Page 4 of My Wild Mountain Man

“Hello?” Bash’s voice called out. “Someone out there?” I quickly tried to consider my options. Crawling through the thick forest popped into my head. A huge black hole swallowing me was another thought. But since those only existed in cartoons, and I had chosen to wear shorts on my little walk, I figured crawling would get me even more scratched up.

I stood up slowly, and thankfully, when I did and our eyes connected, he had already pulled on a pair of shorts.

“Hey! It’s just me!” I called out.

“Rave? Shit.” He hurried towards me as I stood there like a bump on a log. “You okay?” he asked. The moment he reached me, his hands were on me. Checking my legs and arms. Unknowingly leaving a trail of heat in their wake.

“I’m okay,” I squeaked. “I just, umm, got turned around because I was reading and, umm, slipped on a rock and fell, but I’m fine. See?” I shook my leg for him as if that was going to prove I wasn’t in pain. “I’ll just be on my way! I’m sorry to, umm––“

“Breathe for me, Raven,” he ordered, placing my hand on his bare chest. His skin was wet and warm. The muscles beneath were solid.God, he is sexy!

He breathed in deeply, and I followed, my eyes unable to move from his dark ones, soaking in everything I could while being this close to him. The small dark freckles across his cheeks, the golden hues that swirled in the darkness of his gaze. The way the bridge of his nose had a slight bump to it.

God, he was beautiful.

“Better?” he asked, snapping me out of my delusional thoughts. I simply nodded, ignoring the fact I was probably three shades of red. I hated how much I blushed. Especially when it came to him. It felt like my heart was about to jump out of my chest and my knees could buckle beneath me in the blink of an eye.

“You were reading while walking?” I chewed on my bottom lip. Those dark eyes of his searched mine, and all I could do was stare back. “What am I going to do with you, pretty girl?” He tucked a strand of hair that had come loose from my ponytail behind my ear.

Pretty girl.If only he actually meant it.

“I’m sorry I interrupted your swim,” I whispered. “I should get going.”

“Let me get my stuff, and I’ll head out with you.”Head out with me?I knew the walk back would be at least an hour, and as much as I wanted to spend time with him, I really didn’t think it was a good idea.

I am trying to get over him, not fall harder!

“Oh, you don’t have to––“

“Yeah, I do. I want to.”

“You do?” I asked. His gaze never wavered from mine as he took a step closer, and his Adam’s apple bobbed.

“I do.” Something was happening. There was something about the way he was looking at me that felt… different.

“Oh.” My lips parted as my chest rose and fell. I watched as his eyes dropped to said chest, and I could have sworn my nipples tightened to impossible peaks at that very moment.Can he see them?He moved a little closer, and I found myself swaying towards him, too.

“You want to come with me?” I asked, my tone way too breathy. I shook my head. “I mean walk back?” I asked again. My hand ached to touch his bare chest again. His nose flared, and then he frowned.

“I do.” His voice sounded deeper. Thicker. “I mean, what if you get to reading and wander off again? Your brother would kick my ass if you got lost.”My brother.Right.

I was an idiot.

Whatever felt different about that moment had been some stupid figment of my imagination. Bash didn’t want me. He wanted me to be safe.For my brother.

“Onyx. Right.” Whatever hope I had that he wanted to hang out with me faded away, making me feel like a deflated balloon. “You really don’t have to worry. I’ll be fine.”

“Why have you been avoiding me, Rave?”

“Avoiding you?” I snorted and shook my head. “Someone thinks a lot of themselves.”

“Don’t do that. Talk to me.”

“Why would you think that?”

“We haven’t talked in a while,” he pointed out. The fact he noticed made me want to swoon. God, I was hopeless.

His hand took mine, and I loved the way they fit. Just looking down at mine in his muddled my brain. “So?” he prompted, and my eyes roamed up to lock with his.

---