Natasha frowned. “Were you out for a walk or something and just got tired?”
“I guess… I guess so.” Kieran ran his fingers through his hair, dislodging a few of the leaves that were stuck in it. “I was… out for a walk, and I guess I just got tired, and thought that looked like a good place to have a little lie down. I didn’t really mean to sleep for a long time, but I guess I was more tired than I thought.”
Natasha could feel her frown deepening, but… sheguessedthat made sense? It wouldn’t be the first time someone had thought they’d just take a little break and rest their eyes, only to find themselves blinking awake several hours later.
And, she was forced to remind herself, she wasn’t exactly in any position to be throwing stones when it came to falling asleep in inappropriate places.
Maybe he has a stressful job too, and being out in nature was just so relaxing he just… nodded off watching the wind in the trees?
That was a theory she thought she could live with. Itwaspretty peaceful out here, after all.
“Ah, this is really embarrassing,” Kieran muttered as he looked down at himself. “I really wasn’t expecting anyone to be using this trail. It seemed pretty quiet.”
“Oh… I just came down here as a spur of the moment thing,” Natasha said. “The park ranger – Kira, if you happened to speak to her, she’s an old acquaintance of mine from my school days – said these trails are all new, after she was able to get some help to explore some of the parkland that hadn’t been properly mapped yet.”
“Oh, I see,” Kieran said, as he brushed the last of the leaves from his hair – somewhere within herself, Natasha had to admit she was kind of sad to see them go. “I’m afraid I didn’t get to talk to the ranger. I just sort of… found my way here, I guess. My great uncle’s house is on some land a little way up the mountain. It must border the parklands.”
Well, I guess that explains everything, then,Natasha told herself.He was out for a walk, stopped for a rest, and accidentally fell asleep.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Kieran said after a moment, before he stepped out of the cave. He still lookedveryembarrassed. “I guess it must have been a bit weird to see someone just lying around in the middle of the forest.”
“Just a bit,” Natasha admitted. “But… well, let’s just say compared to my first thought, I’m happy you were just sleeping!”
Kieran looked at her, a stricken expression crossing his face. “You thought I was dead?”
“Only for a moment!” Natasha felt that weird, hysterical laugh bubbling up inside her again. And besides that, a sudden burst of warmth in her belly – even covered in dirt and moments after having woken up from a little nap in the middle of the forest, Kieran was, if anything, evenhotterthan she remembered him being. Maybe the sleeping-on-the-forest-floor look suited him.
Or maybe it’s the just-woken-up look… it’s something I wouldn’t mind seeing again…
Unbidden, the image of Kieran blinking awake, his kind of goofy, kind of charming grin spreading across his face as he became fully conscious, rose in her mind – butthistime she wasn’t picturing him in a cave in a forest, but rather, on the bed of the B&B she was staying in –
Natasha squashed the thought as quickly as it came. True, she’d been thinking a holiday fling might be nice, but if she didn’t stop this fantasy right now she couldn’t say her imagination wouldn’t get completely away from her, and right now, she actually had to have a conversation with the guy without turning into a stammering, blushing mess.
“A moment when you think you’ve found a scene out ofCSI: Middle of the Forestis still probably a moment too long,” Kieran said, shaking his head. “I’m sorry I startled you. I really don’t usually just fall asleep in random places. But I guess I’ve just… had a lot on my mind recently.”
“Oh,” Natasha said, as more and more of the puzzle began to fall into place. “Is it work stress?”
“Not quite.” Kieran grimaced. “I suppose it’s more… personal. But definitely being out here will help. Well, I hope, anyway.”
Well, that certainly sounds very mysterious,Natasha thought, blinking.But it’s not exactly like I can just start quizzing him on his personal issues. We only just met. And anyway, I don’t want to know about my prospective casual fling’s personal problems! I’m just trying to have fun here!
“I was just heading back to my B&B,” she blurted out. “And then I was going to grab some lunch. I know we agreed to meet up tomorrow, but… maybe you’d like to get something to eat with me now?”
No point in beating around the bush, after all!
For a moment, Kieran looked overjoyed, as if all his Christmases had come at once. Natasha had to admit it was kind of flattering – she’d never seen a man’s face light up like that at the prospect of spending time with her. But then, Kieran’s face fell, and he glanced down at his dirty, muddy clothes.
“I really would love that, but I’m not really fit to be seen at the moment,” he said regretfully. “And… well, I think there’s some stuff I need to do back at the house. It was pretty late when I got there, and I really need to, uh, to check things out by the light of day, I think.” He heaved out a sigh, before glancing at her. “But I could walk with you some of the way along the trail?”
He looked so hopeful that Natasha had to admit she was touched – and more than a little guilty. He seemed to really like her. Was it right for her to just be thinking of him as a bit of fun while she was on vacation?
“Oh, sure, if you have the time,” she said, trying to sound cool – perhaps if she played up the ice princess act a little it might help him to get the picture a little more. “But don’t worry about it if you need to get back home. I don’t want to be any trouble.”
“Oh, it’s no trouble at all,” Kieran said, his smile returning eagerly. “It’s my pleasure. I’d love to walk with you.”
Well, so much for cooling him off a bit,Natasha thought, as together they walked back to the trail, her sock squelching all the way.But… do I reallywanthim to cool off?
She almost shook her head at herself. Of course she did! She couldn’t play with the guy’s feelings like that! She had to find a way to let him know the score.
