Free Exposing the Heiress by Jennifer Apodaca Page B

like a finger. “It’s breathtaking. Untamed and yet peaceful.”
    Hunt held out her camera. “Go ahead, you know you want to.”
    Oh, she did. She stripped off her jacket, laid it on a nearby boulder and took the camera. Quiet flowed through her as she raised her camera and began taking shots. This place felt alive and powerful, a true representation of Mother Nature. Finished with that, she turned and began snapping pictures of Hunt. He’d taken off his jacket too, leaving him in faded jeans and a T-shirt stretched across a wall of muscle. With his legs braced apart, arms crossed, and his eyes constantly moving and scanning, he gave off a sense of a predator ready to spring at any second. But when his gaze slid to her, his mouth softened in a familiar half smile that woke up her entire body.
    You’re the only person I’ve ever brought here.
    He’d shared this with her, only her. Alyssa’s heart clenched as she realized how big a step that must be for Hunt. And that wasn’t all—he’d shared what he sculpted in that locked room—death. He didn’t want that to touch her, but he’d brought her here, to another private part of his life.
    Before she could chicken out, she switched to her stored photos in her camera and pulled up one of her favorites. She blurted out, “Do you still want to see what I take pictures of?”
    Hunt dropped his arms and closed the distance between them. “Very much.”
    What would he think? Her shoulders tensed until her neck ached. “It’s just pictures.”
    He shifted his weight, leaning into her. “That you care about.”
    Sucking in a breath, she nodded. “This one is of Treva and her service dog. This girl is special. At fifteen, she was hit by a car while riding her bike, and the accident left her a paraplegic. I met her through the canine companion program. Her dog, Sabrina, goes with her everywhere, including college. They have this amazing bond.”
    “Show me.”
    She swallowed against the sudden dryness in her throat and tilted her camera so he could see the viewing screen. Treva was bent over in her wheelchair and the dog was stretching up, pressing her muzzle against the girl’s cheek. In it, Alyssa saw an authentic and touching moment of affection that transcended species. But would Hunt see it? She rocked on her feet and bit her lip. Every second that he studied the picture felt like an hour.
    Finally he shifted his eyes to hers. “Capturing that friendship is art.”
    That made her want to share more. She flipped through her pictures and found the one she wanted. It was a twenty-something man in a hospital bed, his tattooed arm stretched to clasp hands with an older man in another hospital bed. The caption read: Son gives father kidney to save his life.
    “How did you get this?”
    “The son is a sound engineer for Dragon Wing and I heard about him donating a kidney to his dad, so I asked him if I could take a few photos.”
    “It’s moving and beautiful.”
    Her throat tightened while her chest swelled. “Thank you.” The intensity of his gaze caused her nerves to tingle with the urge to lean into him. “And for bringing me here. The bike ride, the tacos, this view, it’s perfect.” They stood so close, the heat and bulge of his biceps brushed her shoulder. Alyssa sucked in her breath. “Uh, I should put this away.”
    “I should let you. Walk away, Lyssie.”
    His voice dropped to a sexy growl, freezing her in place while his eyes churned like the sea below them. The wind swept over the cliffs, whipping his hair around his harsh face. “Do you know how damned hard it was to put you in bed this morning and walk away?” He laid his hand on her face and dragged his thumb over her lips. “I wanted to kiss you until you woke, slow and soft, your body heating as I tasted you. You’d have let me do that, wouldn’t you?”
    “Yes.” Did her answer get lost in the roar of the waves and the pounding of her heart? The heat of his stare and the way he