Page 60 of Keep Your Friends Close and Your… Work Enemy Closer?

"I don't know about you," he began, "but that was the best shower I've ever had. I take it you got all the mud out of weird places?"

Despite myself, I laughed. "Mostly. But Max Sterling still owes me for my shoes."

"They said to bring old shoes, plus an extra pair."

"I did. But still."

Before he could respond, Ranger Jim arrived and proceeded to pass out sticks and marshmallows, which meant I had to get up, my body not happy with me. I was twenty-nine, right? Because it sure felt like these bones and muscles were more like eighty.

Wincing a bit, I shifted and put my feet out in front of me to stand, but Jared must have heard my stifled moaning and groaning.

"Sore?" he asked. "Do you want me to work on your marshmallow, princess?I've got a knack for getting things hot and just the right amount of sticky."

I tried not to laugh. I really did. But it came out anyway as I handed him my stick. "Yes, please. Try not to do it too much? Some things are sensitive..."

His brows raised and his eyes widened like I'd just given him the juiciest bit of knowledge. "Sensitive... okay. Got it."

Oh, God. Why had I even said that?

Thankfully, he didn't dwell on it, instead turning to go roast our marshmallows. My eyes couldn't help following him as he stood to one side of the fire and carefully lowered our two sticks together.

I took in the broad expanse of his shoulders and how his shirt clung to him, every muscle moving beneath the fabric in a way that sent a shiver down my spine. The firelight flickered against his profile, casting shadows that highlighted his sharp jaw and cheekbones, making him look sexy as hell.

Why did he have to be so damn attractive? As much as I despised that pull I'd been feeling, there was no denying it anymore. Watching him now, I could feel my resolve slipping away.

The way he stood there, so tall, fit, and completely at ease, and the way he'd so effortlessly stepped up to take care of me earlier and again just now, I felt something stir deep inside me.

Damn it, this was going to be a problem.

Soon enough, he came back over, his movements confident and unhurried as he sat down beside me, close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating off him.

He handed me a perfectly roasted marshmallow, his fingers brushing mine for just a moment longer than necessary. The touch was electric, sending a jolt up my arm that settled somewhere low in my abdomen.

"Here you go," he said in a husky, deep tone. There was a hint of a smile on his lips, the kind that made it hard to tell if he knew exactly what he was doing to me.

"Thanks," I managed to say, my voice a little too breathy for my liking.

Crap. I needed to stop this. So I quickly focused on making my s'more, sliding the marshmallow onto the chocolate and sandwiching it between the graham crackers, all while trying to ignore the fact that he was watching me.

I took a bite, focusing my attention on anything but him, grabbing onto the laughter of several co-workers as a distraction. Mona's marshmallow had caught on fire, and to the amusement of everyone else, she blew on it furiously trying to get it out.

She finally succeeded, triumphantly holding up her burnt remains for all of us to see.

My own s'more was heavenly, maybe a little messy, well, a whole lot messy, but absolutely delicious. I devoured it, trying to lick my fingers clean afterwards, Jared leaning in a little closer to my side.

"You've got a little something... right there," he said, his voice teasing as he pointed to a spot on my lip where some marshmallow had stuck.

Before I could react, he reached out, his thumb gently brushing the sticky sweetness from my lip. The touch was slow and deliberate, making my heart race.

I couldn't help but look up at him, my breath catching in my throat at the sight before me. His eyes were dark, focusing on me in a way that made me feel like I was the only thing he could see.

"Got it," he murmured, his thumb lingering just a moment longer, his gaze locked on mine.

The tension rose between us, thick and undeniable, like a live wire sparking just beneath the surface of whatever this was.

Finally, his hand fell away, and he took a bite of his s'more, clearly savoring and drawing it out, making me think of other things Jared might savor and draw out.

Oh, God.

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