For a moment, she froze, unwilling or unable to continue forward. It felt so damn good to be touched like that, his huge hand splaying across her lower back as though she was the most important person in his world. Cherished. Loved.
A deep need curled up in the pit of her stomach, a need she’d ignored for years.
As she unzipped the tent and finally made her way out on her knees, she wondered why on earth she had ignored her carnal needs for so long.
She’d had boyfriends—plenty of them—in high school and college. Some had been long term, others not so much. She’d been intimate with some of them. But in the last two years since she’d graduated and started working, she hadn’t had a serious relationship. She’d been busy building her career and training.
In fact, she didn’t usually let anyone get as close to her as Griffen had on several occasions today. And the weirdest part was her strong reaction.
That hadn’t happened in two years, either.
Huh.
Griffen’s hand remained on her back as she exited the tent and stood.
“You didn’t have to get up,” she whispered, trying not to disturb or alert the others. “I would have been fine.”
He leaned into her until his lips touched her ear. “Not letting you wander around out here alone. It’s not safe, baby.”
Her eyebrows shot up. Baby? Holy shit.
Something deep inside her clenched. Her entire body came to life. Was it from his hand on her back, his lips on her ear, or the way he assigned the endearment to her?
A shiver went down her entire body as she fought the emotional overload. Her mouth was dry. Her pussy was not.
A slight pressure on her back made Rebecca slip on her flip-flops and move forward. It was almost too dark. She should have brought a flashlight, but the building that housed the restrooms and showers was well lit. All she had to do was aim in that direction and hope she didn’t trip over anything.
Now that they were outside the tent, she was cold. She should have grabbed her jacket but decided to keep going instead of turning back.
They said nothing as they made their way toward the lights. Rebecca’s tongue was stuck in her throat. The only thing she was aware of was the hand that had made its way up to the center of her back. It was still splayed, covering nearly all of her, but at least it was no longer on her bare skin. If it had been, her knees would have buckled and caused her to collapse.
“I’ll be right back,” she muttered as they reached the restroom.
Griffen grabbed her shirt and kept her from entering. “Hang on.”
She felt the tug of her tight tank top as it stretched over her bare breasts. Her nipples jumped to attention, as if they needed a reminder the man at her side was fucking sexy as hell and touching her.
Rebecca stopped moving forward, letting Griffen step past her and open the door to the ladies room. “Anyone in here?”
There was no response.
How unbelievably chivalrous.
And that wasn’t enough for Griffen. He went inside when there was no response, leaning into the room and dipping his head to ensure there were no feet under the doors. “Okay,” he said as he backed out.
Rebecca was past words. Holy fuck. Overprotective much?
She stepped inside, almost reluctant to break contact with his touch.
If she wasn’t mistaken, he was in agreement. He let out a long exhale as the door shut behind her.
Jesus.
She peed, her body shaking the entire time, washed her hands, and reemerged to find Griffen leaning against the wall.
The man smiled, that coy half smile she’d seen several times—in between his brooding glares of disapproval.
“Thanks,” she murmured, slightly embarrassed. “You didn’t have to come with me. I would have been fine.”
“I know.” He didn’t move from the wall. Instead he reached for her hand and pulled her into him, nestling her body between his legs so her chest landed against his. One arm went around her waist and the other burrowed into her hair under her braids, pulling her close.
If she was uncertain about his intentions earlier, there was little doubt now. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled slowly. His body warmed her against the cold air.
Rebecca thought her heart might stop from the sharp spike of arousal taking over her body. Her knees felt weak. She didn’t need them anyway. Griffen held her tight enough to keep her from falling.
Her nipples rubbed against the front of her shirt, or perhaps his. In either case, they felt swollen and tight.
For a long time they stood there, neither speaking.
Finally, Griffen eased his hand up her back to her cheek. He pulled her head back with both hands and met her gaze.
His expression was serious. His eyes darted back and forth between hers from that proximity. A slow smile spread across his lips. “You feel it too, right?”
What? Aroused? Hell yes.
She swallowed and nodded subtly.
His eyes closed as he set his forehead against hers. “Complicated,” he muttered.
For him? Hell, it was beyond complicated for her. Way past complicated.
For one thing, she was busy building a life. For another thing, Griffen was Sharon’s brother—off limits. And the man was older than her.
Eight years.
Why was he still single? He was a god. All muscles and tanned skin and thick, sexy dark hair that hung across his forehead, begging a woman—any woman—to run her fingers through it. And those eyes. Jesus. A woman could get lost in the chocolate depths and never come up for air.
“Sharon…” she muttered. It seemed the most logical of excuses.
“She’ll get over it.” He shook his head as he met her gaze again, as though Sharon was the least of his worries.
He had bigger concerns than his sister’s wrath?
His gaze roamed her face and settled on her lips. Then his grip tightened on both sides of her head, and he closed the gap until his mouth met hers. The initial kiss was a whisper of a touch, a brush of soft flesh against flesh. But then he closed the space, angling his head in one direction so his mouth covered hers in desperation.
The same desperation she felt.
She lifted on tiptoes, grabbing his waist with both hands to steady herself.
When his tongue slipped inside her mouth, she moaned. Or maybe he did.
He tasted like nature, toothpaste, and Griffen.
She leaned farther into his body, as if that were possible, pressing her belly against his erection and her nipples against his chest.
She was inexplicably drawn to him like a magnet. Her hands eased their way under his T-shirt and around to his back. His skin was warm and smooth and firm. He was in at least as good shape as herself.
Griffen’s hands trailed down from her face to her back, tugging her in tighter until they rested so low the tips of his fingers were inside her cotton shorts.
Heaven. She’d never felt anything like this with another man. Not one time in her life had she been kissed like this, scrambling her brain and making her forget the world.
Abruptly Griffen broke the kiss, a low groan escaping his lips. He set his head back against the wall and met her gaze. “Couldn’t help myself.”
She blinked at him, licking her lips, still tasting him everywhere. “Didn’t ask you to,” she responded.
He smiled, the biggest smile she’d seen from him yet.
Okay, so maybe all the brooding and grumbling all day was caused by him wanting to approach her. The man was attracted to her.
“We should get back,” she said. It was the last thing she wanted to do, but if one of the others woke up…
“We should.” He made no movement in that direction. Instead his eyes darted around her face, his hands easing up her back to tangle in her hair. “This isn’t finished.”
She shook her head. It was definitely not.
Without another word, he nodded, pressed off the wall, and took her ha
Rebecca’s legs were weak. Her heartbeat seemed so loud it was a wonder it didn’t wake other campers. His firm grip on her fingers made her wish they were still against the bathroom wall.
When they arrived at the tent, Griffen paused and pulled her in front of him. Gently, he cupped her face again and kissed her lips. Before things got carried away, he released her and bent to unzip the entrance.
Like the true gentleman he’d proven himself to be, he ushered her inside first and followed behind.
As Rebecca eased back into her sleeping bag, her mind raced. Not enough words. Not enough time together. Not enough of his soft lips, his hands roaming her back, his cock against her belly.
She flung an arm over her eyes and tried to catch her breath.
Fingers stroked hers as though communicating that although Griffen lay across the tent in another direction, he knew her plight. With a quick squeeze, he released her and turned away.
She wanted to cry at the loss.
Chapter Five
It was lunchtime before Griffen had the chance to speak to Rebecca alone. He’d followed her every move with his gaze since the moment they woke up, fighting the urge to groan when she first lifted her sleepy head and glanced around in a daze. Mornings were not her friend.
She’d muddled through the breakfast line like a zombie and hadn’t perked up until her second cup of coffee hit her system.
Note to self: two cups of coffee before engaging my mate in anything of significance.
He had no idea how this was going to play out. For everyone’s sake, he needed to bide his time for the next twenty-four hours while they hiked, returned to camp, and spent another night in the confines of a small tent.
Besides the fact he couldn’t very well claim her in front of everyone and she had no knowledge of the existence of shifters, his gut still told him it wasn’t time. Perhaps the instinctive feeling was a result of his entire hovering family, but he thought there was more to it than that. The strange uneasy feeling wouldn’t go away.
The second leg of this trip, the five miles to the summit, was arduous. Every year it was the same, but somehow it always felt farther.
Rebecca, true to her word, was up to the task. She was the strongest human Griffen had ever encountered, man or woman. Her endurance was unbelievable from training so hard for her Spartan Race.
The six of them agreed to press forward and not stop to eat lunch until they reached the top.
When they finally arrived, Griffen’s brothers plopped down on a large rock to catch their breath. Rebecca had never been to the peak before though, so she wanted to experience the view.
“Oh my God. This is amazing.” She wandered away from the group as she spoke.
Griffen followed her. He knew the view was amazing. He’d been there half a dozen times. But watching Rebecca experience it was priceless. Her eyes were wide as she turned in every direction to take it all in—the expanse of valleys and pine and fir trees extended in every direction. The lush green of summer replaced the blanket of snow usually seen in every direction during the skiing months. The only sounds were those of smaller animals scurrying around between the trees.
Griffen stepped beside her and inhaled her scent. It had been over twenty hours since he met her. Twenty long hours, knowing he would spend his life with her and wanting to wrap her in his arms and pull her in close. Hell, who was he kidding? He wanted to bury himself inside her and never come up for air.
The line he walked with her was absurd. He hadn’t touched her all day, and he was well aware the reasons were convoluted. She wouldn’t be comfortable with the others knowing she was into him. And Griffen understood that, from her perspective. The craziness was that every one of them knew Rebecca was his mate—except Rebecca.
Griffen had thought all morning while they hiked about how to broach the subject, and he’d come up with nothing so far.
He had time, but only because he had no intention of fucking her senseless in front of his siblings.
Sharon cornered him first thing in the morning while Rebecca was in the restroom and asked him what his immediate intentions were. He hadn’t been able to answer. How could he explain the weird feeling he had that the stars were not completely aligned yet?
He had until tomorrow when they arrived back at the cars to come up with a plan. Attempting to explain to his mate that he and his entire family were wolf shifters and she was destined to spend her life with him was not an easy task.
He’d been silent for too long. The urge to engage her in conversation gripped him. He watched her wide gaze scan the area while he spoke. “Legend has it in the Native American culture that spirits roam the peaks of these mountains.”
She turned toward him and smiled. God he loved her smile. “Really? Like creepy scary orbs of light or something?” She giggled, the tinkle of her voice making his cock harder by the second.
He shuffled his feet and shrugged. “Not sure. One of my best friends lives on the reservation, though. He’s told me tales of the mountain spirits. I don’t believe they’re bad omens or anything. They just reside high in the mountains, perhaps keeping watch over everything.”
“Interesting.” If he wasn’t mistaken, her voice was teasing.
Sharon approached and handed them each a bottle of water. “It is beautiful, isn’t it?”
Rebecca spun around slowly, taking it all in for a second time. “Unbelievable. Now I see why you guys hike this every year.”
“Take a second to enjoy it. I’ll go help unpack lunch.” Sharon wandered back to the others.
The sun was high in the sky, and Griffen held up one hand to shield the strong rays from his eyes so he could watch his mate’s face. One long braid lay over her shoulder, blowing in the breeze. He wanted to pick it up and toy with it between his fingers. Her hair looked so soft.
Even after pulling her close last night and tasting her lips, he didn’t have the green light to approach her publicly with any outward demonstrative gestures.
But Lord, he wanted her more now than he had all night and all morning. He loved the look of pure joy on her face. It radiated through her body. She dropped her pack on the ground at her feet, and as she bent forward to unzip a side pocket, he got an eyeful of her cleavage.
It was warm out considering their elevation, so Rebecca had shed her jacket and wore nothing but her tank top. The edge of her bra was visible, and he had to glance away to breathe.
“I’m surprised we’ve seen so few people on this trail.” Rebecca stood, now holding a small camera. “Where did everyone from the campsite go?”
Griffen took the camera from her and stepped back to take her picture with the view in the background. “There are dozens of possible choices from that campsite. This particular peak is too strenuous for most. And then there’s the fact that you have to be able to make it up to the top and back before dark.”
“Makes sense.” She set her hands on her hips and took a deep cleansing breath as Griffen stepped closer and handed her the camera. “How much time do we have before we need to head back?”
He glanced at his watch. “About an hour. We’ll be fine as long as we’re back on the path by midafternoon. It’s faster returning, but still hard on the knees in the steeper sections.” Griffen leaned down to pick up her backpack. “Hungry?”
She followed him back to the others. “You don’t have to carry my bag.”
“I know.” He smiled over his shoulder. I want to.
Trace was already passing out sandwiches when Griffen and Rebecca crouched down to sit.
God, he wanted to touch her. He wanted to tuck the loose lock of hair behind her ear. He wanted to hold her hand. Anything.
Instead, he forced himself to swallow his lunch and then excused himself when his bladder demanded release. “I’ll be right back.” He worked his way through the branches and rocky patches off the trail until he was out of sight.
When he was finished and turned back around to make his way toward the group, he was stunned to find the sun suddenly blocked. Or maybe it wasn’t the sun. He wasn’t sure, but an ominous dark presence forced him to step backward.
It happened so fast, he wasn’t sure what he’d seen before he lost his footing and fell several feet off the slight ledge at his back. “Fuck.” He knew he nearly yelled the word. But son of a bitch. He lay sprawled on the ground, and something was causing a searing pain in his thigh.
When he lifted his head to see what he’d landed on, he groaned. Goddammit. He was stuck. He’d landed on a pile of loose twigs, and a good-sized stick had impaled his leg, running clean through and out the other side, ripping his lightweight pants in both places.
“Griffen?”
He could hear Trace’s voice, but he couldn’t quite muster the energy to respond. And what the hell had he seen? There was no dark anything in front of him now.
“Over here,” he finally managed.
“You good?”
“Nope.” That was an understatement.
Trace trod through the foliage until his shadow covered Griffen. “You fell?” He had a grin on his face that slowly disappeared as his gaze landed on Griffen’s leg. “Oh damn.”
“Yes. Damn.” Griffen tried to lift his body, but only managed to wince and lay back. “Shit. Fuck.”
“Hang tight. Stop moving so much.” Trace reached down and brushed around the ground until he at least had Griffen dislodged. The stick extended all the way through his leg as though he’d been shot with an arrow.
Zachary had arrived by then. “Jesus. How the hell did you manage that?”
Griffen shot him a glare. “Not intentionally.”
The two men came around either side of Griffen and lifted him by the shoulders.
The pain was intense. “Son of a mother fucking…” he mumbled as they righted him and made their way back toward the main path and the others.
“What happened?” Rebecca jumped up and ran toward them as they came into view.
Trace answered her. “Clumsy here fell on a stick.”
“I see that. Get him over here where I can take a closer look.”
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