This was all too much for her to deal with. Why couldn’t she put her stupid past behind her and move on? She was just trying to lead a productive life and find a bit of happiness in the process.
“Are you a football fan?” Hunt’s question had her springing forward to grab another cracker.
“Um…not really. I’ve watched a lot of games, though. One of my guardians was a huge fan. He even had a man cave with banners all over the wall and pillows with the team logo on them.”
Hunt watched her bite into the cracker. Feeling self-conscious, she chewed and tried not to choke when she swallowed. He didn’t make her nervous when he stared, though. Not like Colby.
When Hunt crossed one ankle over his knee and stretched his arm along the back of the couch, she took in the manly pose and felt his strength and power all over again. Seeing him doing pushups and sit-ups twice a day had been driving her a little crazy. Wearing his flannel shirt and socks, she was well aware of his size too.
She threw a glance at the flat-screen. “Did you play football?”
“All through high school, yeah. I could have gone on to college, but I went into search and rescue training instead.”
“It’s a noble profession.”
His lips tipped at the corners, making her stomach warm even more. “I felt driven to do it.” He angled his body toward her, and she didn’t realize she’d done the same until she pulled her legs up onto the cushion with her.
She smoothed the flannel shirt over her knees. “Why is that?”
The team he was rooting for scored a touchdown, but Hunt turned down the volume to speak over the cheering fans, devoting one hundred percent of his attention to her. “My cousin died during a ski trip. I felt I could do some good for other families in the same situation.”
“Gosh, I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t dredge up bad memories.”
He shook his head. “It’s fine. It was a long time ago.” He considered her. “Have you remembered anything else?”
Besides more reasons to fear Colby was at the root of all this? Not really. But she couldn’t tell him that. She didn’t want him putting more time and energy into helping her than he already had. As soon as she returned home, she’d figure out what came next. Whether that was taking action to keep Colby away from her or moving to a new town to escape him.
Starting over…again…sucked. But she’d do whatever it took to gain that peace of mind.
“I’ve been trying to remember. I’m sorry, Hunt.”
“No need to apologize.” He leaned forward and grabbed the charcuterie board. Balancing it on one palm, he offered it to her.
She took a slice of cheese. “Thanks.”
Aries sat up, waiting to be offered his own snack. Hunt chuckled. “All right, you greedy thing.” He tossed a bit of smoked sausage, and the dog caught it out of the air.
“I don’t give him a lot of treats. I want to keep him in top health,” Hunt told her around a bite he stuffed into his own mouth. “My other dog, Freedom, isn’t with me because he’s having some trouble with arthritis in his hips. I thought it best to leave him with another handler.”
She sat up straighter. “I didn’t realize you have another dog. Don’t you miss him? Doesn’t Aries miss him?” She looked at the dog, who wasn’t nearly as scary as she first believed. Either that or she was getting used to him.
“We both do.” He focused on the dog and then turned his gaze back on her. “There isn’t somebody you’re missing right now, Freya? A pet? A loved one?”
She dropped her stare to her hands in her lap. “Foster kids learn not to create a lot of ties to people.”
“I’m sorry. I had to ask. I hate the thought of someone missing you.” He broke off. “I mean…”
“I know what you mean. I had terrible holidays growing up, but I’ve always had a dream of a wonderful Christmas. Every year I get my hopes up that this will be the one.”
His brows pinched.
“I sound pathetic.”
“No. You sound like no matter what happened to you, you still have faith that you’ll get the happily ever after you deserve.”
She sucked in a breath. “I’m not sure if it’s deserved. I don’t do great things like you, rescuing people and keeping them alive.” A flush stole through her at the memory of his hot chest pressed against her icy, bare skin.
She reached for a cracker at the same time he did. Their hands came within inches of each other before both stopped.
Hunt’s expression darkened. Then he closed the gap between his hand and hers and closed his fingers around hers.
She stifled a gasp. Their gazes locked.
“It’s going to be all right, Freya. As soon as the roads clear, we’ll get you checked out at the clinic.”
“You don’t have to—”
He applied more pressure to her fingers. The callused touch scorched through her insides. Warmth seeped deep into her core.
A life alone had conditioned her to pull away, but her instinct was to move closer.
She stared into his eyes, drew in a deep breath…then turned her hand upward to clasp his.
He stilled. Unsure of herself and his reaction, she started to withdraw, but he grasped her hand tighter.
“Hunt…”
“Are you afraid of me, Freya?” His rough whisper had her breaking out in goosebumps.
Her response came out breathless. “No.”
He started leaning toward her but stopped.
She rarely went after a connection with another person. What made her want to finish what Hunt started by closing that gap and kissing him?
Her senses were flooded with his looks, fresh manly scent and touch. She was on Hunt overload.
And she wanted more.
Beyond rational thought, she threw herself across the couch at him. The charcuterie board went flying. She hooked her arm around Hunt’s neck. He planted his hands on her waist and yanked her the rest of the way across the cushion.
With their mouths a breath apart, they stopped.
“I want to kiss—” She never completed the sentence because he crushed his mouth over hers.
The initial feel of him—prickly beard, soft lips and hard body—had her blinded with need.
For a moment, neither moved to deepen the kiss. Slowly, he ran his hand up her spine, making her shiver. When he eased his fingers through her hair to cradle her head, a gasp of want issued from her.
“Hell,” he gritted out. He slanted his mouth across hers. She parted her lips to him, and their tongues darted out at the same time, seeking each other.
A moan burned up her throat. Hunt trapped it with his kiss, sweeping his tongue through her mouth in a slick, hot pass.
Freya crawled into his lap. With a growl, Hunt tugged her over his thighs to straddle him, one hand digging into her scalp, one pressed to her lower back, urging her closer, closer, closer to his muscled heat.
She wrapped her arms around her rescuer and gave herself up to kissing him.
His mouth moved over hers, taking the kiss from thorough to damn hot. She tugged at the long strands of his hair, set on fire by his nearness and the taste of him. Each plunge of his tongue against hers had her shaking for more. A deep throb settled in her core. She’d never known desire like this before. Part of her urged her to run away from the foreign, the unknown.