by Robin Kaye
“You’re welcome, by the way.”
Toni’s eyes went wide when he tugged on Karma’s hair. “Toni, I see you’ve met my little sister, Karma. I’m sorry.”
Karma looked up at him with that same grin she always wore when she was getting him in trouble.
What the hell was she up to? God, the possibilities were endless. “I trust you’re not behaving.” He grabbed the tin off the top of the fridge. “And you helped yourself to my cookies too.”
“You’re just lucky there’s any left after the trip. I left before I could eat breakfast, and I missed dinner last night since I was driving all over Boise running your little errands. I had to go to two stores.” She turned to Toni. “I do him a huge favor, and this is the thanks I get.”
Hunter shoved a cookie in his mouth and offered the tin to Toni. She shook her head and slid the tin away. “Thanks, but no. She’s your sister?”
Hunter nodded. “Yeah, why? Who did you think she was?” Damn Karma and her games.
Toni shrugged. “I don’t know… a girlfriend maybe?”
Hunter closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead where a headache was settling. “Karma? Why would Toni think that?”
Karma threw out her arms. “I haven’t the foggiest.”
“You could have introduced yourself.”
Karma’s Cheshire grin peeked out again. “Well, what would be the fun in that?”
Toni pushed away her lunch before crossing her arms. “Where have I heard that before?”
Hunter couldn’t help but notice Toni had hardly eaten a thing. “If you don’t like the sandwich, I could fix you something else. I have plenty of food.”
“No thanks, I’m not very hungry. Besides, you’re the one who said I’m heavier than I look, remember?”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
Karma laughed. “I’m sorry, Toni. You’ll have to excuse my brother. He can’t help himself. I’m told he takes after our father—a sweet-talker he is not. His mouth sees more feet than a treadmill at a crowded gym. I know him. Any comment he made about your weight was meant as a compliment. It’s his way of saying you’re in great shape, which, by the way, you are.”
Hunter couldn’t wait to get rid of his sister. He’d thought once she grew up, Karma wouldn’t be such a pest. He’d been wrong.
Karma’s hand slid toward the open tin. Hunter slapped the top on. Craning her neck back, Karma looked up at him. “Do you really want to go there?”
“Fine. You can have one more, but that’s it.”
Shaking her head, Karma looked back at Toni. “Brothers.”
Hunter secured his stash of cookies and grinned. “Oh, look, you’ve finished your lunch. Thanks for stopping by.” He pulled the little brat right out of her seat and walked her toward the door. “It’s a long drive back. You better get on it.”
“Oh, no rush. I’m not working tonight, and lucky you, I have a few days off. I was thinking of hanging out here. You don’t mind, do you?”
“As a matter of fact—”
She cut him off. “Where are Fisher and Trapper? I have tins for them too.”
Hunter crossed his arms to keep from strangling her. “And you ate all mine?”
“Yours were on top. Sorry.” She looked anything but. “I’m sure Trapper and Fisher will share. Not.”
Hunter scrubbed his face with his hand. “They’re at the beach. Did you bring a suit?”
Karma pulled off her T-shirt and tossed it at him revealing her turquoise bikini top. “I never leave home without it. And if I do, it’s on purpose.” She grinned again and waved to Toni before sashaying out the door.
***
Toni stood beside Hunter at the window watching Karma as she headed toward the beach. Her cutoff jeans had holes in all the right places. “Just wait till Bruce and Chad get a load of her.”
When she looked up at him, she figured he was mad about the models who were probably going to go after his little sister.
“You thought I had a girlfriend and was coming on to you at the same time?”
Then again, maybe not. She wondered if it was a rhetorical question, but he waited too long for the lack of conversation to be considered a pregnant pause, not filling the silence like she’d hoped he would. She really didn’t want to answer him, especially since they were alone in his house, and he seemed so affronted. She crossed her arms, mimicking his pose. “You said you weren’t coming on to me, remember? Subtle you are not. You might as well have used a bullhorn.”
He didn’t say anything. He stared at her like a guy stares at an engine when the car won’t run. As if he were expecting Manny, Moe, and Jack to show up and say, “It’s the carburetor.” Unfortunately for him, no one had figured her out yet, not even her. If she understood half the things she did or felt, she’d be tempted to hand out CliffsNotes to anyone interested. Hell, the wave of jealousy that had hit her when Karma walked in and made herself at home was a real shocker. Toni still couldn’t figure out what was up with that. “You wouldn’t be the first guy to have a girl in every port, or campground, or whatever.”
Hunter tilted his head toward one shoulder and then the other, all the while staring at her, as if looking from another angle would change his view. Then he squinted like she did when she looked at her Victoria Frances poster of a girl in a graveyard.
Hunter cleared his throat. “Where did you just go?”
“To a graveyard.”
“Do I want to know how that happened?”
Toni put some space between them and stood on the other side of the table. “It’s the way you look at me, like you’d look at an optical illusion. Like, if you just stared long enough or caught me at a certain angle, I’d make sense.”
“And where does the graveyard fit in?”
“Oh yeah. I have this poster that uses lenticular imaging to create the illusion of depth. It refracts light in different directions so the image moves and changes depending on the angle from which it’s viewed. It’s of a beautiful woman in a graveyard. I like graveyards.”
“I like beautiful women.”
Of course he would. “Last I counted there were seven of them at the beach. You might want to run back up there to get your pick before your brothers take the best ones. I’d keep away from Yvette though unless you like exhibitionists. Then go for it. She’s your girl.”
“Not interested. I need to get my mail. I’m still managing a business, you know. Are you up for a hike? It might help you with that little problem of yours.”
“It’s only a problem when I’m here.”
“And you’re here for the next week, so what do you say? Step out of your comfort zone. Take a chance. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He held out his hand, and for some reason she took it. He graced her with a smile. “First things first.” He walked her toward his bedroom—she hadn’t gotten to see much of it when Karma had been there. Toni stepped in, and the first thing she saw was a window that took up most of the wall opposite the bed. What a view. River, meadow, mountains—stunning. “It must be a bitch trying to sleep in.”
“I’m an early riser. But the real show is at night.”
Oh yeah, she could just imagine. The way he said it made her think all sorts of naughty thoughts. She tried to shut down that side of her brain. Being in the bedroom of a gorgeous man who not only held her hand—his thumb tracing circles on her palm—but stood very close to her, made it difficult. The room smelled like him, which unfortunately for her, was not a turnoff. Lodge pole furniture with deep colored Navajo rugs and wall hangings gave the room a masculine look without being off-putting, though it looked as if a woman had designed the bed—high and covered with pillows. The sheets had a sheen to them and looked soft and made to lounge on. Pictures of Hunter on the bed wearing nothing but the corner of
a dark sheet floated in her mind.
“Take off your top.”
“Excuse me?” She could swear he just told her to undress. She wasn’t sure if it was real or imagined.
“We need to get you slathered with sunscreen. I’d really hate for all that creamy white skin of yours to burn.” He pulled her into the bathroom. A tub big enough to hold four adults comfortably sat directly under the skylight. A steam shower with multiple heads took up the far wall. He stopped next to the double vanity and pulled a tube of sunscreen out of the medicine cabinet. He squeezed SPF 50 into his hand and then rubbed them together.
“Turn around.”
She did, only to find herself facing the mirror. She put her hands on the cool granite countertop.
“Oh—and you might want to take off your collar too.”
Instead of looking at him through the mirror, she turned her head to look at him directly. “Why?”
“Ever heard of tan lines?”
“Fine.” She unhooked her collar and laid it on the counter before slipping off her cover-up. His big hands went to her shoulders, massaging as he spread the warm sunscreen over her skin. Hands worked their way up her neck and down her back, skimming the bathing suit straps off her shoulders. Letting her head drop forward, she stretched tense muscles as his fingertips slid beneath the back of her suit with a gentleness that surprised her.
The man had amazing hands. Unbidden visions of what she’d like him to do with those hands had blood pounding through her head as Hunter massaged her neck and back, leaving trails of heat wherever he touched. When his fingers slid past her neck to the sensitive flesh behind her ears, it was all she could do not to moan. It had been ages since a man had touched her and even longer since she’d wanted one to. She closed her eyes and didn’t open them until he turned her around. His big hands cupped the back of her neck, tilting her face toward his.
“I did your back. You better handle the front.” His voice sounded rough as his gaze flew from her lips to her chest and back again. When their eyes met, his pupils were dilated, leaving only a ring of green around the circle of darkness. She swallowed. His thumbs traced her throat to the base of her neck as his breath fanned her face. She reached out to steady herself, her hands at his waist. Ridges of muscles tensed beneath her fingers, and for the life of her she couldn’t stop staring, just like she couldn’t stop herself from going up on her toes until she was nose to nose with him. Hunter didn’t move forward like she wanted him to. He didn’t kiss her. He just stood there watching and waiting.
The front door slammed breaking the spell. He handed her the sunscreen. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”
“Thanks,” she croaked.
“My pleasure.”
Toni blew out a breath. Well, almost anyway. Talk about perfect timing. On the other hand, maybe she’d misread him. He hadn’t moved to kiss her, even though she’d given him ample opportunity. She slathered her arms and chest with sunscreen before resting her foot on the edge of the tub to get her legs. Hunter neither agreed nor disagreed with her when she told him he wasn’t subtle with his come-ons—he simply changed the subject. The man was irritating, kinda like a rash. Scratching it always felt good while you were doing it, but in the end, it only ended up spreading the rash around and making it worse.
“Toni, are you coming?” Hunter hollered.
Maybe it would be better for her to keep her distance. She was never one to make the first move—ever, and going up on her toes was as close to a first move as she planned to make. He let that one slip away. She wished she could thank him for it.
***
Hunter waited by the door, thankful his twin had interrupted them in time to keep him from doing something stupid, like kissing Toni.
It had taken him a full five minutes to get the damn problem in his pants under control. Yeah, as much as he hated to admit it, he was lucky Fisher had slammed his way into the cabin looking for the key to the outbuildings, so he could get the volleyball net and show off his form. Fisher loved the ladies. Hell, Hunter did too—he just didn’t go sniffin’ around every female within a thirty-mile radius. No, he chose Toni, the one who didn’t seem to like him. He only wished he could decide if the feeling was mutual. The episode in the bathroom told him that although she may not like him much, she was attracted to him, and as much as he would prefer not to be, he was attracted to her like a rainbow trout to his Pheasant Tail Nymph fly.
Unfortunately, in this case he was the trout, and if given the choice, he’d rather not end up in a hot frying pan. When Toni looked at him, he saw what he saw in so many of his camp kids. Something lost. Sometimes it was the loss of innocence. Sometimes it was the lack of love or trust in their lives that grabbed him by the throat. Whatever it was with Toni, it called to him the first moment his gaze met hers. It drew him, and although he wasn’t sure he wanted to explore it, he didn’t feel as if he had much choice. There were some things you just had to do. Getting to know Toni, really know her, was one of them.
“You bellowed?” Toni strode from his bedroom as if she owned the place and had the balls to look pissy.
He’d seen that look on numerous other women—the one that said he was going to have to pay dearly for whatever he did to drive her to such a state. He couldn’t think of what he’d done in the last few minutes except behave like a perfect gentleman. But looking back, it could be any number of things, which didn’t bode well for him or their strange relationship. Still, he was in his element, and Toni wasn’t. He had the advantage. He hoped. “Are you ready to go?”
Hand on hip, Toni tilted her head just so. Hunter had the urge to nibble her long, bare neck, even though he knew it would taste like sunscreen since he’d put it there himself. The woman had the most amazing skin. It felt like velvet under his calloused hands. She hadn’t put the collar back on, and he wasn’t sure if he missed it or not.
“To me, a trip to the mailbox entails going down to the lobby by way of the elevator and then crossing to it. I suspect here, like everything else, mail collection and delivery is different. Where exactly is your mailbox?”
Hunter smiled. “About a mile and a half down the hill.” He snagged her hand, tossed a backpack over his shoulder, and drew her out the door and to the path. The driveway went there too, but it was a longer walk and not as pretty. Though right now, he couldn’t take his eyes off Toni long enough to enjoy the view of anything but her.
“That’s crazy. You actually think I’d choose to hike three miles, in the wilderness no less? Well buddy, let me clue you in, I wouldn’t by choice walk three miles through the wilderness with you or anyone else…”
And she was off. It was amazing how she could babble on without noticing she was doing the very thing she was arguing against. And when she argued, her color rose, her eyes brightened, and she spoke with her hands, which made him smile. It was as if she thought her face wasn’t expressive enough. She had to add the hands for punctuation.
“…even if there were a million-dollar gold Starbucks card at the end of that rainbow.”
Ah, so he was right. He’d pegged her for a Starbucks girl. Before he’d met his cousin-in-law Gina and her friends, he’d thought Seattle girls held the record for caffeine addiction, but after being up at Ben and Gina’s cabin in Three Whores Bend with a bunch of New Yorkers, he knew different. Seattle girls couldn’t hold a coffee cup to New Yorkers. Hunter stepped off a small rock ledge and held Toni’s hand to help her. “I have Starbucks coffee, and I’m a hell of a barista if I do say so myself.” They were almost eye to eye. “I even grind my own beans.”
“You do?”
Her eyes widened in what looked like a combination of awe and surprise, so he pushed his advantage and slid his arm around her. He couldn’t stand not touching her. She leaned into him, her soft curves molded to him as if they were custom fit. He swallowed hard and nodded. If he
moved his head to the left a few centimeters, their noses would touch.
She licked her lips, and he held back a groan.
“Espresso?” Her nose brushed his as her hands slid up his arms to his shoulders.
“Oh yeah.” Shit. Toni worked for a client, and he made it a point never to fool around with clients. Long before he and his brothers started River Runners, Hunter learned it was bad for repeat business—especially if said client wanted to return to vacation with her new significant other. The one time that happened, it hadn’t bothered Hunter. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the lady. He’d learned a valuable and rather expensive lesson. He lost a week’s work when he was replaced with a guide who hadn’t shared her sleeping bag. But this was completely different. For one thing, Toni would never return unless forced. For another, if Toni did show up expecting to share anyone’s sleeping bag but his, it would bother him a whole lot. He’d want to rip the guy’s arm off and beat him with it. And since Hunter hadn’t so much as kissed Toni yet, it made the decision whether to kiss her a foregone conclusion.
Chapter 5
The brush of Hunter’s lips was so light, Toni couldn’t be sure it really happened. She was more aware of the sweet scent of cinnamon on his breath, until he angled his head and increased the pressure, sending a rush of warmth from her mouth to parts of her body she’d forgotten existed. His fingers grazed her jaw, barely touching her, in direct opposition to the arm wrapped around her waist, holding her fast, chest to chest, thigh to thigh.
She breathed him in, sliding her hands across his shoulders, her fingers tunneling through the soft hair at the nape of his neck, drawing him deeper into the kiss. His tongue traced the seam of her lips, circling, teasing, before spearing into her mouth, shooting more heat through her already overloaded system.
A moan resonated through her mouth and chest. She wasn’t sure if it was hers, or his, maybe both, but the vibration sent a twisting ache of need straight to her belly. Her heart slammed against her ribs as his tongue wrestled with hers for control, shattering her thoughts into a billion pieces, forcing her to do nothing but feel. The sharpness of his teeth, the slide of his tongue, and the hardness of his body against hers played havoc on her senses.