The Teton mountains stretch before me in dark, rolling shadows. Pine trees sway gently in the breeze. Crickets sing. The stars overhead seem endless.
And the moon …
The moon is so big tonight that it almost looks close enough to touch.
I crack open the bottle and take a sip.
The foamy liquid burns down my throat.
Peace settles around me.
For the first time all night, my shoulders begin to relax.
I tilt my head back and lose myself in the silence.
I don’t know how long I stand there. A few minutes. Maybe longer.
Then a soft voice drifts through the darkness. “Axle?”
I glance over my shoulder to see a figure move near the doorway of the cabin next to mine.
Jovie.
She’s standing half hidden in the shadows.
For a second, I just stare.
She’s wearing an oversize, threadbare T-shirt that hangs loose on her frame, the collar slipping off one shoulder to expose smooth skin beneath. Bare legs. Bare feet. No makeup.
Her blonde hair looks sleep-tousled, soft and wild, catching strands of moonlight that make it shimmer like spun silk. One hand is wrapped around a can of soda, condensation gathering around her fingers.
My gaze drifts before I can stop it.
The curve of her hips beneath the shirt.
The shape of her thighs.
The fullness of her lips.
The sleepy look in her eyes.
Every damn bit of her.
My pulse kicks harder than it should, and I don’t even try to look away.
Fuck.
I lift a hand and scrub it over my face.
I need to get ahold of myself and take my ass back to bed.
“Can’t sleep?”
Before I can answer, she walks over and hops up on the railing between us.
Jovie
Itossed and turned for about two hours before I finally gave up.
