Instant Temptation (Wilder #3)(22)

The rain was still falling all around them, splattering on the ground with an oddly musical sound. The tree provided a good amount of relief. It was their own little cocoon, enclosing them, providing protection, creating an intoxicating sense of intimacy.

An intimacy that was increased tenfold by TJ’s gentle but firm hold. “This is ridiculous,” she said. “We can talk later. At home.”

“What’s ridiculous,” he said, enunciating her word, “is the fact that we’ve been tiptoeing around each other for forever now, and I want to know why. Whenever I get too close, you either snap at me or get all flustered, and if I touch you, we’re so combustible, we just about burst into flames.” He bent his knees a little to better see into her face. “I’m completely willing to go up in flames, by the way.” His smile was tight, his eyes dark. “But this first.”

Her breath caught. “This?”

“Yes. Let’s start with why you treat Cam and Stone like they’re blood, and me like the redheaded bastard stepbrother.”

“Well, I wouldn’t exactly use the word brother…” she muttered, drawing a breath. Not easy when she was plastered to him, chest to chest, belly to belly, thighs to thighs, and everything in between.

“Please, TJ…just let it go.”

He dropped his head close, so close that his jaw brushed hers. The stubble there scraped gently across her skin and gave her a shiver. The good kind, dammit.

“Tell me,” he said in that quiet voice that tended to make people do exactly as he asked.

She curled into him. He smelled so good. So good that she maybe, sort of, kind of by accident, pressed her nose to his neck.

“Harley.”

His low voice rumbled from his chest, a soft warning she didn’t heed, and when she moved against him again, his grip went from gentle to something far more dangerous as he breathed her name again.

Unable to help herself, she pressed her mouth to his neck and felt him stir against her.

“You’re trying to distract me,” he whispered roughly.

Distract him, herself…

And before she gave too much thought to it, she opened her mouth on his throat, scraping him with her teeth, absorbing his rough groan.

And then…

And then he abruptly yanked himself free of her with a soft oath, pushing her behind him. “TJ? What—

”

He strode from beneath the protection of the tree to the center of the clearing, his head cocked as if listening for something.

“What?” she said.

“Someone was standing right here, watching us.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know.” He turned and pointed at her. “Stay.”

And then he vanished down the path.





CHAPTER 7


Harley waited a few minutes, but when TJ didn’t come right back, she went after him. He was a hundred or so yards down the trail, and when he saw her, said nothing.

Fine with her.

Speaking, sharing, emoting…all waaaaay overrated.

Finally, hands on his hips, looking torn between frustration and acceptance, he spoke. “Nice job on the staying thing.”

“Did you see who it was?”

“No, just a flash. A guy though.”

“The forest service told me I was the only one who pulled a permit for this weekend.”

He was quiet as he absorbed that, not looking happy.

“Back there, at the tree,” she said, “when you realized we weren’t alone, you pushed me behind you.”

“Watching your back.”

“Just my back?”

“I’ll watch whatever you want me to.” His eyes were smiling but his mouth was not. He was done playing. “Harley.”

“Let me guess. You’re sticking to me like glue.”

At that, his smile did meet his eyes. “The better to watch your back.”

They’d put their packs back on and had gone a few hundred yards when he spoke. “You still owe me a story.”

“Once upon a time there was this big, bad wolf who—”

“You know which story, smart-ass.”

Yeah. She knew. What she didn’t know was how to tell it to him.

TJ waited, but Harley walked in silence. He gave in to her silence because he could see that she wasn’t ignoring him on purpose. She was thinking.

“Why now?” she eventually asked. “Why did you kiss me now after all this time?”

The truth was easy enough. She was warm, funny, attractive. But she was also scary as hell. So though he’d wanted her, and had for as long as he could remember, it’d also been far easier on him to stay away.

Something he was going to have a hard time remembering now that he’d had a taste of her.

“TJ?”

“You want to play twenty questions, Harley? Because I believe you’re up on deck first.”

He took her next silence to mean a resounding “no thanks.” His cell phone vibrated, and he pulled it out of his pocket.

“What’s up?” Cam asked him.

“You called to ask me what’s up?”

“No,” Cam said. “I called to see if there’s anything you want to tell me.”