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

LARSEN

W ater. That was all I was drinking—water with ice cubes. So where had I gotten the courage to proposition this guy? I didn’t even know if he was interested in me.

As the seconds ticked by with no word from Enzo, I began to have second thoughts about what I’d just blurted out. I was offering myself to him. If he turned me down, I’d be mortified. I’d probably have to spend the rest of my time in this town hiding from him.

That wouldn’t be too hard, actually. I had a feeling this guy kept a low profile.

“You just met me,” he said.

Those words might have felt like a rejection, but there was heat in his eyes, and his voice had a huskiness that wasn’t there before. I had to keep going.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” I said. “Have you never met someone and known right away?”

It had never happened to me before, but I definitely felt it now. I was the inexperienced one. It was understandable that this would be a first for me. But Enzo was clearly in his thirties and had been around the block a time or two.

“I can’t say I have,” he said.

My heart sank. So what I was feeling was one-sided. It shouldn’t surprise me. But it did.

“Not until now,” he said. “Not until I saw you coming up that trail.”

Suddenly, the most delicious steak ever sat forgotten on my plate. I’d eaten a little over half of it, but now I didn’t want another bite. I wanted to stop everything and drag him to the water, where we’d take off our clothes and do exactly what I imagined earlier when we were out there.

“We can’t do it in the pond, though,” he said.

“Why’s that?”

“Every house down that row has a clear view of it. My logging crew buddies would never let me live it down, but it’s more than that. I can’t expose you like that. If you’re looking for a waterway, though, I definitely know a place we could go. Finish up your dinner.”

I wasn’t sure what he had in store, but I was surprised to find it required us getting in his truck and driving farther up the mountain. My heart was banging against my chest every second of the drive.

“We call this one Lumberjack Cove,” he said.

“Wait, what was the name of the pond behind your house?” I looked over at him. I’d already forgotten. “It was something like that, wasn’t it?”

“Grizzly Pond. One of the guys named it that. It was before my time here.”

As soon as I saw Lumberjack Cove, my heart began pounding so hard I was sure he could hear it. He didn’t say anything, just drove all the way to the edge of the parking lot and cut the engine.

“You sure about this?” Enzo asked.

“Positive.”

I was more than positive. That didn’t mean I wasn’t nervous, though. This was a big move, and I didn’t want to disappoint him. What if I was really bad in bed? Not inexperienced—just bad. He might find me boring. Or maybe he wouldn’t like my body.

All kinds of things to be insecure about. Luckily, he didn’t give me much time to think about it.

“Let’s go.”

He said that like he was talking to a friend, not someone he was about to deflower.

Maybe that was his way of making this easier on me.

I couldn’t tell. All I knew was my legs were already shaking, and I was still seated.

What if I couldn’t keep myself upright once I tried to stand?

What if I collapsed to the ground, a quivering mess?

He might decide I wasn’t ready for this, after all.

I couldn’t let that happen. So I took a deep breath, climbed out of the truck, closed the door, and started walking, trying to look far more confident than I felt.

I’d only taken a few steps when I saw him up ahead.

He was yanking off his T-shirt, then he undid his shorts and let them fall to the ground.

I’d seen him in underwear earlier when he’d posed for me. It wasn’t like this was anything new. But now, knowing what was about to happen, I could hardly breathe.

I should undress. Otherwise, he’d be watching. It would be far easier to do this if he had his back to me.

I yanked off my shirt and unbuttoned my shorts, dropping them to my ankles.

As I had before, I waded in wearing only my bra and panties.

But this time I didn’t feel self-conscious when he turned to watch me.

The appreciation in his stare actually made me feel more beautiful than I’d ever felt in my life.

He liked what he saw. I had no reason to feel insecure about my body. But still, I couldn’t help but worry I wouldn’t live up to his expectations.

“The water’s a little colder,” he said. “Or maybe it’s just that it’s not as hot outside.”

He was right about that. The second my body hit the water, goosebumps spread across me—head-to-toe goosebumps. I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to ward off some of the cold, but I knew there was only one way to make this manageable. I had to lower my entire body temperature.

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and plunged in.

The water came all the way to his chest, so it must be deep enough for me to do that.

Sure enough, I didn’t touch bottom, but I didn’t dare open my eyes either.

I used my hands to feel my way, swimming in a wide berth around him. I didn’t want to slam into him.

Or maybe I did, but I had to play it cool for now.

I only dared to surface once. I was a decent distance from him even then, and I wasn’t exactly graceful about it. In fact, I probably resembled a drowned rat. My wet hair clung to my face, and I’d put on mascara that morning, so I no doubt had raccoon eyes.

I swiped my fingertips under each eye, hoping to clear that up. My sunglasses were in the truck. Maybe I should go get them. But the good news was, my feet finally touched ground here.

When my vision finally cleared, I saw he wasn’t just looking at me. He was staring. But it wasn’t in a judgy way. No, that heat had returned to his eyes. It reminded me why we were in this water in the first place.

“I should try that,” he said.

I looked around. “Try what?”

But when I turned back, he’d disappeared underwater. Nothing but a splash signified where he’d once stood.

In the silence that followed, I imagined him swimming over to me. Maybe kissing his way up my thighs as he ran his hands over my body. I closed my eyes and let the fantasy take over as the water sloshed around my arms and chest.

I found myself heating up inside as though he were actually touching me. The water acted as a sort of caress—gentle and soothing over my skin.

A splashing sound just in front of me popped my eyes open. Enzo was standing right in front of me—not a few feet, but mere inches. All I’d have to do was lean forward a little, and we’d be kissing. With the way he was staring down at me, we were only seconds away from doing that.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he said.

The words went straight to my core and my heart at the same time. Again, it wasn’t just what he said, but the way he said it—and what I saw in his eyes as he looked at me.

Neither of us moved for what seemed like hours, but finally, my arm thrust forward as though on its own, my hand landing on his right bicep. That seemed to push us to the next level. His hands went to my upper arms, moving toward my shoulders as his lips captured mine.

The kiss started out sweet, taking my breath. He parted my lips with his tongue, his hands settling on my back and gently nudging me against him.

That was all it took. Our bodies seemed to meld into one, my chest pressed tightly against his, my arms going around his waist. I freely explored the ridges and contours of his back, marveling at how solid he was—a stark contrast to my much softer build.

He didn’t seem to mind. He began exploring too, his hands wandering over my upper back. One hand moved to the nape of my neck.

I sighed against his mouth as, with one hand, he unfastened the clasps holding my bra in place. I didn’t want to break the kiss, so I did an awkward little maneuver to get the bra off. Then my breasts were flattened against his chest. The feel of our bodies together made me sigh.

That was when I got really adventurous. My hands moved over his back and down, sliding under the elastic waistband of his underwear, cupping his ass. He moaned against my mouth, and that sound spurred me on.

With a not-so-gentle shove, I pushed his underwear downward and immediately felt his erection against my belly. He was hard as steel. I hadn’t expected him to be that hard already. Didn’t it take time? A little more kissing, maybe me touching it?

It only reminded me I had a heck of a lot to learn when it came to a man’s body. Hell, I didn’t even fully understand my own body yet.

More out of curiosity than anything, I moved my hand between us and wrapped my fingers around him. Another moan let me know I was on the right track.

His hands slid upward, finally reaching my waist. He separated us just enough to skim my nipples with his thumbs. Now I was the one who moaned. I’d anticipated his touch for so long, even the slightest contact lit my body on fire.

When he suddenly broke the kiss, I worried something had gone wrong. Maybe my touch was too amateurish. He was used to being with experienced women. Hell, even men my age were used to that.

He surprised me by putting a hand on each of my shoulders and gently spinning me around. He moved into place behind me and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against him. My eyes slid closed, and my head tilted back against his shoulder.

His hands went straight to my breasts. He was free to explore now, and he did exactly that, his fingers sliding around each nipple, palming both breasts.

He nudged my hair aside with his chin to plant kisses along my cheek and the side of my neck.

When his right hand began a gradual move downward toward my panty line, I thought I might die of pleasure.

But I hadn’t seen anything yet.

He didn’t bother sliding my underwear down, as I’d done with him. Instead, he dove beneath the waistband—straight to my aching clit.

“Spread your legs a little,” he commanded.

The gruff tone of his voice made me sigh with longing. It also made me realize I’d had my legs clamped tightly together. I was nervous and scared, but only because this was my first time. I felt safe in his hands. Somehow I knew he’d take care of me. Always.

I gasped as he began moving his finger over my clit in a rapid, rhythmic pattern. I knew that tiny bud was the key to orgasm, but I never dared try to give myself one, and now I wondered why.

All thought was soon wiped out as my body began moving toward something I couldn’t understand yet. All I knew was it would be a pleasure like nothing I’d ever experienced.

I didn’t even realize I was making a noise until it echoed in the air around me.

We might not be alone. I should be worried about that—but I didn’t care.

At this point, the whole world could hear my first orgasm.

All that mattered was what I was feeling right now and this man, with his arms wrapped around my waist, making me feel safe and protected—and wanted for the first time in my life.

I closed my eyes again as sensations overwhelmed me. Sensations I never wanted to end. Eventually, though, they did. And as disappointment set in, something hit me.

This wasn’t the end. It was only the beginning.