Page 3 of Jealous Mountain Man (Seduction Summit Trails #5)

LARSEN

E nzo could have backed out on his end of the deal. I fully realized that as I was watching him step into the water.

He wore only underwear this time, and I’d promised not to start shooting until he was in the water. Apparently, even when his face wasn’t onscreen, he was weird about being plastered across the internet wearing only his underwear.

Okay, yeah, I couldn’t blame him for that.

“Ready?” he asked.

We’d already captured a few clips of him chopping wood while wearing only his jeans and tennis shoes. We needed a change of scenery, and that was what had brought us to the pond behind his house.

He squatted down in the water and slowly stood, just as instructed. Once standing, he lifted his arms toward his head. The camera perfectly captured the hard contours of his body as the water cascaded off it. The whole thing was like something straight out of a movie or music video.

I had to focus. I could watch this recording later, over and over if I wanted. Right now, it was all about getting the best shot.

“It feels good in here,” he said.

I didn’t stop shooting. Was he inviting me to come in? No, he wouldn’t do that. He was just trying to get through this to get his face off the internet. For some reason that was something he really, really wanted.

“It’s beautiful back here,” I said after I tapped the screen to stop recording and lowered my phone. “I haven’t had much time to explore the town since I’ve been here. Just that one trail in front of your cabin.”

“How long have you been here?”

“A few weeks. My uncle owns the moonshine distillery in the shopping center. He offered me a job, and here I am.”

I gestured wildly, making light of the situation, but there was nothing light about it.

My parents announced they were divorcing my senior year of college.

They didn’t even sit together at my graduation.

The whole thing was jarring, and if that wasn’t bad enough, rumors had spread like wildfire through our tiny town in western North Carolina.

Uncle Ryan and I had always been close. He was much younger than Mom, and my parents had me when they were older, so we were only twelve years apart. It made sense he’d step in to help me out when I was dreading moving back home after graduation.

“Taking a dip in Grizzly Pond is required,” he said. “It’s like an initiation.”

He had to be full of crap. Or maybe he just wanted to get me into the water with him? He probably thought I was sheltered, like I never did anything on my own. He was wrong.

“Fine,” I said, tossing my phone to the grass.

That surprised even me. I pulled off my T-shirt and shorts and started toward the water.

Was I losing my mind? I wasn’t the least adventurous person I knew, but this was daring even for me.

I felt Enzo’s eyes on me as I reached the water, so I didn’t have long to really think about it. I closed my eyes and savored the safety and privacy the water provided.

He was right. The water was a huge relief. I’d been sweating my ass off in the July heat, so the chilly water was a welcome change. Plus, it shielded me from his scrutiny.

I didn’t even look to see if he was watching as I rushed in. I just got my ass in and ducked down as low as I could go, leaving only my head above the surface.

Finally, though, I had to open my eyes. I had to look at him. I already saw him out of the corner of my eye, watching me. Probably waiting to see what I’d do next.

“What’s your plan?” he asked.

The question was just polite small talk, I figured, but it left me speechless for a couple of minutes. I found myself reviewing the conversation to figure out what plan I was supposed to have.

“The videos.” He frowned. “Being an influencer. Is that a career?”

I shrugged. “There’s a lot of money in it. For some people. Not for me, unfortunately.”

“You’re hoping that’ll change?”

“I’m hoping that’ll change.”

“So do you just go around shooting videos of half-naked men every day?”

That was a good question. One I didn’t really have an answer for. I didn’t know how this eye candy thing was going to play into my regular posts, but he didn’t have to know that.

“These videos just draw attention to my feed,” I said. “My goal is to become a book influencer, so most of my posts are about fiction.”

He wiped the water from his eyes and lowered himself back down until he was submerged to his shoulders. “How does me chopping wood play into that?”

I shrugged, covering my chest with my arms. It wasn’t like he could see anything, but shielding my breasts made me feel a little better.

“I specialize in romance. That’s where the readers are. You’re straight out of one of the books we read.”

Oh crap. Did I give too much away? I didn’t want to come out and say I was attracted to him. What if he wasn’t even a little bit interested in me? This whole situation was already uncomfortable enough without me seeming like a teen with a crush.

“So you think I’m straight out of a romance novel?” he asked.

Was it my imagination, or did I see a hint of a smile on that gorgeous face of his? To this point, he hadn’t shown himself to be someone who smiled. I honestly wondered if his features were locked in a permanent scowl.

“You’re exactly what romance readers want,” I said. “In fact, you could easily be on one of the covers.”

“Maybe I should look into that. How much money is in it?”

I really had no idea, but I also knew he wasn’t serious. This guy would not like his face plastered on book covers—even if it was chopped in half like some of them were.

“I’ll hook you up,” I said, looking around. “Is this a popular pond or…?”

“Only for those who live on it. Anyone else has Betsy to contend with.”

I turned my full attention to him, eyes wide. “Betsy?”

Was that a dog? A mean relative who lived with him? A wife with a weapon?

“My Glock 19,” he said. “I keep her safely tucked away, but I can have her out and aimed at an intruder in a minute or two.”

“Is that a military thing?” I asked. “Are all the guys around here that…” I hesitated, searching for the right word. “Vigilant?”

Vigilant. That was perfect. Like a vigilante.

“Probably,” he said. “It makes sense that we’d be on guard to a certain degree. I’m sure your uncle has a firearm.”

Did he? As close as we were, I had no idea. He definitely would’ve kept that safely tucked away when my family visited. Especially with young kids in the house. But it wouldn’t surprise me if he had an entire gun collection hidden somewhere in that cabin of his.

“I wouldn’t know.” I shrugged. “He’s been so busy with his new girlfriend, I barely see him anymore. I moved to town to help out, and he got too busy to spend time with me.”

Did that sound like a complaint? I certainly didn’t mean to whine about it.

I was grateful he gave me this job. He’d also helped me get into one of the cottages next to the shopping center.

The rent ate up most of my paycheck, but if I could get this influencer thing going, I’d eventually be able to move to a bigger cabin.

Even with a roommate, that would be the dream.

“So what else do you have in store for me?” he asked.

His question pulled me out of my thoughts. Wait—what? He expected me to have things planned out?

The truth was, I had all the video I needed. I could always use more, but right now, I was done. I could tell him that. We’d head to the bank, get dressed, and I’d go back to my cottage.

But today was my day off, and I had no plans whatsoever. What was I going to do? Sit on my sofa alone, watching movies on my phone because I couldn’t afford a TV?

“I’d offer to take you to dinner to thank you,” I said, “but money’s kind of tight. I could cook for you. Do you have food?”

He didn’t answer for what felt like forever. He just stared at me, leaving me wondering if I was being too forward. Maybe his question had merely been a cue for us to go our separate ways.

“I have a freezer full of meat and a grill out back,” he finally said. “I’ll fire it up and make us some dinner.”

It was midafternoon, but I’d skipped lunch. Come to think of it, aside from coffee and water, I hadn’t consumed anything all day.

“That sounds like a plan,” I said.

Neither of us moved. Our eyes met and held in a stare that hit me deep inside. It seemed to push past the wall I’d put up to keep myself safe.

Sure, I knew I was attracted to him, but this was the first time I’d let down my guard enough to feel this almost magnetic pull toward him. This could be dangerous.

What was my plan exactly? To develop a crush on a guy who was probably friends with my uncle?

An uncle who definitely wouldn’t be happy with me getting romantically involved with someone he knew?

And that was assuming this guy didn’t laugh in my face at the idea that I could ever have a chance with him.

After a long silence where we just stared at each other, it hit me that he wasn’t sure how to get out of the water. To be fair, neither was I. I was wearing only my bra and panties. I couldn’t guarantee the now-soaked cups weren’t completely see-through. What if he got a glimpse of my nipples?

“I’ll close my eyes,” he said. “You get out first and get dressed. Then I’ll grab my stuff and head back to the house.”

With that, he turned his back, and I assumed he closed his eyes.

As I walked out of the water, though, I felt a tingling sensation all over, and I had to admit to myself that I kind of liked the idea of him ogling me.

In fact, if he turned and peeked while I was getting dressed, I wouldn’t mind that at all. I would even like it.

What did that say about me? I wasn’t sure, but I had a feeling by the end of the night, I’d be a changed woman.