Page 41 of Shared By the Mountain Men

“I don’t want to be a bother, especially at the last minute…”

“The tour’s not full,” he insisted. “I’ve got an extra ATV. It’s just sitting around. I actually have to drive them regularly so the fuel pumps don’t get clogged. You’d be doing me a favor if you came along.”

I blinked in surprise. There was no sarcasm or annoyance in his tone. He seemed like he genuinelywantedme to come along. What was going on?

“Unless you have something better to do today…” he offered.

He was right. And as I had just told Noah, I hadnothingon my schedule.

“Sure. I’d love to come. As long as it doesn’t aggravate my ankle.”

Jack allowed himself to smile. “Your ankle will be fine.”

I changed clothes and returned to the front office. By now, the other customers were gathered in front of the vehicles with their helmets on while Jack addressed them.

“Never turn your vehicle on until you are fully clipped into the harness,” he was explaining to the group. “Keep your helmet on at all times, except for when we break for lunch. If anyone is caught breaking these rules, the tour will immediately end. Any questions?”

A little boy, not even a teenager, raised his hand. “Are we allowed to do a wheelie?”

“Do you know how to do a wheelie on an ATV?” Jack asked bluntly.

The boy shook his head.

“Good. Don’t try.” Jack looked up at the boy’s father. “Don’t let him try. It will go poorly. Any other questions? Good. Grab a vehicle and strap in. We’re leaving in two minutes.”

“You should work on your customer service,” I told him while the others all climbed on their four-wheelers.

Jack gave me a sideways glare. “My customer service is fine.”

“If you’re going for theannoyed tour guidevibe,” I replied.

He grumbled something incoherent under his breath.

I climbed aboard the last ATV in the group. Most of the customers were sharing, two people per vehicle. Three of us—me, Jack, and another guy who looked creepy in a way I couldn’t explain—got to ride solo in our own vehicles. The safety harness started between my legs, then came up and wrapped around each thigh, holding me down on the seat.

Jack verified that everyone was properly secured. When it was my turn, he reached between my legs and gave the harness a sharp tug. It was a totally innocent—and necessary—gesture, but I still felt a strange tingle at having him grabbing in that general area.

He’s polite to me for five minutes, and I’m already acting stupid. I shook it off as Jack clipped into his own vehicle and addressed the group.

“Follow me, keeping at least three lengths between each vehicle,” he instructed, then drove down the path leading out of camp. The four-wheelers rumbled to life and followed him, one by one.

A silly grin spread across my face as I slowly engaged the throttle. The entire vehicle vibrated beneath me. Between my legs. Firmly pressed against my lady-parts. That rumbling increased as the vehicle moved forward, following the line of ATVs snaking through the camp.

Okay. I could see why people liked these things.

21

Melissa

As soon as we were out of camp, Jack cut across the main road leading into town and turned down a dirt trail that I hadn’t noticed. We picked up some speed as we emerged from the trees, following the path that headed up into the foothills. Mount Crested Butte rose above us like a jagged finger against a perfect blue sky.

I let out a yelp of excitement as we sped even faster across the hilly terrain, my voice drowned out by the roar of the engine. It was like being on a roller coaster, except one where I controlled the speed. I wondered how easy it would be for one of these vehicles to flip over. That was the only thing keeping me from going too fast as I followed the group along the trail.

Jack stopped at the next hill. “Everyone good?” he asked when we had all caught up.

Everyone nodded. Jack’s gaze lingered on me for what felt like an extra second. “Let’s have some real fun, then. Match my speed, but don’t go any faster.”

He gave me the tiniest hint of a smile before turning around and zooming away on his ATV. The other riders hesitated, like none of them wanted to be the first to go, so I revved my engine and went around them to follow behind Jack.

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