Page 39 of Enticing Her Love

SUTTON COULD DO little more than watch Flynn strip down and crouch by the water’s edge in his boxer briefs, scanning the water for threats. Every peek she got into the heart of the man behind her hard-edged, complicated boss made their attraction more difficult to ignore. She was having a hard enough time trying not to think about last night or how much she wanted more, and this sweet gesture made it even harder to deal with. She was as touched by his bringing her there as she was by the compliments he’d given her. Although she was surprised he’d gotten his back up at the idea of someone talking shit about her. Why would that bother him when he didn’t seem bothered in the least by the idea of last night being a onetime thing? It wasn’t like he needed to protect her outside the rainforest.

She watched him get in the water, his expression serious as he moved around, checking every inch, disappearing beneath the surface and behind the falls, looking at every rock, every plant. Keeping her safe. I wouldn’t trust your life in anyone else’s hands…Being here with you makes keeping my hands to myself a million times harder. His words still rang as genuine in her head, warring with the way he’d acted like he didn’t mind not touching her again.

“All clear, Sut.”

His deep voice brought her back to the moment. He was treading water in the middle of the plunge pool, smiling like life was simple. Maybe it was for him, and she was just overthinking. Surely when they got back to Port Hudson and their normal lives, this needy ache for him would dissipate.

“Are you coming in, Steele?”

“Yeah.” She pulled out her elastic hair band, feeling the heat of his stare as her hair tumbled free and she climbed into the cool, clear, refreshing water. “Ah. This is heavenly.” She swam underwater to him, and when she broke the surface, she floated on her back. “I feel like we’ve found a hidden treasure.”

“This whole rainforest is a hidden treasure.”

“It is. A scary one, but a treasure just the same.” She felt his eyes on her again and had the strange thought that the pieces of him he’d been revealing to her were like hidden treasures, too. She began treading water. Their legs touched, and it sent a shiver of awareness through her. His lips twitched, those enticing blue eyes holding her captive. Her nerves prickled, and she dove underwater to break the connection. When she came up for air, she splashed him and swam away. He caught her foot, and she squealed, yanking it free and turning to splash him again, but he splashed her first, making her giddy with delight.

“You’re in for it, Braden!” She splashed him hard, and a battle ensued. They swam around laughing and splashing, egging each other on. When he lunged for her, she gulped air into her lungs and dove underwater. He followed, his face an inch from hers underwater, eyes boring into her, that electric current searing between them despite the cool water. Kiss me, whispered through her mind, and his gaze intensified, as if he’d heard it. Her lungs burned, and her body flamed. Sure she was losing her mind, seeing what wasn’t there, she broke through the surface to escape the heat of him, but he followed her up and snagged her around her waist.

“Where’re you going, Steele?”

The feel of his hot, hard body intensified the lustful ache inside her. “Anywhere I want.” She broke free and treaded water.

“You do make me feel like a kid again.”

That tweaked her heartstrings, because at the moment she felt that way, too, and she realized how different they both were right now. The warnings weren’t blaring in his eyes as they had been upon their arrival, and she was sure hers probably gave away how much she wanted him. She tried to distract herself from the anxiety that caused and said, “I’ll have to leave a good review for this resort.”

“Maybe take off a star for the accommodations.”

“You don’t like our luxurious suite? Do you want to borrow my Snugpak tonight?”

He shook his head, a low laugh tumbling out. He rolled his right shoulder back and rubbed it with his left hand.

“Is your shoulder still hurting?” She wondered if she’d made it worse by climbing on his shoulders to get the passion fruit.

“It’s fine.”

“What did you do to it?”

“It’s an old climbing injury. I tore my rotator cuff a couple of years ago when I was climbing with Seth and Noah and some of our cousins.”

“Were you barking orders at them, and they shoved you off the mountain?” she teased.

“They probably would have liked to do that a time or two, but no. It’s just an overuse injury. I had it repaired, but it acts up in damp weather.”

“Then why are we here of all places? You choose our assignments. We could’ve gone anywhere, and you set up the trip to stay with the tribe in the rainiest place possible.”

“Because it’s not a big deal. It doesn’t stop me from doing anything. It just hurts sometimes.”

“Well, you deserve a spa day more than I do. I’ll massage it for you.” She moved closer, fully aware that touching him was not going to help calm her desires, but it could help his pain, and it might even tell her whether he felt something more toward her or if she was imagining it.

He waved her off. “It’s okay. I’m good.”

“If you’re worried it’ll make you seem less manly if you let me help you, you’re wrong. Everyone needs help sometimes.”

He scoffed. “I’m not worried about that.”

“Then stop being stubborn. You brought me to this beautiful waterfall. It’s the least I can do.” She didn’t give him a choice. She closed the gap between them and began rubbing his shoulder, kicking her feet to stay up. Touching him without the cover of laughter or teasing brought their ever-present sexual tension into focus, and there was no escaping the way it enveloped them like a cape, drawing them closer. She felt him tense up, saw the muscles in his jaw tighten, and knew he felt it, too. “Am I hurting you?”

“No.” The word dripped with restraint. “You don’t have to do this.”