Just Trust Me…

“Which is…?”

His hand curved over her butt and she drew in a quick breath. “I really like the rear view.”

Another wave of heat rolled through her at the intimate caress. Given the fact that the sun was beating down with ever-increasing intensity, she needed more heat like she needed a hole in her head. And what had happened to the truce they’d called not thirty seconds ago? Well, two could play at that game. As she moved past him to assume her place in line, she deliberately brushed against him and dragged her palm over his groin.

“Like the rear view?” she purred softly so only he could hear. “Good to know. I’ll make certain you see plenty of it this afternoon.” She gently squeezed him, enjoying his quick intake of breath. “Happy trails, handsome.”

11

THE SUN’S waning rays were casting long shadows over the landscape when Paolo finally called a halt in a large clearing surrounded by dense trees and announced they’d arrived in Huayllabamba, the village where they’d set up camp. A collective sigh of relief arose from the group, one that Brett shared in. Shrugging off his backpack, he asked Kayla, “How do you feel?”

Her backpack and bedroll hit the ground, raising a puff of dry dirt around her ankles. “Well, let’s see,” she said, rolling her neck. “After hiking nearly seven miles in the high altitude-which is seven miles longer than I’ve ever hiked in my life-every muscle is screaming with fatigue and my back aches from lugging all that crap.” She pointed at her backpack. “I’m hungry, thirsty, dusty, dirty and, in spite of reapplying bug spray every half hour, I still have half a dozen bug bites-I am sooo wearing pants tomorrow-and I can tell that my hair has frizzed into a knotty mess.”

She paused for breath then shot him a smile so dazzling his breath hitched. “Yet, in spite of all that, I’ve never felt so…alive. So invigorated. My body is tired, but I’m completely exhilarated. With a deep sense of accomplishment. The thrill of having stepped outside my box to do something I’ve never done before-and living to tell the tale. Definitely a change, and I feel the gain.”

Her green eyes seemed to glow. “Then there’s the mixture of feelings this place infuses…the sense of history, of stepping back in time. It’s part excitement, part wonder and part quiet serenity. And I also really like our hiking group. Very nice people.”

She reached out and touched his hand. “One person in particular. I…I really enjoyed sharing this day with you, Brett. Experiencing the beauty of the trail, discovering the different species of plants, walking and talking with you. It was all…lovely.”

Unable to stop himself from touching her, Brett drew her into his arms. She nestled against him and felt… perfect. In a way that made it very difficult to remember that he was supposed to be focusing on what to do about his formula and his future. That the timing was inopportune at best for all these unexpected and unsettling things she made him feel. That with her uptown princessy-ness, she represented the exact sort of woman he was desperate to avoid. But instead of listening to the reminders, he flicked them away as he would a pesky insect and urged her closer.

“Lovely,” he repeated softly. “Yes, that describes it perfectly.” Lowering his head, he lightly brushed his lips over hers. A jolt of raw heat raced through him at the brief contact, igniting him as if he’d been doused in gasoline then tossed on a bonfire.

He’d been fighting his runaway attraction to her for seven long miles, forcing himself to concentrate on the scenery, on the history that Paolo imparted, but Kayla had remained in the forefront of his mind. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d been so painfully aware of another person. He’d found every excuse possible to touch her. Had known every time she’d spoken to someone else. Every time she drank from her water bottle. Used her camera. Tucked a stray piece of hair beneath her hat.

Her curiosity about everything she saw, the intelligent questions she asked Paolo, her humorous comments that made the group laugh, all attracted him like steel to a magnet. She hadn’t hesitated to get down in the dirt and examine the tiny species of plants Paolo pointed out, nor had she complained once about the rigorous conditions. Instead she’d forged ahead, her face set with determination. She’d pushed aside her princess tendencies, swallowed her unease and fully embraced the adventure, showing courage and humor and a natural fascination with learning new things that both attracted and impressed him.

He also saw her kindness toward the other hikers, especially Dan Smith, noting how she made a point of chatting with the man during one of their short breaks. “He reminds me of my dad,” she’d said in an undertone to Brett when she rejoined him after her conversation with Dan. “I sense he’s very lonely.”

“I detect something of a caregiver personality in you,” he’d said, taking her hand as they resumed walking. “You would have made a heck of a nurse.”

“Doubtful. The sight of blood makes me queasy.”

They’d walked along, admiring the awe-inspiring scenery, sharing the stillness and serenity of their surroundings. The simple act of holding her hand had filled him with a sense of quiet contentment. The words this feels good, this feels right whispered through his mind. He loved the warmth of her smooth palm pressed against his, her slim fingers entwined around his. And, now, with the sensation of her in his arms, the place where he’d wanted her all day long, all the feelings he’d held at bay flooded him, and he bit back a groan of pure want.

“How are you feeling after a grueling day on the trail?” Kayla asked.

“You explained it perfectly. It was an incredible day, made even more so because I shared it with you.” He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “In case you can’t tell, I kinda like you.” He tossed out the words lightly, not sure if he really wanted to consider how huge an understatement they were.

Her eyes went soft and a gentle smile touched her lips. “I kinda like you, too.”

Brett couldn’t help but wonder what she’d say if he told her that there was no “kinda” about it-that he liked her so much it scared him. That she hadn’t been out of his thoughts for so much as a single minute since he’d met her. That no woman, ever, had affected him so strongly, so quickly, both physically and emotionally. Not willing to risk it, he merely said, “Glad the feeling is mutual.”

“It is. But I would have known you kinda liked me even if you hadn’t told me.” A devilish gleam glittered in her eyes, and she gently bumped her pelvis against his erection. “It’s sort of hard to miss. With, um, hard being the operative word.”

“That’s not the only thing I like about you, but I obviously can’t deny that on top of everything else, I’m feeling a little…horny.”

She laughed and looped her arms around his neck. “That’s only because you haven’t seen my ratty hair under my hat.”

He immediately plucked the straw hat from her head and dropped it on her backpack. Dark-red curls sprang free, sticking up in every direction.

“Were you struck by lightning on the trail?” he teased.

“Ha ha. You’re hysterical.”

He plunged his fingers through the soft, silky mess. “Very sexy…in an I’ve-been- electrocuted sort of way. Yesterday your hair was straight.”

“That’s because I worked very hard to make it that way. When I don’t, it looks like I’ve been electrocuted.”

Paolo cleared his throat to gain everyone’s attention. “You all can take a few minutes to stretch and relax while we begin preparing the campsite. Since there are no restroom facilities here, I’ll set up the bathroom tent first, which will take about ten minutes.”

Kayla stepped out of his arms, and Brett had to press his lips together to keep from laughing out loud at her horrified expression.

“Did he say ‘no restroom facilities’?”

“He did, but don’t worry,” Eileen Carlson said with a comforting smile from a dozen feet away where she and Bill sat next to their gear. “It’s just like when you went to camp as a kid.”

“But I never camped as a kid,” Kayla said, with a hint of something that sounded like panic in her voice. “Closest frame of reference I have is when I went on one of those summer teen tours before my junior year of high