didn’t let herself contemplate anything other than sex, she was happy. And sex with Jake meant never having a chance to think.
By the time Jake had let her get dressed, she didn’t have a tense muscle left in her body. She’d hoped no one would notice the beard burns on her cheeks and neck, but from the amused glint in Mark’s eyes, her hope had been futile.
Her lips were probably swollen too, from both kisses and her punishment for making noise. She’d probably deserved it, especially when he removed the clamps and blood had rushed back into her swollen nipples. The sound she let out hadn’t been a scream…quite.
He’d set her on her knees, put his hand around his shaft, ran his finger around her mouth, and waited. She smiled at the memory of taking his heavy cock in her mouth. She’d traced the bulging veins with her tongue and licked the underside of the head. His shaft had grown even thicker, and she could see him exert his control to keep from grabbing her hair and hammering into her. But he hadn’t, and she’d slowly driven him crazy until he’d pulled out and flattened her on her back beneath him. He’d seated himself with one hard thrust that made her gasp, and then ridden her until she had even more rock scrapes on her butt.
Damned if she didn’t want to do it all over again. The man had turned her into a nympho. With a frustrated sigh, she lit the fire.
“I’ll help you, Kallie.” Shifting his weight from one foot to another, Ryan looked at her in adoration. She’d made one conquest, at least.
“I’d love some assistance.”
He grinned and squatted beside her. “Cool. I’ve never cooked over a campfire. What do we do?”
“The trick is to let the fire burn down to coals before you put anything on to cook. While we wait, we’ll prepare the food.”
On the other side of the campfire, Jake yawned and stretched. As the muscles in his shoulders flexed, she rubbed her fingers together in a tactile memory of warm skin stretched over granite-hard muscles.
He caught her staring, and she flushed.
“Tamara, Cody, you want to come on a hike with me?” he asked. “I know some great climbing rocks nearby.”
Both of the youngsters bounded to their feet. After he pointed the way and the children darted off, he said to Mark, “Appears that I’ve got two kids and Kallie’s got one. You two are free for a while if you want some privacy to…wash up or anything. I can recommend the downstream area.” Jake pointed in the direction of where they’d indulged earlier.
Mark’s eyes lit. As if he thought Jake might renege, he grabbed his wife and hustled her out of camp. Grinning, Kallie nodded at Jake. “Good work, Hunt.”
“Seemed like a shame not to share the fun,” he commented. He strolled after his two charges.
When the parents returned, an hour or so later, Kallie left Ryan watching the fire, and went to fetch the others. As she approached the clearing, she heard Tamara’s giggles and Jake’s deep laughter. Just the sound of his voice sent a jolt through her, and she sighed. What a wimp.
As she stepped out of the trees, she stopped to enjoy the sight of him with the children. Cody perched on the top of one massive boulder, binoculars to his eyes. At a different boulder, Jake patiently taught Tamara the basics of rock scrambling.
The rock stood taller than his head, and Tamara went up it like a little monkey. At the top, she did an adorable victory dance. When Jake laughed and held up his arms, she launched herself fearlessly, with no doubt he’d be there for her. He caught the girl, tossed her up, and gave her a hug before setting her down.
And as Kallie watched him, she realized she’d thrown herself off too-right into a disgustingly squishy sentimental emotion. She loved the bastard, damn it all. This was so, so stupid. What had happened to only having sex?
As the setting sun sent shadows dancing across the small meadow, she leaned back against a tree trunk. It better hold her up since her legs couldn’t do the job.
Logical, but not gonna work.
Cody spotted her, and when they all looked over, Kallie sighed. With an effort, she arranged her face into a pleasant expression. Maybe she’d turned dim-witted enough to fall for Jake, but she sure knew better than to let him realize it.
Jake smiled at her as she walked up. “Come to do some climbing?” Then his eyes narrowed, and he studied her for a long moment. “What’s wrong, sprite?”
After one of the sprite’s fine meals and the cleanup, Jake enjoyed himself entertaining the tired children with campfire tales. Beside him, Kallie whittled on a piece of pine from her pack. Jake glanced at it and frowned. It looked like a man with legs braced and arms crossed over his chest. Although she hadn’t yet finished the face, the stance reminded him of Logan. Or…himself. She met his suspicious gaze, laughter in her eyes, and he had to grin. The imp simply bubbled over with mischief.
As she returned to carving, he leaned closer and murmured, “Will that sit beside your bed to keep you in line when I’m not present?”
“Keep me in line?” She snorted. “That’d be the day.”
“Really?” He waited a second, then said, “Look at me,” pushing some power into the low command.
Her head jerked up, and her eyes widened.
He ran a finger down her soft cheek and said very softly, “That day is today, little sub.”
The flush that darkened her cheeks rewarded him, and the dirty look she gave him just added to the pleasure.
He turned back to the children and raised his voice, “So which of you has heard the story of…”
When he ran dry an hour later, he sipped some hot chocolate and then announced that he’d forgotten his tent.
The children laughed at the dumb grown-up, Mark snorted, and Laura snickered. He didn’t care, not if he ended up where he wanted. “Kallie, may I sleep in a corner of your tent?”
She looked up from her whittling. “Should I assume you forgot a sleeping bag too?”
“’Fraid so.”
She rolled her eyes, to the children’s delight. “I don’t know, Mr. Hunt. That’s pretty bad, not remembering to bring the proper equipment. I should make you walk back in the dark so you don’t forget again.”
“But the bears might get me.”
That earned him a husky giggle from Kallie, but Tamara’s eyes rounded in panic. “Kallie, don’t make him. Pleeease…”
“You do have a way with the women,” his little sub said in a very disrespectful
