Chapter Four
Splash! Right in his face.
“Hey!” he exclaimed with a laugh. “Someone give me water. I need ammunition.” All he had was Gatorade.
Someone tossed water at his back. He turned and suddenly a water war broke out, everyone laughing and squealing as the cold water hit. It was nuts and probably the most fun their group had ever had.
Finally they were completely out of ammunition. He turned back to Ally to find her pulling her now see-through soaked white shirt away from her body. She might as well have been standing there naked in her bra, her nipples beaded tight, luscious large breasts clearly outlined. His mouth went dry.
“Wet T-shirt contest,” she quipped.
And while he damn well appreciated the view, he could tell she was embarrassed. They still had another couple of hours on the trail.
He pulled his T-shirt off and offered it to her. “Here, it’s only wet in the back. We’ll put your shirt in the sun on one of the rocks, and when we get back, it should be closer to dry.”
She stared at his chest, her gaze trailing to his abs. He waited for her to meet his eyes. Hers were wide and dilated. Nice.
He pressed his shirt into her hand. “Go into the woods to change. I’ll wait for you.”
“Are those twelve-pack abs?” she croaked.
He looked down at himself. “Six-pack, I think.”
She gestured near his sides. “But there’s like ridges and wow.”
He smiled. He liked wow.
“Heading out!” Rob called. Everyone started gathering their packs and putting away their empty water bottles.
“Hurry up and change,” he told Ally.
She stared at him, her voice soft. “You gave me the shirt off your back.”
“It was the only one I had.”
She rushed forward and hugged him. It was so fast he didn’t get a chance to hug her back. She pulled away and hurried behind a large sugar maple tree. “Thanks!”
He just stood there in a warm and fuzzy daze.
She returned in his shirt, which hung low like a dress on her. Something primitive in his brain lit up with a possessive streak he’d never felt before. Like he’d claimed her.
“Where should I put this?” she asked, wringing out her white shirt.
He forced himself to focus. “I got it.” He spread it over a rock he knew would have full sun for a while longer.
“Last one there’s gotta jump in the lake!” she said, grabbing her pack and taking off.
He shook his head. That would be a several-hundred-foot dive into the lake, but he had to admire her fortitude. He grabbed his pack, the huge hat she forgot, and caught up with her easily. He could hear their group, now cheerfully talking after their refreshing water war, but he couldn’t see them. They really should catch up.
“You want a piggyback ride to the summit?” he asked, setting her hat on her head. “It’s no problem. You’ll keep the sun off my back.”
She frowned. “Maybe we should’ve put my wet shirt on your back for sun protection.”
“Nah, I’ve got a good tan from the summer, I’m used to it. Besides, we’ll be back in the shade trees before you know it.”
Her gaze dropped to his chest and then lower before jerking back to his eyes, her cheeks flushing pink. “You’re so…” She cleared her throat. “I mean, dang, I’m so embarrassed how much more fit you are than me.”
She wants me.
“Everyone starts somewhere.” He strapped his pack on backwards onto his chest, turned and bent down. “Climb on.”
“I weigh more than a hundred pounds, you know.”
He glanced at her over his shoulder. She was staring at his back and he couldn’t tell if she was tempted to climb on or just checking him out some more. “I’m aware fully grown adults normally do.”
“You’re saying you can hike with a hundred pounds on your back?”
“I could do more. Come on. We’re losing daylight.”
She walked around to stand in front of him. “I want to be you when I come back as a tough guy.”
He laughed and sprang to his feet.
She waved him on. “Keep going, tough guy. I’ll do this my own way. Slow, but I’ll get there.”
He tweaked her hat. “Slow and steady has a lot of integrity.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“I’ll wait for you at the summit. If you’re not there within a half hour, I’m coming back for you.”
“There won’t be a search and rescue, geez!” She adjusted her hat and spoke through her teeth. “I…can…do…this.”
He put his palms up and headed back on the trail at his usual pace. Far be it from him to get in the way of a determined woman. He admired the hell out of her grit.
He caught up with the group, keeping his ears open for the sound of a determined woman collapsing on the trail behind him. Next thing he knew, they were in the clearing at the summit. The view took his breath away like always—blue sky as far as the eye could see, the wide expanse of lake reflecting the sky, the surrounding trees lit with afternoon sun in an explosion of colors—green, yellow, red, and orange. He inhaled deeply, at peace. Moments like this he believed, contrary to all of his experiences, that the world was a good place.
He turned back to the trail and looked for Ally. Several minutes passed in silence except for the sound of the group behind him eating and joking around. They often ate a healthy snack at the halfway point. He’d wait for Ally to eat his. He’d brought two apples, one for him, one for her.
He heard her before he saw her, her feet heavy like she was trudging along. It took everything he had not to scoop her up to give her some relief.
Finally she came into view. The moment she saw him, her face broke into a wide smile and she threw her arms in the air. “I did it!”
“Sure did,” he managed over the lump in his throat. Her small victory touched him for reasons he couldn’t comprehend. It wasn’t like he did anything. He was just so happy for her.
She made her slow way over to him. “I guess I’m the one who has to jump in the lake.”
“Nah. Much too big a fall. C’mon.” He jerked his head for her to follow. When they reached the best viewing spot, almost but not quite at the edge, he whispered, “Check it out. Your reward for all that hiking.”
She sucked in air. “Oh! It’s just like you described. Breathtakingly beautiful.”
He took in the view with her. “It is.”
After a few minutes, she turned to him. “Please tell me there’s a rest period before we hike back down.”
“Yes, and downhill is a lot easier. You hungry?”
She nodded.
He gestured for her to follow him to a flat boulder and offered her an apple.
“Thanks,” she said, taking a big bite. “This is better than a granola bar.”
“Agreed.” He ate his apple and kept an eye on her for signs of falling asleep. She was actually perky, bright-eyed, looking around as she chomped the apple enthusiastically. Fighter all the way. Something in the vicinity of his heart shifted. He really liked her.
Some of the other hikers came over to fist-bump her and congratulate her for conquering her first hike.
“Still have to make it back,” Ally said.
“You got this,” one of the Matts said. “This is a tough trail for a first-timer. Your boyfriend should’ve told you that.”
Ally smiled and crinkled her nose. “We’re just friends.”
Matt checked in with him and Ethan narrowed his eyes. Matt smirked and Ethan’s hackles rose. He stood to face Matt eye to eye, man to man. Seriously going to move in on the woman wearing my shirt in front of me?
Matt turned and walked away. Thought so.
Ethan sat next to Ally and finished his apple in three fierce bites.
“What was that about?” Ally asked.
“I didn’t appreciate his smirk.”
“You smirk all the time.”
“Not like that.”
“Oh-kay.” She finished up her apple. “Where should I throw this away?”
“We take out whatever we take in. Here.” He held out his palm.
“You want my chewed apple core? My slobber is all over it.”
He laughed. “I’ll live.”
She gingerly placed it in his palm.
“Ah!” he exclaimed. “Girl cooties!”
She laughed. “Tough guy does have a sense of humor!”
He tucked the apple cores into a sandwich bag in his pack. “Not as good as say, a knock-knock joke, but ya know…”
“Hey, some of my knock-knock jokes are very funny.”
“To first graders.”
She poked his shoulder. “To everyone, tough guy.”
He met her eyes. “Tough girl. I’m impressed with how hard you worked to get here. Some people would’ve taken the easy way out and gone back to civilization.”
“Weenies all!” she declared.
He found himself smiling again. He couldn’t remember ever smiling so much. “Got that right. I honestly didn’t think it was that hard a trail. Sorry if I underestimated it.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re probably going to be sore tomorrow. Take a day to rest your muscles.”
“I will, thanks.” She bumped her shoulder into his.
He bumped her back and then had to grab her before she tipped off the boulder. “You’re a lightweight.”
She smiled sunnily. “That is the nicest thing a guy has ever said to me. It’s nice having a guy friend.” She stood and stretched, arching her back in his blue shirt, her breasts full and tempting.
Guy friend. Not for long. He smirked, picturing her in his shirt after a roll in the sheets, prancing around his townhouse, bare underneath.
She didn’t notice his smirk, instead walking over to admire the view again. He admired her rear view, his shirt clinging to her cute ass.
On the way back down, Ally trailed behind again. He knew she’d be okay. She’d get there in her own time. He whistled to himself on the way down, enjoying sharing one of his favorite activities with Ally. She’d only improve as she got stronger. Maybe they could go on some trails just the two of them.
He stopped off for her shirt, which was still damp, and tied it to the straps of his pack, letting it dry over the back of the pack. He reached the parking lot and waited. And waited. She finally emerged, smiling and chatting with their leader, dreadlock Rob. The guy must’ve doubled back for her because he was always at the front of their group.
He met up with them just in time to hear Rob asking for Ally’s number.
She smiled and shook her head. “Sorry, I’m seeing someone, but thanks.”
Rob met his eyes. “Sorry, man. Matt said you were just friends. That’s cool.”
“No worries,” Ally assured Rob. “Ethan and I are just friends. It’s somebody else.”
Rob shot him a confused look before turning back to Ally. “Hope to see you back with the group. Very nice to meet you.”
“You too!” she said cheerfully.
Ethan clenched his jaw. What the hell? She was seeing someone after all that commitment to singlehood talk? He turned and headed back to his Jeep and Ally followed, patting his backpack.
“My shirt’s still pretty wet,” she said. “You mind if I hang onto your shirt until the next time I see you?”
“No problem,” he muttered.
“Do you have an extra shirt in your car?”
“Just a hoodie. I’m fine like this.” He would continue to go shirtless as long as Ally continued to ogle him. He calmed down a little. She must’ve been giving Rob a line, right? She’d been going on about her single me, happy me plan on the way over here.
They reached his Jeep and he opened the passenger-side door for her. She climbed in and turned to him, her gaze glued to his face. “You want to put the roof back on? I don’t want you to get chilly.”
Real men didn’t get chilly.
“I’m fine.” He headed over to the driver’s side, started the Jeep, and looked over at her. She had a small smile playing over her lips. “Enjoy yourself?”
She beamed. “I did. There’s something about being in nature that just makes you feel at peace. Like all is right in the world.”
“Yes.” He relaxed because she really appreciated what he’d shown her here today. He put the Jeep in gear and pulled out of the lot. It wasn’t like he had a claim on her. Of course men were going to hit on her. She was beautiful, sexy and sweet, lit from within from some exuberant life force. Oh, man, he had it bad. He had to make a move soon before another guy moved in. But wait, maybe another guy already had.
He glanced over at her to find her staring at his chest. Her eyes met his, the expression somewhere between lust and guilt. Did she feel guilty because she was secretly seeing someone? If that was the case, then what the hell was with all that single me, happy me talk?
“Who’re you seeing?” he asked casually. “I was just wondering because it’s only been a day since your commitment to singlehood.”
She laughed. “I’m seeing myself. I want to focus on my life. I wasted too much energy on relationships, you know? Now my relationship is with myself.”
He smirked. “I bet you have a great sex life.”
“Excuse me?”
His attempt at humor had flatlined. “I mean, you’re in a relationship with yourself, so you know exactly what you like.”
“Oh, I guess so!”
They laughed.
“Sorry if that was inappropriate,” he said.
“Not at all! I love inappropriate. I always say a vibrator is better than a man and it’s true!”
“No—” he started.
“You’re actually really funny.” Her gaze wandered from his bare shoulder to his bicep. “I don’t remember you being funny before today.” Her voice came out hoarse and she cleared her throat.
He dropped his voice to a husky tone. “I think the right man would definitely be better than a vibrator.”
A moment of charged silence.
He glanced over at her staring at him, lips parted, eyes wide. He winked.
She sucked in air. “Well, that’s not—I mean, I don’t…”
He chuckled, low and dirty.
“Of course a man would say that,” she retorted. “Men vastly overestimate their prowess, no offense.”
“Whenever someone says no offense, they mean offense.”
“No, really, no offense.” She stared straight ahead, smoothing her hair. “So how come you’re funny today and not when I saw you before, you know, at Garner’s for drinks with the guys, parties and stuff.”
“Usually I’m tired when you see me after pulling some long shifts. Today was an easy morning.” He paused and then just decided to go for it. “So hiking club meets every other Sunday. You want to go again? Or we could go sooner, just the two of us.”
She spoke quickly, the words tumbling over each other. “I’ll let you know. I’ve got a lot of things I want to try. I need to keep my options open. How’s Cali doing?”
He deflated. “She’s fine.” Keeping options open sounded like a no to him, but he didn’t give up that easy. “You did say you enjoyed yourself today and you’ll only get better the more you hike. I’ll give you my number, so text or call, whatever, if you change your mind.” He waited while she pulled out her phone, and spoke slowly and clearly as he told her his number. Then he told her to text him so he knew she had it right, which was mostly so he could get her number. He’d check it once he parked.
“Aww, you are cold!” She rubbed his arm and he warmed at the spot. “Look, you’ve got goose bumps.”
“Maybe a little,” he admitted, hoping she’d keep touching him. He had a lot of skin exposed, being shirtless and all. Her fingers wandered the shape of his arm from shoulder to elbow, her touch soft, until she suddenly seemed to realize what she was doing and snatched her hand back.
He smiled. That felt like a yes.