Bring It On - Kira Sinclair Page 0,31

you’re my responsibility.”

That had her back up within seconds. “No, I’m not. I’m responsible for myself and have been for years, you idiot.” Lena stalked closer, jabbing a finger into his chest. With each step she took forward, he took one back. “I don’t remember blaming you for this predicament. Or wailing like some helpless female.”

“I didn’t mean…” he sputtered, backtracking nice and fast…straight into the water. One second he was standing in front of her, the next he was sprawled in knee-deep water, his eyes round and bright with surprise.

Lena’s first reaction was to jump in after him. Uncaring that her shoes were now soaking wet, she splashed into the water and crouched down beside him. “Are you okay?”

She reached for him, tugging uselessly at the weight of his body. Instead of answering, he reached beneath her arms and toppled her into the water beside him. The water was shockingly warm, the pool shallow enough to have heated through from the sun.

They grappled in the water, each trying to get the upper hand. She knew it was useless, but refused to give up without a fight. After several minutes, Colt ended up above her, her legs pinned down by the weight of his hips and her arms held loosely in his hands.

He grinned down at her, wicked and mischievous.

“Great, now my clothes are soaked. I don’t suppose you have a spare set in the pack?”

“Sure,” he said. “For me.”

“You’re going to have to share. I’m already cold, and wet clothes won’t help.”

He ground his hips slowly against her, making a warm ribbon of need wind slowly through her body.

“I’m sure we can come up with a better way to keep you warm.”

“Oh, yeah,” she countered, arching her back and pressing the wet globes of her breasts against the warm expanse of his chest.

Desire, strong and hard, zinged between them. She wanted him again. She wanted to feel him moving inside her, stretching her body and filling her up. She wanted to touch him, taste him and learn what she could do to make those little growling noises erupt from his throat again.

And here was as good a place as any. Reaching between them, she wiggled her hand closer to the burgeoning ridge of his cock. But she didn’t get there in time.

Instead, Colt pushed away from her. Drops of water rained down around her as he stood, reaching to help her up after him.

“I was talking about building a fire,” he said, a teasing grin playing at the corners of his mouth.

“Bastard,” she grumbled, suppressing her own smile.

She took a step away, but Colt pulled her back, jerking her into his arms and stealing her breath with a kiss. She went under, happily, letting him take whatever he wanted. Opening herself, body, mind, soul to him.

The clearing around them was quiet. And while the jungle they’d hiked through had seemed dark and dangerous, the waterfall and pool somehow held a tinge of magic. Even the massive roar of the water as it crashed over the edge only reminded her what the power of letting go could provide—deep, reverberating pleasure.

Maybe being lost wasn’t so bad after all. Not if she was lost with Colt.

Lena was all ready for round two. Who needed an emergency blanket when the sandy shore beneath their feet was available? She tried to wiggle away from Colt, to work her hands between them enough so that she could fill her palms with the rolling waves of muscle that crossed his tight abs.

But instead of reacting to her touch, Colt stilled. It was unnatural, his sudden and complete lack of motion. Even his lungs stopped sucking in air.

Lena looked up into his face. “Colt?” His arms tightened, but his gaze was no longer focused on her.

Turning her head slowly, Lena followed his line of sight and nearly screamed.

“Don’t move,” he whispered.

A large cat, black as the center of the jungle, crouched across from them.

“What is that?” she whispered.

“Jaguar. I think.”

It was lapping up water from the pool, somehow managing to never take its stalking, steady gaze off them. It paused, the whites of its eyes flashing as if realizing it was no longer the only one watching.

Even from this distance, Lena could see the powerful muscles of its flanks. They quivered, as if gathered in readiness to spring at any moment.

“I wonder if it’s hungry,” she whispered wryly.

It stared at them. Lena could count the seconds by the racing thud of Colt’s heartbeat next to her own.