Page 15 of Wild Peak

“Your scent on my pillows, your laughter on the deck, your chatter in my kitchen,” he goes on. “What if I don’t want to miss another second of it?”

My heart slams against my rib cage.

My lips part, but no words come out. Only a tiny squeak of joy.

“Or I’ll come and live with you in town,” Hunter adds, waving a hand impatiently. “Hell, I’ll build you a whole new cabin on the outskirts if that would make you happy. Whatever you prefer. That’s all detail. It doesn’t matter. The point is… do you want me, Brooke? After everything, do you still want me?”

Do I want him?

More than anything.

“Jake won’t like it,” I whisper, my throat tight with nerves. Because I need Hunter to be sure,reallysure. If he dangles this in front of me then snatches it away, I’ll die.

But Hunter shrugs, impatient. “Jake’s not your keeper. Now, will you take me, sweetheart? Because I’m fucking desperate for you here. I have been ever since I saw you in that parking lot three years ago.”

Parking lot? What parking lot? I squint at him, confused, and Hunter growls and crowds closer, caging me in on the wicker sofa. My breaths come quicker, shallow, every part of me winding tight with excitement.

Yes.

Every second that this man is not kissing me is a second wasted. My tongue darts out to wet my bottom lip, and Hunter zeroes in on it, his pupils blowing wide. The tapping of his pulse is visible in his throat, racing extra fast, and the air between us is electric. If my hair weren’t damp from the shower, it’d be standing on end.

“Say you want me,” Hunter grits out.

I nod eagerly. “I want you, Hunter. So much.”

He lets out a long, relieved breath, then his voice lowers. Gets more intimate. “Say you’ll be mine, Brooke. My partner. My girl.”

My nod is wobbly this time, and my words shake. “Uh-huh. I—I can do that. Yes, please.”

There’s a flash of that crooked grin, then Hunter lunges forward and claims another kiss. This one is different from the experimental, unsure kisses from earlier. There’s no hesitation. No holding back. This time, Hunterownsme, and boy, it is magnificent. I melt in his arms, my insides turning to trembly goo.

I’m his.

I’msohis.

I’ve always secretly belonged to my brother’s best friend. And now, he’s mine too.

“Come on.” Strong arms slide beneath my legs, then Hunter lifts me easily off the wicker sofa, standing in the same smooth motion. The world spins, stars streaking across the lavender sky.

Seriously, some people are so freaking coordinated. How do their limbs all behave so well? My inner grumbling cuts off as my arms loop around Hunter’s neck and find his bare skin flushed hot with need. All around us, the birds are rowdy in the treetops as the sun bleeds against the horizon, their chatter echoing across the mountainside.

Hunter takes long strides into the cabin, kicking the door shut behind us. The racket out there dies down a little, and his grip is tight on my legs. Possessive.

“I can’t wait another goddamn second, Brooke.” He carries me toward the corner of the cabin, to where that double bed waits with plain white sheets and a patchwork quilt on top. “Are you gonna let me inside you? Will you part your legs for me, sweet girl?”

My teeth clack together as I nod, so jittery and eager. “Uh-huh. Always. Yes.”

Hunter inhales sharply, then sets me down on the bed. “Thank god.”

The mattress is firm, and I scoot back to the center, trying my best to look appealing. It’s hard in bunched-up sweatpants and a baggy old t-shirt, but I sure try.

“Oh!” Plucking my glasses off my nose, I fold them carefully, then reach over to place them on a nightstand. “Okay, I’m ready.”

Hunter pauses for a moment, eyes closed, like he needs to process what he just saw. Then he turns away, kicks off his boots, and mutters to himself.So fucking cute, it sounds like.

Then he turns back, with molten heat in his eyes. They’re not icy blue anymore—more like a blue flame, searing and dangerous. Hunter flicks another button open on his shirt, watching me.

“You sure about this, Brooke? Because we can take things slower.”

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