Page 27 of Spatially UnawareWolf

“You didn’t overthink it, and you trusted me to guide you,” Hunter said, a pleased smile on his face. It might have come across as smug, except then he added, “Honestly, it worked far better than I expected.”

“That’s because I’m an excellent pupil,” I said as something like hope bloomed in my chest. Maybe I wasn’t a hopeless case after all.

Hunter raised an eyebrow. “Wanna do it again?”

“Obviously,” I said, matching his grin with one of my own. “Something about irons and being hot, right?”

“Something like that,” he agreed and held up the blindfold. “Ready?”

I nodded, and Hunter’s touch was sure as he covered my eyes and guided my hands to his waist. When we started moving forward, I once again let my mind focus on the ripple of muscles under my palms and the sound of Hunter’s breathing and didn’t think about what my legs were doing at all. I was more aware of my movements as we traveled downhill, but there weren’t any of those moments of frozen panic that had gripped me previously. I trusted my feet to do their job, and they did.

I expected Hunter to stop moving once we were back on solid ground, but instead he said, “Again.”

And so we did it again, walking up the ramp and down again until I could do it without stumbling. And maybe it was just the adrenaline that came with success, but every time Hunter put a hand on my wrist to steady me, my body tingled at the contact, and by the time he reached up and took the blindfold off, I was a hot, horny mess.

“You did great, Luke,” he said, and the warmth in his smile told me he wasn’t just blowing smoke up my ass. He was genuinely impressed.

“Thanks,” I said, grinning so widely my cheeks hurt. “I have a great teacher.”

A cold wind swept in from the ocean, making me shiver as it brushed over my bare arms, and Hunter frowned. “Okay?”

“Just cold,” I said.

“Still, we should wrap it up for tonight,” he said.

I wasn’t prepared for the disappointment that welled up in me. I wasn’t sure if it was because I didn’t want to stop when I was finally making progress or because I didn’t want Hunter to leave. But he was waiting for an answer, so I said, “Sure, I guess.”

“Can I walk you back to your place?” he asked, just like he did every night.

“Yeah,” I said eagerly, and Jesus, I sounded like a schoolkid whose crush just asked to carry their books.

Hunter didn’t seem to notice, though, and he fell into step beside me as we walked across the park and through the mostly deserted streets. When we got to my building, he followed me inside, and as we lingered at the bottom of the staircase, he looked at me for a long moment like he was deciding something. Then he said, “So, I had an idea.”

My heart tripped as I wondered if he was finally planning to ask for a repeat of the other night. “Oh yeah?”

I wasn’t prepared when he said, “I was planning to carry you up to your apartment again, but since you’ve made such good progress, do you think you could climb the stairs blindfolded?”

It took a second to drag my mind away from visions of Hunter naked and back to my training routine, but I managed it—barely. “These stairs?” I eyed the staircase with suspicion.

“These stairs,” he agreed, eyes crinkling at the corners as he grinned. “We could switch positions and try with you leading and me guiding you from behind.”

My first instinct was fuck no. These stairs and I were not friends. But then I reconsidered. I’d climbed the ramp, more than once, so maybe I could do it. And I was going to have to try sometime. So why not now, while I was still riding the high of success?

“I’m very open to trying different positions with you,” I said, simply because it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

I didn’t miss the way Hunter’s breath caught, and his voice was rough when he said, “Okay. Let’s give it a try.”

He moved so he was behind me, close enough that soft puffs of air were warm on the back of my neck and his chest brushed against my spine. The position had my mind going all kinds of places that had nothing to do with stair climbing, and when he grasped me by the waist again, I had to bite back a moan.

“Take your time,” he said, his voice low and rough, and I was pretty sure I wasn’t the only one feeling the sexual tension crackling between us. Hell, the air was so thick with lust that if there had been a tomcat in the area, he probably would have turned up to check out the action.

Not what you’re here for, I reminded myself.

I took a couple of deep breaths, shook out my arms to release some of the tension in my frame, and said, “I’m ready.”

Hunter pressed up closer behind me and steered me forward. And just like last time, I was so distracted by the heat and strength of Hunter’s presence as he guided me that I barely noticed we were moving until my foot encountered the first step. I stumbled, but Hunter whispered, “Lift,” softly against my ear, and I raised my left foot without thinking and placed it on the step. It seemed only natural after that to lift the right and take another step—and then another and another. When it hit me what was happening—I was climbing the motherfucking stairs!—I tripped and my heart thundered in my chest, but Hunter’s grip tightened on my waist and he murmured, “You’re fine.” He held me firmly in place so I knew I wouldn’t fall, and after a few seconds, my breathing evened out and I found my footing again.

I made it to the top of the staircase with only a couple more missteps, and Hunter was there to guide me every time, a solid, steadying presence at my back, encouraging me forward. When I lifted my foot one last time only to find there were no more steps, I pulled off my blindfold, my heart thumping with excitement and arousal flooding through me.