*
What had started out as a carefree, sun-shiny morning between two people smitten with each other had turned into an afternoon of sheer effort and determination. The air was thick with humidity, the air pressure falling as they traversed the trails back to civilization. Tim had warned her they might experience a pop-up thunderstorm on their way back but didn’t want to rush her, insisting she take her sweet time.
The earlier hike in the intense heat had been strenuous, and Jessica was out of shape. Determined to make it to the top to impress Tim, she pushed herself hard in the extreme conditions, rewarded with the fantastic views and a sexy scene out of one of Elizabeth’s romance novels. That’s how it should have been. When Tim screamed her name in the heat of passion, she experienced tunnel vision before her world went black. It was one of the scariest moments of her life.
Stopping again for the umpteenth time so she could rest, they found relief in the clouds rolling in and the sudden dip in temperature, Tim urging her to drink more water.
“Seriously, you need to finish that bottle, Jessica. I told you before, you have the classic signs of heat exhaustion. You’ve got to get properly hydrated and cooled off. The rain will help.” The worried look on his masculine face was genuine, and she knew she had scared him.
“I’m gonna have to pee all night long.” She started to drink the water in big gulps, making him chuckle.
“Peeing is good. It flushes out the system.” Towering over her with his hands on his hips, he watched her chug, the rumble of thunder prevalent in the background.
Tim tilted his head back and looked up at the sky. The moisture in the air had strengthened, and the distinct smell of pine was prevalent. The low clouds looked like they were about to dump a monsoon on them any minute.
“Good girl.” Taking the empty bottle from her hand, he shoved it into the backpack. A crack of lightning made her squeal.
“Come on.” He gripped her hand tightly, pulling her forward with force. Suddenly, the heavens opened up, the deluge of rain catching them off guard.
Jessica knew that Mother Nature was a powerful beast—but so was Tim. He was calm and collected as the deafening downpour drenched everything in their path, including themselves. Booming thunder and lightning flashes kept coming in waves. When they came to a clearing, Tim threw the backpack aside and grabbed her by the hips, placing her in a small gully—the lowest point in the rolling terrain.
“Stay low!” he yelled over the angry sounds of nature. “And cover your ears with your hands!”
She nodded quickly, feeling the mud ooze around her bare legs as she knelt low. Tim sheltered her body with his own, and she could feel him breathing heavily as the storm intensified. Each time the lightning cracked, she jumped, and he embraced her tighter. Every nook and cranny of her body was saturated, the small gully pooling with water that trickled downhill. The temperature had dropped considerably, and the cool rain stung her exposed skin as it fell in hard sheets.
As quickly as the storm descended, it let up, the thunder rumbles dissipating and rolling through. The overcast sky immediately started to lighten up, and the birds started to chirp. Pulling back from Tim in the muddy puddle, she couldn’t help but smile. Splatters of earth dotted his face, and his hair was soaked against his scalp. He had been her protector in the storm, his enormous frame sheltering her like the wings of an eagle.
“That could have quickly become a serious emergency with all that lightning.”
His eyes were dark saucers staring back at her as she wiped the mud from his beard with her fingertips. They stood, and he helped her out of the ditch, her shoes soaked through.
“My house isn’t too far from here. I know it’s not ideal to hike in wet shoes, but we have no choice. Come on.” Grabbing the backpack and slinging it over his shoulder, he waited for her on the trail. Their lower extremities were covered in mud, and the heaviness of her wet shoes felt like weights. They didn’t say anything for several minutes before Jessica shattered the silence with a squeal of delight.
“Look, Tim! A rainbow!” She pointed toward the east where the refraction and reflection of sunlight through droplets of moisture in the air caused the striking phenomena. The colorful arch was intense with primary colors reaching opposite the sun. She was in awe of the spectrum of light, feeling as if this were a positive sign that things with Tim were headed in the right direction.
“God, I’ve never seen one this close! That’s so cool!” A boyish grin had taken over his former broodiness as he tilted his head back to stare at the colorful sky.
When they arrived back at his house, Tim motioned for her to sit on the back-porch stairs and pulled off her wet shoes and socks, tossing them to the side. She wiggled her feet, shocked to see mud between her toes. Tim dragged a garden hose out of a contraption on the side of the house, making Jessica scowl.
“What are you doing?”
Not saying a word, he grinned at her before stripping down to his birthday suit in front of her, making her jaw drop. Quickly, he turned the knob, and clean water poured out the end of the hose. He stood under the shower of water, his tall, muscular physique flexing and bending as he washed off the remnants of the trail. His tattoo shimmered under a sheet of water, the wings of the Phoenix appearing to flutter with each movement he made. His focus turned to her as he shook his glorious mane like a wild animal.
“Take off your clothes,” he instructed while licking his wet mouth.
Jessica sharply inhaled before she stood and did what he asked. Crossing her arms in front of her bare chest, she timidly approached him.
“I’m not gonna bite you,” he chuckled. “But you better be prepared. The water’s freezing.” He lifted the green hose above her head, the shocking temperature of the water making her tense.
“Tim!” She inhaled, her nipples hardening in an instant. He kept a steady grip on her arm as she flailed and shut her eyes tightly against the freezing torrent, his hearty laugh echoing in her ears. When he finished, the two of them faced each other, dripping from head to toe, all remnants of the trail washed away.
“I have a right mind to take you out in the open again,” Tim admitted, his voice rumbled with desire. He dragged his fingers down Jessica’s mouth. “But I’d be just as happy in my shower. Whadyasay? Do you feel okay? Would you be up for it?”
Smiling, Jessica nodded. “I’d be up for that.”
She followed him up the stairs of the porch where he stopped and opened the door, palming it to allow her to enter first. Her hip bone grazed the tip of his penis that was already in a hard salute as she passed, and a rush of warmth pooled in her belly. Elizabeth was right—Tim Ryan was an “over-the-top scrumptious specimen of a real man,” and she was about to have her way with him.
