“Oh,” she said softly, her mouth falling open just enough to nearly drive me mad.
Leaning down, I took her mouth with mine.
The kiss was soft and sweet, almost as if we were both unsure of how far to take it. That was, until Greer leaned in closer, and I pulled her body against mine. She wrapped her arms around my neck and opened fully to me. One sweep of my tongue against hers and I knew I was lost to this woman. She tasted like honey and mint, and I greedily took more, almost afraid that if I stopped, I’d never be able to experience such a kiss again.
I moved my hand up and into her hair. Christ, it was even softer than I had imagined. I gently dug my fingers into the soft strands and tugged her head back, causing her to open to me even more. When she moaned, I swore I could have come right then, like a teenage boy having his first taste of romance.
Fucking hell, what has this woman done to me?
She pulled her mouth from mine, and I whispered her name in protest. I didn’t even recognize my own voice. It sounded throaty and full of need.
Her hazel eyes met my lust-filled gaze, and I was finally able to look deeply into them. Her eyes were two colors: the dark gold that circled her irises, and a green that was so deep it reminded me of the evergreens surrounding us.
Small pants of breath escaped from between her lips, and I knew there was no way I would ever be able to walk away from her. Kissing her wasn’t going to be enough. I had to figure out what in the hell I was going to do now, because I wanted to kiss Greer Larson every day for the rest of my life.
Her eyes moved quickly as she studied my face. She tried to talk, but I captured her lips once more. This time the kiss was more heated, and I moved my hand to her lower back and then to her leg, drawing it up and opening her more to my hard body. Greer dug her nails into my shoulders as she moved her hips against me.
The entire world seemed to slip away until it was just the two of us on top of a mountain, lost in one of the most erotic kisses I’d ever had in my life. The only thing I wanted to think about was how perfectly Greer fit against me. I moved my mouth down to her neck as she leaned her head to the side to give me better access.
“Hudson,” she whispered, and I took my time dropping soft kisses along her skin. She smelled like vanilla and tasted so sweet, like the fresh strawberries we would pick and eat straight from the vine when I was younger. To think I had thought those tasted like heaven. It was Greer who tasted fucking divine.
A man cleared his throat from behind us, and we both froze. I let go of Greer’s leg and she quickly took a few steps back. When she stumbled, I reached out and steadied her. Her eyes snapped up to mine, and she stared at me with a look I couldn’t read. For a moment, I thought maybe I saw regret. Did she regret kissing me? I sure as hell hoped not, because I intended to continue that kiss as soon as I could.
“Sorry to interrupt you guys.”
I glanced over my shoulder to see a group of hikers standing there. Three guys and two girls who looked to be in their early twenties.
“No worries,” I stated. I realized I had somehow slung my camera around and it now hung down my back. “We were just heading back down.”
Greer cleared her throat and started to make her way past the small group. One girl giggled and spoke to Greer as she passed. “That was so romantic, like, I can’t even.”
Greer’s cheeks turned a deep red, and she let out a nervous laugh before making her way down the steep trail.
We hiked back toward the parking lot in silence. A few times I stopped to take a picture and Greer patiently waited.
“What time was dinner?” she finally asked when we were almost back to the car. It hadn’t been an awkward silence at all, but I had to admit that the longer she didn’t say anything, the more I worried I’d crossed a line by kissing her.
“Seven—I hope that’s not too late.”
She smiled. “Not at all. The bookstore is closed on Sundays, so I don’t need to rush back.”
“Good,” I replied.
After stowing everything in the back of the SUV, we headed to my cabin to change and get ready for dinner. The conversation revolved around Boggy Creek Valley once again and other places we should go hiking. I loved that she said “we” and didn’t just assume I’d hike them alone.