Page 54 of Hero Mine

There was still the best part of this place to show her, but that could wait until later. They deposited their packs on the kitchen chairs and headed back outside, the air noticeably cooler as afternoon deepened toward evening.

They walked for a while in companionable silence, moving through the woods as the forest settled into its evening rhythms. Only the rustling of leaves and the steady flow of the river broke the stillness around them. Bear watched as Joy moved ahead of him, stepping carefully over moss-covered roots, her ponytail bouncing with each step.

After filling the wood and water containers, they wandered away from the cabin, following an old game trail that led down toward the riverbank. Bear had walked these woods a hundred times alone, but seeing Joy here, relaxed and curious, made the familiar territory feel brand-new.

“Hold up.” He reached for her, his fingers brushing her hip as he stopped her.

She turned, eyebrows raised in question, and Bear used the excuse to step closer. He didn’t need to be this near, but he couldn’t help himself.

“Bobcat track.” He nodded toward the dirt near her boot.

Joy’s gaze flicked down to where he indicated, and she let out a small, impressed noise. “Nice catch, mountain man.”

“Hey, tracking animals is how I got my name.” His thumb grazed the waistband of her leggings before he reluctantly dropped his hand. “And it’s not my first time out here.”

She crouched, running her fingers lightly over the print. “I can’t believe you have an entire cabin out here. And water. A shower.” She turned her head, looking up at him with a playful smirk. “Are you sure you’re not some off-the-grid survivalist?”

Bear crouched beside her, close enough that their shoulders brushed. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Her smirk deepened, but she didn’t move away from the contact.

Something shifted in the air between them.

For the past hour, they’d been exploring—walking, laughing, touching more than strictly necessary—but now, something heavier permeated the atmosphere. Something charged with potential and unspoken desire.

Joy must have felt it too, because she straightened and turned fully to face him, her eyes locking on his. “Bear.”

That was all she said. Just his name. But damn if it didn’t send a current through his entire body.

Before he could think too hard about it, she reached for him.

Her hands slid up his chest, fingers gripping his shirt lightly before she rose onto her toes and pressed her lips to his.

He sucked in a sharp breath, momentarily frozen by the unexpectedness of it.

She tasted like the cold air and something sweeter, something distinctly Joy. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him as he deepened the kiss, letting himself sink into the sensation he’d been craving for so long.

She curled her fingers tighter into his shirt, holding on like she feared he might disappear. He had no intention of going anywhere.

When she finally pulled back, her breath was warm against his lips, her hands still fisted in the fabric of his shirt.

“You know, this feels a little taboo,” he murmured, unable to resist teasing her.

Joy blinked, still looking dazed. “Huh? Us kissing again?”

Bear let his hands settle on her hips, squeezing lightly. “Me and you. Considering our history.”

Her brows pulled together in confusion. “What history?”

He made a show of sighing dramatically. “Us doing this when I used to be your babysitter.”

Joy blinked again, then snorted. “Bear.”

He nodded solemnly. “I mean, really, what does that make this? A scandal?”

Joy smacked his chest, her laughter breaking through. “You babysat me once when I was six and you were fourteen. Once. And only because my mom had to run to Reddington City and you were the first person she found to make sure I didn’t burn the house down.”

Bear grinned, enjoying the lightness returning to her expression. “Still counts. Taboo, I say.Taboo.”

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