Hunter lifted his head to look at her, seeing on a surge of self-disgust that her eyes were wary again. The flowers had fallen from her hair. Taking one, he pressed it into her hand. “You’re much too fragile to be handled so clumsily.”

His eyes were so intense, so dark, it was impossible for her to relax again. Against his back, her fingers curled and uncurled. There was a warning somewhere in her brain that he wanted more than she’d expected him to want, more than she knew how to give. Play it light, Lee ordered herself, and deliberately stilled the movement of her fingers. She smiled, though her eyes remained cautious.

“I should’ve waited until we were back in the tent before I made you angry.”

Understanding what she was trying to do, Hunter lifted a brow. Under his voice, and hers, was a strain both of them pretended not to hear. “We can go back now. I can toss you around a bit more.”

As the panic subsided, she sent him a mild glance. “I’m stronger than I look.”

“Yeah?” He sent her a smile of his own. He had the long hours of night to think about what had happened and what he was going to do about it. “Show me.”

More confident than she should’ve been, Lee pushed against him, intent on rolling him off her. He didn’t budge. The look of calm amusement on his face had her doubling her efforts. Breathless, unsuccessful, she lay back and frowned at him. “You’re heavier than you look,” she complained. “It must be all those sunflower seeds.”

“Your muscles are full of chocolate,” he corrected.

“I only had one piece,” she began.

“Today. By my count, you’ve polished off—”

“Never mind.” Her brow arched elegantly. The nerves in her stomach hadn’t completely subsided. “If you want to talk about unhealthy habits, you’re the one who smokes too much.”

He shrugged, accepting the truth. “Everyone’s entitled to one vice.”

Her grin became wicked, then sultry. “Is that your only one?”

If she’d planned to make her mouth irresistible, she’d succeeded. Hunter lowered his to nibble at the sweetness. “I’ve never been one to consider pleasures vices.”

Sighing, she linked her arms around his neck. They didn’t have enough time left to waste it arguing, or even thinking. “Why don’t we go back to the tent so you can show me what you mean?”

He laughed softly and shifted to kiss the curve of her shoulder. Her laugh echoed his, then Lee’s smile froze when she glanced down the length of his body to what stood at their feet.

Fear ripped through her. She couldn’t have screamed. Her short, unpainted nails dug into Hunter’s back.