Page 12 of Can't Get No Satyrfaction

The muscle in his jaw jumped, and his tail swished like an agitated cat’s but he didn’t answer her, and she clicked her tongue.

“Fine, keep your secrets. But you should know that the mysterious act only makes you more intriguing. At least tell me about the forest. What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen out here? Besides me, of course.”

A low rumble escaped his chest—not quite a growl, not quite a laugh. His head turned, and this time he didn’t look away when their eyes met. Finally, a reaction. She pressed her advantage, letting her voice drop to a teasing lilt.

“And am I strange because I’m human? Or because I have a thing for tall, dark, and cranky?”

His tail lashed the air, harder this time, and she caught her bottom lip between her teeth to hide her triumphant grin. His eyes dropped to her mouth, his expression unreadable. When he turned back and started walking again, she let the grin emerge. She was making progress.

A mossy bank loomed ahead, flanking another narrow stream cutting through the forest floor. Her ankle twisted as she tried to navigate the slick surface, and her foot slid out from under her?—

Strong fingers wrapped around her arm, steadying her before she could fall. Heat sparked across her skin where his massive hand touched her.

“Careful,” he growled, his breath stirring her hair.

Her pulse thundered in her ears. His touch sent electricity racing through her veins, his palm so large it nearly encircled her entire upper arm. He helped her cross the stream and then, as quickly as he’d grabbed her, he released her and stepped back. The loss of contact left her skin tingling, craving more.

“Thanks.” Her voice sounded a little too breathless to her ears, and she fumbled with her camera, desperate to distract herself from the lingering warmth of his touch. “Did you know you’re very photogenic? Although it might help if you smiled once in a while.”

His horns twitched. “I don’t smile.”

“Challenge accepted.” She raised her camera, catching him shaking his head. “And even your grumpy face is camera-worthy.”

“I don’t like having my picture taken.” His tail lashed again, but there was no real annoyance in his tone.

“Too bad.” She snapped another photo, this one capturing the hint of a reluctant smile tugging at his lips.

“If I see any of these on that Instagram thing, I’ll—” he broke off, shaking his head, but the corner of his mouth definitely curved up now. She captured the shot, grinning triumphantly.

“You know, most people would be flattered by all this attention. But you’re not like most people, are you?”

His eyes narrowed, pupils contracting to thin slits. “No. And this isn’t a game.”

“Who’s playing?” She traced her finger along her camera strap, watching his gaze track the movement. “Maybe I just appreciate art when I see it.”

Something flickered in those otherworldly eyes—a spark of heat that sent shivers down her spine. The corner of his mouth twitched, fighting what might have been a smile.

“You should watch your words, little photographer,” he said roughly, his voice low and hoarse.

“Or what?”

The question slipped out before she could stop it, breathless and daring. Her pulse raced at her own boldness. She’d never beenthis forward, this reckless, but something about him made her want to push, to see what lay beneath that stern exterior.

“You should be focused on the forest.”

“I am focused,” she said teasingly. “On lots of things.”

He growled, the sound rumbling through the air between them, but his eyes lingered on her face a moment longer than necessary before he started walking again.

A few minutes later, a clearing opened before them like something from a fairy tale, and her breath caught. Wildflowers dotted the grass in bursts of purple and gold, their petals dancing in the gentle breeze. The sunlight painted everything in warm honey tones, and the sweet scent of the flowers filled her lungs.

She lifted her camera, determined to capture the beauty of the meadow, but her lens kept drifting to Thorn. He stood beneath the trees at the edge of the clearing, huge and powerful and mysterious, but the sunlight shafting through the leaves transformed the silver streaks in his hair to molten metal. Her heart drummed faster as she went to join him.

“You know, it wouldn’t kill you to enjoy the moment.”

He leaned back against the massive oak, crossing his arms over his chest. “And what moment is that?”

“Just look around!” She swept her hand in a wide arc, trying to encompass the beauty surrounding them. “The flowers, the light… it’s perfect.”

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