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Makenna
How was I supposed to get any sleep when Nash had brought sex to the forefront? Yeah well, I wasn’t the only one who was horny. I could tell he wanted me. Hell, he didn’t even attempt to disguise the flair of passion in his eyes every time he looked at me. No way was I going to let him put a guilt trip on me.
I grabbed my phone and looked at the signal. Zilch. Damn, I really needed to talk to Sam. She was always able to calm me down when I was stressed. Since I couldn’t call her, I pulled on a pair of cotton shorts and a t-shirt, not bothering with a bra. After slipping on my water shoes, I pulled a candy bar from my backpack and stepped out of the tent. One could only live on so many protein bars, then there was chocolate.
The sun had gone down hours ago, so I turned on my small Mag light. The other tents were all dark. Apparently, I was the only one having trouble sleeping.
Small spaces made me feel a little claustrophobic, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to go to sleep right now, so I headed toward the river. Earlier, I’d noticed a large boulder near the river’s edge that I could sit on. Water always had a calming effect on me. My parents had loved deep-sea fishing, and had owned their own boat. They’d been very adventurous. Damn, I missed them a lot. I could always talk to them, and they’d always listened.
There were two small boulders next to a large one. I turned off my light and slipped it back into my pocket. The moon was full, so I didn’t really need the light that much anyway. I made my way carefully to the top boulder. I certainly didn’t want to slip and twist an ankle. Nash would love to tell me, ‘I told you so’. Well, that wasn’t about to happen.
I peeled back the wrapping on my candy bar and took a big bite. God, I loved chocolate and creamy caramel. I swallowed, then took another bite and slowly chewed.
The top of the rock was fairly flat. I brought my legs toward me and crossed them in front. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, listening to the water rushing over the rocks. My mind began to empty as I let the musical sounds of nature fill my soul. Peace and relaxation washed over me.
Of course, the chocolate helped a lot as well.
This was what it was all about. Being beneath the stars at night and soaking in everything that the universe had to offer. Nash irritated the hell out of me, but we both had a love for nature.
Breathe in, breathe out.
Calm. Quiet.
Something splashed in the water. I frowned and opened my eyes.
An animal?
I scanned the river bank. When I was just about to think it had been my imagination, Nash shot out of the water.
One eyebrow quirked up. Did he not realize the water was cold? Why the hell was he swimming this late at night anyway?
I shoved the rest of my candy bar in my mouth and thoughtfully chewed.
I should go back to my tent. I didn’t want another exchange with him in case he spotted me.
I was just about to do exactly that when he started toward the bank. The moonlight cast light and shadows across his very bare muscular arms and chest. It should be illegal for one man to look that damned good.
The water slid to his waist, then his thighs. Nash had decided to go skinny-dipping.
I swallowed and realized I should’ve chewed my candy a little longer. I finally got it down without sliding off the rock and running to him so he could do the Heimlich maneuver. That would’ve been interesting. My body pressed against all that naked male flesh...
Yep, I should go back to my tent. Except my body wasn’t listening to my brain.
When I realized I wasn’t breathing, I drew in a deep, ragged breath. Good Lord, the guy was hung like a stallion. I quickly uncrossed my legs and clamped them together. He stepped to the bank and grabbed a towel, raising his arms to dry his head.
I should look away.
I really should look away.
I couldn’t look away. I was mesmerized.
As if he heard a sound that was out of the ordinary, he suddenly turned, and our gazes locked. I could almost feel the heat from that one look. No matter what he said before, I knew that right at this moment, he wanted me as much as I wanted him. He could make me forget everything I went through with Eric. I desperately needed to put that part of my life behind me and move on with my life.
Another sound drew both our attention. One of the other guides joined Nash.
“I see I’m not the only one who couldn’t sleep,” Ethan said.
The moment was suddenly lost. Maybe fate had stepped in to save my ass. My gaze locked with Nash’s one last time before I scurried off the boulder and hurried back to my tent.
Once I was inside, I realized I was trembling. If Ethan hadn’t shown up, would I have joined Nash? I was a fool. I didn’t want a man in my life right now. Eric had done a number on my head. He was a master at manipulation. Right now, I wanted to concentrate on my business and clearing my head. Men only complicated my life.
I stripped out of my clothes and pulled on a sleep shirt. He probably thought I’d been intentionally spying on him. Was it my fault he decided to go skinny-dipping?
I crawled into bed and pulled the covers to my chin. That spot wasn’t comfortable, so I flipped to my other side, facing the tent wall and away from the door. The man infuriated me. I had a feeling it was going to be a long day tomorrow. Lordy, how would I be able to look him in the eye? I snickered. I had to look him in the eye, because it would be even worse if I let my gaze drop.
Okay, calm down, take a deep breath and exhale.
Didn’t work.
I flipped back over to my other side and reached into my backpack. Once I had my earbuds in, I tuned in to the sounds of nature that I had downloaded for times when I couldn’t sleep. I should’ve tried that first rather than going to the river.
In only a few moments, I began to relax. All thoughts of Nash began to disappear. I released a deep sigh and drifted off into a dreamless state.
The next morning, I woke up feeling refreshed. The outdoors always had that effect on me. Any time I was overcome with stress, I would head out the door and go hiking, running, or just for a long walk. That always seemed to help. That and eating.
This was different, of course. Ripples of excitement coursed through my body. Today we were going rafting. I’d always wanted to go, but for some reason, had never gotten the chance. My cousin had said we’d probably go, so I’d come prepared.
I sat on the side of the bed, then it hit me.
Last night.
Nash naked.
Me wanting to fuck him.
Heat flooded my face. Sheesh! Maybe next time he would know better than to go in the river without any clothes on. That’s why they made bathing suits. I suddenly smiled. I was kind of glad he hadn’t worn one. Damn, he was hot.
Not that I wanted him in my bed, or anywhere else for that matter. I would just act as if last night hadn’t happened, then fantasize about him later. I shook my head. That was so sick. I supposed it was better than the alternative—sleeping with him, then him getting into my head like Eric had.
I dressed, then ran a brush through my hair. Rachel and I had gone down to the river and washed up last night before dark, so I would only do a cursory wash this morning. It was going to be nice having another female in the group.
I pulled my hair into a ponytail, then slipped on lace up water shoes that I had brought just in case. I went ahead and put on my bathing suit, but pulled on my shorts over it and stepped out of the tent. The sun was just starting to come up over the horizon. The giant orb cast a brilliant stroke of reddish-orange across the sky. I drew in a deep breath, marveling at the beauty before me, and the crisp, clean air. There was a bit of a chill as well. I reached back inside the tent and grabbed a light jacket.
Early morning birds chirped as they went about their business. A hawk circled above looking for prey. To my left, I heard a small animal scurry in the brush. Probably a rabbit, or a mouse making sure it was hidden well enough that the hawk wouldn’t see it.
The flap on the next tent was pushed open and Rachel stepped out. “I love this time of morning,” she whispered.
“It’s my favorite time of the day, too.”
We made our way to the ladies room, which happened to be a stand of trees that offered us privacy.
“Do you live in Colorado?” I asked.
“Denver.” She smiled. “The mile high city. I grew up in Colorado.”
“From what I’ve seen, it’s a beautiful state.”
We continued making small talk, then made our way down to the river to do a quick wash up. The water was cold. I wondered what it was going to feel like when we were in the raft, and it was splashing up on us. Dumb thought. Wet and cold. But exhilarating and a hell of a lot of fun. I couldn’t wait.
Don already had a fire going. Chris and Scotty were there, and I could hear others moving about.
“Morning, ladies,” Chris said.
We returned the greeting and made our way to the coffeepot.
“I will definitely recommend the mattress you gave me,” Scotty said. “I don’t think I’ve had a better night’s sleep when I’ve been on the trail. Who says you can’t be comfortable in a tent?”
“It does have a way of helping one sleep.” I had to admit, I slept pretty good myself. Of course, my dreams might’ve had something to do with it. I vaguely remembered a naked Nash taking me into his arms. His hands had caressed my body, his lips teasing. I suppose dream sex was better than no sex at all. A hell of a lot safer.
As I took my coffee closer to the fire and made myself comfortable on the ground, more people joined us. We were laughing and talking about past hikes when Nash showed up, going straight to the coffeepot. After he fixed a cup, he turned back around and our gazes locked. He looked really rough. Maybe the mattress hadn’t been to his liking.
“Was the mattress okay?” I asked him.
“A lot better than a sleeping bag. Yeah, it was good,” he grumbled.
He hadn’t sounded as if he liked it.
“If it was defective in any way just let me know, and I’ll see what I can do.”
His expression was dark when he looked at me. “It was the best mattress I’ve ever slept on. I’ll recommend it to other hikers. It was fantastic, in fact.”
Something was going on with him, but I wasn’t sure what. I didn’t know him well enough to understand his moods. Furthermore, I didn’t want to know him that well. Apparently, he was just grumpy in the mornings. Or pissed off that I’d caught him skinny-dipping, which was his fault not mine.
Now why did I have to think of Nash naked again?