“Gonna try to catch up,” Sharon said.
“Sounds good.” Rebecca could hear every tiny noise behind her. She knew Griffen was right on her heels. She knew when he breathed and when he wiped his brow, as if she had eyes in the back of her head.
And he made her more nervous by the minute, even though she fought to ignore him and pay attention to the ferns and wildflowers at her feet along the rough, uneven path. The Flathead Forest was one of the reasons she chose to live and work in the area. The snowcapped mountains and towering trees were spectacular. They took her breath away even after two years.
Finally, he broke the silence. “So, Sharon says you’re training for a Spartan Race.”
“Yes. A beast. I’ve done a sprint and a super so far this year. Going for the trifecta.” See? I’m not a wuss.
“Impressive. How far is that?”
“Twelve miles.”
“And that’s through mud and barbed wire and walls and shit, right?”
“Yep.” She twisted to give him a grin, thinking he was perhaps not so bad after all.
But her face fell when she met his gaze. Jesus, he didn’t look pleased. His brow was more furrowed than earlier, and to make matters worse, she stumbled while she wasn’t looking forward.
Like lightning, Griffen lurched forward and grabbed her arm to steady her.
Shit.
She didn’t think she would have fallen. It was just a stumble, but she would never know after Griffen’s quick display of concern.
“You sure about this obstacle course race?” He smirked as his chest ran into her side.
Rebecca froze. Griffen still held her arm. His entire body seemed to wrap around her, enveloping her in his warmth. Time stood still while she fought to catch her breath. He sucked the oxygen out of the air.
Instead of releasing her, he tugged her closer, his arm wrapping around her middle, holding her wrist. “You okay?” he muttered against her ear.
“Yeah. Fine.” Her voice was breathy.
Sharon turned around from several paces ahead. She cocked her head to one side in confusion. “Rebecca?” Her gaze shifted to her brother. “Griffen.” Her mouth fell open, and she shook her head subtly. “Shit,” she whispered as she stepped toward them.
What was that all about? “I stumbled.” Rebecca tried to step forward and break contact with the enormous male presence at her back.
But he held her firmly, her arm against her chest, his hand beneath her breast.
“Griffen.” Sharon spoke the one word as though it were a command.
His head shot up, separating his lips from behind Rebecca’s ear. As though he had been in a trance, he released her and stepped back. “You good now?”
I was never in danger… Except perhaps of falling for you.
Rebecca took two long strides forward. “I’m fine. Just tripped. It’s all good.” She shrugged and passed Sharon on the trail, picking up the pace. They needed to catch up with the others.
She didn’t glance back as she hitched her backpack higher and made her way up the rugged path, paying closer attention to her footing. Neither Griffen nor Sharon said a word behind her. The silence was deafening.
What the hell was going on? If Rebecca didn’t know better, she would say she’d fallen under some sort of spell. Was there such a thing as love at first sight?
She blew out a breath. Sharon would have a fit if Rebecca fell for her brother. Besides, he was older than her. Thirty-two, Sharon had said. Why was a man as sexy as Griffen still single? Why were any of Sharon’s brothers single?
Voices up ahead distracted her from the uncomfortable feeling that Griffen was staring at her ass. And God only knew what Sharon was thinking.
Fuck.
•●•
Griffen needed to get a grip. He was quickly losing control of his emotions and his actions.
And Rebecca was not unaffected by him. Her pulse rate shot up when he held her wrist. The feeling of her breasts against his hand as her chest rose and fell had nearly undone him.
“Goddammit,” Sharon muttered behind him. It was hardly more than a whisper. Rebecca wouldn’t have been able to hear her.
Griffen shot a glare over his shoulder, telling her without words to shut the fuck up. When it was clear he was in for a battle, he halted and turned to face her. “Don’t start.”
“I can’t believe you,” she hissed.
“You think I brought this on by myself?” He stepped into her space and gave a sardonic chuckle. “Trust me, little sister, this is not what I had in mind for today. I never wanted you to bring a human woman along on this trip in the first place. It’s not my fault you did so anyway.”
“She’s my friend.”
“She’s my mate.”