"Not for the faint of heart. The view, however—" I flip the camera to show the stunning valley below, the golden sunlight casting warm shadows over rolling hills. Picture perfect.
And then—Brooks.
Shirtless.
Directly in the frame.
He steps into view like this is his personal stage, stretching lazily, the muscles in his back flexing as he tilts his face toward the sky.
"Oh, come on," I groan, yanking the camera back toward me.
Brooks smirks, dropping his gaze to mine. "Influencing in the wilderness? Not for the faint of heart."
I grit my teeth. Of course, he heard that.
"Stalker."
Brooks smirks. "Takes one to know one."
I roll my eyes. "What do you want? Don’t you think we’ve spent enough time together today?"
He gestures broadly to the trail. "This ismyhiking path. The better question is: why are you on it?"
"I have things to… do."
His smirk deepens, like he knows I’m full of it. He turns away, planting his hands on his hips as he stares out at the view, the late afternoon sun catching the ridges of his obnoxiously sculpted shoulders.
I refuse to look.Refuse.
"Can you… move?" I grit out, shifting my attention anywhere else. "You’re in my shot."
He glances back over his shoulder, that cocky gleam in his eyes. "I am the shot."
God help me.
I don’t have time for this, so instead of fighting him, I flip my camera and hit record. Fine. If he wants to be in my shot, let’s make it entertaining.
I frame him in the background, stretching like he’s posing for some kind of wilderness-themed thirst trap.
"And here we have," I narrate, "a rare sighting of a chiseled man-child who still shares a bedroom with his childhood best friend."
Brooks whips around, scandalized. "Hey!"
I barely hold in a laugh. "It’s true."
His eyes narrow, but there’s a flicker of amusement behind the glare. "I do not share a room with Jasper."
"Oh, right, you just linger like a stray cat. Totally different."
Brooks crosses his arms over his stupidly broad chest. "Keep running your mouth, Ellie. See what happens."
"Oh no, will you flex threateningly at me?" I feign concern. "Maybe do some push-ups to assert dominance?"
His lips twitch, like he’s trying not to laugh.
"You’re insufferable."
I smile sweetly. "And yet, here you are."
