creeks that ran into the falls. Hunkered at the water’s edge, she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. She wasn’t alone. Two masked bandits watched her very carefully-raccoons. “Sharing the water hole tonight, boys,” she said softly, and reminded herself to make sure the food was locked up tight and safe, because she didn’t want a bigger unwelcome guest later-a foraging, hungry bear. Rising, she turned, then gasped at the tall, dark shadow right in front of her.
“Hey,” Jared said softly, his glasses reflecting the starlight from above. “Didn’t meant to startle you.”
“You didn’t.”
He kindly didn’t point out that she’d nearly swallowed her tongue.
“What’s everyone doing?” she asked, trying not to notice that he looked clean and warm and put together in a new pair of jeans and another button-down shirt opened over a sharp white T-shirt. Somehow it made her want to rumple him up, get him all dirty.
“They’re telling stories at the moment. They started out with ghost stories…” Smiling, he shifted closer, then stroked a runaway strand of hair from her jaw to behind her ear, making her breath catch. “But at the moment, Rose is telling one that sounds more like ‘Dear Penthouse.’”
“Oh boy.” Lily thought of how Rose had looked earlier, rising out of the river, her enhanced breasts perfect, her everything perfect. Clearly, she tanned in the nude, because there hadn’t been a bathing-suit line on her. Jared’s hands, big and paler than Rose’s skin, had showed up as he’d pulled her from the current, his hands on her hips, her belly, his arm wrapped around her, plumping up those breasts that didn’t need plumping.
What had he thought about as he’d had those hands all over her?
Jared tipped up her chin and looked into her eyes, stepping even closer, so that they were toe to toe. All around them came that extraordinary silence that wasn’t really silence at all. Trees rustling, the water gurgling, the hum of a thousand invisible insects…wildlife…With a small smile, he kept his fingers on her and made her forget all of it, everything but him.
“You’re looking at me as if I might bite,” he said, “when we both know it’s you who bites.”
She laughed. “Sorry.”
“Are you?”
“Not so much, no.”
Now he laughed. “I love it out here.”
There was just enough surprise in his voice to have her taking a second look at him. “Why does that surprise you?”
“I didn’t know what to expect. But out here, in the mountains…” He looked around them into the night. “It’s different than being at sea level. You can breathe deeper, you know?”
Yeah. Yeah, she did know, and she found herself fascinated that he did, too. “What else?” she whispered.
“Well…” He considered. “The dirt’s dirtier. The water’s clearer. The wildflowers are brighter. It’s like…I don’t know, time moves differently. Better. It’s worth more, here somehow.”
She was so moved that he got it, it took her a moment to say anything. “I’ve never heard it described quite that way before.”
He looked at her, his gaze open and honest, yet somehow enigmatic, as well, and she had to turn away. Above them, the stars were scattered across the sky like a million fireflies. It was mesmerizing, but truthfully? So was he. Completely. She could get lost in him, even pull him down to the ground…
He was looking at the sky, as well, and only when she turned back to him did he crane his head toward her, patient. Waiting.
“What?”
“I was wondering what you were thinking about,” he said.
“Nothing. I wasn’t thinking about anything.”
“Liar,” he chided softly. “Tell me.”
She gestured to the two pots. “I need to get this stuff put away and check on the others-”
He pulled her up. “Talk to me, Lily.”
“Today when you saved Rose-”
“I didn’t save her.”
“You helped her. She might have gone a lot farther down the river if you hadn’t.”
He acknowledged that with a shrug, and pushed his glasses farther up his nose.
Modest. She hadn’t spent a lot of time with men like Jared Skye. In fact, she’d spent most of her time with men his exact opposite, on purpose, though now she wondered why. There was definitely something to be said for such quiet strength.
Maybe it was because when it came right down to it, she knew she could resist a cocky guy. She could keep her heart locked up tight as a drum.
But not necessarily with a man like Jared, whose strength came from within.
Oh boy, those were deep thoughts, far too deep for right now with the woods around them dark and silent, making this little gathering too intimate for her tastes.
“Is that really what you were thinking about?” he asked.
She didn’t intend to look into his eyes, but she felt the pull of him like that of the tide, or the need for her next breath.
His gaze was dark, but not guarded. Nope, everything he felt was right there on his sleeve for the world to see.
She’d spent her entire life moving around, shifting from one profession to another, free as a bird. And yet it was all an illusion, she realized, because for as free as she’d been, she’d never been truly open with her feelings.
Though the night was moonless, she could see Jared with shocking clarity, or maybe that was because he stood so damn close. His shoulders were surprisingly wide, wide enough for her to set her head on and let go of her troubles if she chose. And though she had no idea how he managed such a feat, he smelled incredible. Her nose twitched pathetically. She wanted to inhale him. “You got me,” she finally admitted. “I was thinking of other stuff, too.”
“Like…?”
Like kissing you.
Like dropping to my knees and touching you. Having you touch me.
As if he could read her mind, his fingers stroked her jaw, held her face so that he could see deep into her eyes. “Lily.”
Oh God. That voice. It made her want to do things. It made her want him to do things.
To her.
“I’m going to be honest with you,” she said.
“Uh-oh.”
She shook her head. “This is my first expedition after a tough year, and I need my wits about me. But when I look at you, my wits scatter.”
He flashed a grin.
She shook her head with a laugh. “No. Don’t do that. Because I’m going to resist you, Jared Skye. With all my might.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
“I’m serious.”
“Okay.”
“You’re not even my type,” she said, still baffled by this. “Not even close.”
“Huh.” He cocked an eyebrow. “What’s your type?”
“Oh…” She winced. “Well…”
“Just say it, Lily.” A wry smile curved his lips. “More of an outside guy, right?”
She thought of how he’d run down the trail after Rose with the agility of a mountain cat. How he’d waded into the river without thought to his own safety. Seemed fairly “outside” to her, didn’t he? Damn, she’d been so sure she’d had him pegged. “Maybe someone with…” With what? More sex appeal? Not possible, because she was beginning to realize he had sex appeal in spades. “Damn it. I don’t know.”
He nodded but didn’t back up, didn’t get out of her space, and truthfully, she wasn’t all that ready to have him move, no matter what she’d said.
