“Maybe you should drop me off where I’m staying,” I said as we neared the turnoff for The Huckleberry Hideaway.
“Why? There’s no outdoor water spigot. You want the whole place to smell like you do?”
That was a valid point, but I could figure something out. “No. I just don’t want to impose.”
“It’s fine.” The words coming out of his mouth didn’t match his body language. His hands clenched the steering wheel, and I could have cut glass against the hard set of his jaw.
“Are you sure?”
“Do you need a hand-delivered personal invitation?”
Before I could decide whether he was joking or not, we passed the turn off to the cabin. For better or worse, we were stuck with each other for now. My stomach tightened, and I tried to tamp down my anxiety. As Thatcher pulled into a narrow drive, a big dog ambled toward the truck. Tail wagging, tongue lolling out of its mouth, it looked friendly enough.
“That’s Bear. He won’t hurt you.”
The name fit since the dog was the size of a small grizzly. As I climbed down from the truck, Bear backed away. “Wow. Not even your dog wants to be around us.”
“Can you blame him?” Thatcher stepped onto the small front porch. “I’m going to grab a couple of towels. The creek’s just down the trail over there.”
He pointed at a narrow path leading through the trees.
“I can wait for you.”
“Figured you might want to get undressed in private.”
My cheeks immediately heated. “Oh. I guess I’ll meet you over there then.”
Clutching the blanket around me, I left Thatcher on the porch and headed toward the path. Bear followed a safe distance behind. Thatcher’s place looked exactly like I’d imagined, like he’d cut down the trees and built his cabin with his bare hands. He probably had.
Bear must have gotten tired of going so slow. He ran ahead, leading the way to the creek. As I passed through the last of the trees, the view stopped me in my tracks. Snowcapped mountains towered above, a stunning backdrop to the crystal-clear water of the creek cutting through the woods.
I took in a long, deep breath and instantly regretted it. My nose filled with skunk smell, and I coughed. The sooner I scrubbed it away, the better.
Thatcher had called it a creek, but it looked more like a narrow river to me. Water flowed between the banks slowly and steady, so clear I could see the rocks lining the bottom. I tossed the blanket from my shoulders and kicked off my boots. Bear didn’t waste any time. He plunged straight into the water, splashing icy cold droplets all over me.
“He loves the water,” Thatcher said as he came up behind me.
“It’s freezing. Are you really going to get in there?” I shivered just thinking about stepping into the creek. There had to be another way… a warm way to scrub skunk smell off of me.
“It’s good for you. Mother Nature’s original cold plunge.” He tossed two towels over a low tree branch then pulled his shirt over his head.
My stomach plummeted to my feet. The man had the kind of abs I’d only seen in magazines. There didn’t seem to be an extra ounce of fat anywhere. In awe, I wrapped my arms around my middle, totally self-conscious of the extra weight I carried.
He didn’t stop there. As he turned around to face the creek, he undid the button of his jeans then slid them all the way down his legs. If he was wearing underwear, those went with his pants. I couldn’t look away. My eyes were glued to his amazing glutes. I’d never seen such human perfection in the flesh.
Then, calmly and casually like we were just taking a regular afternoon dip, he stepped into the water and walked toward the middle of the creek.
I tried to swallow but my mouth had gone bone dry.
“Hey, will you toss me a washcloth and Nellie’s scrub?” Thatcher headed back toward the bank.
Before he stepped out of the waist deep water and scrambled my brain, I grabbed what he needed. “I’ve got it.”
He easily caught the items I tossed, even though my throw wasn’t exactly spot on. It was hard to aim when all I could think about was how much I’d seen of him. And even worse, how hot and bothered it had made me feel.
“Thanks. You coming in?”
“Um… I don’t know.” There were too many factors working against me. Like the water was so cold I might freeze to death. Or more importantly, I didn’t want a man with the body of a Greek god to see my cellulite-covered thighs.
