Tempest on the Mountain
Chapter 6
Jake eased himself down next to Charlie in front of the fire. He hadn't really expected her to accept his offer to watch the fire. She'd been staring into the flames, her body relaxing back against the log as the weariness of the day burned away. He'd spent many nights the same way, settling things in the glow of a camp fire.
Why had he interrupted her? He wasn't sure, except that he felt drawn to her in a way that both frightened and excited him. He sat beside her now, noting the warm glow on her cheeks and wondering if it was heat from the fire that caused it, or a different kind of heat. The kind of heat that was causing his groin to tighten.
Charlie swallowed, breaking eye contact to look back into the fire again. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. Tried again.
"I--It's okay," she said quietly, keeping her eyes averted. Jake watched her profile dance in the flickering light, the delicate high cheekbones and small, pert nose begging him to trace them with his finger. He kept his hands to himself. For now. "I'm sure you're tired. I don't mind finishing up here." Her voice was quiet, but steady.
Jake admired how quickly she'd gotten her nervousness under control. "I was actually going to sleep out here, if you don't mind," he said, picking up a twig and tracing shapes in the dirt between them.
"What about Adrienne?" The hint of jealousy in her voice amused him.
"What about her?" His lips turned up a little. He couldn't resist teasing.
Charlie stared at the designs he was still tracing in the dirt. "Won't she wonder where you are?" She shifted her legs, brought one knee up to rest a hand on. He hadn't noticed the set of four scars across the inside of her forearm before. They were fading, but still purple, so not too old. He started to reach out a finger to the raised skin, then thought better of it.
"What happened to your arm?" Confusion flashed over her face briefly, then she twisted her wrist to examine the area herself.
"Mountain lion at the beginning of the summer," she said, her tone matter-of-fact. "I surprised a youngster when I was scouting off the trail one day - she jumped off a big rock at me, got my arm, and bit my leg..." She pulled down a thick sock, revealing a good sized semi-circle of scars low on her ankle. "I kicked her hard enough to get her attention, and she ran off. Don't think I would have been so lucky if she'd been full-grown." She pulled her sock back up.
Jake listened, his eyes lingering over her ankle. He wanted to see the scar again, lean over and kiss each little tooth mark that marred her smooth skin. For starters. He reached out a hand, gently pulling the fabric down as he traced the marks with a feather-light touch. Her muscle jumped under his finger, and her quick intake of breath was evidence that she was as powerless as he was to fight the magnetic force pulling them together.
Slowly, his finger moved higher over her lower leg. "Adrienne and I have an arrangement," he said, drawing small circles over her skin. "We're working together on a project - that's all." His fingers moved higher, skimming the inside of her knee, and she shivered under his touch. Her response fanned his desire, sent heat rushing through his groin. She'd be passionate with him, and he let his fingers begin to slip down her inner thigh in an intimate caress.
Why had he interrupted her? He wasn't sure, except that he felt drawn to her in a way that both frightened and excited him. He sat beside her now, noting the warm glow on her cheeks and wondering if it was heat from the fire that caused it, or a different kind of heat. The kind of heat that was causing his groin to tighten.
Charlie swallowed, breaking eye contact to look back into the fire again. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. Tried again.
"I--It's okay," she said quietly, keeping her eyes averted. Jake watched her profile dance in the flickering light, the delicate high cheekbones and small, pert nose begging him to trace them with his finger. He kept his hands to himself. For now. "I'm sure you're tired. I don't mind finishing up here." Her voice was quiet, but steady.
Jake admired how quickly she'd gotten her nervousness under control. "I was actually going to sleep out here, if you don't mind," he said, picking up a twig and tracing shapes in the dirt between them.
"What about Adrienne?" The hint of jealousy in her voice amused him.
"What about her?" His lips turned up a little. He couldn't resist teasing.
Charlie stared at the designs he was still tracing in the dirt. "Won't she wonder where you are?" She shifted her legs, brought one knee up to rest a hand on. He hadn't noticed the set of four scars across the inside of her forearm before. They were fading, but still purple, so not too old. He started to reach out a finger to the raised skin, then thought better of it.
"What happened to your arm?" Confusion flashed over her face briefly, then she twisted her wrist to examine the area herself.
"Mountain lion at the beginning of the summer," she said, her tone matter-of-fact. "I surprised a youngster when I was scouting off the trail one day - she jumped off a big rock at me, got my arm, and bit my leg..." She pulled down a thick sock, revealing a good sized semi-circle of scars low on her ankle. "I kicked her hard enough to get her attention, and she ran off. Don't think I would have been so lucky if she'd been full-grown." She pulled her sock back up.
Jake listened, his eyes lingering over her ankle. He wanted to see the scar again, lean over and kiss each little tooth mark that marred her smooth skin. For starters. He reached out a hand, gently pulling the fabric down as he traced the marks with a feather-light touch. Her muscle jumped under his finger, and her quick intake of breath was evidence that she was as powerless as he was to fight the magnetic force pulling them together.
Slowly, his finger moved higher over her lower leg. "Adrienne and I have an arrangement," he said, drawing small circles over her skin. "We're working together on a project - that's all." His fingers moved higher, skimming the inside of her knee, and she shivered under his touch. Her response fanned his desire, sent heat rushing through his groin. She'd be passionate with him, and he let his fingers begin to slip down her inner thigh in an intimate caress.



