9
Jack led the way through the woods carefully, trying to make sure he didn’t go too far off a trail. He was painfully aware of Pilar following him, her steps much less sure than his.
“You doing okay?” he asked her when they were about halfway to the stream.
“Yep, I’m great,” she said.
Jack had no idea why he refused to let her walk on her own. He told himself it was for her safety, but he knew that wasn’t the whole truth. He wanted to be around her. Even knowing he shouldn’t, he wanted to be.
He also liked to push her. When he pushed, she pushed back. That intrigued him. She was strong, and he’d never known a woman with that kind of strength. Or maybe he’d never bothered to get to know a woman well enough to find that kind of strength.
If he’d simply met Pilar and slept with her, he
