Page 8 of Seduced By the Mountain Man

Even I couldn't help laughing at that.

"I'm going to shower," I announced, standing up. "And then we're going to dinner, where we will discuss literally anything else. Deal?"

"Deal," they chorused, with matching innocent expressions that didn't fool me for a second.

***

Dinner at the resort's main restaurant was a farm-to-table affair featuring local trout, huckleberry cocktails, and thankfully, no sign of Jace. By the time we finished our meal, complete with decadent chocolate desserts, the sun was beginning its descent behind the mountains.

Back at the cabin, Amber announced she was meeting Matt, the assistant guide, for a tour of the "night hiking trails"that somehow required her tightest jeans and an extra spritz of perfume.

"Don't wait up," she called, sashaying out the door.

Whitney and Kayla decided to check out the resort's evening cocktail hour, but I begged off, claiming fatigue from our paddleboarding adventure.

"You sure?" Whitney asked, eyeing me suspiciously. "It could be fun."

"I'm sure," I said, already changing into leggings and a soft hoodie. "I just want some quiet time."

After they left, the cabin's silence was blissful. I poured a glass of wine, grabbed my book, and stepped onto our porch. The evening was perfect—warm enough to be comfortable but with that hint of mountain coolness in the air that promised a good night's sleep.

I tried to read, but the words blurred on the page, my mind drifting back to Jace. To his hands steadying me on the paddleboard. To his voice, low and intimate in my ear.

We should talk, Dee. When you're ready.

After fifteen minutes of reading the same paragraph repeatedly, I set the book down with a sigh. Clearly, sitting still wasn't working. Maybe a walk would clear my head.

The resort grounds were beautiful at twilight, with soft lighting along the paths and the occasional laughter drifting from the main lodge. I found myself drawn toward the lake, following a trail that wound through a stand of pines before emerging at a small, secluded cove.

A wooden dock extended into the calm water, empty except for a few Adirondack chairs at the far end. Perfect.

I settled into one of the chairs, pulling my knees up to my chest and watching the last golden rays of sunlight playingacross the lake's surface. In the distance, the mountains were taking on that distinctive pink-purple glow that only happens at sunset.Alpenglow, my father had called it during family vacations.

The peaceful moment was exactly what I needed—a chance to breathe, to think, to center myself. For the first time since arriving at Hope Peak, the stubborn knot of tension between my shoulders began to ease.

Until I heard the splash.

I turned toward the sound just in time to see a figure cutting through the water with powerful strokes, heading directly for the dock. Even in the fading light, there was no mistaking those shoulders and that confident rhythm.

Jace.

I briefly considered fleeing, but something held me in place. Pride, maybe. Or curiosity. Or the simple fact that running away never solved anything.

He noticed me just as he reached the dock ladder, pausing with his hands on the lowest rung, water streaming from his hair and running down his lean torso.

"Fancy meeting you here," he said, a slow smile spreading across his face.

"Are you following me?" I asked, aiming for irritation but landing somewhere closer to breathless.

"I was here first," he pointed out, hoisting himself out of the water in one fluid motion. "Been swimming across the cove and back. Best way to clear my head after a day of playing tour guide."

Water sluiced down his body, his swim shorts clinging to muscled thighs. He grabbed a towel from the dock railing and ran it over his hair, leaving it sticking up in all directions. Itshould have looked ridiculous. Instead, it was endearing in a way that made my chest tight.

"This is the staff swimming area," he added, gesturing to a small sign I'd missed in the dimming light. "Technically, you're trespassing."

"I didn't see the sign," I said, standing up. "I'll go."

"Don't," he said quickly, then softened his tone. "I mean, you don't have to. It's a big dock."

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