Page 26 of Silver Brewer

Her quiet unnerves me, and she scratches at her hair for the tenth time.

“Got an itch?” I don’t think she has bugs. The insects are mild as the temperature drops this time of year. Still, a tick would love her hair. I love her hair.

“My hair. It’s just dirty, and it feels gross. I think I’ll go down to the stream.”

“Not alone. I don’t like James being around.” What is he doing up here? I love my prodigal brother, but I don’t trust his motives for anything. He claims he has his reasons to leave the family, but we all have “reasons” in our lives, and that’s when we need family the most. “I’ll go with you.”

Letty’s eyes narrow at me. “Fine.” She stands and heads into the tent, returning with shampoo and a towel. She stalks past me, heading for the stream. I follow, once again keeping my distance. When we get to the edge of the water, she tugs off her shirt and then looks at me over her shoulder.

“You can turn your back.” It takes me a moment to realize what she means. She wants me to turn around, but I don’t think I can pry my eyes from her. The ripple of her spine. The dip at the base. The nape of her neck.

I’ll be damned if I let her out of my sight with James in the vicinity, but I begrudgingly spin around. She could give me the slip if she wanted. Then I hear the slap of the washcloth hitting the water. I imagine her rubbing up her sides and over her breasts. My mouth waters as I haven’t had a taste of them yet. Hell, I haven’t even kissed her. I envision her dipping the cloth lower, swiping her sex, and I’m a mess. She’s mumbling something behind me, and I slip my hands into my pants, adjusting my dick which is moving toward its new status around this woman—perpetually hard.

“Giant.” My name is a strained attempt at a whisper. “It’s…” Her voice stops.

“What now, woman?” I shift from foot to foot. She whispers my name again. Detecting something in her voice other than her easygoing chatter, I quickly spin and note a bear on the other side of the stream.

Fuck.

“Letty,” I whisper as loud as I can, hoping not to draw any attention to her. “Don’t move.” Then again, she’s in a precarious position. Her pants are down near her knees, underwear included, and two white globes of perfection shine at me. But I can’t think about my hands on that ass or driving into her from this angle like I did last night because she needs to get away from that water.

“Now slowly, lower for your pants, Cricket.” My eyes don’t leave the bear who is intent on watching the rippling water. With Letty in my line of sight for the wild creature, I see her slowly bend forward and drag up her jeans. Then she takes one step back and another. When her foot steps on a twig, and the sound snaps like a shotgun, the bear looks up. We both hold our breath. I’m calculating how quickly I can reach her, hike her over my shoulder and run when the large, black creature turns away and slowly moseys in the opposite direction. I step forward and grip her bare shoulders. She claps a hand over her mouth and melts against my chest. She’s trembling under my fingers.

“He’s so beautiful,” she mutters once she uncovers her lips, not yet fazed that a bear caught her with her pants down, literally. Or that she’s standing shirtless before me, leaning back-to-chest against me.

“Beautiful and dangerous,” I hum next to her ear, not certain if I’m talking about the bear or the woman before me. She relaxes another second before leaning forward, removing herself from my touch, and scratching at her hair. Her arm attempts to cover her bare chest, but it’s hopeless. Both swells are hardly contained. “I have an idea. Let’s head back to camp. Are you finished?”

“As good as it’s going to get, I guess.” Her irritation with me lingers in her tone. I should tell her I’m sorry for whatever I did and beg for forgiveness with my tongue, my fingers, and my straining erection. Her festering, fiery energy makes me want her again. I haven’t been able to calm myself for the second day in a row. What is it with this woman?

When I woke to the sound of James, I’d been dreaming of her, her lush body underneath mine. My mouth finally meeting hers. As I pressed over her, shielding her from James, my thoughts shifted to driving her down the mountain.

My truck. She’s going to hate me when the truth comes out.

I scrub a hand down my beard. It’s grown bushier as the days pass.

“I’m done,” she mutters, and my gaze shifts back to her. Her hair is rolled into a tight bun at the base of her neck, and she scratches at it again. Greasy hair or not, she looks beautiful.

I walk her back to camp.

“Let me fetch some water. I’ll be right back.”

“I thought you were afraid to leave me alone,” she snarks, but the bite is no longer present in her tone. She can hold her own against the likes of someone like James, but still, his presence has me cautious. Ignoring her comment, I grab a bucket and a water jug, and then head back to the stream. When I return, she jumps up from the log she was sitting on. Her eyes wide with fear.

“What’s wrong?” I set the water-filled containers near the fire.

“I-I thought you were a bear.”

“Ah, I see the reality of nature is settling in with you. Lions and tigers and bears.” I repeat her line from the other night.

“He was beautiful,” she whispers, but fear still laces her voice. He could have been dangerous. She has her arms wrapped around her, and her hands rub up and down her flannel-covered arms.

“Here. Sit.” I direct her to the fire pit. She folds down onto the log for a seat and stares at the dying flames. I kneel to stoke the fire and pull the water-filled bucket closer to the heat source. With my hands on her waist, I shift her body on the upturned log.

“What are you doing?” she snaps. Does she no longer want me to touch her in even the simplest manner? My chest pinches at the thought.

You’re so standoffish. I don’t think this is true. I’m just quiet. I’m not a talker, but her silence has me questioning my lack of chatter, or at least opening up about a few things.

“I’m washing your hair,” I state. She twists and looks up at me over her shoulder.