Page 19 of Trail to Trouble
Exactly what he wanted to hear. He liked her even more with each passing moment.
“You guys, okay?” Alyssa’s voice echoed through the tunnel.
Hannah giggled. “I should yell back, no, and see if she does anything about it. She’ll never climb in here. She’s claustrophobic.”
He nodded in acknowledgement. “Yeah, your friends aren’t as adventurous as you are, that is for sure.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. Bianca can tip that scale sometimes.”
“I meant in an outdoorsy kind of way.”
The corners of her mouth tilted upward into a full smile. She liked his compliment.
“That part’s true. I like nature. The sight of it, the smell of it, the feel of it… all of it. And you’re a great tour guide.”
His heart hitched. She was definitely his kind of woman. He wanted to kiss her, but he hesitated, wondering if she wanted to be kissed by him. Recalling her standoffish behavior toward him the day before when he’d reached out to help her up the gigantic step to the top of the hill to see the Wild Canyon Falls. He thought he’d better hold off and see how today went.
Lifting his gaze from Hannah’s kissable lips, he caught her staring at him. Even in the dim light, he saw the desire in her eyes answering his question. She wanted him to kiss her. He leaned forward and pressed his lips lightly to hers. Heat soared through him. His heart raced. He’d shared many first kisses before and experienced the thrill of that first shared kiss. This time, the exhilaration he felt kissing Hannah rocked his limbs so hard that he almost fell.
Hannah leaned against him and wrapped her arms around him—stabilizing him. The initial shock of her touch eased a smidge, allowing him to think more coherently. Their lips moved together in some sort of well-choreographed manner, as if they’d kissed many times before. His mouth hummed with delight.
“Hello?” Alyssa’s voice reverberated in the small cave.
Hannah pulled away from him. The smile on her face let him know she was as pleased as he was with the kiss they’d shared.
He gestured toward the small tunnel. “I suppose we’d better get back out there before they think something bad happened to us.”
She sighed. “I suppose. Or maybe we should keep them wondering.”
He winked at her. He’d like that.
ChapterSix
Hannah droppedto all fours to climb back out of the tiny cave she and Hunter had occupied. More than likely, she fell to all fours because of that mind-boggling kiss they’d shared. Her knees had filled with jelly. If he hadn’t wrapped his long, muscular arms around her, she would have melted to the ground for sure. Exhilaration still hummed through her. She’d had no intention of kissing him, but when those amber flecks sparked in his eyes while he looked at her, she was a goner.
After having sworn off men, she’d never expected to want to be kissed again. Sebastián had done a number on her, and her instant attraction to Hunter scared her. Heat rose in her face at the thought of kissing him again. If they flamed any more, she was sure the tiny cave’s temperature would increase a solid ten degrees.
She popped out of the short tunnel behind the veil of the waterfall to find Alyssa and Bianca exactly where she’d left them. She stood and stepped out of the way to make room for Hunter.
He popped up alongside her. Tall, lean, and handsome, his sexy smile made her want to kiss him again. She had to stop looking at him, or she would. Her eyes practically scolded her when she pulled her gaze away from him.
“It was neat. Are you sure you don’t want to go in?” Hannah asked her friends.
The eagerness in her tone as a result of kissing Hunter was unnatural. It was evident, even to her own ears.
Bianca’s gaze bore into her. It went from Hunter, then returned to her. The smirk on her friend’s face let her know, she knew.
“Well, you kids were in there a while. Exactly how big is that cave you explored?”
“It’s small, but there was plenty to see,” Hannah replied to justify the time they’d spent in there.
Her friend arched a brow. “Plenty to do as well, I suppose.”
Hunter cleared his throat and gestured in the direction in which they’d come. “Shall we?”
Bianca arched her perfectly shaped blonde brow. “Sure.” She made a move to lead the way back out from under the falls.
Alyssa fell into line, and then Hannah and Hunter followed.
