Chapter 6 #2
She nodded and followed closely, within two steps.
So close that she could smell his rich, earthy scent with a hint of chocolate.
Though she had to wonder if the woodsy scent was him, or the woods itself.
Either way, it was a relaxing scent, and her senses couldn’t get enough of it.
She raked her gaze over his backside. Broad shoulders, slim waist, muscular legs.
There was no doubt this guy worked out in addition to getting cardio exercise during his guiding trips.
Inhaling deeply, she took in the aroma that followed him.
That fabulous fragrance she enjoyed had to be from him.
They were among cedar trees along this shoreline, yet there was a hint of pine in the air.
It was definitely his scent. He was one with the woods.
Hunter stopped, turned to look at her, and grinned.
“Isn’t this great?” he asked as he whisked his hand through the air.
“Yes.”
“I knew you’d like it here.”
“It’s beautiful and peaceful. Just what I needed.”
His gaze held hers for a few moments before he cut her loose.
“It’s none of my business, but whatever it is that’s causing so much tension in your shoulders...well, I just hope it eases soon.”
Her gaze landed on the ground. She was uncomfortable talking about her situation with Sebastián, especially with a man she hardly knew.
“Sorry. Like I said, it’s none of my business and I wasn’t asking to pry. I was just making a statement.”
Believing him, she nodded and returned her gaze to him. She reached back and rubbed the base of her neck and left shoulder as far as her right hand would reach. If only the tension would disappear, she would be thrilled.
“Come here. Let me work that out for you.”
“What?”
“Let me massage that for you.”
She flinched as if physically struck by his words. Yes, she’d kissed him earlier and thoroughly enjoyed it, but the split-second thought of being touched by him caused her to recoil. She hated this involuntary reaction.
Hunter lifted his hand in the air, holding them submissively. Concern laced his gaze. “I just want to help. It’s all good.”
After a couple of seconds, he lowered his hands and then pointed ahead. “The trail just circles back now.”
He turned away from her as if to lead her down the trail again.
“Wait!”
He spun around.
She stepped up to him and then turned her back to him.
The warmth of his large hands seeped into her skin as he placed his hands on her shoulders and used his thumbs to work out the knots in her shoulder blades. His magic touch was nothing short of amazing.
She closed her eyes and soaked in the feel of his exquisite touch.
The pads of his thumbs firmly, yet soothingly, rubbed her shoulders in a circular motion, slowly easing the tension from her.
With as good as his touch felt through the barrier of her clothing, she wondered how good it would feel for his hands to touch her skin directly.
No doubt, she’d probably melt with direct contact from his fingertips, like she’d nearly done earlier in the day when their lips met.
She eased her head back just a smidge, and the pads of his thumbs crept up to the base of her neck.
Skin on skin. Excitement shot through her.
“I want to kiss your neck. Can I?” he asked softly.
She was shocked he asked, but then recalled he knew how jumpy she was around him and was doing her a courtesy to make sure she wanted that. He was so aware and kind.
“Yes.”
She tilted her head to the side to give him better access.
Her heart rate jolted up another notch when his lips pressed to the side of her neck. His mouth skimmed lightly toward the sensitive point behind her earlobe. She leaned back and melted into him.
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.
His warm tongue swept through her mouth. They kissed and kissed and kissed. She enjoyed the hell out of it. Hunter’s arms held her tightly to his body. She liked it and firmed up her own grip.
After a few more moments of mind-boggling bliss, Hunter loosened his hold and edged back. He stared at her. Those amber specks in his brown eyes looked fiery. Her insides sizzled with delight. She didn’t want to stop kissing him.
“We’d better get back and check on the others,” Hunter said.
He was probably right. Bianca and Alyssa didn’t fare well by themselves in the wilderness. She considered dismissing the thought, as they were probably still just sunbathing on the small sandy beach area.
They hopped back into the canoe and made their way back upriver to the campsite. When they got there, they found Alyssa and Bianca sitting on opposite sides of the picnic table wearing frightened expressions.
“Are you okay? What happened?” Hunter asked.
Alyssa stood with her camera in her hand. “We were just lying on the beach and I looked across the river to find this...a bear,” she said as she handed the camera to Hunter to view the screen.
He studied the screen and smiled. “It’s just a black bear. What awesome luck for you to see this.”
“Are you kidding?” Bianca chimed in. “We could have been attacked.”
Dread saturated every cell of her being. Her friend was right. Here she and Hunter had been off gallivanting around and kissing while her friends were in danger with no guide to protect them.
The concern and look of failure emanating from Hunter let her know he felt the same. He had a duty to protect them on this trip.
“I’m sorry. Yes. But the bear was across the water...” Hunter said before Bianca cut him off.
“What, they can’t swim? And furthermore, if there’s a bear over there, what says there isn’t a bear over here? What if it had come over here?” Bianca’s nostrils flared as she spoke.
“I wasn’t all that frightened until we heard some thrashing around over there,” Alyssa said as she pointed toward the trail they had hiked earlier.
“We didn’t know what it was,” she added.
“It’s all okay now. Everything is fine. Nothing will happen to you. Animals are skittish. Unless you stumble upon a wild animal with babies, or a wounded animal, you’ve probably nothing to fear,” Hunter tried to assure.
Bianca’s nostrils still flared.
“Alyssa, look at that great photo you got. You can’t get that in the city, now, can you?” Hunter asked.
Hannah supposed he was attempting to use the awesome photo as a distraction for Alyssa to get her mind off the potential danger she’d been in.
Alyssa took the camera from him and filtered through the not one but six photos she snapped of the bear, showing everybody her work. Yep, she was okay now.
The relief on Hunter’s face was clear. She supposed the last thing he needed was unhappy customers and the last thing she needed was unhappy friends. Especially since they were kind enough to take this type of trip with her to help get her mind off things.
“Shall we get going on dinner? We’re having pizza tonight” Hunter said, as he headed over to the cooler stashed in the metal box.
“Pizza?” Alyssa questioned.
“Yep, pizza made in the pudgy pie makers. Then we can have cherry or blueberry pies for dessert.”
Hannah’s mouth watered. She hadn’t used a pudgy pie maker in years and looked forward to it.
Hunter pulled the cooler from the animal-proofed box. “Feels heavy. That’s a good sign.”
“What?” Hannah asked.
“It means the guys were here and stocked our cooler with dinner and tomorrow’s breakfast and lunch,” Hunter replied, then fixed his gaze on Bianca and Alyssa. “Take it you saw them?”
“Yeah, it was two guys in a motorized boat.”
Hunter set the cooler on the picnic table and pulled out sausage, green peppers, onion, black olives, and cheese.
“I’ll fry up the Italian sausage. We’ll each make our own pizzas, so you can put on yours whatever you wish,” he said.
From the cooler, Hannah pulled out the loaf of bread and butter, then retrieved the two pudgy pie makers from the supply box and explained to her friends how to make the pizzas.
“It’s easy peasy.”
The girls nodded.
“First things first, though,” Hannah said as she headed toward the pit toilet.
First, she inspected the seat for spiders.
She didn’t really mind using an outdoor toilet, but didn’t want any surprises, either.
All clear. She sat and quickly took care of business.
As she rose and pulled up her shorts, she looked ahead to see her missing sunglasses attached to a tree, staring back at her. She yanked them off the tree.
“Hilarious ladies,” she yelled to her friends as she headed toward them.
“What?” Bianca asked.
“My sunglasses. Where did you find them?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Right. Then who put them on the tree facing the toilet?”
“It wasn’t me,” Bianca replied.
“Me either,” said Alyssa.
Hannah turned her gaze to Hunter and arched a brow.
“It wasn’t me. I was with you,” he replied defensively.
She bounced her gaze between the three of them. “You’re all serious?”
They all answered with nods.
“Where did you find them?” Hunter asked. “Show me.”
With the group in tow, she marched back to the pit toilet and then up to the small tree that had worn her sunglasses and pointed to the spot.
Hunter’s gaze dropped from the tree to the ground and pointed. “The vegetation is disturbed.”
He pinned his gaze on her. “Where did you stand when you retrieved them?”
She pointed, “Right there. I walked over from the toilet to here, then spun around and walked the same few steps back.”
Hunter circled the tree and studied the ground. Then he stopped and looked at Alyssa and Bianca. “So, neither of you did this?”
“No,” they replied in unison.
“Did the staff from the boat come back here at all?”
The two shook their heads.
“They just stocked the cooler and the woodpile, then left,” Bianca said. “Maybe the campers from the site we were on yesterday found them and brought them here,” Bianca added.
Hunter rubbed his chin with his hand. Simultaneously, his brows knit.
“Maybe, but likely they wouldn’t. Their guide would have had to bring them here, and then why wouldn’t they just put them on the table, and better yet, why wouldn’t they just send them with the staff on the motorized boat? It just doesn’t make sense.”
“Unless they just thought they were being funny,” Alyssa added.
That old familiar sensation of dread coiled in the pit of Hannah’s stomach, and the skeptical look in Hunter’s eyes let her know there was something more to this. Something was not right. Not right at all. This trip wasn’t going to end well for any of them.
A branch snapped, and Hannah’s gaze darted in that direction.