Page 61 of The Comeback Pact

Outside, the trees rustle in the wind. The sky is growing orange while the sun sets. Oddly enough, West has driven me outside of town—not that I’m trying to guess where we’re going. I just don’t know where the heck we are.

After a few more minutes, he pulls over onto the side of the road. I peer around, searching up the road and down it. I turn a sly gaze to him. “I don’t—”

“Just wait. I hope you don’t mind walking in the woods.”

I lift my brows, but he doesn’t get a chance to see it. He’s up and out of the truck, walking around in front while I’m still trying to get my bearings. The door on my right opens, and he stands there, offering his hand, the eager expression on his face telling me to trust him.

My pulse jumps.

I hop down, landing in gravel, and he leads me to the back of the truck where he takes out a small cooler. Now I’m really intrigued.

He keeps pulling me around to the driver’s side of the car, and we step off into the woods where there’s a slight opening to a trail that leads up and curves around. “Where are we going?” I ask, half laughing.

“Someplace cool.”

I bite my lip. The forest is quiet except for the wind through the trees and our footsteps as we climb. He helps me over fallen trees and points out rocks so I don’t trip. After ten minutes, he dips under a wooden rail, and I follow. Here, the trail is marked with tiny gray stones that lead the way.

Ahead, through a break in the trees, I spot green brush, and at almost the exact same time, the trickling of water filters through.

West peers over his shoulder at me with a wide grin. He picks up the pace, stopping only when the view opens up. In front of us is a rocky, squared-out area filled with water overlooking a river flowing some twenty feet below.

He places the cooler down on a flat black rock that serves as one of the corners of the little pool. “This is a natural hot spring,” he says. “See the steam?”

My mouth drops. In the air, there’s an almost transparent cloud of white making its way up to the now orange-pink sky.

“It’s part of the state park system. They’re closed right now, but I heard about that path.”

I squeeze his hand. It’s quite possibly the most beautiful view I’ve ever seen. The spring is crystal clear. Large, flat rocks line the bottom, and then more rocks were set around the outside to force the square shape.

“Do you like it?”

I blink up at him, a smile forming on my face. “Do I like it?” He raises his brows, expectant, and I find I can’t joke with him. “I love it.”

The breathwhooshesout of his chest. He reaches out for my other hand, and then he faces me. “I brought some food in the cooler. Drinks.”

“On the eating plan, I’m guessing.”

“Most of it,” he says with a smirk, “but there might be a few extra things in there.”

I peer around. “I gotta say, Hulk, I think you nailed the first date thing.”

“Yeah?”

I nod, stretching up on my toes to give him a kiss. He pulls me in close, capturing my lips and holding me there, his large body framing me in. I feel myself being swept away, and it’s scary and exhilarating at the same time. He deepens the kiss briefly before stepping back.

In one swoop of his hands, he has his shirt off and is tossing it on the ground, his bare chest flexing with the movement. Then, his fingers curve under the waistband of his shorts. My throat closes up momentarily, until he pushes down his athletic shorts, showing off a pair of boxer briefs clinging to his thigh muscles. I’ve seen him in less than that, but there’s something so sexy about him right now.

“Now you.”

He takes another step back to give me room. My stomach squeezes when his eyes roam up and down my body. “I see what you’re doing here,” I tease, nerves getting the best of me. I hesitate.

“We can’t dip in the springs in our clothes.” He shrugs, his lashes fanning down over his cheeks. “But you don’t have to,” he says quickly. “Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

How can I say no to that?I reach down, flirting with the hem of my shirt and then yanking it up. I don’t even remember what bra I put on this morning, but I’m hoping whatever it is, it actually matches my panties. I peer down to see emerald and heave a sigh of relief. I know damn well I have a matching set, so I undo the clasp on my capris and work them down my hips before stepping out of them.

My workout routine has made me a little more confident. Plus, it isn’t as if he hasn’t seen me in workout pants that have suctioned to my body or, hell, even in my dive suit, which doesn’t leave much to the imagination.

West Brooks stares at me, our gazes colliding in a crash of heat that swamps over me. My heart feels like it’s beating right out of my chest when he holds out his hand once more to help me down into the spring.

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