Page 5 of Burly and Rugged

The way her lips part. The way her fingers twitch slightly like she really does feel the same electricity I do. The way her eyes drop to my mouth and she bites her lip.

Heat coils in my cock, and I have to force myself not to react the way my body is screaming it wants to. My pulse is steady, but everything in me is wired too tight.

I release her, stepping back too quickly, forcing myself to hold my hands at my sides. Lindy sways slightly, catching herself, blinking like she’s trying to clear her head.

I clear my throat. “No problem. You good?”

“Yeah,” she breathes, her blue eyes bright. “Just—yeah.”

Her voice is breathy and her cheeks are filled with color that wasn’t there five seconds ago. She exhales sharply, crouching to pick up the cups. Her movements are quick. I should help, but I don’t trust myself not to lose control and pull her into my arms and lose myself in her.

I drag a hand over my jaw, exhaling through my nose, trying to get my head on straight.

“Don’t worry about the dishes,” I say, holding out my hands to take them from her. “I’ll take care of them. You should get some rest.”

She nods but doesn’t look at me as she turns toward her sleeping bag.

I watch her get settled in for the night, then head to the stream.

This is a problem. She’s too young, too sweet. She hired me to teach her about survival. What the hell am I thinking, letting desire get the best of me? It’s not like I haven’t been aroundbeautiful women in my life…but none of them even come close to comparing to Lindy, and I barely know anything about her.

As I stare up at the dark sky, I know something for certain. Nothing should happen between us.

But it already has.

And I don’t want to stop it.

CHAPTER 3

LINDY

That’s not good.”

The tone of Cody’s voice is low, filled with a warning that puts me on instant alert. Tension rolls off his body as he scans the horizon.

I follow his gaze and instantly see what he’s looking at – thick, charcoal-black clouds are rolling in fast over the ridge, swallowing the late afternoon sun. As the light around us falls into shadows, a cold wind comes out of nowhere and slices through every layer of my clothing.

“Is that as serious as I think it is?” I ask, my teeth already chattering from the cold.

“Yes, it is. Weather’s turning, and we don’t have any time to lose. We need dry shelter,” he says, eyes never leaving the horizon. “Fast.”

The wind shifts abruptly, carrying the sharp, metallic scent of rain. The temperature plummets and goosebumps race across my skin, even as I try rubbing my arms through the layers I’m wearing. Then—BOOM—thunder crashes above us, so close itshakes the ground beneath my feet. I flinch involuntarily, my hand flying to my chest.

Cody adjusts his pack as he scans where we’re at. “We need to move. Now.”

Lightning splits the sky in the distance, brilliant white against the bruised clouds, illuminating the jagged peaks ahead like a photographer’s flash. My stomach tightens into a knot of fear. What if we get stuck outside? Does Cody have a tent?

“How bad is this going to be?” I ask, raising my voice over the wind that’s now whipping my hair into my eyes.

Cody doesn’t slow his pace but keeps leading me along the trail. “Mountain storms are unpredictable. Could blow over in an hour, could be a three-day deluge. Either way,” he glances back at me, his eyes intense, “we don’t want to be out in it when it hits full force.”

As if Mother Nature is listening, the first icy drops of rain slap against my face. Within seconds, it’s a downpour, sheets of rain slashing through the trees. My lightweight jacket, sufficient for the cool weather that was forecast for the week, becomes useless as the rain soaks me straight to my skin.

“Damn it,” Cody curses under his breath, barely audible over the roaring wind. He pivots sharply, then points ahead to a rocky outcropping. “There’s a cave near here. Follow me. We have to move faster.”

I don’t hesitate. The urgency of his command lets me know this is as serious as I think it is. If I’m already soaked to the bone, what would… I stop myself. I don’t want to know what will happen if we don’t find shelter. It’s the only thing that’simportant right now, and I have to trust Cody with my life because right now, my lifedoesdepend on him.

“Stay close,” he shouts over the wind. “The ground is going to get treacherous. Avoid stepping in running water.”

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