Unleash the Passion

by Karen Kelley

  I should look away.

  I really should look away.

  I couldn’t look away. I was mesmerized.

  As if he heard a sound that was out of the ordinary, he suddenly turned, and our gazes locked. I could almost feel the heat from that one look. No matter what he said before, I knew that right at this moment, he wanted me as much as I wanted him. He could make me forget everything I went through with Eric. I desperately needed to put that part of my life behind me and move on with my life.

  Another sound drew both our attention. One of the other guides joined Nash.

  “I see I’m not the only one who couldn’t sleep,” Ethan said.

  The moment was suddenly lost. Maybe fate had stepped in to save my ass. My gaze locked with Nash’s one last time before I scurried off the boulder and hurried back to my tent.

  Once I was inside, I realized I was trembling. If Ethan hadn’t shown up, would I have joined Nash? I was a fool. I didn’t want a man in my life right now. Eric had done a number on my head. He was a master at manipulation. Right now, I wanted to concentrate on my business and clearing my head. Men only complicated my life.

  I stripped out of my clothes and pulled on a sleep shirt. He probably thought I’d been intentionally spying on him. Was it my fault he decided to go skinny-dipping?

  I crawled into bed and pulled the covers to my chin. That spot wasn’t comfortable, so I flipped to my other side, facing the tent wall and away from the door. The man infuriated me. I had a feeling it was going to be a long day tomorrow. Lordy, how would I be able to look him in the eye? I snickered. I had to look him in the eye, because it would be even worse if I let my gaze drop.

  Okay, calm down, take a deep breath and exhale.

  Didn’t work.

  I flipped back over to my other side and reached into my backpack. Once I had my earbuds in, I tuned in to the sounds of nature that I had downloaded for times when I couldn’t sleep. I should’ve tried that first rather than going to the river.

  In only a few moments, I began to relax. All thoughts of Nash began to disappear. I released a deep sigh and drifted off into a dreamless state.

  * * *

  The next morning, I woke up feeling refreshed. The outdoors always had that effect on me. Any time I was overcome with stress, I would head out the door and go hiking, running, or just for a long walk. That always seemed to help. That and eating.

  This was different, of course. Ripples of excitement coursed through my body. Today we were going rafting. I’d always wanted to go, but for some reason, had never gotten the chance. My cousin had said we’d probably go, so I’d come prepared.

  I sat on the side of the bed, then it hit me.

  Last night.

  Nash naked.

  Me wanting to fuck him.

  Heat flooded my face. Sheesh! Maybe next time he would know better than to go in the river without any clothes on. That’s why they made bathing suits. I suddenly smiled. I was kind of glad he hadn’t worn one. Damn, he was hot.

  Not that I wanted him in my bed, or anywhere else for that matter. I would just act as if last night hadn’t happened, then fantasize about him later. I shook my head. That was so sick. I supposed it was better than the alternative—sleeping with him, then him getting into my head like Eric had.

  I dressed, then ran a brush through my hair. Rachel and I had gone down to the river and washed up last night before dark, so I would only do a cursory wash this morning. It was going to be nice having another female in the group.

  I pulled my hair into a ponytail, then slipped on lace up water shoes that I had brought just in case. I went ahead and put on my bathing suit, but pulled on my shorts over it and stepped out of the tent. The sun was just starting to come up over the horizon. The giant orb cast a brilliant stroke of reddish-orange across the sky. I drew in a deep breath, marveling at the beauty before me, and the crisp, clean air. There was a bit of a chill as well. I reached back inside the tent and grabbed a light jacket.

  Early morning birds chirped as they went about their business. A hawk circled above looking for prey. To my left, I heard a small animal scurry in the brush. Probably a rabbit, or a mouse making sure it was hidden well enough that the hawk wouldn’t see it.

  The flap on the next tent was pushed open and Rachel stepped out. “I love this time of morning,” she whispered.

  “It’s my favorite time of the day, too.”

  We made our way to the ladies room, which happened to be a stand of trees that offered us privacy.

  “Do you live in Colorado?” I asked.

  “Denver.” She smiled. “The mile high city. I grew up in Colorado.”

  “From what I’ve seen, it’s a beautiful state.”

  We continued making small talk, then made our way down to the river to do a quick wash up. The water was cold. I wondered what it was going to feel like when we were in the raft, and it was splashing up on us. Dumb thought. Wet and cold. But exhilarating and a hell of a lot of fun. I couldn’t wait.

  Don already had a fire going. Chris and Scotty were there, and I could hear others moving about.

  “Morning, ladies,” Chris said.

  We returned the greeting and made our way to the coffeepot.

  “I will definitely recommend the mattress you gave me,” Scotty said. “I don’t think I’ve had a better night’s sleep when I’ve been on the trail. Who says you can’t be comfortable in a tent?”

  “It does have a way of helping one sleep.” I had to admit, I slept pretty good myself. Of course, my dreams might’ve had something to do with it. I vaguely remembered a naked Nash taking me into his arms. His hands had caressed my body, his lips teasing. I suppose dream sex was better than no sex at all. A hell of a lot safer.

  As I took my coffee closer to the fire and made myself comfortable on the ground, more people joined us. We were laughing and talking about past hikes when Nash showed up, going straight to the coffeepot. After he fixed a cup, he turned back around and our gazes locked. He looked really rough. Maybe the mattress hadn’t been to his liking.

  “Was the mattress okay?” I asked him.

  “A lot better than a sleeping bag. Yeah, it was good,” he grumbled.

  He hadn’t sounded as if he liked it.

  “If it was defective in any way just let me know, and I’ll see what I can do.”

  His expression was dark when he looked at me. “It was the best mattress I’ve ever slept on. I’ll recommend it to other hikers. It was fantastic, in fact.”

  Something was going on with him, but I wasn’t sure what. I didn’t know him well enough to understand his moods. Furthermore, I didn’t want to know him that well. Apparently, he was just grumpy in the mornings. Or pissed off that I’d caught him skinny-dipping, which was his fault not mine.

  Now why did I have to think of Nash naked again?

  Chapter 6

  Nash

  How the hell could she look as if she’d slept like a baby all night? No, not a baby. She didn’t look at all like a baby.

  She damn sure didn’t have the kind of night I had, though. Yeah, the mattress was great. All soft and everything. Kind of like what falling into her would feel like, and that’s what I’d dreamed about. All...damned...night. Makenna’s naked body pressed against mine. Sinking deep inside her hot, little body...

  No, I didn’t sleep worth a damn.

  It didn’t help that everyone commented on how great they’d slept. They raved about her mattress and asked where they could order more of Makenna’s outfitting supplies. She promised to hook them up with all the information once we returned to civilization. I tried to tune them out. I didn’t have much luck. Her soft, sultry voice kept pulling my gaze to her.

  I didn’t start to feel human again until after I’d drank three cups of coffee, then I focused on getting my tent down and packing away my camping gear. Don and Ethan would be in one boat with supplies, while Jess and I would be in the other boat with the rest of the group.

  Al
l the backpacks were waterproof, so no one would have to worry about their things getting wet, and they would be strapped down, so they wouldn’t go over the side. When the tents came down, they were returned to waterproof bags, except for Makenna’s, of course. Hers went into the small package it came from, and then she would return it to her backpack. That had been a brilliant idea on her part. Quite frankly, I was jealous, and would probably order one as soon as I could.

  I couldn’t stop myself from glancing her way as she bundled everything. Each movement she made was deliberate, nothing wasted. I could immediately tell this wasn’t her first time outdoors. At least she knew what she was doing while tent camping.

  She’d been right about saying she’d come prepared. Before she took her tent down, she’d changed into a wetsuit. This might be her first time, but she’d done her research.

  I returned my attention to what I was doing and began helping Don and Ethan load the supply raft. We called it a raft, but it was actually an inflatable boat that could slice through the rapids and race around anything that might block our path.

  The guides would take the brunt of the work load, but the endurance level of the other rafters would be tested to the limits. I only hoped Makenna could handle it. We’d be hitting some class four rapids this afternoon, so everyone needed to be prepared.

  On a class four, the rapids were more powerful, and the direction could change without warning. This morning would be a class two, maybe some threes. That would tell me if she was going to make it through the stronger rapids.

  I’d been on some class fives before. They were extremely difficult and more violent. The rafter had to be prepared for anything to happen.

  And class six? Never again. That was a suicide mission. In a class six there were death traps, waterfalls, unexpected hazards. The rapids would twist and turn violent, like venomous snakes ready to strike, trying to claim another victim. Only an idiot would go there.

  Don and Ethan climbed into the first raft. The rest moved to the second one. I took the front, and Jess the back. I made sure Makenna was right behind me, and Chris next to her. He was a strong rafter. I put Rachel on the opposite side of Makenna and toward the back, even though she was damned good in the boat. She was still a female, and although strong, the men were stronger. I wasn’t discriminating, just making sure no one would get hurt. Everyone, including the other guides, were my responsibility when it came right down to it. I didn’t foresee any problems, but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be any. Mother Nature could be fickle.

  Before we got into the boat, I told everyone what they could expect so they would be a little more prepared. If they wanted to back out, now was the time. Of course, that last bit was for Makenna’s benefit. When I asked if they were ready, not one of them hesitated to let me know they were definitely ready, including Makenna.

  We pushed off with the paddles. The excitement running through everyone was almost palpable. I had to admit, I felt the same way. I grinned, remembering the time I’d taken my brother out. We had a hell of a lot of fun—even when he’d fallen over the side. Well, fallen wasn’t exactly the right word. More like flown.

  The rapids were rough that day. I’d say between a class four, maybe a five. A little more than I planned to take him on. We hit a violent dip, then rose almost straight up in the air. I was laughing from the adrenaline rush, until I turned around and Jaxson wasn’t behind me anymore.

  I still remembered my moment of panic, then I spotted him bobbing on the waves. It took me a couple of tries before I could get him pulled back into the raft. He hadn’t been amused when I laughed at him, but I knew he’d enjoyed himself.

  For a brief moment, I wondered how he and Katie were getting along. She’d certainly given him hell. I had to make sure to get them some chocolate and whipped cream for Christmas. I chuckled.

  When the water began to get a little rougher, I refocused my attention back to what I was doing. My own excitement began to build as we guided the raft around the larger boulders. We were in class two rapids, so a little bit more than an amusement park ride. Makenna laughed behind me. I could relate to what she was feeling. Don had actually taken me on my first rafting experience, and yes, I’d fallen over the side as well. He’d laughed just as hard as I’d laughed at my brother, but I’d been addicted to white water rafting ever since.

  There was more laughter behind me. I laughed as well from the pure enjoyment of doing something I loved. This was what life was all about. Living in the moment and enjoying every second. It didn’t get any better than this.

  The morning stretched to noon. I knew rafting would be more difficult this afternoon. I’d already talked with the other guides about when to take a break. Don and Ethan knew to turn into Horseshoe Bend. It was an easy place to disembark, eat some lunch, then hit the class threes and fours.

  As we were pulling the rafts up to the shore, I glanced at Makenna’s face. She practically glowed. Her gaze met mine, and she grinned from ear to ear. It was all I could do not to take her in my arms and kiss her senseless.

  “The next part is going to get a lot rougher,” I told her. “What you experienced this morning was child’s play. Don’t forget to hang on, because now it’s too late to turn back.” My words were gruff. Yeah, I was being an asshole, but pissing off Makenna was the only way I knew how to keep her at arm’s length.

  Chapter 7

  Makenna

  “What’s his problem?” Rachel asked as she came up to stand beside me. The others were already getting their backpacks out of the other boat, so we were the only two there.

  I shook my head. “I have no idea. It’s as if he has a personal grudge against me.”

  Rachel shook her head. “No, I think it’s more than that. I just can’t put my finger on it.” She shrugged. “I’ll figure it out eventually. I know he’s usually pretty easy going.”

  I studied her for a moment. “Maybe it’s because I’m a female.”

  “I don’t think so. He’s always been friendly toward me. Of course, that was before...” She closed her eyes for a moment. I could see the pain etched on her face. Then she opened her eyes and smiled, but it was a sad smile. “That was before Aaron’s accident. Maybe he thought my husband would take up the slack for me.”

  I reached out and lightly squeezed her arm. “I’m sorry about your loss.”

  “It has been hard. We did so much together. I’ll turn to look at him, to share something, and that’s when it really hits me. He was my best friend, even though we’d only been married for two years.” She took a deep breath. “It’s getting a little easier. The memories will always be there, and they were good ones.”

  “If you ever want to talk, I’m here. They say sometimes that helps.”

  “Thanks.” She suddenly brightened. “Enough about me. Let’s get lunch. I’m starved.”

  “We’ve definitely worked up an appetite.” We both laughed and grabbed our back packs before heading toward the campfire the guides had started. It wouldn’t be much. Whatever boil-in-bag, freeze-dried food we each had. Every hiker was responsible for their own food. Rachel and I added ours to the pot of boiling water.

  “You did pretty good out there,” Scotty said as I grabbed a small towel out of my backpack and removed the tieback from my hair.

  Scotty had the kind of smile that made you feel good on the inside. He was long and lean, and his light brown hair kept falling down into his face. I’d noticed that most of the time he wore a baseball cap. He was cute, but looked a lot younger than thirty. Not that I would tell him that.

  “I think I’m hooked on rafting,” I said. “I only wish I’d done it sooner.” I ran a comb through my hair, then tied it back as we continued to discuss this morning’s adventure. Chris and Scotty joined in on the conversation telling me about other rafting experiences they’d had, but while they were talking I felt as if someone was watching me. I looked toward the others who were working around the campfire and met Nash’s penetrating gaze. He did
n’t look away. I raised an eyebrow. What? Had I done something else he didn’t like?

  The others began to laugh. I quickly returned my attention back to them. I hadn’t heard the last of Chris’ story, so I only smiled. Sheesh, Nash was making me crazy. I forced myself to concentrate on the story Scotty was sharing, but my gaze kept drifting toward Nash.

  As I covertly watched him move around, I sensed something else. Something that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I scanned the area, but my eyes detected nothing out of the ordinary. I grimaced. Nash was making me imagine things.

  When everything was ready, we gathered around one area and began to eat. Freeze dried food had come a long way, and our stores stocked some of the best. Still, it wasn’t even close to eating in a fine restaurant.

  “What about you?” Jess asked me. “You done much hiking?”

  “Since I was old enough to walk,” I said. “My parents were very adventurous. We sailed the seas, climbed the highest mountains. My education was actually going to the pyramids of Egypt and the jungles of Africa. They were explorers, writing history.” Warmth spread over me, almost as if they were here with me. Sometimes I thought they were still guiding me.

  Scotty frowned. “What did you say your last name was?”

  “Lewis. Makenna Lewis.”

  His eyes grew round. “Your parents wouldn’t happen to be Ashton and Andrea Lewis.”

  I’m sure my expression showed my astonishment. “I’m surprised you’ve heard of them. They’ve been...gone for quite a few years.”

  Scotty jumped to his feet. “Wow! I can’t believe their daughter is here with us. It must have been fantastic having them as parents.” As if realizing something, his excitement drained, and his expression turned serious. “Hey, I’m sorry about what happened to them. A damn shame.”

  I looked down at my food. “Yes, it was.”

  “Mind filling the rest of us in?” Nash asked.

  Scotty quickly began to speak. “I had to write a paper on someone I admired, and I’d read a bunch of old articles about Ashton and Andrea Lewis. They’d even published journals on their travels. How they’d gone around the world with their daughter. Their adventures were exciting. They were the reason I became a park ranger. I wanted my own adventures. I continued to read everything I could about them, then one day I found a clipping from a newspaper that said they’d been killed when their boat exploded.”