it in his hand, and held it gently as he moved it closer to his eyes. With his pointer finger from his other hand, he traced over the scar lightly with the pad of his fingertip. Then, he leaned forward and pressed his lips ever so gently to it. It felt exhilarating. Her heart swelled, and she leaned forward and kissed him. Hard. Pouring everything she had into it.