Dare You to Resist the Bull Rider (Rock Valley High Book 4), стр. 44
“Char, she doesn’t mean anything to me.” Hunter was in front of me now, holding both of my upper arms as he stared deep into my eyes. “She was just an excuse to go to the movie to keep an eye on you. I swear it. I’d never do that to you.”
The fight went out of my body as he pulled me close to him. I sniffled against the hard muscles of his chest, wishing that I hadn’t cried in front of him. But it didn’t seem to bother Hunter. He wrapped his arms tightly around me and rested his cheek against my head. I let the scent of his cologne soothe me, just like it had so many times before. And when the anger and the tears were finally gone, something else began to stir inside of me.
His fingertips on my lower back massaged me gently through my shirt. I shifted my hands up to his shoulders and squeezed the muscles there, admiring in their strength. He really was gorgeous. There was no mistaking that, anymore. Even I couldn’t ignore it. The way he made my body tingle was undeniable. My gaze slid up to Hunter’s face. He was watching me, his eyes dark and tempting.
Just like in that storage room.
The world around me tilted.
And so it was, for the second time in a matter of days and without waiting to think about it, I pressed my lips against his. The satisfied groan he made as his hands slid up my back made my stomach clench. I closed my eyes and wove my fingers through the hair at the back of his head. It was softer than I’d imagined. Just like the feel of his mouth sliding over mine. He nibbled softly on my lower lip, sending a jolt of electricity straight to my toes. His breath was minty and sweet—as if he’d just popped a piece of double-mint gum.
The hint of stubble on his chin brushed against my cheek like sandpaper. I removed one of my hands from his head to feel it beneath my fingertips. I loved the sensation. Just like I enjoyed tracing the lines of his strong jaw. His hands moved to cup my face as he sighed and then deepened the kiss, causing my knees to go all kinds of wobbly.
Despite the emotional turmoil of the last few hours, a stirring had begun once again in my stomach. It was powerful and needy, almost like that time I’d tried fasting for a weekend.
I needed Hunter. I wanted him. In a way totally unlike anything I’d felt before.
And definitely in a way that I hadn’t wanted Graham.
My eyes flew open as sudden realization swept over me. This was the reason I’d been so upset last night. And why the last week had been like trudging over broken glass. I’d broken one of the cardinal rules. I’d fallen for Hunter. He wasn’t just my best friend anymore.
My heart wanted so much more from him. And maybe—just maybe, he felt it, too. From the way he was kissing me, it definitely seemed like it.
Just the thought of it made me float on air.
“Hunter...”
I murmured as his touch became more insistent. He broke his mouth free to place hot kisses underneath my jaw and down my neck. He was breathing heavily, his fingers working their way into my hair. I shivered as goosebumps rose along my skin wherever he touched. It was easy to see that Hunter made me feel alive like no one else did. Kissing him, feeling him touch me, was awakening something inside of me I thought had long perished this past year.
It felt like hope.
I grasped blindly for his hands, caught between wanting him to continue kissing me until I was dizzy and spilling this new found truth I’d discovered. But it couldn’t wait. I had to tell my best friend the wonderful news.
“Hunter, wait. I have to tell you something.”
His hot lips pressed against a spot behind my ear that made me wriggle with pleasure. I laughed and squealed, pushing him away slightly.
“Wait, I have to tell you something,” I said, smiling at him as he stood before me, his chest heaving.
His face was flushed, and his lips swollen. He was looking at me as if he’d like nothing more than to devour me right then and there. I was half-tempted to let him.
“I think I figured out why this week has been so weird for us,” I said, swallowing down the last bit of nerves I held. It should’ve been easy to say after the way he’d just kissed me. Still, it was never easy confessing to your crush. “I like you, Hunter.”
A grin slid onto his face and he squeezed my upper arms. “I like you, too, Char.”
“No, I mean, I really like you.” I stared up at him, pressing my lips together. “I think...I think I’m falling in love with you.”
“You’re...what?”
The post make-out glaze over his gaze disappeared in one single blink. He pulled back slightly, his brows lowering. It took him a few seconds to absorb what I’d said. And then, I watched as all the blood drained from his face and his hands fell limp to his sides.
“This was a mistake.” He glanced around the clearing, looking everywhere except for me. “We shouldn’t have done this.”
Hurt and confusion shot through my gut like an arrow. I grabbed his arm, trying to pull his gaze back to me.
“It wasn’t a mistake. Everything’s finally clearing up for me. I like you, Hunter. And I