I do as he says and let him drag me away through the water, my heart thumping at his touch.
Follow me.
Heck, I’m starting to think I’d follow this man anywhere.
6
GUNNAR
I pull Everlytoward the lakeside, where a thicket of black cottonwoods bends toward the water, like animals leaning in to drink. Their branches provide some cover, and I guide Everly behind them, not letting go of her hand.
Goddammit.
I feel a rush of anger as I listen to the group of people approaching. They’re so damn loud, their shrieking voices echoing around the lake. It sounds like a group of rowdy young guys, and I want to get out and face them—tell them to fuck off and go somewhere else. But I’m not sure Everly would appreciate me making a scene. She looks uneasy, shrinking closer to the cottonwood branches when the men reach the lakeside.
“I hope they don’t stay too long,” she murmurs. “I don’t want to get out in my bra and underwear in front of them.”
I see red, a sharp burst of rage sparking in my veins. The thought of other men seeing Everly like this, raking their filthy eyes over her perfect curves, makes my skin fucking crawl.
“Don’t worry,” I tell her, my jaw tight. “I’ll bring your clothes over if they don’t leave soon.”
Her features soften and she smiles at me. “Thanks, Gunnar.”
Then, to my surprise, she giggles. The sound is so damn sweet that it takes a second for me to recover.
“What’s funny?”
She shakes her head, grinning to herself. “It’s dumb. I was just imagining the look on their faces if you suddenly appeared from the lake.”
“Yeah?”
Everly giggles again, then puts on a voice, like she’s in a nature documentary. “A wild mountain man emerging from his natural habitat.”
“Wild, huh?”
She smiles at me sheepishly.
Hell, she’s not wrong…I’m wild as hell about her.
The young men have reached the lake now, voices closer than ever. But the noise melts away as I look at Everly. She’s so fucking adorable. I think back to how excited she looked when she told me about wanting to become a wildlife biologist. The way she lit up, speaking with so much passion about the creatures and habitats of the mountain. I want to hear more. I want to know what else lights her up like that—what excites her, makes her happy.
We’re so close now, floating barely a foot apart, holding to the cottonwood’s branches for balance. The green bra and panties she’s wearing are the only thing between me and Everly’s gorgeous curves: plump, sun-kissed, and dripping wet. Begging to be claimed.
Fuck.
I’ve been staring at her for too long. But I can’t look away. Desire thrums through my veins as I let my gaze linger on her pouty pink lips. I want to kiss her so badly it hurts. It’s a risk. She could push me away. Tell me what I already know—that I’m too old for her, too broken, too bitter. But fuck, this angel isworth taking a risk for, and I’m already drifting closer, inching forward?—
A scream shatters the silence, piercing the air like a gunshot.
Everly and I both jump, and I whip toward the sound. A dozen possibilities spring to my head. Bears. Mountain lions. Instinctively, I move toward Everly, ready to protect her from whatever caused that scream. Then it comes again.
“AHHH!” A pause. “Oh my God! Dude, there’s something in my hair!”
The cry is met with a chorus of laughter.
“Kyle, it’s a fucking leaf.”
“It’s not!”
