Page 20 of Seduced By the Mountain Man

I pushed the thought away, burying my face in the pillow. This was just physical. It had to be. Because the alternative was too terrifying to contemplate.

***

The zip-lining course stretched across the forested ridge above the resort, offering panoramic views of the lake and mountainsbeyond. Under different circumstances, I might have been excited about the adventure—I'd never been zip-lining before, and despite my city lifestyle, I did enjoy the occasional adrenaline rush.

Today, however, my stomach twisted in knots for reasons that had nothing to do with the prospect of flying through the air attached to a metal cable.

I'd carefully styled my hair to hide the mark on my neck, chosen an athletic tank top and shorts that were practical but still flattering, and spent more time on my minimal makeup than I was willing to admit. All for a man I was insisting meant nothing beyond physical release.

The self-deception was exhausting.

We gathered at the base of the course, where Matt was explaining the safety features of the harnesses while distributing helmets. Jace stood off to the side, helping adjust equipment and answering questions, but I noticed he hadn't looked in my direction once since our group arrived.

He was giving me space. The realization should have been a relief—wasn't that what I wanted? Time to process without his intense presence complicating things further?

Instead, it stung. Which was ridiculous, given that I'd practically fled from him last night.

"Delaney," Whitney nudged me. "You're up for harness fitting."

I startled, realizing Jace was now directly in front of me, holding out a contraption of straps and buckles, his expression professionally neutral.

"Good morning," he said, his voice revealing nothing of last night's passion. "Arms up, please."

I complied wordlessly, lifting my arms as he slipped the harness over my shoulders. His hands were brisk and impersonal as he adjusted straps, tightened buckles, checked connections. Nothing in his manner suggested we'd been intimately entwined against a wall less than twelve hours ago.

"How did you sleep?" he asked, his voice low enough that only I could hear as he knelt to secure the leg straps.

"Fine," I lied, hyperaware of his hands near my thighs, even through the professional barrier he'd erected. "You?"

"Liar," he murmured, the ghost of a smile touching his lips as he stood. "You've got circles under your eyes."

"Are you saying I look tired? Because that's never a compliment."

This time the smile reached his eyes. "I'm saying you look like someone who was up half the night thinking about me."

Before I could formulate a suitably cutting response, he'd moved on to help the next guest, leaving me flustered and irritated—both at his accuracy and at how much I wanted him to keep talking to me.

So much for giving me space.

The group began the short hike up to the first platform, Matt leading the way with his enthusiastic explanation of the forest ecosystem. I lagged toward the back, distracted by my own thoughts and the occasional glimpse of Jace ahead, his movements confident on the uneven trail.

"You're staring," Whitney murmured beside me.

"I am not," I protested automatically.

"The back of his head hasn't changed in the last five minutes," she pointed out. "And yet you haven't taken your eyes off it."

I sighed. "I'm just... processing."

"Processing what a mountain man looks like from behind? Because I have to say, the view is exceptional."

I couldn't help laughing. "You're terrible."

"I'm observant," she corrected. "And what I observe is that this is definitely more than a casual hook-up for you."

"It's not," I insisted. "It can't be."

"Can't be or shouldn't be?" she asked shrewdly. "Because those are two very different things."

---