by Thea Devine
After grabbing a couple of other basics, she started to straighten. Pain shot across her shoulders and both thighs cramped. Her entire body seemed to freeze. She tried to move…oh, but the pain…
“Um, Zach, I think I’m gonna need your help.”
5
ZACH LOOKED OVER AT Jordan, all hunched over, her face pale even with all the sun she’d gotten. Immediately he got to his feet and went to her. He knew what was happening and it was his fault. She’d done too much. Used too many muscles she didn’t normally use. She’d said she was fine, and he’d let her push herself.
“Give me your hand,” he said, and she did without objection. “Easy now. I won’t pull. Just get up slowly.”
“This is so embarrassing. Ouch.” She gripped his hand and raised herself a fraction. “Damn it. Ouch.”
“Take your time.”
“Not that I have a choice,” she said, grimacing as she got halfway to a standing position. “For the record…ouch!” She shot up the rest of the way.
“You okay?”
“I hurt.” She released his hand and blew out some air. “Though not half as much as my pride.”
“Never mind pride. I knew better than to let you go so hard. I’m sorry.”
She frowned, curiosity lighting her brown eyes. Color returned to her face. Up close he could see a light smattering of freckles across her nose. “Why did you?”
“I admire your drive. You’re competitive, which isn’t a bad thing if you channel it correctly, and I wanted to see how hard you were willing to push. I figured you’d know your physical limitations.”
A slow, knowing smile curved her lips. “Then it wouldn’t be your fault, would it?” She rolled a shoulder, winced and added, “Admit it, you wanted to humble me. Break me before we got started so I wouldn’t give you too much grief.”
“Not consciously.” He’d have to think about that one. “But I do know I don’t want you useless for the week. Speaking of which, if you want dinner, we have some more preparations. You have five minutes to get cleaned up or you’ll have to wait until after we eat.”
Her mouth opened, indignation flashing in her eyes, and then without a word, she took her towel and toiletries and went back to the river.
He berated himself again as he watched her move so tentatively. At least he knew there was something he could do to help. It might not be enough, if the sound of her gasp was any indication of her pain. In his own defense, she sure looked as if she were in good shape. He should have known better than to trust that.
Five minutes later, she came back to the campsite. She dropped her things, then joined him by the fire. “Okay, what do you want me to do?” She peered into the pot, wrinkling her nose and then pushing the hair away from her face as she turned to look at him.
“Sit here.” He indicated a small boulder he’d been using as a stool while he’d started their meal.
She hesitated. “Why?”
“Trust me.”
“If you say that one more time—”
He gently took her by the shoulders and sat her down. She groaned a little but she’d see that the effort would be worth it. He got the tube of muscle unguent from where he’d left it, then, positioning himself behind her, he pulled the neckline of her shirt down so that he could slip his greased palms along the base of her neck.
“Are you doing what I think you’re doing?” she asked, dropping her chin.
“Depends.”
“I see your point. Ahhh.” She tensed, and he eased off. “No, don’t. Keep going. No pain, no gain.”
He smiled at the goose bumps popping out on her smooth skin. He sure liked Jordan. No coyness. Plain speaking without being in your face. He liked the way she felt, too. Soft. Satiny soft. Probably from staying out of the sun, he thought wryly.
“What is that stuff? I can already feel the heat, and yet it doesn’t smell like a locker room.”
“Secret recipe, made by wood elves.”
She chuckled. “So, is this just part of the service?” she asked, sounding a bit breathless. “Do all your clients get this treatment?”
“Just the special ones.”
She laughed softly, her shoulders beginning to relax. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”
“Is this helping?”
“Oh, baby.”
Zach grinned. “We still have another ten miles by kayak tomorrow. I hope you’re not out of commission.”
“Jeez, go ahead and spoil it.”
“What?”
“I did not need to hear about your ulterior motive. Men.”
He wasn’t totally sure he got that. But he wasn’t going to ask. His gaze caught on an inch-long scar near her shoulder blade. He guessed from an old injury because it was faint. He worked his thumb along the blade as far as the shirt would allow. “What happened here?”
“Where?” Her head came up and she started to move away, but then relaxed. “Oh. That’s from when I was ten. A roller-skating accident. I came by my competitive streak early on.”
“A tomboy, huh?”
“Couldn’t let my brother one-up me.”
“How many of you are there?”
“Just the two of us. Mom and Dad are still together. Though I can’t figure that one out. My dad spends more time at the office or on the road than he does at home.” She angled her head to the right and he worked the cord up the left side of her neck.
He had to move a discreet half step back when she brought her head up again and rubbed his fly. “What about you? Spend much time at the office?”
“My boss said he’s going to start charging me rent.”
“Ah. Like father, like daughter.”
“I’m not married. It’s not the same.” Obviously a sore subject, judging by her tone. But then she relaxed again and leaned back too close.
“I’m afraid the session is over.” He ran his palm a final time over her right shoulder. “Or dinner will be mush.”
Her contented sigh sparked a highly erotic image that had him abruptly moving away from her. His entire body reacted as warmth started in his chest and spread through his belly and down to his groin. He couldn’t remember when he’d had such an adolescent reaction to a woman.
Not good. “I’ll be right back,” he said, and trotted down to the river and splashed his face with ice-cold water.
JORDAN SLID into her sleeping bag, found a comfortable position, and purposely turned away from Zach. He was only five tempting feet away, and with the fire going and the strong moonlight, she could see way too much of him. Which meant he could see her, as well. She wished now she’d put on that sports bra, but what the heck.
Their dinner of plumped-up dehydrated pasta and vegetables, accented with snippets of beef jerky wasn’t the worst thing she’d ever tasted, but it was pretty close. Fortunately, she was too tired to care. Zach apologized, claiming he’d overcooked the pasta. No wonder. He’d disappeared into the river for a good ten minutes after warning her dinner was going to be ready in five.
Her only objection was that he should have spent the time on her massage. No. No. No. She couldn’t go there. Couldn’t think about the feel of his hands on her skin. She had no idea how much good he’d done for the pain but the distraction worked. His touch had been the only thing that mattered. And how much she craved his further exploration.
It was only natural. Alone out here. Two normal, healthy adults. With the right chemistry. What would anyone expect? He wasn’t that good an actor. Any earlier doubt she had that he was interested was gone. In fact, that might’ve been the reason he’d disappeared into the river. The sudden thought cheered her immeasurably. The thing was, what to do about the attraction? Who would make the first move? Just her luck he had some weird idea that it would be unethical to get physically involved because she was a client.
She rolled back over so that she could see him. “Zach?”
“Yep.”
“Are you asleep?”
He chuckled, low and husky,
the sound slid over her like a caress.
“The moon is almost full.”
“Yep.”
“Pretty, huh?”
He murmured something unintelligible.
“Do you know what time it is?”
He shifted and brought his wristwatch up. “Nine-twenty.”
“Thanks.”
“You should be tired.”
“I am.”
“We’ll be getting up at dawn. Get some sleep,” he said, his tone gruff, and then he rolled over, giving her his back.
She smiled and closed her eyes. By this time tomorrow evening, he’d be putty in her hands.
JORDAN FINISHED washing their two breakfast dishes, which were nothing more than light tins, and the pot. This morning’s mush wasn’t much better than last night’s meal. She’d kill for a couple of strips of crispy bacon and a buttered bagel.
“The honeymoon is over.” Zach made sure the fire was put out, dousing the dormant ashes a second time. “From now on we catch or pick most of what we eat.”
She laughed, and glanced over at him. He looked yummy in his khaki cargo shorts and tight green T-shirt. Only problem was he also looked serious. “You’re joking, right?”
His right eyebrow went up, making him look a tad diabolical. “You think I’d carry six days worth of food?”
“Well, yeah. That dehydrated crap can’t weigh much.”
“Crap?” He turned away to scoop up his pack, but not before she saw him smile. “We’ll see what you think about it in a few days.”
“You can’t starve me. It’ll look really bad on the comment card.”
“You go hungry and it won’t be my fault. There’s plenty to eat out here. Ready?”
She struggled to pick up her pack. Her arms hurt. Her legs hurt, and so did her back. Pretty much everything hurt but her toes. “I suppose you mean, fish, which should be filleted and packaged before considered edible.”
“We’ll see if you feel the same way in a couple of days.” He made it to the kayak ahead of her and after stowing his pack under the waterproof tarp, turned to watch her gingerly pick her way over the rocks.
She swore her pack felt twice as heavy as yesterday and each jarring step chipped at her resolve. Of course she’d make it through. She wasn’t a quitter. And things had to get better. Her aches and pains would subside, and as far as meals, she could stand to lose a few pounds.
“You okay?” he asked as she approached him, stumbling the last step.
She unceremoniously dropped her pack into the kayak, not much caring where it landed.
Zach did, judging by his frown. “If you need help, just ask.”
“Right. Sorry,” she muttered. Yeah, over her dead body she’d beg for help. She’d signed up for this. She was seeing it through. However, she did let him arrange her pack next to his while she stretched her stiff muscles.
“Here.” He offered her a hand getting into the kayak, which she didn’t refuse.
She liked that his palm was slightly rough and memories of last night’s massage rushed back to infuse her with a pleasant warmth.
“Wait.” He squeezed her hand, and she stopped to look at him. His eyes reflected the water, diffusing the blue and adding some green. “Sunscreen.”
“I forgot.” Really stupid since she wore a tank top and yesterday’s shorts and her thighs and arms were still a little pink. Fortunately her skin was on the olive side and a burn didn’t last long.
After releasing her, he reached into one of the pockets of his cargo shorts, quickly producing a tube of heavy-duty sun blocker. “This is the strength of SPF you should be using.”
“I have one pretty close.”
“We’ll use this for now.” He uncapped the tube but instead of giving it to her, he squirted the white goop onto his palm. He rubbed his hands together and then took her right arm and worked in the sunscreen.
She could’ve done that herself, they both knew it. So she didn’t say a word, just raised her other arm when he was done with the right. The exposed portion of her legs required coverage, too, and she held her breath waiting to see what he would do.
He hesitated, their eyes meeting, and then a slow smile lifted his lips as he handed her the tube. “You better take care of the rest.”
“Chicken,” she whispered.
“You got that right,” he said, chuckling softly and motioning for her to get into the kayak. This time he didn’t offer her a hand.
6
ZACH WATCHED her climb in by herself and then, deliberately and slowly, roll up the hem of her Spandex running shorts to expose most of her thighs. After making sure she had his attention, she took her time rubbing in the lotion.
Abruptly he looked away, untied the kayak and pushed off before hopping in behind her.
After she finished applying the sunscreen to her neck and her face, she dangled the tube over her shoulder. “Thank you,” she said sweetly, and then slid on her vest.
“No problem.” He took it, deposited the tube back into his pocket and then used his paddle to push them farther away from shore.
She was going to be a royal pain in the ass. She knew he was interested, and fool that he was, he kept setting himself up. Letting her bait him. It didn’t matter that what had ultimately gotten to him wasn’t the sweet curve of her backside. Or the softness of her skin. Not even those killer legs.
Her spunk was what hooked him. He knew she hurt but she hadn’t whined once. At any time she could’ve asked for his help and of course he would have given it to her, but she pushed hard, refusing to ask for a pass. All that while maintaining a sense of humor. The woman was bad news. Damn it.
“So how far are we kayaking today?” she asked, keeping pace with him and doing her fair share of paddling.
“Should take us until lunch. Then we stash the kayak and hike the rest of the way.”
“Until we set up camp?”
“Yes, and then for the next three days.”
“What if someone steals our kayak? Then how would we get back?”
“No one’s going to steal our kayak.”
“What if there’s an emergency? What’s your contingency plan?”
He stared at the back of her head, at the ponytail sticking out of the baseball cap, amazed that her dark hair could still be so shiny. Her neck was long and slender and entirely too tempting. He had to stop looking, stop wanting. Last night had been a bitch. Had to be close to midnight before he’d finally gotten to sleep.
She glanced over her shoulder. “Did you hear me?”
“What?”
“We’re going to be on foot and all alone. I want to know what the plan is in case of an emergency.”
He smiled. “You’re used to being in charge, huh?”
Her shoulders straightened. “So?”
“I have a satellite telephone,” he said, and when she turned hopeful dark eyes on him, he added, “But only for an emergency.”
“Right. Of course. I get it. However—”
“No, Jordan.”
“You don’t know what I was going to say.”
“No?”
She shrugged a slim shoulder. “Fine.”
He smiled, and they paddled in silence for a few miles. The water was calm but he knew it wouldn’t be for long. He’d prepare her right before they got to the rapids, but he didn’t want to freak her out. This was still a beginners’ course that changed to class III rapids for a short stretch. Nothing she couldn’t handle, especially with him in the kayak. Still, the first time could be intimidating.
“What is it you do again?” he asked after a while.
“Advertising. With Boyd/McCallum. Ever heard of them?”
“Sure.”
“Really?”
“I’ve even heard of television.”
She let out a sound of exasperation. “It’s just that advertising is more a behind-the-scenes kind of company unless you’re in the business of using us.”
“You one of the bigwigs?”
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“Hardly.”
“Someone pulled a string or two to get you this last-minute reservation.”
“That was my boss.”
“Oh, right. The arm-twister.”
“To be fair, his insistence had more to do with me taking a vacation, and this was available. It’s company policy that every employee takes off a minimum of one week a year, two if you expect to get any raises.”
“Good for him.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“Your boss obviously knows what he’s doing. He’s built a multimillion-dollar company.”
She stopped paddling and turned to look at him. “You are familiar with Boyd.”
“Yep.” He smiled. “Better pay attention. About a mile ahead it’s going to get rougher.”
She abruptly turned back. “How much rougher?”
“Keep your eyes open and a firm grip on the paddle, and you’ll be fine.”
“Okay, you’re making me nervous.”
“I have complete confidence in you. Now reach inside the kayak and put that helmet on.”
“Oh, crap,” she said as she pulled out the bright-yellow helmet. She stuffed her baseball cap inside her vest, then put the helmet on. “Seriously, is this going to get hairy?”
He put his on, as well. “Just for a few minutes.”
Her shoulders tensed, and he wished he’d kept his mouth shut until the last minute.
“Jordan?”
“What?”
“You’re going to be okay.”
“Right.”
He shook his head. Nothing else to say. The next few minutes had to play out. She’d do great. In fact, she’d probably get a rush. He still did. Every time.
She remained tense, her shoulders and back rigid, and as sorry as he was to see it, there was nothing he could do. He waited until they got to the landmark mountain hemlock that grew crooked at the bend in the river, signaling the onset of the rapids.