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Grimacing, I let him drag me to my feet.
“You know you’re going to be more sore tomorrow,” he said.
“Is that you trying to cheer me up?” I asked.
“Nope. Just stating the facts.” Holding my hand, he led me through the bushes to the base of a rocky cliff where he’d layered a mound of palm fronds. He took off his headlamp and nestled it on the leaves so it shone upward. “Your bed, madam.”
I chuckled. “Thanks. Did you check for spiders and snakes?”
“Yep.”
“And frogs and giant centipedes?”
“Layla. Sit.”
I allowed him to manhandle me onto the make-do bed, and the leaves crackled beneath me as I sat. “Ah, this is better.”
He pulled a protein bar from his vest. “You should eat.”
Leaning back, I pulled my half-eaten bar from my pocket and as I peeled back the wrapper, Hunter sat beside me, easing into my personal space. The warmth of his leg touched mine, giving me a sense of comfort.
I didn’t shift away. I wanted him to touch me, and not just fleetingly. Hunter was the only man I’d ever felt so comfortable with. He was interesting, and kind, and even when he was bursting with pain, he’d always asked how I was.
As I inhaled the earthy scent of the forest floor, I shivered at the damp chill that permeated the air.
“You cold?”
I nodded. “A little.”
He sat back and parted his legs.
“Come here,” he whispered, pulling me over so I sat between his legs. He wrapped his arms around me, draping me into his warmth.
“Thank you,” I murmured, but my voice was barely audible over the chorus of nocturnal creatures.
“No worries,” he said as he bit into his protein bar.
I shifted my position so I could see his face. “For this rest, and for saving me.”
The light shone in his stunning blue eyes and as they met mine, the jungle around us seemed to fade away. Reaching up, I cupped his cheek, pulled him toward me, and pressed our lips together. Our kiss was somehow both delicate and desperate. He curled his hand around my neck, and my blood coursed through my veins as our kiss intensified. Every worry was stolen from my mind.
Hunter jerked back like he’d been bitten by an ant. “Layla.” He sucked air through his teeth.
The way he said my name, like a painful warning, shattered around me.
He twisted me, so I faced away from him, and pulled my back to his chest. His arms draped over my shoulders, and he seemed to tremble as he held me to his body like just the touch of me hurt him to his core.
Unsure what to do, I placed my hands over his arms and said, “Sorry.”
His head shook behind me. “No need.”
He didn’t elaborate, and a heavy silence fell over us that was soon replaced by the jungle and its buzzing inhabitants.
I licked my lips, tasting him all over again. Our kiss had been tender, yet also deep. We both felt something for each other. But once again, our timing was atrocious.
He cleared his throat. “Were you serious about giant centipedes?” He bit into his protein bar.
I huffed. He was obviously trying to shift his thoughts away from our kiss.
