Page 42 of Searching Blind

“I know this isn’t the moment. I just… I needed this.” She took a deep, shaky breath. “I needed to feel this connection. Needed to feel… normal again.”

Her words echoed in his head as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. He could feel her heart thudding against his chest, her body trembling under his touch. The sound of the waterfall was a distant buzz in his ears as he focused solely on Lucy.

“You’re not normal, Ranger Harper,” he told her, stroking a hand down the sleek curve of her back. “You’re extraordinary.”

He felt her laugh against his neck, low and warm. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”

“Good to know. I’ll store that information for future use.” As he said it, Sawyer realized he meant every word. He wanted a future where he could learn all the things that pleased Lucy Harper.

Her body was heat against his in the chilly water, and even without sight, he could envision the toned lines of her body, the slope of her breasts, the curve of her hips.

“I want to touch you.” He found himself leaning in, burying his nose in her hair, inhaling the scent of waterfall and Lucy.

Her arms tightened around him, holding him closer. “Then touch me.”

He gave a rueful laugh. “We don’t have time. Not for the way I want to, at least.” His voice was rough and low as he traced his fingers back up her spine. “I want to taste every inch of you. I want to map the shape of your body with my hands and mouth until you’re trembling and begging for release. I want to hear your sweet, throaty moans as you come undone beneath me, Lucy.” His hand cupped the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her wet hair. “I want to hear you say my name like it’s a prayer and a curse all at once. Like it’s the only word you know.”

“Sawyer,” she whispered on a shaky exhale, and her nails bit into his shoulders.

“Yeah, just like that.” He traced his lips up the curve of her jaw to her ear. “I want you as desperate for me as I am for you.”

Her arms tightened around him, and the hard peaks of her breasts scraped against his chest. “Maybe I’m already desperate.”

A thrill shot through him, and he growled low in his throat as his cock hardened to the point of pain. Jesus, he wanted this woman in all the ways a man could want. He’d wanted to protect her the first time they met in the cave. He’d wanted to comfort her in the hospital. And now, the deep, primal part of him wanted to claim her.

He cradled her face between his hands, thumb brushing softly over the curve of her cheek to her lips. He could feel every breath she took, each one shuddering and unsure. He leaned in, tilting his head and closing the small distance between them. Every muscle in his body coiled in anticipation as their lips brushed. It was barely a touch, just a whisper of warmth and wetness. But it sent a jolt of electricity rocketing through him.

With a low growl, he pulled her hard against him and kissed her properly. Her mouth opened beneath his with a soft sigh that he swallowed down like a starving man. God, she tasted sweet, like ripe berries and fresh water, like everything he’d ever craved but never knew he needed.

Her arms wound tightly around his neck as she kissed him back with equal fervor, her tongue tangling with his in a slow dance of shared desire. Every stroke fanned the flames within him higher and higher until they consumed all thought, all reason.

Lucy moaned into his mouth, a low sound that vibrated right through him and shot straight to his cock. He pressed up against her instinctively as heat pooled low in his belly.

“Fuck,” he muttered against her lips as his cock nudged up against her bare stomach. His senses were on fire; every touch was amplified tenfold because he couldn’t see where it was coming from or predict where it would land next.

Zelda barked.

Lucy jerked away and sucked in a deep, shuddering breath, flattening her hands on his chest and pushing until he released her. Cold water flooded between them as she moved back.

His blood pounded through his body, the taste of her still on his lips as he tried to figure out what had caused the abrupt ending. “What’s wrong?”

“We should go. We have a long hike ahead of us.” Her voice sounded weird, strained.

He reached out for her, intending to draw her back to him, but found only air.

“Lucy?” he called out, his hand stretching out further, grazing the water’s surface in search of her. The only response was the distant sound of splashing as she made her way toward the bank.

With a frustrated sigh, he raked a hand through his wet hair, trying to regain some semblance of control. He had been so close, so damn close to something real, something raw and beautiful with Lucy.

He swore under his breath and swam after her. Despite his best intentions to take it slow, he had pushed her too hard, too fast.

chapter

fourteen

She wasn’t ignoring him...

Exactly.

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