by Jill Shalvis
LILY DIDN’T SLEEP as hard as she’d have liked. First, she kept jerking awake to check on the campfire.
But she’d put it out completely, and she had nothing to worry about.
Other things though…other things kept bouncing through her head.
Jared.
Cancer.
He hadn’t come right out and said it, but she knew, and it’d been bad. So bad he’d seemed just a little surprised to still be around, and if that didn’t grab her by the throat and hold on tight…
But he’d made it, and she was fiercely glad and proud and overwhelmed with a newfound sense of wonder. It was far too easy to forget how fragile life could be, how short, how absolutely, stunningly beautiful.
She for one wouldn’t waste the reminder, and the next morning, with thoughts of Jared, of life in general, still on her mind, she got up early.
Up at this altitude, dawn came as a rose strip where the streaked sky met the spiky black ridges. The breathtaking view wouldn’t last more than a moment, but she’d lived her life by the moment, without too much thought to the past or future. She certainly didn’t have a list in her pocket of things she wanted to experience. The thought of a predetermined plan like that had always seemed completely beyond her.
But Jared had a list, and this trip was on it. That meant she was going to make sure that these four days would never be forgotten.
A little heat filled her cheeks at that, because hadn’t she already maybe done that?
Oh, yes, she had.
She went to the water and took a quick bath. Then she busied her hands, and her mouth, with breakfast. As always, the scents of coffee and bacon cooking over an open fire drew everyone out of their tents, and she put a smile on her face, determined to make today a great one, spiders or skinny-dipping, or whatever came her way.
Jared showed up first, his short hair sticking straight up in classic bed head that should have looked ridiculous but somehow seemed sexily rumpled instead. In direct contrast, his sweatshirt and jeans were clean and neat, not a wrinkle anywhere to indicate that they’d been in a backpack overnight. He seemed rested and warm and just a little bit groggy, which she found even more sexy, and her brain disconnected from logic again as a small part of her wished it was just the two of them, that she could have crawled into his sleeping bag to see his eyes open on her.
Those eyes landed right on her anyway, dark and sleepy-lidded, and she wondered what he was thinking.
He didn’t look away, didn’t shutter his gaze, just let her see the truth—that what he was thinking about was being with her, preferably naked and writhing and sweaty, and, oh God, she had to take a deep breath and look away.
He went to the water, passing Rock, who appeared in his black gear, looking freshly clean, hair still wet. He had a hopeful expression as circled the frying pan filled with sizzling bacon. “You, Lily Peterson, are a goddess.”
“Thank you,” she said. “Although you should probably wait until after today’s hike to see if you still feel that way. And careful,” she warned as he poured himself coffee, “it’s hot.”
“Tough hike today, then?”
“Nothing you can’t handle,” she promised. “We’re going to take a trail that bisects Rainbow Ridge. There’s a handful of lakes only a blink away from the top. Good thing, too, ’cause we’ll be wanting a swim by then. Careful,” she said again as he lifted the mug to his lips. “It’s—”
He hissed out a breath when he burned his tongue.
And Lily just sighed.
Rose actually poked her head out next. “Gimme,” she said, honing in on the coffeepot with an eagle eye. “Gimme quick, before I remember I have no makeup on, or that there’s no hair straightener in sight.”
Rock rushed to give her his mug, waiting until she’d had a big gulp before he smiled at her. “You don’t need makeup, Rose. Or a hair straightener.”
She looked at him as she continued to sip the steaming brew. “No?”
“No way.”
She looked at him some more. “Do lines like that usually work for you?”
“Lines?”
“Uh-huh.” Rose took another long sip of the caffeinated brew. “Where did you learn to sweet-talk a woman like that anyway?”
Rock blushed. “I’m not—I don’t know.”
Rose laughed and handed him back the mug as she climbed out of her tent, wearing low-slung shorts and another halter top. “God, how is it you’re still so sweet?” She rumpled his hair. “Hasn’t any woman ever screwed you over?”
“No ma’am.” He tried to pretend he wasn’t staring at her body. “At least, I don’t think so.”
On the far side of the fire, Jack backed out of his tent. Michelle followed. She looked a little worse for wear, but Jack poured her some coffee.
She looked down at the steaming brew. “No cappuccino right?”
Jack’s mouth tightened. “Michelle—”
She laughed, the first time Lily had even heard that sound from her. “Just kidding, Jack. Jeez, lighten up.”
Jack stared at Michelle until she ran a self-conscious hand over her own tousled hair. “What? Is my hair crazy? I told you—”
“No, it’s just that you look so pretty when you smile.”
And Michelle’s smile brightened. “Really? Thanks.”
Lily moved in to feed everyone. “Eat up,” she said, enjoying that, for the moment at least, everyone seemed relaxed and happy. “We’ve got a hike to get to.”
THE DAY’S six-mile hike was tough but went smoothly, and at the end of it, everyone dropped their packs and changed into their bathing suits behind the trees. Michelle, still in her yellow raingear, dragged Jack with her to “protect” her from spiders.
Lily thought she’d do better to worry about sunburn with that tiny bikini she came back in, but then Rose came out in an even smaller itty-bitty set of black strings and blinded the men.
Jared came out from behind his tree in nothing but a dark-blue pair of swim trunks that started well below his abs and fell to his knees, the CEO within him nowhere to be found—not in the two-day growth on his jaw or his finger-combed hair, and without a single piece of digital equipment on him.
He handed something to Rose and Michelle, who thanked him profusely, and then in the next moment, music filled the air.
Okay, almost no digital equipment on him.
“iPod,” he said as he sat next to her. “They’ve been begging me.”
“Uh-huh.”
Unperturbed, Jared sighed in bliss and leaned back on his elbows. “My mom and sisters would never have wanted to hike for two days to get here, but they’d sure love this view. We did a lot of sitting at the beach in my youth.”
“Sounds nice.”
“Oh, sure. My sisters would bury me in the sand and force-feed me seaweed. Nice.”
She laughed. “My mom didn’t like to travel.”
“But you do.”
“Yeah, well, it’s hereditary.” She rolled her eyes, a little uncomfortable with the revelation. “Got it from my father.” As she had a lot of things, apparently.
“He’s a guide, too?”
“Nope. A travel writer.” All Lily’s life she’d been told she was just like him, and all her life that had brought her a mixture of great pride and also a healthy dose of uneasiness.
“He must be proud of you.”
“I wouldn’t know. He only managed to stay with us until I was one. I understand that was a record for him.”
“He just up and left you both?”
He sounded horrified, and after the way he’d grown up, surrounded by family and swaddled in affection, she could understand why, and felt a little pathetic. “He went to Italy,” she said lightly. “Then France. I think he’s in Germany now.”
“Did your mom ever remarry?”
She closed her eyes and leaned back too, more comfortable when she couldn’t watch him watch her. “Hard to, since she’s still married to my dad. He coaxes her to him just
often enough to keep her in love with him.”
He was quiet a moment. “So was it just you and your mom?”
“Oh, no. She runs an inn in Santa Monica, so there were new people in and out of our lives all the time.”
“My house felt like an inn with four sisters and all their friends coming and going,” he said. “But really, it was always the same people all the time.”
She opened her eyes. The others were sunning, swimming, having a good time. Enjoying themselves. And despite the fact she was talking about herself—never easy—so was she, she realized. Enjoying herself. “We’re different, you know. As in night-and-day different.”
Jared let out a slow grin. “I have to admit, some of those differences I’m grateful for.”
She arched a brow at the teasing note in his voice. “Isn’t it time for you to go swimming?”
“As a matter of fact, it is.” Standing, he tossed his glasses to the grass and leapt into the water with an ease that told her he hadn’t been all work and no play, no matter what he’d said about himself.
And she had to admit that while he looked extremely fine in his extremely fine hiking gear, he looked even finer in far less.
She had no idea what it was about him, but the tougher the going got, the more alpha he became. And the more attractive.
And sexier…
Oh, boy. She was in deep trouble here.
Rose and Michelle stretched out on the shore and slathered each other in suntan lotion. As they watched the two women do each other’s backs, Rock’s and Jack’s tongues hung out as if they were watching a porno flick.
Jared appeared at Lily’s side, dripping wet, of course, and, hunkering down, smiled into her face. “Hey.”
“Hey back.”
“Sun feels good, huh?”
It did, but that wasn’t what went through her mind as she looked up at him. She’d managed to stay ahead of him most of the hike today, because she’d needed time to process.
But all she’d processed was this…she wanted another yummy kiss.
“Why don’t you go in for a swim?” he asked.
“I’m not quite ready—Hey!” was all she had time to squeak when he simply bent and hoisted her up in his arms, his wet arms, arms that were far stronger than she’d given him credit for.
From above, on the rocks, Michelle and Rose laughed. Jack and Rock yelled for Jared to dunk her.
“Jared, don’t be silly,” Lily said quickly. “Put me down.”
An evil grin flashed across his features. “Well, all right, if you say so.”
And the next thing she knew, she was flying into the air, then landing with a splash into the lake.
The water closed around her.
Going to kill him, she thought, breaking the surface, just as another huge splash had her treading water and closing her eyes to the wild cheers on the shore.
Jared surfaced next to her. He shook his head like a shaggy dog and grinned at her. “Well, hello.”
“I suppose you think you’re funny.”
“You screamed like a girl.”
“Did not.”
“Oh, yeah, you did,” Jack yelled helpfully from the shore.
Rock, grinning, nodded.
“Our fearless leader,” Jared laughed, and snagged her close. “Squealing for her life.”
“I did not squeal.”
“Want to bet?” His eyes turned daring. “Anything. You name it.”
She wouldn’t take that bet. She never took sucker bets.
The water was cool, but Jared’s body against hers brought a warmth that couldn’t entirely be attributed to sheer physics.
He grinned, waiting her out.
Oh boy. There was chemistry involved here, plenty, and for a long moment she let her body bump up against his, belly to belly, thigh to thigh…and everything in between.
Either he was carrying something in his pocket, or he’d gotten hard. And even as she thought it, his grin slowly faded, his eyes heated. Flamed.
An answering shiver came from deep inside her. It’d been so long since she’d experienced the feeling, it took a moment to recognize.
Sheer, sensual, earthy, sexual anticipation.
His hands went to her hips as he treaded water, keeping them both afloat with an ease that startled her. Where was her beta-electronic-city-boy geek? She needed him to make an appearance, damn it, so that she could come to her senses.
But he was nowhere to be found. In his place was a confident, strong, easygoing alpha male whom she was finding harder and harder to resist. And speaking of hard…she nudged up against him for the sheer pleasure of feeling him again. Oh boy. “Who are you?” she whispered.
“Just a guy, Lily. A guy who’s looking at you. Seeing you.”
“Jared.”
“Wanting you.”
“Please,” she whispered.
“Too much, too soon?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm. Well, that I can fix.” With a flashing grin that should have been her warning, he let go of her, put a hand on her head, and dunked her.
Okay, that was it, she thought, sputtering as he just cracked up. He was dead.
And thus began the wildest, most fun water fight she’d ever had.
By the time it was over, they were all in the water—well, except for Michelle, who’d remained sunning on her rock—all of them having the time of their lives.
Mission accomplished, Lily thought with a pleased weariness.
And finally they dragged themselves out of the lake and onto the shore, lying there gasping for breath, happily exhausted as two monarch butterflies fluttered through the air over them, alighting on the rocks, fanning their bright orange wings.
“Ah,” Rose said. “This is the life.”
Jared smiled at Lily, his eyes agreeing.
Lily herself had to admit, it was nice, very nice.
And then, far above, a head appeared over the ridge, and an arm waved.
Lily sat up. Their first drop of supplies had arrived, which had been expected.
What hadn’t been expected…it was Keith handling the delivery.
9
“YOU’RE LOOKING good.”
Lily looked up. Keith stood a few feet away. He’d helped her cook dinner—stir fry—charming the guests in his easy way, snubbing her idea of regular chocolate chip cookies for dessert, instead brandishing what he’d brought them…black forest mousse.
Everyone had dived right on that, and he’d sent Lily a knowing smile. He loved making his people happy, and he did consider the group his.
Including, she had the feeling, herself. He made sure to touch her, a lot. He followed her to the water when she went to clean the dishes, then took over the task himself, squatting his leanly muscled frame down, scrubbing a pan with ease.
Watching him, it all came back to her. Being eighteen and inexperienced, knowing only that she’d never been given a chance to please her father, and wanting desperately to please her first employer.
Keith had loved that need in her.
She’d come here lost, looking for herself, wondering if she could go back to that woman she’d been, and possibly pick up where they’d left off.
But she was coming to realize how much she’d changed. She was no longer a young, needy girl but her own woman, a woman who rarely, if ever, let anyone else run her world.
She knew now that it couldn’t work between her and Keith. What she felt for him was firmly rooted in her past, and much as she’d thought she’d wanted to, she couldn’t go back.
From where he hunkered at the water’s edge, he smiled up at her, that same smile that had once been her entire world. “Your back okay? You need me to stick around?”
“No. I’m…fine.”
His smile remained but she felt his disappointment. He finished the pan and stood close. His sun-kissed hair was slightly disheveled, which only added to the fact that he was gorgeous. Once upon a time she’d spent hours just looking at him. Days.
Months.
“Seriously,” he said softly. “You’re looking good.”
She knew damn well her hair was a wreck, her jeans were dirty, and that, overall, especially when compared to him, she looked like something the cat had dragged in.
She also knew he genuinely didn’t care about any of that. “Thanks.” She took the pans from him. Unlike at last night’s camp, she was in plain sight of the tents and campfire, where the rest of the campers lounged and relaxed. Or where Rose was lounging and relaxing. Rock was doing pull-ups on a tree branch and trying not to take peeks at Rose. Michelle was giving herself a pedicure, sitting on her yellow rainjacket to keep herself off the ground and presumably spider-free. Jack and Jared had gone into the woods to get some fuel for the fire.
Jared. He hadn’t said one word about Keith appearing with the supplies. She wondered if he thought she’d invited him here.
Not that it mattered what he thought.
“Being out here really agrees with you,” Keith said, bringing her attention back to him as he moved close. Smiling into her face, he ran a finger over her cheekbone. “Getting some color back on you.”
Used to be, his touch had melted her. Now she just wanted him to go because she hated the confusing mix of past and present. “Can I ask you something, Keith?”
“Sure.”
“Do you ever think about us?”
“A lot, since you’ve called.” He took the pans back from her. “I was thinking you had some ideas about starting up with me again.”
“I did,” she admitted softly. “But now I’m thinking that was stupid.”
“Still say whatever comes into your head, I see.” He didn’t seem insulted, but amused. “I thought maybe you’d outgrow that.”
“Apparently not.”
“Actually, it’s refreshing. There’s no subterfuge with you, Lil. No guessing. It’s all out there in the open for anyone to see.” He laughed softly. “I wasn’t mature enough to appreciate that the first time around. I hope to rectify that.”
She looked into his eyes. Back then, she’d loved looking into his dark, unwavering eyes, loved guessing at his thoughts. She’d always had to guess, since he hadn’t ever been good at revealing himself. “How?”