Page 84 of Only the Hunter

He pulls back, just slightly, watching me. Waiting.

I lean in.

His tongue touches my lower lip, and I open for him, and the sound he makes—low, animalistic—I feel it everywhere.

My nails scrape the short hair on the back of his head, for the briefest of seconds, caught in this moment, and then I’m done with the hesitation.

I tug him closer.

He groans into my mouth, hands sliding to my waist—grip firmer now, and lower, like something in him has finally given way. When we finally break apart, we’re both breathing hard.

“Does that answer your question?” His voice is rough, lips wet—and god, he looks very turned on. There’s no question what he wants.

But…“Why didn’t you ever—at the holidays, or⁠—”

“Fuck, Evie.” He exhales sharply, forehead falling to mine. “At first, you were so young.”

“I’m thirty.”

“Were,” he corrects, and kisses me again. Slower this time. And much more certain.

His tongue is now demanding, and he’s far more exploratory, hands curving around my bottom, along my sides.

When we break apart, I admit on an exhale, “You were my first crush.”

He pulls me onto his lap, arranging me so I’m straddling him.

“I noticed you early,” he says, caressing my cheek. “Too early.”

“Did you know?” I ask because it’s a question I’ve wondered. “That I had a thing for you?”

He shakes his head, but his eyes drop. “Maybe. You were so nervous around the guys. But when it was just us⁠—”

He pulls me into another kiss, and this time my hips rock against him without permission.

I feel him. Hard. Ready.

God.

“I thought I was just Scott’s sister to you,” I whisper against his mouth. “Someone to watch out for. Not someone you’d want.”

His hands slide under my shirt, the calloused skin both rough and warm, tracing my curves, all the way to my bra strap. “Never.”

His touch is reverent. Slow. Like he’s memorizing me.

But also staying within lines.

I tug at his sweater, needing skin. Wanting more.

If we’re doing this, I want it all.

“I forced myself to back away,” he murmurs against my throat, fingers gliding between my breasts. “Didn’t trust myself. Not with you.”

My breath stutters.

Holy shit.

I shiver as his lips graze my pulse point. “Why?”