Chapter Seven

Rayne

Lorn is everything that is right with the world.

At least, when his lips sweep across mine, he is.

In the back of my mind, there’s a little voice that reminds me that no one is worth putting myself at risk, but my body doesn’t care. All around us, the world is frosty and cool, but I’ve never felt hotter. Lorn is a furnace, and I press my body against him as I seek his warmth.

The voice in my head gets louder.

This is dangerous. I don’t know enough about this man to trust him in any capacity. My father’s killer could have hired him to seduce me, for all I know.

Am I being overcautious? Can you be, when you know there’s a man out for your blood?

My cautious mind wins out, and I gently push against Lorn’s chest. He steps back, puffs of steam coming from his nose as he works to calm down. I can’t blame him. My own heart is tap dancing in my chest, but I have to be stronger than this.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that again,” I say.

He runs his thumb along his lip, and I’m tempted to throw myself right on top of him. The ground may be snow covered, by my need for him tells me that I don’t care if my ass goes numb. I would love for him to lay me down right here and spread my legs.

It’s a curious thought. I’m not exactly the most adventurous person in bed. I’m no virgin. I’ve had boyfriends. I’ve had sex. It was never really… mind blowing. It was pleasant. Something that was part of a relationship, so I participated.

I might be a bit of a greenhorn in that realm, too. I’d hate to embarrass myself more in front of Lorn. I’ve thrown myself at him twice in twelve hours already.

He must think I’m so desperate.

He lifts one perfect eyebrow at me. “I believe it was me who kissed you this time.”

A blush heats my skin, but my cheeks have to be rosy already from the cold. Maybe he won’t be able to tell.

“I guess you did, yeah.”

“Would you like to see some waterfalls?”

I’m grateful for the distraction. More than that, I’m grateful to Lorn for seeing my embarrassment and gliding right past it.

“I would love that,” I say.

He turns and walks along the edge of the lake. Snow, and then another noise. The slip of my boots on shale – tiny river stones peek through the snow, a rainbow of pastel colors. I scoop up a teal one, free it of snow, and slip it into my pocket.

A little keepsake from my first day on the lake.

I fall into step with Lorn, and we stroll in comfortable silence, enjoying the peace and quiet. I’m not sure I like it, entirely. It’s making me think. I haven’t divulged any information about why I’m here, and Lorn might suspect something fishy. If he does, he doesn’t seem to mind kissing me, at least.

Larry Corker’s face swims along my vision. Maybe he did get out on good behavior, and he’s off living a dull, normal life.

Maybe unicorns exist.

“This way,” Lorn says, and I jump. His voice breaks my reverie and slices through the silence, and when he looks down at me, his gaze is confused.

I must seem like a complete crazy person to this guy. Then again, he spends his time wandering the woods alone, so maybe I’m not the only one with a little bit of crazy going on. I wait for him to comment on my jumpy behavior, but he doesn’t.

I kind of love that about him. Lorn doesn’t comment on my quirks. Rather, he seems to accept them in stride then simply moves on. We were kissing moments before, and you would never know. He sank right back into casual conversation, because he could tell it was what I wanted.

Huh.

I follow behind him as the path narrows, and I’m treated to the lovely sight of his broad back wrapped in that forest green plaid. I want to see his tattoos again, examine them. My gaze travels lower until it lands unapologetically on his perfectly sculpted ass. His legs are clearly muscular beneath his hiking pants. God, I’m undressing the man with my eyes while he’s not watching.

How sleazy am I?

I force my gaze of him and focus on our surroundings. The sound of trickling water reaches my ears, and before I know it, we’re walking alongside a little stream. Lorn leads the way, and the stream widens through the woods until we reach a small clearing. Before us, a waterfall cascades over slate-gray stones. Clean, clear water trickles into a small pond that feeds into the stream.

I release a breath. I’ve seen a lot of beautiful things in my time. I’ve been a socialite my whole life, and with wealth comes a lot of beauty in many capacities, but this is a whole other level. We’re tucked away, viewing a hidden gem I imagine not many people will ever see.

This is luxury at its finest.

“I love it,” I breathe. I pull out my phone to take a picture, but Lorn places a hand on mine, stopping me.

“Don’t capture it. Just experience it.”

I don’t want to, but I obey. I place my phone back into my pocket and focus on my surroundings. I absorb the world around me and try to memorize it all. Maybe if I can do that, images of Larry will fade, and in their place, all I will see is the tumbling droplets of water plummeting from stones as old as time.

“You like it?” Lorn asks.

I grin up at him. “It’s OK,” I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Not the best waterfall I’ve seen, but maybe in the top fifty.”

He frowns, as though I’ve presented him with a challenge. “Come on then. I’ll see if we can crack your top ten.”

The rest of the day is spent literally chasing waterfalls. Lorn treks through the woods, and by the time we reach the third waterfall, I am completely at a loss as to where we are. It’s also ten times more stunning than the first. Water drops from fifty feet high into a little alcove, behind which appears to be a series of small caves.

“This place is amazing in the summer. I swim here a lot.”

“It’s magnificent,” I breathe.

“Maybe in the top fifteen?” he asks.

I laugh. “You know I was kidding, right? I’ve never seen anything like this. How do you know where all these are?”

Lorn shrugs. “I’ve been exploring these woods for a long time. There’s one more thing I think you’d like. This way.”

I quicken my steps as I fall in behind him, excited to see what’s next. If there’s a waterfall bigger than this one, I’ll be shocked. I hope there is, though. The magnitude and glory of nature is raising my spirits. The magnitude and glory of Lorn’s body is raising my libido.

We reach another clearing, and this time, we’re greeted by a series of steaming pools.

“Are those…” I say, but I can’t think of the word.

“Natural hot springs. They’re basically nature’s hot tubs, filled with nutrients for the skin. We’ll have to try them sometime.”

I kneel, remove my gloves and scoop my fingers into the water. It’s perfectly hot, so I dip in the rest of my hands.

“This is glorious,” I say.

“Yes, it is. It’s also right in my backyard.” There’s a smile in Lorn’s voice.

I look up at him in surprise. “Seriously? We rounded all the way back to your cabin? Have we been out hiking that long?”

“Time has a way of getting away from you up here, doesn’t it?”

I glance up at the sky and realize it’s getting dark. How did the day pass us by so quickly?

“Come on. I’ll show you,” he says.

I stand and slide my gloves back on, though I’m reluctant to leave these luxurious waters.

Later, I’ll find my way back.

I follow Lorn, and the path widens enough to walk side by side. My arm brushes against his, and a jolt of electricity runs through me. I don’t know if it’s the day spent out in the woods or the fact that he is a stunning, ruggedly handsome specimen of a man, but I am completely hot under the collar with lust. Just looking at him has my pussy tingling.

I want Lorn. Badly.

I thought being up here alone was what I wanted, but having Lorn here with me all day has shown me that I don’t want to be alone at all. I imagine going back to that cold little cabin down the way from here, and the thought has no merit whatsoever.

It’s a relief to be with someone else. Especially when that someone else has the muscles of an Adonis and the quick wit of a comedian. I think I’ve lost a few pounds today, not from hiking, but from laughing. Lorn is a character.

We reach the bottom of his porch stairs, and he turns to look down at me. In this light, his eyes have shifted to a milk-chocolate color, and I want to gobble him up.

“See? Here we are. Safe and sound.”

Does he realize how powerful those words are to me? Does he know how much I would give to feel safe, secure? We stare at each other as night falls around us, and I wait for him to make a move.

“Did you enjoy yourself today?” he asks.

Small talk. I don’t know if I can manage it. All I can focus on is his mouth. I’ve never felt attraction like this, ever. It’s animalistic and primal and a little scary.

I’ve never felt more alive, so hot in the frigid mountain air.

“I did, thank you.”

Simultaneously, we reach for each other. Our bodies collide as our hands claw at each other’s faces, and his lips crash into mine, claiming them for his own. I’m happy to surrender, and I tug him as close as I can.

My hands wrap around his broad shoulders as he leans down to better reach me. The muscles beneath are taut and strong, and I squeeze at them with my palms, testing the waters.

I’ve never been with a man this strong before, this perfectly masculine. He’s like an ancient warrior, with his height and build meant for battle. Instead, he uses his body for better purposes as he wraps his arms tightly around me, pulling me even closer.

He slides a hand between us and rubs my clit through my jeans. I release a little moan at the touch, and all rational thought dissolves in my need to have him. Without breaking our kiss, he bends and scoops me up by my ass again. He wraps my legs around him, like before, and he walks us both up the stairs to his front door.

I’m vaguely aware of him opening the portal, warmth enveloping us as he closes it behind him. He turns a bolt, and now we’re locked in and perfectly safe.

I’m ready to fuck this man, hard.