Wild Thing (13 page)

Toni threw her head back and laughed. She didn’t bother trying to stifle it since there was absolutely no way she could. She didn’t get the whole gang member thing, but the gorgeous Goth women—that was laughable. She figured she might as well enjoy it. She took great pleasure laughing right in Hunter’s face.

“What’s so funny?”

“You are either the world’s best liar, or you’re seriously delusional. You’ve been trying to control me ever since I met you.”

“I wasn’t controlling you. I was helping you—there’s a difference. Someone had to push you out of that cabin.”

“I would have done it on my own.”

The look Hunter shot her made her want to slug him again. “Get over yourself, Hunter. You have faults just like the rest of us. Superman you ain’t.” She looked him up and down and tried to imagine Pee-wee Herman. After all, she had to do something to keep the hormones in check. “If that was the only example of your controlling personality, I’d agree, but you have to control everything—even sex.” Not that she was complaining about the sex—at all. But with him looking at her like she was a big scoop of Chubby Hubby ice cream and he’d been on a fast in the Sahara for ten days, she was likely to do something stupid—like strip in the middle of the woods and have an earth-shattering orgasm just before he jumped into a raging river, or they got a round of applause from the people she was supposed to supervise.

“I did not control the way we made love. All I did was refuse to have sex by the numbers. When we finally did make love, believe me babe, there was no control involved.”

The whole Pee-wee Herman thing was so not working. Nope, all she could see was Hunter looking every bit as mad as he did turned on. Damn. She needed to re-erect those defense shields she’d put in place earlier—the ones that allowed her to tell him a little white lie about there being nothing between them. And it was a hell of a lie. The one thing between them was some strong chemistry and an unbelievable magnetic attraction. But chemistry always fizzled out. Too bad she didn’t know the cure for magnetic attraction.

When he pulled her close and kissed her, the shield shattered along with any recollection of the half-dozen people waiting downstream and the fact that she had a shoot to finish before they lost the light—not that the light was a concern since it stayed light so freakin’ late it was absurd.

The defensive shield was obviously defective—she’d just take a moment and enjoy the way his tongue stroked hers, the feel of his arms holding her close, his chest pressing against hers, and the five o’clock shadow that tickled her cheek.

***

Toni got that same wide-eyed look she did whenever she was shocked. Her breath hitched, her lips parted, and he knew in his heart that she felt it. Whatever this connection was, whatever was going on between them—it wasn’t one-sided. He definitely didn’t need to read the section of the book about sexual compatibility. They had that in spades.

Some control he had. He couldn’t help himself, and when she kissed him back, a rush of relief swept through him right before that need for more, which always followed whenever he so much as touched her. If the others hadn’t been waiting for them, he’d toss his control right in the creek. But he still had a job to do so he ended the kiss and took her hand. “We need to get back to the group.” The dazed look on her face disappeared when he gave her hand a tug. “Come on. That tree should be right around the bend.”

“Why did you do that?”

“Do what? Kiss you? I guess my control isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, huh?” Thank God for the tree. It was there just as he’d remembered. He dropped his pack to the ground and climbed up, jumping on it a few times to check the stability. It was fine. Needing to put some distance between them, Hunter walked across the fallen tree and used his boot to break off the branches poking up.

When he jumped down, Toni had her head buried in the map.

“Come on. Let’s go get the others.”

“There has to be another way to get there from here.” That wide-eyed look of terror he’d seen before covered her face. “One that doesn’t involve climbing across a tree over raging water.”

“Not unless you don’t mind a little rock climbing. It looks worse than it is. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

“Oh, and that makes me feel so much better.” She turned white again and leaned against the tree.

“You might want to stick your head between your legs, babe. You look about ready to keel over.”

Her eyes snapped back to his, and she gathered her strength, straightening her spine and tilting her chin in that cocky way she had that made him want to walk right up to her and suck on the section of neck it exposed.

“Do you want to wait here while I get the others?”

Fear flashed in her eyes.

“I’ll leave the map with you. You know exactly where we are. I promise. I’ll be right back.”

She shook her head, and Hunter saw her exhaustion. He’d kept her up most of the night—they’d both had a damn good workout. Then they were up at the crack of dawn, and she’d spent most of the afternoon under a lot of stress, working directly under the hot sun. He pulled the water bottle from his pack and gave it to her.

“I’m fine. I’ll come with you.”

“No, this is a great time for you to take ten and rest. Just sit here. I’ll be back with the crew in two shakes.”

“Two shakes? What does that mean?”

Hunter kissed her and pulled her into his arms, and she let him. She must have been more scared than she was letting on. “It means I’ll be back in less time than it takes for a lamb to shake his tail twice.”

“I didn’t even know lambs had tails. What do they look like, cotton balls?”

“That’s a rabbit’s tail. A lamb’s tail looks like a dog’s, only it’s covered with wool. And they’re usually docked.”

“Get a clue, Hunter—that was a rhetorical question.”

“Right.” He took one more look at her. She wasn’t hyperventilating, but she still looked pale. “I’m going to get the others. Don’t move, okay?”

“Oh and I was so looking forward to a game of hide-and-go-seek. Not. I’ll be fine. I’ll try to figure out how we’re going to get everyone, two bikes, and all the equipment across there.” She pointed to the tree and then swallowed hard.

“Nothing to figure out. I can pack it across. No big deal.”

Hunter ran all the way back to the others, not wanting to leave Toni for a second longer than he had to. She didn’t like to be left alone anywhere—especially not in the woods. Still he couldn’t see dragging her back and forth for no good reason.

By the time they made it back, Toni was pacing. She looked about ready to pass out. So much for her resting. She’d crushed the plastic water bottle—he just hoped that she drank the water first.

Hunter quickly got all the gear packed across the tree. The models and photographers scampered across as if it was something they did on a daily basis. Toni was the only one left on the other side, and she did not look happy about it. He returned and held his hand out to help her up.

Toni crossed her arms. “Hunter, I can’t.”

“Sure you can.” Everyone watched them from across the creek. “I’ll help you. All you have to do is trust me. I’ve crossed this tree at least a dozen times—it’s plenty safe. It’s as wide as most of the trails you’ve walked to get here. Just don’t look down, and you’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, don’t look down.”

He held out his hand again. “We’re a team, remember? James made this trip sound as if it’s a big break for your career. I can’t do this without you, and we both need a win here.”

“Fine.” She reached for his hand, put her booted foot on the fallen tree, and he hauled her up. Her foot slipped. He caught her about the waist and pulled her to him.

“You really need to get some decent hiking boots, babe. These things might be great in the city, but they have no tread. Up here, tread equals safety.”

“Thanks for the tip. A lot of good it does me in the middle of nowhere. I don’t suppose there’s a mall close by? I can just run out and meet you back here in what? Fifteen years? Maybe by then you’ll have built a real bridge, not some unfortunate accident of nature.”

“Come on. Time to practice some teamwork.” He turned her around and held her close, her back to his front. “Step back on my boots and feel free to close your eyes. I’m just going to walk us across.”

Toni looked over her shoulder at him. “If we were alone, I’d probably take you up on that, but we’re not, and I don’t want to become the running joke of the group I’m supposed to lead.”

“Understandable.”

“I can walk by myself… just, you know, hold onto me in case I slip again.”

“You’re sure?”

“No. The only thing I’m sure of is I don’t want to do this.”

“Let’s just put one foot in front of the other and pretend we’re walking down Broadway. Okay? You’re safe. I’ve got you, and there’s no way I’m ever gonna let you go.”

Toni did a double take. Hunter didn’t just say what she thought he said, did he? As if she wasn’t already scared to death, that statement brought her fear to new heights. She pictured a caricature of herself, looking way too much like an overweight Olive Oil with pigtails instead of a bun and her heart pounding so hard it showed. By the time she could speak, she and Hunter had somehow crossed the creek, and she hadn’t even noticed.

“Just stand here, and I’ll help you down.”

He jumped and plucked her right off the log so fast, she wrapped her arms around his head and held on tight, smashing his face between her breasts. So much for not making a fool of herself. As soon as she knew she wouldn’t end up on her ass, she released his head. “Sorry.”

He slid her down his body wearing his trademark grin. “Anytime.”

She gritted her teeth. “Not another word, Hunter.”

He gave her a final squeeze before letting her go. “I was just going to say we make a great team.”

“Yeah, like the Cubs. Just great.”

Chapter 10

Toni sat by the fire in the inn’s dining room. The log walls and pinewood tables, each set with a votive candle and Mason jar filled with wildflowers, gave the place a certain unsophisticated charm. If she hadn’t been starving, she would have just gone back to her cabin to figure out a plan for the next day’s shoot. Since she’d skipped lunch she was famished and knew when she got to her cabin, it would take an act of God, or Hunter, to get her out of there.

Speak of the devil. Hunter walked in, spotted her, and without even asking for permission, sat his nearly perfect butt down on the opposite chair.

Toni quickly doused her smile. Yeah, for some reason she still couldn’t figure out, every time Hunter came to mind or into view, she found herself smiling—even when she was aggravated with him, which was her dominant mood most of the time. Okay, since she was not one to lie to herself, she admitted that aggravation was tied with attraction. Acknowledging the problem was the first step to solving it. She just wished she knew how.

“I thought I’d find you here.” He took off his hat and ran his hand through his hair. The man was so perfect; he didn’t even suffer from hat head. Sometimes life just wasn’t fair.

“Oh yeah, finding me in the dining room during the dinner hour was a real stretch. You’re a regular Einstein.” She knew she sounded bitchy, but she couldn’t help it. “Sorry. I’m starving and tired—it’s so not a good combination for me.”

“I’ll take at least partial responsibility for the exhaustion”—he smiled that crooked smile that always made her toes curl—“but the starvation is all on you.”

Work. She had to work with him, nothing else. She pulled her eyes away from his smiling face and focused on her notes. “I’ve rented a jet boat on Redfish Lake for tomorrow. Are you or one of the other guides able to captain it, or do I need to call them back and hire someone to drive the boat?”

“I can handle it.”

“Good. I love crossing things off my list.” Which she did with a flourish. “So I guess I’ll see you tomorrow morning at nine.” She set her clipboard aside and picked up the menu.

“That’s it?”

She went back to her list. “I had James go over the supply list with your people. He said they had everything ready to go. I rented the boat. I briefed everyone but you just before I got here, so we’re all on the same page.”

“I wasn’t aware there was a meeting scheduled.”

“There wasn’t. Everyone was in one place… well, everyone but you. I figured I’d see you before I went back to my cabin. All the information on tomorrow’s shoot was sent to you. There were no material changes. Do you have any questions?”

“About the shoot? No.”

“Good. Then I’ll see you in the morning. Have a good night.”

Hunter stood and stared at her for a moment. “You know, Toni. It doesn’t have to be this way.”

“And this is why what happened last night was an epic mistake. We need to work together. At least
work
is something I understand—
people
are a mystery. Especially people like you.”

Hunter sat back down. “What do you mean—people like me?”

“Look at yourself. You seem so comfortable in social situations, but you chose to live in the middle of nowhere without even a TV for company. You don’t make sense—but then people would probably say the same about me. I guess we’re both a little weird.”

“I didn’t realize my having a home in the mountains was weird. Maybe it’s just strange to a person living on an island with ten million other people.” He shrugged and leaned back. “Why do people think you’re weird? That seems to be a bit of a sore spot for you.”

“They think I’m high maintenance, which is ridiculous. I admit I have high expectations, but I don’t expect anyone else to hand me what I want. I’ve worked hard to get good grades. I was accepted into a decent college, and I found a job that allows me to do what I want to do. I’ve done it all on my own.”

Hunter raised an eyebrow. “So much for the team spirit we talked about today.”

“Fine. You win. I’ve done it all on my own except for this. You were right. Without you, I’d have given up after the first night here and hightailed it back to New York. Are you happy now?”

“I’m not gloating. You have a team for a reason, Toni. You’re not expected to do the whole thing yourself.”

“Right, but just because we’re working together doesn’t mean there needs to be anything more between us.”

Hunter leaned over the table. She reached for her collar and then stopped herself. He saw that and smiled. “Just because there doesn’t need to be more between us doesn’t mean that there isn’t.” He stood again and shouldered his pack. “I’ll see you in the morning. Sweet dreams.”

After he left, she felt very alone, which when she thought about it, was exactly what she’d wanted. Well, that and to be fed. She checked her watch. She’d been sitting there for a few minutes and had yet to see a server. If she’d been in New York, she would have gone to another restaurant. Obviously, that was not an option. The inn was the only game in town—if this was even a town.

A harried looking server bustled into the dining room, tying her apron as she approached. “Hunter came by and said you were here. I’m sorry. We usually don’t serve this early.”

Toni picked up her paperwork. “Oh, okay. Is there any way I could get a sandwich to take back to my room?”

“Oh no. It’s fine. I just didn’t know you were here. I’m sorry you had to wait. What can I get you?”

“Is the trout fresh?”

The girl grinned. “It doesn’t get much fresher. We have our own trout stream out back.”

Toni didn’t know if the server was kidding or not. She was too tired to even think about it. “That sounds good then.”

“What will you have to drink?”

She craved caffeine and for an instant wished she was still at Hunter’s place where he made coffee that would rival that of the most talented barista. The thought of drinking the swill the inn called coffee was just too awful to contemplate. “Can I have a Coke?”

“Coming right up.”

“Thanks.” Toni was tempted to move her bread plate and lay her head on the table.

“Hey, Toni. Mind if I join you?”

Karma—oh, this day was just getting better and better. “No, not at all.” Toni lied. She should have asked if she could have had dinner sent to her cabin.

Karma tossed her backpack on the floor beside the chair Hunter had just deserted and grabbed a menu. “Do you know what the special is?”

Toni studied Karma, wondering how she missed the family resemblance when they’d first met. “No clue.”

“I heard you gave Hunter what-for today. What did he do to piss you off this time?” Karma put her menu down, giving Toni her undivided attention.

“Nothing. We were just… ironing out some work-related problems.”

“Wow, that’s a good one. And you know, if you hadn’t looked down and to the left like that, I might have believed you. I spend too much time watching
NCIS
and reruns of
Law
and
Order
to fall for it. You’ve got to work on your lying skills.” She leaned toward Toni, like her brother had moments ago. “Just so you know, Trapper told me he overheard the fight you had with Hunter.”

For the first time in her life, Toni was happy to be an only child. “I don’t know what Trapper told you, but I didn’t lie, and Hunter and I did not fight. If Trapper misinterpreted our discussion, that’s his problem. Serves him right for spying on us.”

“Oh, he wasn’t spying. Trapper’s nothing like me.” She shot Toni a wicked smile she’d seen Karma use before. “He was just doing what men do in the woods—taking a leak. Me—I definitely would have spied. Face it, you and my brother have something hot and heavy going on, and I’m interested in the outcome. You see, with one more female in the family, we’ll be tied with the guys… well, if we count Jasmine.”

“Who’s Jasmine?”

“My cousin Ben and his wife Gina’s dog.”

“You better hope Jasmine has puppies or your cousin has twin girls, because there’s absolutely no way Hunter and I will… you know…”

“Hook up?”

“Exactly. Sorry to disappoint you. But I’m definitely not the woman for him.”

“Hmmm.”

All Karma said was hmmm, but that one word spoke volumes. “You don’t understand. We both have jobs to do, and we don’t need complications.”

Karma sat back in her chair and reminded Toni of a female version of Hunter. “I see.”

“Do you? Hunter and I work together. This trip means a lot to me professionally, and Hunter too. If Bianca uses River Runners again, it would bring him that much closer to his goal.”

“Oh my God. Hunter told you about the kids? Wow. He almost never talks about River Runners Camp. I think the only reason he told me, Fisher, and Trapper was because he wanted our help. The more help he has, the more kids he can bring up. And really, how could we refuse to help those poor kids?”

Kids? What kids? She wanted to interrupt, but Karma was on a roll.

“They come here so closed and scared or loud and looking for a fight, and after a week or two out here with Hunter, they grow so much. Hunter’s like a kid whisperer. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?”

Toni held up her hands. “Wait. Back up. How did Hunter get into this?”

The server came back around, dropped off Toni’s soda, and took Karma’s order. A house salad, cheeseburger, and fries with ranch dressing for both her salad and her fries. Toni almost laughed. If the models ever saw Karma eat like that and stay as thin as she did, they’d freak.

Karma put her napkin in her lap, rearranged the silverware, and sipped her water before starting up again. “A friend of his from college worked in a shelter for disadvantaged and abused kids in East LA—now he runs the place. A few years ago, Hunter went down to visit Pat and came home with this great idea to bring a few of the kids from the shelter here to get them away for a little while. You know, show them there’s more to life then just gangs and drugs. He started small, and now every summer River Runners brings a group up here for a week or two.”

His goal was to have a camp for disadvantaged kids? “Hunter does all this on his own?”

Karma laughed. “No, we all pitch in, but Hunter does most of it. Several of the River Runners staff and a few psychologists from Boise volunteer, and Hunter picks up the transportation cost, food, and equipment. We teach the kids to raft, fish, camp, and do some rudimentary orienteering. We have campfires, cookouts, and a whole lot of fun. After a couple of weeks out here, the kids learn to trust themselves. They gain some much-needed self-esteem and even learn to trust each other and the staff. They blossom. When Hunter can work it out, he brings them back out to Castle Rock on their winter break and teaches them to ski. It gets them off the streets, shows them there’s a whole big world out there, and people they can count on.”

Toni took a sip of her Coke, trying to process all of this. She was stunned, so much so she found Karma staring. She set her glass down and shook her head to clear it. She’d had no idea. “Well, that’s some goal. But it sounds as if he’s already achieved it.”

“No way. Hunter’s been working himself half to death trying to fund it so he can pay a full staff and have River Runner’s Camp up and running all summer and then follow up with them over winter and spring breaks. But that takes a lot of money. Especially since he wants to build cabins on his property so he can start taking on a few kids with physical disabilities.”

“Doesn’t he have help?”

“Like I said, a lot of the guides volunteer. Trapper, Fisher, and I do too. Hunter does most of the cooking. The kids have to help some, but that just teaches them their way around the kitchen or campfire and what foods are healthy and taste good. Fisher does his doctor thing when we need it. Trapper gives everyone scared-straight talks whenever he gets the chance, and I’m like the camp mom in kind of a weird way.”

“I know Hunter can’t handle the kids all by himself. I’m talking about the funding. Has he started a charitable foundation? A 503c?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Karma shrugged. “Whenever we talk about it, all he says is he wants to do it himself. I don’t know how well you know my big brother, but the man can be a little stubborn and controlling.”

“Really, I would never have guessed.”

***

After Toni’s kiss-off, Hunter really wished he could go into the inn’s kitchen and cook. But it wasn’t his kitchen, and chefs had a real problem with other chefs horning in on their turf. It was one thing if he owned the place—like he did the Grille at Castle Rock—but it was another if he was a disgruntled guest who’d just been dismissed by the same woman who left claw marks on his back less than twelve hours before.

He let the screen door slam behind him, and after grabbing his duffel from his truck, he stalked off toward his cabin to read the damn book and figure out how to get a better handle on Toni.

When he saw his mother’s familiar car, he almost headed in the opposite direction. “Son of a bitch.” Like he needed more family here.

When Grampa Joe walked around the back of the Range Rover, Hunter regretted not running for cover. Gramps was an eighty-two-year-old force of nature—nothing stopped him, which was why Hunter tried to keep his distance, especially since Gramps had recently made it his business to get his eldest grandson, Ben, married. Ben and Gina were happy now, but that didn’t make up for the underhanded way Gramps went about getting them together. The last thing Hunter wanted was to be the next grandson in his sights.

“Hunter! I’m so glad I found you.” His mom quickened her pace and gave him the usual hug and kiss. Her hands went to his face, holding it for inspection. “You look angry.”

“Not angry. Just frustrated. It’s work.”

Kate Kincaid had a notoriously sensitive bullshit meter—she’d picked up on his fib as evidenced by the purse of her lips and the furrowing of her brow.

“Mom, what are you and Gramps doing here?”

Grampa Joe slapped Hunter on the back. “Karma called and asked Kate to bring some clothes up for her.” He shot Hunter a knowing smile. “I offered to drive.”