We take a turn on the trail, following it down to the falls that sit on the property. The closer I get, the louder the sound of water becomes until it’s a roar that echoes back to me off the side of the mountain. I come to a stop at the sandy banks, but it isn’t the clear waters, the cascading falls or the way the mountains reflect off thesurface that has me pausing. It’s the woman swimming in the middle of the plunge pool.
That water must be fucking freezing. The sun may be shining, but it’s nowhere near warm enough for wild swimming, let alone in water that is fed from the icy streams that run down the mountainside.
She’s on her back, floating, like she isn’t trespassing on private property, not a single care in the world. I can’t see her face with her being so far out, just the vibrant pink bikini she’s wearing.
Lifting my hand to my mouth, I place my thumb and middle finger between my lips and whistle, the shrill noise cutting through the trees around me. Birds stir and take flight from their perches, rustling the leaves as they flee.
I watch in amusement as the woman startles and goes under, splashing as she tries to right herself and come to the surface.
While she is still too far out to take in her features, I can feel the glare she’s pointing my way.
“This is private land,” I yell to her knowing my voice will carry. For a few long seconds she treads water, staring at me, but then she turns and starts swimming to the shore. Following the direction she is heading, I notice her clothes folded on a tree stump and start heading that way. Pippin walks in the shallow water at the edges of the plunge pool, and by the time I reach the spot, the woman is just about able to stand in the water.
“You’re trespassing,” I tell her.
She flicks her blue eyes to me, glaring from beneath her thick black lashes. Her dark hair drips water downher body, rolling droplets over firm and tanned skin. They follow the curves of her shape, over the mounds of her breasts and down her toned thighs. There are goose bumps all over her, and try as I might, it’s hard not to notice the way her nipples push against the thin material of her bikini top.
There’s no way to deny it, the woman is stunning, with those eyes that almost match the color of the water she just walked out of and plump red lips. Her gently sloped nose and cheeks are dusted with freckles, a silver hoop glinting in one nostril. There’s something familiar about her, something I can’t quite place, but I’ve seen her before somewhere.
“You done looking?” She calls me out before she reaches down and snatches her towel from the pile, wrapping it around herself.
I lift my eyes and meet hers. “You’re trespassing.” I repeat.
“Heard you the first time.” Grabbing all her things, she bundles them into her arms and storms off into the woods, following the one trail that leads out to the main road. It’s fenced, which means she would have had to hop over it to get in here.
“You do this a lot,” I accuse, following behind her retreating form. I’ve never noticed her on the property before, but it’s been a busy few months, hell, a busy fewyears, and I don’t come out here as often as I’d like to anymore.
In answer, she flips me her finger from over her shoulder.
My brows lift, and a chuckle leaves me. It’s not often I find someone so standoffish toward me. People tend to bend over backwards in our presence; most of thetime they wonder what they can get out of me. It’s why when I need an itch scratching, I go places people don’t know me. There’s less risk of being recognized, and fewer chances of women wanting more.
“I don’t take kindly to strangers on my property.”
“Call the sheriff,” She calls over her shoulder.
I’m not going to do that, but I do continue to follow her, wanting to know exactly where it is she is coming through.
“Are you going to follow me the entire way?” She comes to a stop and spins on me, eyes sparking. Pippin lowers her face to the woman, and despite the heat pointed in my direction, her hand is soft as she lifts it to stroke the horse.
“Just want to see where you’re coming in and out.” My eyes lick down her again. “What’s your name?”
She scrunches up her nose, “None of your business.”
“You know there are predators out here,” I tell her. “You probably shouldn’t be wandering these parts alone.”
“Save the speech.” She spins back around and resumes walking, and I really have to wonder what I did to piss her off so badly. I don’t even know the woman, and yet she’s acting like I kicked her puppy. It would be refreshing if I weren’t so confused.
“Do I know you?” I ask her.
She shakes her head and continues on, pretending I don’t exist at all.
We make it to the fence, and I can see her truck parked at the side of the road. She doesn’t look back asshe throws her things over it and then climbs it with ease, hopping down on the other side. Once she’s placed her bag and clothes into the bed of the truck, she climbs in behind the wheel, still soaking wet, and starts the engine. The damn thing rattles once she gets it going, a large black plume of smoke spitting out from the exhaust.
I watch in somewhat fascination as she hits the gas and peels away, kicking up gravel and dirt as she goes. Pippin startles with it, backing up from the fence, but I can’t help but watch as the truck moves out of view, a frown tugging down my brows.
Shaking my head, I turn back as the dust settles.
Well, at least she provided a momentary distraction from that clause, but I’ve got to face it and fix it before I lose everything I have left.
