His lips twitch, amusement clear in his eyes. “Are you?” he challenges, his grip tightening slightly. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re not watching anything but me.”
The words make my heart stutter. My cheeks flush, and I try to cover my reaction with boldness.
“Maybe I just like the view,” I say, my voice a mix of defiance and something softer.
Hunter’s eyes darken, the playful spark shifting into something possessive. “Careful, Lark,” he warns, his tone low and edged with danger. “You keep talking like that, and I might start to think you’re tempting me on purpose.”
The air between us feels like it could ignite at any moment.
“And if I was?” I ask, my voice barely audible, a challenge wrapped in uncertainty.
His jaw clenches, a muscle ticking in his cheek. “Then I’d have to remind you what happens when you play with fire.”
A thrill runs through me, my body tightening in response. I lean in, my voice a whisper. “I think I can handle the heat.”
For a moment, it’s like all the air’s been sucked out of the forest. Hunter’s gaze is molten, his breathing heavy. I expect him to close the distance, but instead, he steps back abruptly, running a hand through his hair as if fighting for control.
“Damn it, Lark,” he mutters, frustration and desire raw in his voice. “You have no idea what you’re doing to me.”
I take a shaky breath, trying to process the intensity of the moment.
“Maybe I do,” I say quietly, my voice a mix of defiance and longing.
His eyes burn into mine, the air around us charged with electricity. “You don’t,” he insists, but there’s a vulnerability in his voice I haven’t heard before. “Because if you did, you’d know that I’m barely holding on here.”
His honesty sends a shiver down my spine, but it’s anticipation, not fear, that takes hold. I step closer, my gaze steady.
“Then stop holding on,” I whisper, my voice daring.
Hunter’s control finally breaks. He pulls me against him, his mouth finding mine in a kiss that’s fierce and demanding. It’s not gentle or slow—it’s desperate, a collision of need and unspoken promises.
My hands tangle in his hair, my body arching into his. The kiss deepens, and it’s messy, urgent, like we’re both trying to claim something we’ve been denying for too long. His hands are everywhere—my waist, my back, my hair—pulling me closer, as if he can’t get enough.
“Hunter,” I gasp, my voice a mix of plea and surrender.
He pulls back, breathing hard, his eyes blazing with hunger that matches my own.
“We can’t,” he says, but the words are rough, as if they’re meant more for himself than for me.
I tighten my grip on his shirt, my voice steady despite the trembling in my body. “Why not?”
Hunter’s jaw clenches, the tension clear in his muscles. “Because if I start, I won’t be able to stop.”
My heart races, his words a heady mix of warning and invitation.
“Maybe I don’t want you to stop,” I whisper.
Hunter’s restraint finally snaps, and he crushes me to him again, his mouth claiming mine in another searing kiss. This time, it’s deeper, slower, but no less desperate—an admission of everything we’ve been fighting.
When I finally pull back, breathless, my eyes wide with a mix of fear and desire, I ask, “What are we doing?”
Hunter’s gaze softens, his hand cupping my cheek. “Surviving,” he says simply, his voice raw. “And maybe finding a reason to keep going.”
The words hang between us, and I know, without a doubt, that we’ve crossed a line we can’t uncross. But in this moment, tangled in each other’s arms, it’s the only thing that feels real.
Chapter Five
Hunter
