by Melody Anne
The waiter set down the bread, salads and mushrooms before quickly disappearing again. The interruption gave her a moment to compose herself.
“I did choose to stay, Hunter, because I’m intrigued. It has nothing to do with wanting to seek adventure, and it really doesn’t have anything to do with wanting to spend time with you,” she told him.
Pushing away her nerves, she lifted her fork, forced herself to spear some lettuce and tomato, and took a bite. She was sure it tasted amazing, but she could barely chew and swallow, let alone enjoy it.
“I think you’re protesting a lot,” Hunter said, his posture lazy, his eyes crinkled as he smiled before taking a bite of his food and sighing. “I always have enjoyed a great meal.”
That comment made her look down his chest to his flat stomach. The man might eat whatever he wanted, but he was so damn active he was unbelievably beautiful. She hated that every single thing he was saying was making her think of something else.
“I came here to hunt for treasure. That is all. Don’t try to read more into it,” she snapped.
For the first time that evening, Hunter’s eyes narrowed and she could see he was trying to control a brewing temper. He leaned toward her and Rebekah knew she should retreat. She was glued to the spot though, unable to do a thing about it.
“You don’t have to fight it, Becka,” he finally said, his temper evaporating as quickly as it had arisen.
“I’m not a complicated person, Hunter. I do things by the book and I don’t stray.”
“You allowed yourself to let go ten years ago,” he pointed out.
“That was a long time ago and in a different lifetime. Don’t try to find that girl. She’s long gone,” she warned.
“There are people who sit on the sidelines and those who won’t allow life to pass them by. I choose to live my life, not stand by and watch it pass me. We might only have spent one summer together, but I saw the adventure inside you, and I know it’s still there. Don’t run and hide, Becka.”
Surprisingly, Rebekah found herself smiling. “Is that a speech you practice?” she asked. Maybe it was the champagne, and maybe he was just wearing her down. She wasn’t sure what it was, but the tenseness was fading and she found herself actually enjoying their sparring.
“Well then, let the adventure begin,” she said. She saw the happy surprise in his eyes and was glad she had decided to let go a bit.
“Good. If you don’t allow yourself to let go once in a while, you’ll wake up one day realizing you never had a chance to live,” he told her.
“I’ve lived. Just because my way of life might not suit everyone doesn’t mean it’s wrong,” she pointed out.
“Would it have made a difference ten years ago if I would have came to you, stolen you away to some remote island, and held you captive?” he asked.
Rebekah gripped her glass so tightly she was surprised it didn’t shatter. She couldn’t look away from the intensity of his eyes as he waited for her to give him an answer she didn’t have. She wanted to tell him it wouldn’t have made a difference but she wasn’t sure. She definitely didn’t want to tell him that.
“It doesn’t matter because that didn’t happen and I don’t believe in wishing or thinking of what could have been. That’s useless emotion,” she said.
“Maybe,” he agreed. “But sometimes if you don’t think of the past or the future, the present doesn’t matter.”
Rebekah sat across from him as he put all these thoughts she didn’t want into her head. She was wondering if her body would still slide perfectly against his, if he would kiss his way down her shoulders, cup her breasts, whisper into her ears causing shudders to roll through her system. She wondered if it would feel differently, or if she would respond the same way.
The fire in Hunter’s eyes as he sat across from her left her with no doubt: He knew what she was thinking about. He’d said he wanted to play a game — and it was a game she was losing. But she had made it through the meal; she’d survived. Maybe her body was a quivering mass, and maybe she was a bit stuck in the past, but she had survived the meal.
The waiter brought out coffee with dessert and she gratefully sipped it, needing to clear her head as Hunter stayed abnormally quiet.
“We have a long day tomorrow, Hunter. I think we can call the night good,” she finally told him.
He smiled at her, that secret smile of his that made her want to demand to know what was going through his mind. But she wouldn’t ask. When he rose, she tried to do the same, but her knees were shaking. She found him leaning over her as she tried to tell herself to breathe.
“Get plenty of rest, Becka.” His voice was soft as his breath caressed her face.
“I can take care of myself,” she told him. He leaned a bit closer and she had to fight the urge not to close the space between them and run her lips against his.
“I’m a gentleman. I don’t mind taking care of you,” he told her before reaching up and caressing her cheek with his rough finger.
“I need to go, Hunter,” she said, her words barely above a whisper.
“I’ll walk you out,” he told her.
“I’m capable of doing that on my own, too,” she informed him, a bit of strength creeping back into her voice.
He smiled. “I’m a gentleman, remember?” he reminded her before standing up and holding out his hand.
With reluctance, Rebekah took it and let him help her up. It wasn’t until they were outside that she realized Aimee hadn’t come back to the table. Her old friend was a traitor. Rebekah would call her on it very soon.
When they made it outside, the streets were empty and quiet as he walked her to her car about a block away. She didn’t know what to say as her arm rested in his, sending warmth through her. She was mostly relieved when they reached her car. She didn’t want to leave him, which told her she should get away and regroup.
“Thank you for dinner,” she said, since he’d paid the check before she’d been able to argue.
Hunter said nothing as he turned her body so she was facing him, then ran a hand through her hair and tugged, pulling her close to him.
“We can’t do this, it’s breaking the rules,” she warned. But she didn’t pull away from him like she should have.
“To hell with the rules. This is something we owe each other,” he countered. The desire in his voice made her melt as he pulled her closer to him, her breasts brushing against his chest.
His tone was filled with desire and his touch was anything but gentle. And she loved it, though she was afraid to admit that even to herself. Without waiting any longer, his lips touched hers and fire spread through her system.
She sighed against his mouth, opening to him as his tongue sought entrance. The hand cupped in her hair, tugged, and his other hand ran down her back to rest on the curve of her butt. Hunger, unlike anything she could remember, flooded through her. She was drowning in his arms and she didn’t want to come up for air.
His scent of woodsy spice surrounded her, making her cling to him even more tightly as she got lost in his arms. It was the same smell that had mesmerized her so many years before. The sea pounded in the background, the only noise in their private cocoon.
His tongue tasted hers, and she didn’t resist the pull of him. He was so hot, so familiar, and for this moment she was as lost as she’d once been in his embrace. When Hunter pulled back, she whimpered. She opened her eyes and saw fierce desire staring back at her.
And it scared her. This couldn’t happen. Panic seeped in, and then he released her and took a step back. He opened his mouth before he closed it again. Then he took another step back and sighed.
“Get some rest,” he told her. And then he turned and walked away. Rebekah watched him until he was out of her sight.
Only then did she slip into her car, where she leaned her head against the steering wheel. She wasn’t sure of
anything at this moment — especially herself. She just knew she’d bitten off far more than she was capable of chewing.
Chapter Seven
Nerves askew, Rebekah stood next to the large building at the airfield and watched Hunter loading gear into a small airplane. His mussed hair was blowing in the breeze as a seagull dive-bombed him. Hunter swatted the bird away and then his lips turned up in a breathtaking smile that had her heart skipping a beat.
Rebekah knew she was in some serious trouble as she gazed at her first love while he stood at the sleek private plane wearing only a pair of khaki shorts and a fitted T-shirt. His muscles rippled in the rays of the sun as he lifted his arms and stretched. Beautiful. He was pure beauty, causing an unbelievable ache in her stomach as she tried reminding herself she’d made a good decision ten years before, and a not-so-good decision in coming on this quest with him.
On the other hand, it never hurt to take in some eye candy, did it? It was a natural response for any woman presented with so much bronze and steel. As she stood there gazing at him, she tried to think like the professor she was and simply appreciate the exquisiteness of a beautiful man.
Logic always worked for her, and she was going to give herself a break and give herself an out at the same time. With a deep breath, she began walking across the pavement to where he was stowing the last items in the plane.
An F-18 flew overhead and he gazed up at the sky, his profile brilliant as his expression changed to that of an excited child. Boys and fast toys were something she never had been able to truly understand.
Even as he watched the speeding jet she saw the restlessness in his body. Even ten years before he’d been a young man on a mission — too excited about life to sit still. It was something she envied about him. He followed his dreams and he didn’t apologize for it. She wished she had the same courage.
Though Rebekah was quiet as she approached him, he turned and gave her an intense glance as he shifted to give her his full attention.
“You’re right on time,” he said. The deep baritone of his voice sent a shiver through her. She looked from him to the small plane and wondered how she was going to survive the ride.
“I don’t like to be late,” she responded as he walked her around to the passenger side of the plane and pulled open the door. He held out his hand and the contact sent a sizzle through her as he helped her onboard.
He didn’t say anything before shutting the door and moving around to the other side, then climbing in. There wasn’t a barrier between them, and his strong thigh pressed against hers as he got comfortable.
“Do you need help with the seat belt?” he asked as she sat still in the seat, afraid to move an inch, which would cause their clothed thighs to rub together.
“I think I can manage a clasp,” she said with a nervous chuckle.
“You aren’t afraid of flying are you?” he asked as if that would be unheard of.
“No. Not at all,” she said. It wasn’t the flying she was nervous about. It was the close proximity.
“Good. It’s a great day to be in the skies. The wind is calm and the skies are clear. We aren’t going too far.”
“Where exactly are we going? You didn’t say much about it,” she pointed out.
“I think I know the first clue. It’s in Bodie California, an old mining town that the state parks have taken over. My father had a sense of humor, I’m finding out,” he said with a chuckle. “The place is located in the Basin Range of the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, about thirteen miles east of Highway 395.”
“Why would there be a clue there?” she asked, as her trembling fingers failed to attach the seatbelt after all.
He reached over and did it for her and as his fingers trailed across her stomach, she found herself holding her breath. His intoxicating fragrance surrounded her in the closed plane, and with his hands on her at the same time, she worried for her sanity.
“I can’t figure out the clues. In fact, I don’t understand why he’s having me do this at all. I remember when I was young, he took me through the town and he was excited. Something in the clues made me think this was where we need to start. I might be wrong, but we’ll see.”
Rebekah felt the desire in him to get going — to be doing anything other than standing still — or sitting, in their case. He carefully went through his pre-flight checklist and then started the plane and soon they were taxiing out to the runway.
As they lifted off into the sky, Rebekah felt elation filling her, taking away her nerves from being pressed against his side. She loved to fly, hadn’t done it on a private plane in a long time, but there was definitely a freedom in this adventure that she hadn’t even known she’d been longing for. It wasn’t until her cheeks were getting sore that she realized she was grinning widely.
“I can see you’re enjoying this,” Hunter told her with a grin of his own.
Their eyes connected and she felt the intense pull that made her want to lean over and run her lips across his solid jaw. It took several moments before she was able to turn away. They’d barely begun their day and already it was too much. She had better do her best to keep herself under control.
Focusing her gaze out the window, she looked down at the land below them, watching as they made their way out of the city. Other planes could be seen in the distance, but still, she felt like it was only the two of them, that the rest of the world had fallen away. She enjoyed that feeling a bit too much.
The sun beat through the protected windshield, warming her skin to the point of being uncomfortable. She was already overheated just from being in the presence of Hunter. The flight should only take about an hour, but she feared it might be the longest hour of her life. Then they would have to make the return trip on top of it.
Hunter flew the plane perfectly, and Rebekah sat still in her seat, not making a sound. No turbulence interrupted their flight and she had to appreciate the skill the man next to her had. He was good at anything he wanted to do.
When Hunter had made the proposition of treasure hunting to her, she’d been leery, but the excitement in her gut told her that no matter how cautious she tried to be, she was excited. She might never be Lara Croft, but this would be a small taste of it. She could endure her raging hormones, she assured herself.
Rebekah found herself relaxing as they continued to fly, and before she knew it, she was pressed against Hunter’s side instead of straining against the door, trying unsuccessfully to get away from him.
Turning her head was a bad idea, because his eyes were only inches from hers, and even worse, his lips were right there — right in kissing distance. Without thought, she licked her dry lips and his eyes sparked, making that dip in her stomach ache in an almost unbearable way.
“I’m ready when you are,” he said in a throaty drawl.
Where was her Lara Croft persona when she needed it? That woman would lean into him, kiss him the way she wanted to, and damn the consequences. But instead of doing what her body craved with an unquenchable need, she pulled back from Hunter.
“How much longer?” she asked.
Hunter grinned at her, making her desire him that much more. She wished he’d get angry, or give up on her. That would make their time together easier. With him being charming, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to resist what she knew he was more than willing to offer.
One thing Rebekah knew beyond a doubt was that she wasn’t in her stuffy office back at the college. She also wasn’t in the auditorium giving a lecture the kids didn’t want to hear. She was on an epic adventure and she wasn’t going to waste it. She needed this more than she feared her feelings of Hunter.
She decided she wasn’t going to think anymore about the kiss she and Hunter had shared, and she wasn’t going to keep thinking about sharing another one with him. She certainly wasn’t going to imagine climbing up onto his lap, trailing her lips down his solid jaw and
ripping his shirt open with her teeth. No. Those thoughts weren’t going to be on her mind at all.
Turning to look out her window, Rebekah enjoyed the feel of the sun on her cheeks and focused on the ground as Hunter began descending. Never had she been so grateful to quit flying. Normally, she loved every single moment of the freedom of being in the sky.
“Are you enjoying getting out of the classroom?” Hunter asked.
They’d been so silent for the past several minutes that the sound of his voice made her jump. She turned to see the smile that put on his face. Calming her nerves, she decided to be honest.
“Yes, very much. Don’t get me wrong, I love being a professor. I knew from a young age that I would go to college and I’d do something that would matter, something that would affect the lives of others. But sometimes it’s a bit confining,” she admitted.
“I would rather die than be locked down to a desk,” he told her.
“Yes, I believe that,” she said with a chuckle.
“Hey, I can be responsible, but why should I be stuck at a desk night and day when instead I can be outdoors, on a new adventure every week?”
“There’s nothing wrong with that. We need people like you in the world. But there also has to be people like me. It’s why we all have a love of different things,” she said, a bit too sadly.
“You might like teaching, but there’s adventure in your soul. You weren’t meant to be locked down,” he said wisely.
Rebekah wasn’t sure she liked that he seemed to know her so damn well. They’d only spent one summer together, and that had been ten years ago. She’d barely been out of high school. And she’d never once told anyone of her desire to travel and seek adventure. But arguing would do her no good.
“The outdoors is great in good weather. Not so much when the weather turns,” she pointed out.
“Yes, it all depends on where you’re at,” he said with a wink. “I’ve been in Antarctic conditions where pieces of my body sadly disappeared, and also on peaceful islands in the dead of winter where I swam naked and laid out on the beach for hours.”
