Page 12 of Feelin' Pine

“So, I have abadass?” His lower lip pouts.

I roll my eyes as a warm blush washes up my neck to my face. “You have afineass.”

Jake sighs and shakes his head. “There’s that ’fine’ word again. I don’t believe you.”

I stomp to a stop, throw my hands in the air, and shout, “You have a perfect ass! A beautiful ass! An ass that makes me think of very bad things! You have the epitome of an ass!”

Jake turns, and we stare at each other for a few moments, and without cracking a smile or showing any enthusiasm for my little outburst, he states, “Thanks. You have a nice ass too.”

Thanks?! Ugh.

Wait… he likes my ass?

Kraine stands as his head ping-pongs between us as he tries to work out what we’re talking about.

Jake turns and resumes hiking. “But I’m only rescuing you and moving on.” He shouts without looking back.

My stomach does a flip. For some strange reason it sounds like a challenge.

And damn, I’m up for it.

CHAPTERSEVEN

JAKE

I’m playing with fire.And not the kind that’s quickly coming up on our heels.

We round the mountain’s edge, and I can see the cave entrance. It’s my business to know this mountain like I know my birthday or social security number. Committed to rote memory.

The entry isn’t big, but it widens up when we get in there.

I slip my rucksack off, pull out a helmet with a flashlight attached, point to the entry, and say, “Ladies first.”

Maitlyn shakes her head and bites her bottom lip. Another quirk of hers I notice when she’s nervous. “What’s in there?”

“Lions, tigers, bears?” I shrug, but when I catch sight of her face paling and her glowing in the last sliver of daylight, my stomach churns. I hate putting her in a panic when I’ve caught on quickly. She has her battles. I have mine.

I step closer. “Hey, hey, I’m kidding. I’ve been in this one, dozens of times, and there’s nothing.” I reach over, stroke my hand down her arm, and am amazed at her skin’s softness. It makes me wonder if she’s as soft everywhere.

“You’re sure?”

Wanting to ease her worries, I offer, “Do you want me to go first? Because I will, but if I do, but then you have to hand me this forty-five-pound rucksack.”

There she goes biting her lip again. Her big sapphire eyes rise to meet my gaze, and I’m frozen. When has a woman consumed me with the cosmos in her eyes? They swirl with a mixture of night and day, creating some kind of hypnotic blend of heaven and earth. I can get lost in them for eternity and still never feel like I spent enough time inside them.

Quickly she shutters. “Oh, god, then I’d be out here all alone, and what if I don’t fit in that small hole?” She lets out a deep moan that confuses my senses as my mind constantly goes in areas they shouldn’t.

I grab her hand and squeeze. “I fit. You’ll fit, Maitlyn. You’re—”

“Okay, I’ll go first.” She doesn’t let me finish my solid argument.

There’s no way to deny she’s conscientious about her body, but I crave to show her she doesn’t have to be. Her body is of a goddess and deserves to be worshiped, and I’d die for the privilege of doing exactly that. However, she doesn’t deserve the one-time only attention I can offer. She deserves the world, so I hold back and let it lie silent between us.

She blows out a long breath.

I grab her hand and squeeze. Her soft skin sliding like silk against my rough palm. “I promise you’ll be okay.”

Her head bobs, and she places those cosmic eyes on me. “I believe you.”

---