Page 22 of Balancing Act

I settled into a rhythm, my stroke strong and confident as I sliced through the water in an easy freestyle. On a breath, I caught sight of Eryn, close behind me now. We were approaching the falls and unless she was a ringer, I had this in the bag. Just another few yards.

I pushed forward and made it through the falls, careful to stop on the other side to avoid slamming into the rocks. Eryn appeared a moment later and stood up, the water reaching just above her ribs. She pushed her hair back and rubbed her eyes. I crossed my arms and waited for her to look at me.

The sound of the falls was loud, drowning out almost everything else. We were in our own little cocoon back here, and I didn’t hate it. I watched as she looked around her, those perfect plump lips in the shape of an O as she admired this little slice of paradise.

“This is incredible.”

I took a step toward her. “Yeah, it is.”

She didn’t speak again for a minute. Just watched me. I took one more step closer. She had to tilt her head back to look at me.

“You’re faster than I expected.”

“What’d you expect?”

She smiled coyly. “I don’t know, a big brute like you, large and muscular . . .” Her eyes roamed over my chest and shoulders and I couldn’t stop myself from puffing my chest out a bit. “I guess I thought you were more strong than fast.”

The corner of my mouth turned up in a smirk. “I’m both, baby.”

Her eyebrows shot up, and to be honest, mine almost did too. I wasn’t a flirt. I didn’t say shit like that. And here I was, living in some alternate universe. Standing behind a damn waterfall with a beautiful woman, flirting with her? I was in trouble, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. My mind kept telling me to make a move, my hands kept trying to reach out and touch her. All I could think about was how soft her damn lips looked and how I needed to confirm that for myself.

“You're a man of many surprises, Gray Anderson,” Eryn said, her voice soft yet carrying a hint of challenge.

I arched an eyebrow, a flicker of amusement dancing in my eyes. “So you think you can figure me out, huh?”

“That remains to be seen.”

I smiled. Actually felt my lips turn upward, the muscles practically atrophied from lack of use. She looked surprised again and got a little closer.

“You have a really nice smile, you know. You should show it more often.”

And with that, she slid around me, her soft body brushing up against mine, and slipped through the falls back to the other side. My skin singed with heat from her touch. My cock was hard as steel despite the frigid water. And my chest was doing some sort of fluttering nonsense.

Eryn Blake had done a number on me before I even had a chance to notice it.

8

Eryn

I stood by the water in awe, watching the spray cast rainbows in the bright afternoon sun. The air here was cooler up here, the breeze tickling my skin. The roar of rushing water drowned out the other forest sounds. The shadows from the trees above danced on the ground. It was one of those perfect days, in a perfect place, and my heart was so full.

Hours spent splashing around in the water had done me so much good. And spending that time with my friends had taken us all out of our element, allowing us to enjoy a simpler kind of fun. Nature. Fresh air. Laughter. Exactly the kind of thing I wanted to offer in this far-fetched retreat idea. But now wasn’t the time to think about it too much. I allowed the inspiration to hit me, and filed it away in my head for later.

Another thing I’d filed away for later was my experience with Gray. He’d surprised me by joining us in the water. And the race? The little flirtation we’d had in the privacy behind the waterfall? It was like out of a movie. I may have lived a privileged life, but I’d never experienced that kind of perfect opener for romance.

Except, there couldn’t be a romance. I didn’t know anything about him. Well, much about him. I knew he was a hard worker. He could be kind, even if he was a grump. He seemed to be close to his family in that they all lived on the ranch. He cared what Marge thought of him, and gave up his day off to do her—and by association, us—a favor.

Okay, so I didn’t know the ins and outs of what made Gray Anderson tick, but I could tell he was a good man. And holy hell did he look good in the water. Tan and muscled, his chest and abs were chiseled like a Michaelangelo. He must do some of his work shirtless, as there wasn’t much difference in color between his arms and midsection. And that fact sent me reeling with thoughts of what Gray looked like working the ranch without a shirt on.

I wondered if I’d get to see it if I stopped by unannounced with a thank you gift.

So fine, I thought the guy was hot. And that little flirtation we had was the sexiest thing to happen to me in years. But it didn’t mean anything. It couldn’t mean anything. I was here to enjoy this time with my friends, and to maybe explore a business opportunity. There was too much on the horizon to worry about anything else. I just had to get my hormones on the same page.

“Let’s take photos!” Skylar said, pulling out her phone and interrupting my very heated thoughts of Gray. Probably for the best.

“Go ahead,” Gray replied, hanging back while I gathered everyone for selfies and candid shots. My friends posed and laughed, the water providing a perfect backdrop for memories we’d treasure.

I took my own phone out to take some selfies and then shots of the others. I didn’t want to post these either. At least not yet. But I for sure wanted to capture this memory.

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