Amber Eyes (Wild 2)

imagination.

Hunter woke to the knowledge that he wasn’t alone. He turned his head to see Kaya huddled a short distance away, her body shivering in the cold.

Emitting a soft curse he rolled, pulling the covers with him so he could cover her with the blankets. She moaned softly when the sheet brushed across her arm, so he tucked the blanket carefully underneath it but swaddled the rest of her in the soft warmth.

For a long moment, he lay there, just two inches from touching her. Her gold-burnished skin glistened in the soft rays of sunshine that poured through his window, and her hair, soft brown caramel, spilled over his pillow, tickling the underside of his arm.

He’d forgotten what it was like to wake with a woman in his bed. Forgotten the contentment of knowing he wasn’t alone, but he’d also managed to avoid the pain that accompanied loss.

Hell of a trade-off.

Finally he reached for her face, tracing the delicate curve of her cheek before cupping her jaw. She turned toward him, seeking his touch, her eyes never opening. She was so starved for affection. He could only imagine how lonely her life must be. What had made her trust him and Jericho when it was clear she’d avoided people her entire life?

How long could he continue to pull her close and then shove her away? He’d already admitted he wanted her. Hell, he and Jericho had had a positively civilized discussion, like she was some object to be bartered. For all he knew she didn’t even look at him and see a man she wanted to be with.

She kissed as sweet and as hot as any woman he’d ever been with, but there was an innocence about her that made him question just how aware she was of her sexuality.

And he’d be a damned liar if he denied that he wanted to be the one to awaken her, to stir the flames higher and brighter, to show her just how it would be between them. Then there was Jericho.

With a heavy sigh, he rolled away to stare up at the ceiling. Jericho presented a complication. Not that he hadn’t shared a woman with his friend before. They’d both loved Rebeccah, and they’d both lost her. He’d never said as much to Jericho, but he hadn’t been convinced that they wouldn’t have lost her anyway if she hadn’t died. She hadn’t trusted the bond between the three of them, hadn’t believed that they could love her and not destroy each other in the process. Part of him couldn’t blame her, and the other part resented that she had given her heart but not her trust. Because of that, Hunter had vowed never to get into another situation where he and Jericho were both involved with the same woman. And yet Kaya had burst into their lives and both men were drawn to her. It wasn’t as easy as just deciding to back away. He knew he should, but like Jericho, he had no intention of stepping aside.

“Hunter?”

Her sleepy voice melted over him, eliciting a tenderness that he’d sworn was alien to him now. He turned to face her, watching her eyes for evidence of pain. All he saw was wariness as she watched him. Was she afraid of him?

It was a stupid question. After the way he’d acted the night before, pushing her away as soon as she’d revealed her secret, she probably had no idea what he was thinking or how he felt.

“Are you hurting?”

There was strain around her lips, and then she licked them, parting them as her husky voice slid over his ears. “Yes, but it will get better. Already I’m healing.”

He reached out to run a finger over the broken arm. The bruising had already faded, and the swelling had gone down remarkably.

“Why did you come in here?”

As soon as the question was out, vulnerability flashed in her eyes. He could see her withdrawing as she braced herself for his rejection. He wanted to reassure her, apologize for the brash way he’d blurted out the question, but he was genuinely curious as to why she’d left Jericho’s bed to come to him.

“I wanted to be with you,” she said simply. “I’m sorry. I’ll go back to Jericho.”

She started to slide toward the edge of the bed.

“No, don’t go. I didn’t mean it like that.”

She paused and stared back at him. “Are you still angry with me, Hunter? I’m sorry I broke my word. I was coming back to you and Jericho.”

“Angry with you?” He was astonished. “Kaya, it’s you who should be angry with me. I shot at you, for God’s sake. I’m the reason you broke your arm.”

She touched his lip with her fingers. He kissed them hungrily, and for the first time allowed all of the desire to well, unfettered and free. It overwhelmed him in a rush. He hadn’t allowed himself to feel since Rebeccah, and it was frightening in its intensity.

He shook with his need, with wanting. Beside him, Kaya studied his expression, her head cocked to the side in gentle curiosity.

“Will you keep my secret, Hunter?” she whispered. “I’ve never told anyone. It frightens me because now I feel powerless.”

He moved closer to her, careful not to touch her arm. Their mouths were now so close that he could feel the warmth of her breath on his chin.

“You can trust me, Kaya. I’ll protect you, take care of you. No one will ever know but me and Jericho. I swear.”

She touched his cheek with light fingertips. “Thank you.” And then she kissed him. Just one sweet brush of her mouth to his. It was the lightest of sensations, like a butterfly’s wings, but it electrified him.

Her eyes were glowing when she pulled away, and he stared, mesmerized, into her liquid depths.

“Will you tell me about the cougar?” he asked.

“Yes, I will tell you and Jericho. Could I…could I eat first?”

His stomach clenched. It sickened him to imagine how many times she’d gone without food or shelter.

“Do you want me to bring you something in bed?”

“I can get up. I want to see Jericho too.”

He reached over to help her sit up. She kept her arm flat against her chest, and her lips tightened into a fine white line as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

They met at the foot of the bed and stood staring at each other. She regarded him with understandable wariness, and yet he was shedding the protective layers he’d worn for so long.

“Come here,” he said in a low voice as he reached for her.

She settled against his chest at an angle where she could keep her arm from pressing against him. He wrapped both arms around her and simply absorbed the sensation of holding her. Emotions long buried fought their way to the surface, raw and painful, and yet he welcomed them like the spring thaws after a long, harsh winter.

She made a sweet sound of contentment that rocked him to his soul. Somehow she belonged. Here. With him and Jericho. He should deny that fact. He should push her away, but he could no more do that than he could stop the flood of want.

It wasn’t just sexual desire. It transcended the simplicity of lust and passion. He needed her and that scared the hell out of him. How could he need this slip of a girl who encompassed the soul of the cougar?

“Come on so I can get you something to eat. You’re too thin.”

He felt her smile against him. “I am hungry.”

He took her hand, unable to resist touching her. And then he dropped it, disgusted by his weakness.

She didn’t let him leave, though. She stopped him with an outstretched hand. Her fingers curled trustingly through his, lacing them together. She squeezed as if she understood the battle he was waging with himself.

“It will be all right, Hunter,” she said solemnly. “I know what it’s like to hurt, to be alone.”

Somehow he believed that. She’d suffered enough hurt and loneliness, though. If he could help it, she wouldn’t hurt again.

Stunned by the implication of his wayward thoughts, he pulled her toward the kitchen. Had he just committed himself to her well-being? It was more than that. He’d just locked his future with hers.

Fool. He knew nothing about her. She could leave tomorrow, and here he was forming attachments he had no business forming. The sad thing was, in the few days

he’d known her, he’d already given her the power to destroy him as soundly as Rebeccah had.

And he only had himself to blame.

Chapter Thirteen

Jericho looked up when Hunter and Kaya entered the kitchen. He fought to keep his expression neutral. When he’d awakened to find Kaya missing, he knew she’d gone to Hunter. It shouldn’t bother him, but it did. This wasn’t new territory for him and Hunter, but with Rebeccah it had been different. The three of them had always just been. Theirs was a comfortable relationship. The way he felt about Kaya was wild and decidedly uncomfortable.

Kaya’s gaze met his, and she studied him with a hint of unease, almost as if she could read his thoughts. He stared back, holding his breath as he waited. For what he wasn’t sure, and then she told him. With her actions.

She walked directly to him, her courage bolstered and burning brightly in her warm eyes. Mere inches away, so close he could feel her slight warmth, she stopped. Her broken arm was clutched tightly against her body, but her free hand glided up his arm and then over his chest.

He caught her fingers, unable to resist touching her as she touched him. Curling his hand around hers, he brought her palm up to his lips and pressed a kiss to the pad of her thumb.

A soft little sigh escaped, and she leaned into his body.

“Kiss me, Jericho.”

Forgetting all about Hunter who stood a few feet away, Jericho gathered her gently in his arms and lowered his mouth to hers. Her lips were crushed petals, as sweet as a spring flower.

His grip tightened, and her whimper escaped into his mouth. He released her immediately and cursed his lack of care.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

She smiled ruefully down at her arm. “I will be well soon.”

“How soon?” Hunter asked.

She turned as if she too had forgotten Hunter’s presence.

“A day, maybe two.” A frown wrinkled her brow. “Could be longer. I’ve never broken an entire arm.”

Despite her serious tone, Jericho had to laugh at the way she’d said it. “An entire arm? What have you broken, then?”