Page 35 of Tempted by a SEAL

This entire situation was a bigger mess than she could have ever imagined.

She emerged from the bathroom a short time later dressed and ready to go. What exactly did Hunter expect? It’s not like she had her makeup and toiletries with her.

“You were ready sooner than I expected,” he said, jumping up from where he’d been doing planks on the floor.

“It’s not like I packed for a weekend getaway,” she said. “I have a few things in my backpack, and that’s it. If we’re really stuck here for a few days, the perhaps we should take a taxi into the nearest town.”

“I’ll buy you whatever I need.”

Emma raised her eyebrows. “I’m perfectly capable of buying my own things.”

“That you are. But not unless you have cash on you. Credit cards are traceable. So are ATM transactions. And as I already said, we’re laying low for the next forty-eight hours.”

Emma blew out a sigh of exasperation. “Fine. But I’ll pay you back after this entire thing is sorted. And I do have some cash on me. Don’t forget I just got back from traveling.”

“I’m not sure they’ll take afghanis here,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m quite aware of that, thank you. Now if you’ll hurry along, we can head down to breakfast. Sweet pea,” she added at the end with a smirk.

Hunter muttered a curse but grabbed some clean clothes from his backpack. “Back in five,” he said.

Emma did a double take a few minutes later when he emerged from the bathroom. Freshly showered with damp hair and his facial hair trimmed, he cleaned up nicely.

Too nicely.

Hunter rubbed a hand over his whiskers, and she tried not to stare at the thick muscles on his arms. Or look at his broad shoulders and massive chest.

He looked like he could pick her up in his arms and whisk her away without even getting winded. Cover her body with his muscular frame and have her whimpering beneath him. She couldn’t even imagine all that strength and power moving over her—inside her. He was aggressive and strong, yet careful. Controlled. She didn’t feel threatened by his strength or power—if anything, it was the exact opposite.

She felt safe.

Secure.

And far too tempted any time he was close by.

“I was getting tired of the scruffier look,” he said. “You kind of have to blend in with the locals sometimes though.”

“Yes, I can imagine. It was a bit hard to hide my flaming red hair in Kabul. I had to wear a headscarf like all of the other women, of course, but with my pale skin and red hair, I’m afraid I stood out more than I would have liked.”

“You’d stand out anywhere.”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

Hunter lightly grabbed her arm as she turned away, ducking low so that his lips were near her ear as he stood behind her. “I meant that as a compliment. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly complaining about our current living situation. Hell, I can hardly keep my hands to myself around you. Not sure that I want to either.”

She inhaled, her chest rising and falling as she felt his breath on her skin.

“Well,” she said, swallowing.

Trying to ignore the heat rising inside her.

“I guess you’ll just have to,” she finally said. “Because this is strictly a short-term arrangement.”

“That it is,” he said in a low voice, picking up a strand of her long hair and gently running his fingers down it. Pausing, and then repeating the action. She wanted to close her eyes and lean back into his strength. Relax into that massive chest. Let him run those big hands all over her body.

But that would be a mistake, because in two day’s time, they’d part ways. Perhaps he did intend to bring her back to the States with him—but that certainly didn’t mean anything. He wanted to protect her, and if she was honest with herself, she wanted to leave.

At least for a couple of weeks until some of this settled.

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