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Makenna
I wasn’t about to step back in my tent. Nash would probably think I was running from him. I raised my chin, hugged my towel, and casually strolled past. The way he looked at me made me wish I was wearing more than my bathing suit and a pair of shorts.
At least I wouldn’t catch him skinny-dipping this time.
I would ignore the disappointment I suddenly felt. I definitely needed to dunk my head in cold water.
Just thinking about him coming out of the water sent warm tingles over my body. He’d been something else to look at. All sinewy muscles and tanned wet skin. I’d been mesmerized by the drops of water glistening on him as they slid down his naked body. He’d had the most gorgeous six-pack abs. I could imagine him pulling me against his hard body. Making me go up in flames.
A shudder of need swept over me. I dropped my towel on a nearby rock, and continued on until I reached the water’s edge. I knelt down and scooped up a handful, then splashed my face. The last thing I needed to think about was making love with Nash. The damned water didn’t help at all. In fact, I think it went up a few degrees.
I stepped back and slipped off my shorts, laying them across the rock where I’d dropped my towel. I left on my water shoes and waded out. The current was swift, so I only went waist deep, and besides that, it was freezing. I knew if I didn’t wash my hair, I would regret it, and this might be my last chance.
I always carried a couple of single use, bio-friendly, shampoos with me on hiking trips just in case I got the chance to wash my hair. I went under the water and came back up spitting. Damn, it was cold. I hadn’t really thought this through, but there was no turning back now. I was determined to finish what I started.
I opened the tiny bottle and poured the shampoo on top of my head, replaced the lid, then stuck the empty bottle into the top of my swim suit to be disposed of later. I lathered my hair, then quickly rinsed, shoving my hair out of my face as I came back up. When I turned, I ran into a brick wall.
What the fuck was a brick wall doing in the middle of the river?
I blinked a couple of times. Okay, maybe not a brick wall, but definitely a hard body. I put my hands out to regain my balance. My hands on Nash’s naked chest probably was something else I hadn’t thought through. Damn, all those firm, solid muscles beneath my hands. I looked up and met his heated gaze. The fantasies that I’d been having were suddenly coming true.
Dammit, he was doing it again. Messing with my head. Now I was pissed off.
“It’s...uh...cold,’ I stuttered. Oh yeah, that was telling him off.
It was also a lie, since I was pretty sure the temperature of the water had risen quite a few degrees. He didn’t move. Didn’t say anything. I raised my chin in challenge. “What, did I do something you don’t approve of?”
He slowly shook his head. “That’s the problem, you’re surprising the hell out of me.”
I frowned. “Then why are you here?”
“Because I’ve wanted to kiss that sassy mouth of yours since the first moment I saw you.”
His words sent trembles over my body. “That’s not a good idea,” I told him, but my words lacked conviction.
His forehead wrinkled. “That’s what I keep telling myself, but I can’t think of one good reason why I shouldn’t.”
My mouth went dry. “There are lots of reasons,” but my words stumbled out. They didn’t sound at all as firm as I had intended.
“Name one,” he said, his words gravelly with need.
My forehead creased in thought. Of course there were lots of reasons. Why the hell couldn’t I think of one?
“That’s what I thought.” He pulled me into his arms, pressing my body against his hard flesh as he lowered his mouth to mine.
I couldn’t breathe, and I damn sure couldn’t think of a reason not to kiss him. My arms circled his neck, bringing my body against his erection. I needed this. I needed him.
His tongue sparred with mine. I scraped my teeth across his tongue. Even with the kiss, there was a battle of wills being fought between us. He slipped his hand between us and into the top of my bathing suit. He fondled my breast, brushing across the pebbled nipple. I drew in a sharp breath. Yes, this was what I wanted, what I dreamed about last night. I needed to feel him inside me. I ached to feel him inside me.
When he ended the kiss, we were both breathing hard. It was all I could do to stand, in fact, I leaned against him for support. No man had ever kissed me like Nash just had.
“We can have some privacy farther down,” he murmured close to my ear.
Yes, we needed privacy. I wanted to strip out of my clothes and have him plunge inside my wet and willing body. I wanted him to fuck my brains out. I wanted...
What the hell was I doing? I pushed against his chest. He immediately moved back. “No, I don’t want privacy. I don’t want anything from you at all.” I was being manipulated again. Just as Eric had manipulated me. “What? Wham, bam, thank you ma’am? Go downstream and get a quickie? I don’t think so.”
He frowned. “You know it would be more than a quickie. Hell, you want this as much as I do.”
My laugh was bitter. “I admit, I haven’t had sex in a while, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to jump in bed, or anywhere else, with you after one freaking kiss.” I went around him, sloshing toward the bank. I grabbed my towel and my shorts, and strode toward my tent.
Once inside, I dug the shampoo bottle out of my swimsuit, and quickly towel dried my hair before pulling a comb through it. My skin should’ve felt cold, but it didn’t. Nash was right. I did want him as much as he wanted me, but I hadn’t come out here to get laid. I wanted to clear my head, but he was making it damned hard.
I shimmied out of my suit, then pulled on a sleep shirt that came down to just above my knees, and stepped out of my tent with my wet bathing suit. Rachel and I had set up a makeshift clothesline earlier. I pinned my suit to it, then turned to go back inside my tent.
My gaze collided with his. I couldn’t move as his eyes trailed over me, leaving a fiery heat in their wake. When his gaze connected with mine again, the spell was broken, and I hurried back inside my tent. My breathing was ragged. He knew I wanted him. Was it just a matter of time before I succumbed to my desires?
No, I vowed not to be manipulated by another man. I planned to stick to my promise. I glanced down at my shirt. My nipples were so hard they were practically poking a hole through the material. I rolled my eyes heavenward. Okay yes, I wanted him really bad, but I would stay strong.
I pulled the covers back and crawled into bed. Staying strong really sucked sometimes. I didn’t think Nash was like Eric, but then I hadn’t thought Eric was like Eric. As I lay in bed, I thought about the first time I’d seen my ex. We’d been on the same hike. Almost the whole time he’d joked and cut up with me, but he never tried anything. I liked him. When we returned back to civilization, Eric asked me out, and I said yes.
We both shared the same interests. We both loved the outdoors. Everything about Eric was perfect. Now, when I looked back on it, I realized how evasive he was about his work. We went out to eat, it was no big deal that he’d left his credit cards at home. My parents had left me a very wealthy woman, so I had plenty of money, and my business was doing great. I never minded paying, and never thought anything about it.
Aunt Carol said I was moving way too fast, but I was in love and didn’t want to listen to her. She insisted we sign a pre-nup. I thought it was ridiculous, but Eric didn’t seem to mind. That’s when I knew it was definitely love.
I just didn’t know how much of my money he would seduce away from me. If I hadn’t caught him in bed with another woman, I would probably still be buying him all the fancy toys that he wanted.
I would not be manipulated again, no matter how much I wanted Nash. I refused to fall victim to his charms. I would not be his one night stand.
The next morning I slowly came awake. Something was different, but what?
Then it hit me. Warmth spread over my body. I shoved the covers away, and sat on the side of my bed. I’d been so tempted to let him lead me downstream. That would’ve been a big mistake.
I quickly went through my morning routine, then dressed. Thanks to the person who invented wet wipes. Shorts, t-shirt under my button-up shirt so I could remove it when the temperatures got warmer, and hiking boots. I’d fallen into a routine. Meet Rachel, find our bathroom, wash up, then coffee.
Chris and Scotty were already sitting around the campfire drinking theirs. They both worked at Yellowstone. I loved hearing their stories. My parents took me there once when I was a child. I remembered the beautiful waterfalls and hiking in the mountains. The antelope and the buffalo. The buffalo used to scare the hell out of me. They looked so prehistoric and huge. As I got older, I kind of took a liking to them. Maybe I would go back next year.
“Have Jess and Ethan already gone?” I asked. “I noticed their tents were down.”
“They left about a half hour ago,” Nash said as he came up behind me, walked past, and went straight to the coffeepot.
I studied him since he was more intent on pouring a cup of coffee than anything else. Shorts, t-shirt, hiking boots. That seemed to be the uniform of the day for everyone. Except for one thing, he looked a hell of a lot better in his clothes than anyone else did in theirs.
His gaze suddenly met mine. I knew he was thinking about last night. I’d been thinking about the same thing, so I couldn’t fault him for that. I forced myself to concentrate on what Rachel was saying, and whatever spell he’d cast on me was broken. At least, for the moment.
“We’ll leave in thirty minutes,” Nash said.
More than enough time. Still, I finished my coffee, and headed back to take down my tent. As soon as I pushed back the flap, I heard a distinct rattle, and froze.