Page 4 of Alone with the Mountain Man

As I drew closer to the back door, I heard it. The unmistakable sound of a ball hitting asphalt. My heart jumped into double time at the thought of seeing her again. I hadn’t felt this way since I was a teenager, crushing on Meredith Scott and trying to figure out a way to convince her to go out with me.

I stopped just outside the door, slowing its progress so it wouldn’t slam shut. I didn’t want to call attention to myself. Her back was to me, and she held the ball close to her right shoulder. She squatted a little, then she tossed the ball toward the basket. I held my breath as it teetered on the edge, then toppled to the ground without going in.

She wasn’t bad. I watched as she made one hoop, then botched another. I was no pro myself, so I wasn’t sure if I should ask to play or not. I wouldn’t want her to think less of me if she kicked my ass on the court.

“Ugh,” she said.

Suddenly, she bent over, setting the basketball on the ground next to her. When she straightened, the long gown she’d been wearing drifted upward. It took a second for me to realize she was removing it. Beneath it, she wore a pair of leggings and a tank top.

I slumped a little in disappointment, but it wasn’t all bad. I had a front-row view of those curves. The tight clothing did nothing to hide her rounded hips and full ass. I couldn’t wait until she turned around?—

Holy fuck.

My gaze landed on her chest at the same time she turned and spotted me. Large but perky breasts strained the confines of the white tank top, which plunged low to show off ample cleavage. The erection I’d battled earlier returned in full force as I jerked my gaze up to her face.

“How long have you been standing there?” she asked, eyes wide.

Great. I’d obviously scared her. I certainly hadn’t meant to do that.

“I just got here,” I said. “I was admiring your shooting skills.”

She looked back over her shoulder at the net, then returned her attention to me. “I played in middle school. My skills are a little rusty, though. Did my brother tell you I was out here?”

I nodded. “He volunteered the information.”

She bit her lip and glanced toward the fire hall, then back at me. “I thought you might come looking for me. I might have told him to send you my way.”

She wanted me to come out here. That was the best news I’d heard in a long time. I thought of about a thousand mushy things I could say in response but, in typical Nash form, I went in the other direction.

“Let’s play,” I said.

3

AURORA

The firefighter wasn’t half bad at basketball. He held his own against me, but I was only slightly better than half bad.

“Let’s play a game,” he said.

I stopped dribbling, trying to catch my breath and hoping I wasn’t sweating too much. He’d taken off his suspenders and tossed them to the ground, so now he only wore the fire department trousers and T-shirt.

I knew I was showing way too much skin in my tank top and leggings, but no way could I have kept wearing that costume. Not only did it get in the way, it was almost suffocating after just a few minutes of activity.

“What kind of game?” I asked.

I assumed he’d say knock out or around the world. I’d played those plenty of times with friends. But instead, he said two words that dropped my jaw.

“Strip basketball,” he said. “Every time you miss a basket, you have to take off a piece of clothing.”

Suddenly, I didn’t have to struggle to catch my breath. I couldn’t breathe at all. Had he just suggested…?

“We’d be naked after only a few minutes,” I said.

He shrugged. “You’dbe naked. I have full confidence I can make most of the baskets.”

That was a challenge. He must have sensed just how competitive I was. This was definitely the best way to get me naked.

But that thought gave me pause. Did he want to see me naked? I’d never been naked in front of a man.

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