Page 9 of Jealous Mountain Man
Suddenly, the most delicious steak ever sat forgotten on my plate. I’d eaten a little over half of it, but now I didn’t want another bite. I wanted to stop everything and drag him to the water, where we’d take off our clothes and do exactly what I imagined earlier when we were out there.
“We can’t do it in the pond, though,” he said.
“Why’s that?”
“Every house down that row has a clear view of it. My logging crew buddies would never let me live it down, but it’s more than that. I can’t expose you like that. If you’re looking for a waterway, though, I definitely know a place we could go. Finish up your dinner.”
I wasn’t sure what he had in store, but I was surprised to find it required us getting in his truck and driving farther up the mountain. My heart was banging against my chest every second of the drive.
“We call this one Lumberjack Cove,” he said.
“Wait, what was the name of the pond behind your house?” I looked over at him. I’d already forgotten. “It was something like that, wasn’t it?”
“Grizzly Pond. One of the guys named it that. It was before my time here.”
As soon as I saw Lumberjack Cove, my heart began pounding so hard I was sure he could hear it. He didn’t say anything, just drove all the way to the edge of the parking lot and cut the engine.
“You sure about this?” Enzo asked.
“Positive.”
I was more than positive. That didn’t mean I wasn’t nervous, though. This was a big move, and I didn’t want to disappoint him. What if I was really bad in bed? Not inexperienced—just bad. He might find me boring. Or maybe he wouldn’t like my body.
All kinds of things to be insecure about. Luckily, he didn’t give me much time to think about it.
“Let’s go.”
He said that like he was talking to a friend, not someone he was about to deflower. Maybe that was his way of making this easier on me. I couldn’t tell. All I knew was my legs were already shaking, and I was still seated. What if I couldn’t keep myself upright once I tried to stand? What if I collapsed to the ground, a quivering mess? He might decide I wasn’t ready for this, after all.
I couldn’t let that happen. So I took a deep breath, climbed out of the truck, closed the door, and started walking, trying to look far more confident than I felt. I’d only taken a few steps when I saw him up ahead. He was yanking off his T-shirt, then he undid his shorts and let them fall to the ground.
I’d seen him in underwear earlier when he’d posed for me. It wasn’t like this was anything new. But now, knowing what was about to happen, I could hardly breathe.
I should undress. Otherwise, he’d be watching. It would be far easier to do this if he had his back to me.
I yanked off my shirt and unbuttoned my shorts, dropping them to my ankles. As I had before, I waded in wearing only my bra and panties. But this time I didn’t feel self-conscious when he turned to watch me. The appreciation in his stare actually made me feel more beautiful than I’d ever felt in my life.
He liked what he saw. I had no reason to feel insecure about my body. But still, I couldn’t help but worry I wouldn’t live up to his expectations.
“The water’s a little colder,” he said. “Or maybe it’s just that it’s not as hot outside.”
He was right about that. The second my body hit the water, goosebumps spread across me—head-to-toe goosebumps. I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to ward off some of the cold, but I knew there was only one way to make this manageable. I had to lower my entire body temperature.
I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and plunged in. The water came all the way to his chest, so it must be deep enough for me to do that. Sure enough, I didn’t touch bottom, but I didn’t dare open my eyes either. I used my hands to feel my way, swimming in a wide berth around him. I didn’t want to slam into him.
Or maybe I did, but I had to play it cool for now.
I only dared to surface once. I was a decent distance from him even then, and I wasn’t exactly graceful about it. In fact, I probably resembled a drowned rat. My wet hair clung to my face, and I’d put on mascara that morning, so I no doubt had raccoon eyes.
I swiped my fingertips under each eye, hoping to clear that up. My sunglasses were in the truck. Maybe I should go get them. But the good news was, my feet finally touched ground here.
When my vision finally cleared, I saw he wasn’t just looking at me. He was staring. But it wasn’t in a judgy way. No, that heat had returned to his eyes. It reminded me why we were in this water in the first place.
“I should try that,” he said.
I looked around. “Try what?”
But when I turned back, he’d disappeared underwater. Nothing but a splash signified where he’d once stood.
