“... people handle grief differently. They hurt differently.” Gran’s words floated through my head. She was so right.
Talking in the distance captured my attention. People were coming. Nash’s body stiffened. I knew he could hear them too. As they grew closer, I realized it was a family. Probably campers out for an afternoon hike together.
“Crap,” I said, panic humming through me. I glanced around, searching for a place to hide because it was our only option.
We couldn’t shift into our bear forms. It would scare them too much to stumble upon two bears in the wild. We also couldn’t stand here naked either. They sounded like they had kids with them, and I doubted having an anatomy talk with their children was on the agenda for their mini-vacation.
Hiding was our only option.
“Come on.” Nash took my hand and pulled me toward the waterfall. “Remember this?”
He slipped beneath the rushing water, pulling me along with him, and I immediately remembered the cave behind the waterfall we’d found as kids. Actually, Liam had found it first, but we’d claimed it as ours. It became one of our secret places to meet for midnight kisses and to hide from our responsibilities.
“I can’t believe I forgot about this place,” I said as I slid behind the waterfall after him.
The campers were close. I knew they’d break through the clearing of the woods any second now, but I also knew from previous experience that they wouldn’t be able to see us.
We were safe behind the waterfall, tucked away from the world.
We stood, waiting together, cramped inside the tiny cavern that seemed much bigger when we were smaller, listening to the campers talk.
“Sounds like they brought lunch with them,” Nash whispered, his hot breath caressing against my skin. Goose bumps prickled along my skin.
“We’re probably going to be here for a while.”
“I’m okay with that,” he breathed as his face lowered closer to mine. His hand slipped from where it had gently gripped my shoulder to my hip. Electricity sparked through my core. “What about you?”
I said nothing. Instead, I lifted to the tips of my toes and crushed my mouth against his. He didn’t pull away. I knew he wouldn’t. He wanted this as much as I did. I could feel the proof of it pressing against me. His fingers dug into my hips as his mouth took over the rhythm of our kiss.
This—touching him, tasting him, feeling his tongue slip against mine—it was all so familiar I nearly cried.
“I want this, I do,” Nash said after a few moments as he pulled away. “God, you have no idea how much I want this, but this isn’t the place or the time.” He nodded to the family sitting on the rocks in front of the waterfall just a few feet away from us, eating their picnic lunch.
“I know,” I said, my lips feeling swollen. “You’re right. Not here. Not now.”
“Don’t you say not ever, though.” His voice was firm, but not harsh. There was a question embedded within his tone.
“I won’t.” But only because I couldn’t.
There was no way I’d be able to deny myself this man twice in a lifetime.
My bear let out a roar of agreement, and I felt Nash shiver. I knew it was because his bear had sensed her. He was just beneath the surface, same as mine.
Time ticked away agonizingly slow while we waited for the family to finish their meal and leave. Once they did, we waited a few extra heartbeats before we slipped from behind the waterfall back into the open. Once there, we shifted into our bears and made our way down the trail we’d carved into the mountain together over the years.
For the first time in what felt like forever, there was a sense of lightness coursing through my veins. Even my bear seemed happy, light and weightless. The sensation lasted until we made it to the bottom of the trail where Nash had tucked his clothes behind a rock and shifted back. He picked up his cell and glanced at the screen to check the time, but I noticed when his expression morphed into one of concern.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Liam called me seven times and sent three messages.” His thumb swiped around on the screen. “He’s looking for you.”
My stomach bottomed out. Something was wrong, and I was certain it had everything to do with Gran.
Chapter Seven
I bolted from where Nash stood, waiting on Liam to answer his call, and headed back to the campground at full speed.
“Sam, wait!” Nash called after me. I didn’t stop. I didn’t even turn around to look at him. All I could think about was what if something had happened to Gran? What if she’d passed away while I’d been inside the cave, sucking face with Nash? “You’re naked!” Nash yelled.
My feet faltered, and I glanced down to look at myself.
“Shit,” I muttered.
There was no way I could run through the middle of the campground like this. It would draw too much attention and there would be complaints about people’s kids seeing someone in the nude. I glanced around, trying to remember exactly where I’d stashed my clothes. They had to be close.
“Where are they?” My tone was frantic, but my movements were more so. I had to find my clothes. I had to get to Gran.
“Here. Wear my shirt,” Nash said in between sentences with Liam. He tossed me his cotton t-shirt, and I quickly pulled it over my head. It fell to mid-thigh, but it was just enough to cover the bits that needed to be.
“Okay, yeah. We’re headed that way,” Nash insisted before hanging up with Liam.
I booked it to the edge of the woods
