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“We can talk about it more later if you want,” he said, trying to keep his voice gentle. Thoughts were churning through his mind, but he didn’t want to worry her. “We’re about five minutes out from the falls.”
“Okay. Yeah. Maybe I can pull them up later on. I’m not sure my cell phone would get a good signal here anyway.”
“The trail narrows up ahead, so why don’t you go first. I’ll be right behind you,” he said. She agreed, and then Callie’s slender frame was moving in front of him. His gaze inadvertently landed on her ass, and he tried not to stare, letting his gaze track back up her body. Tiny wisps of her blonde strands had fallen free from her ponytail, landing around her slender neck. The ties from her hot pink bikini top caught his eye, and Wyatt felt his blood heat. She was delicate and sexy, even in her tank top and shorts. Selfishly, he was looking forward to seeing her in a bikini. Callie was a gorgeous woman. He was in good shape, and he had caught her own gaze landing on his muscles.
The electricity between them was still there, a sizzling undercurrent that always drew him closer. Made him want to learn more. Wyatt felt comfortable with Callie. With some women, the attraction burned bright, but there was nothing really holding them together. Their personalities didn’t mesh, and they had little in common. Callie was the complete opposite—the total package. She was smart. Beautiful. The tiniest bit shy when he focused his attention on her, which made him feel all that much more protective of her. He didn’t know what would come of their new friendship/relationship, but he knew he wanted more. Wyatt wanted to see where things could lead between them. Callie was the type of girl that made him want everything.
Chapter 12
CALLIE’S EYES WIDENED as they crested the top of the hiking trail, the sound of water growing louder. She never would’ve guessed a waterfall was hidden at the end of the dirt road Wyatt had pulled onto an hour ago. It wasn’t really at the end of the road, either. You had to hike to it. No wonder if wasn’t very crowded or well-known. She loved being in on a local secret of sorts and was thrilled Wyatt had wanted to take the time to bring her here.
“You hear that?” Wyatt asked.
She glanced back to look at him, beaming. “I was just thinking I can’t believe there’s really a waterfall hidden back here. That dirt road didn’t look too promising,” she joked.
“Oh, I’m wounded,” he teased, holding a hand to his chest. She could see the amusement dancing in his eyes, however. Wyatt easily carried both backpacks, having slung hers over his chest. She felt a little silly that she was carrying nothing, but he’d insisted. She’d make sure to haul her own gear on the hike back. She’d packed light, but when she’d swung her backpack around to grab her water, she’d twisted her arm just so. She rotated it, testing the strength.
“Is your arm okay?” Of course he’d noticed. Wyatt saw everything.
“It’s good,” she assured him. “I just twisted it too quickly earlier.” She glanced back at him again, smiling. Wyatt was barely winded from their hour-long hike. She wasn’t surprised. Those guys kept in top shape. He’d told her the other night sometimes they’d go on a ten-mile run early in the morning—before starting their regular PT. The guy was practically a machine. She wondered if he ever got tired. He’d been alert all those months ago in Manila, and she’d barely been able to stay awake in the triage area.
“We’re almost there,” he said, moving closer, one hand landing on her lower back.
Callie loved when he touched her like that. It wasn’t an obnoxious type of groping that some men might try. It gave her a feeling of security, like he had her back—literally, in this case. Wyatt’s clean, spicy scent filled the air around them, filled with just a trace of sweat. It wasn’t off-putting in the least. Excitement rippled through her at the idea of swimming together at the waterfall. She was more than a little curious to see him without a shirt on. Wyatt was muscular and strong. While she’d never necessarily been into the bodybuilder look, she knew much of his strength was from their training. He wasn’t just physically fit to show off. He was lethal, able to fight horrible enemies and rescue people.
“Oh my gosh,” she breathed as they crested the top of the trail. She stopped, Wyatt pausing at her side. She could sense rather than see his smile. She was watching the waterfall, but he was watching her.
The water spilled down from the rocks to a clear lagoon below, sparkling in the Hawaiian sunshine. It looked like something out of the movies, a hidden tropical paradise. There were several other hikers around, a couple even splashing in the water, but it wasn’t crowded.
“This view is incredible. How do we get down there?” she asked eagerly.
Wyatt nodded to a trail she hadn’t noticed. “We’ve got a bit more hiking to do. If you’re hungry, we can picnic here first, then go down and swim.”
“I’m starving,” she admitted.
“Then we’ll eat,” he said easily, guiding her over to a shaded area. Wyatt slid her backpack off his chest then slung his own around, setting both on the ground. He crouched down, and she was surprised to see him pull out a picnic blanket.
“Wow. You Navy SEALs really are prepared for anything—bad guys. Hijackings. Picnics.”
Wyatt’s bark of laughter surprised her. “I wasn’t going to make you sit in the dirt,” he said as he stood. “Although believe me, we’ve eaten in places a million times worse.”
“I believe it,” she said. Callie could only imagine the places he’d been sent. The setting today was picture perfect. They could hear and see the waterfall, bask in the warm sun if they wanted or just relax in the shade. “This is so amazing,” Callie said softly.
“I’m glad you like it,” he said. Wyatt stood, his muscles bunching as he shook out the blanket. She hurried to help, and together, they spread it on the ground. Wyatt began pulling things from his backpack. He had a small, soft-sided cooler he’d stashed in it, and she was surprised as he pulled out a few sub sandwiches. “I didn’t make them, just grabbed them at the store,” he admitted. “I’ve also got cheese, crackers, and some fruit. I didn’t think to pick up a dessert,” he said with a frown.
“This is perfect,” she assured him. “More than perfect.
“And I grabbed some hard seltzers. I wasn’t sure if you liked beer since you had that Mai Tai the other day.”
“What, no coconut drinks in your backpack?” she asked lightly.
He flashed her a grin. “Not today. Or ever, really,” he added as an afterthought. She giggled and was surprised as his entire face softened. Wyatt seemed to like making her smile, and she was more than flattered by his attention.
“Well, this looks perfect,” she said as he gestured for her to sit down.
“We’ve got turkey, ham and cheese, or veggie,” he said.
“Hmmm. I’ll take the turkey, unless you wanted it.”
