Page 4 of Jealous Mountain Man
I had to focus. I could watch this recording later, over and over if I wanted. Right now, it was all about getting the best shot.
“It feels good in here,” he said.
I didn’t stop shooting. Was he inviting me to come in? No, he wouldn’t do that. He was just trying to get through this to get his face off the internet. For some reason that was something he really, really wanted.
“It’s beautiful back here,” I said after I tapped the screen to stop recording and lowered my phone. “I haven’t had much time to explore the town since I’ve been here. Just that one trail in front of your cabin.”
“How long have you been here?”
“A few weeks. My uncle owns the moonshine distillery in the shopping center. He offered me a job, and here I am.”
I gestured wildly, making light of the situation, but there was nothing light about it. My parents announced they were divorcing my senior year of college. They didn’t even sit together at my graduation. The whole thing was jarring, and if that wasn’t bad enough, rumors had spread like wildfire through our tiny town in western North Carolina.
Uncle Ryan and I had always been close. He was much younger than Mom, and my parents had me when they were older, so we were only twelve years apart. It made sense he’d step in to help me out when I was dreading moving back home after graduation.
“Taking a dip in Grizzly Pond is required,” he said. “It’s like an initiation.”
He had to be full of crap. Or maybe he just wanted to get me into the water with him? He probably thought I was sheltered, like I never did anything on my own. He was wrong.
“Fine,” I said, tossing my phone to the grass.
That surprised even me. I pulled off my T-shirt and shorts and started toward the water.
Was I losing my mind? I wasn’t the least adventurous person I knew, but this was daring even for me.
I felt Enzo’s eyes on me as I reached the water, so I didn’t have long to really think about it. I closed my eyes and savored the safety and privacy the water provided.
He was right. The water was a huge relief. I’d been sweating my ass off in the July heat, so the chilly water was a welcome change. Plus, it shielded me from his scrutiny.
I didn’t even look to see if he was watching as I rushed in. I just got my ass in and ducked down as low as I could go, leaving only my head above the surface.
Finally, though, I had to open my eyes. I had to look at him. I already saw him out of the corner of my eye, watching me. Probably waiting to see what I’d do next.
“What’s your plan?” he asked.
The question was just polite small talk, I figured, but it left me speechless for a couple of minutes. I found myself reviewing the conversation to figure out what plan I was supposed to have.
“The videos.” He frowned. “Being an influencer. Is that a career?”
I shrugged. “There’s a lot of money in it. For some people. Not for me, unfortunately.”
“You’re hoping that’ll change?”
“I’m hoping that’ll change.”
“So do you just go around shooting videos of half-naked men every day?”
That was a good question. One I didn’t really have an answer for. I didn’t know how this eye candy thing was going to play into my regular posts, but he didn’t have to know that.
“These videos just draw attention to my feed,” I said. “My goal is to become a book influencer, so most of my posts are about fiction.”
He wiped the water from his eyes and lowered himself back down until he was submerged to his shoulders. “How does me chopping wood play into that?”
I shrugged, covering my chest with my arms. It wasn’t like he could see anything, but shielding my breasts made me feel a little better.
“I specialize in romance. That’s where the readers are. You’re straight out of one of the books we read.”
Oh crap. Did I give too much away? I didn’t want to come out and say I was attracted to him. What if he wasn’t even a little bit interested in me? This whole situation was already uncomfortable enough without me seeming like a teen with a crush.
