AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Nine
Believe
My fingers felt stiff, icy cold, covered in muddy water. My hands shook violently as I turned the cap on each container tightly, checking to make sure it was closed. Facing Logan, my lips shivered so violently I was unable to speak.
“What happened?” he shouted.
Did he see what I just saw?
He jogged closer to me after ditching his pack and gear. The bottom half of his pants, up to his knees, was a shade darker. The rest of his body was dry, except for the small drops of sweat running down his neck and disappearing beneath his shirt. He continued to stare at me, concern now creasing his mouth.
“Where the hell have you been? I thought you were going to wait for me to come back.”
His eyes lingered over my face, then darted down over my chest, and then quickly away.
“Why are you soaking wet?” he asked, reaching my side.
He moved an arm out to touch my dripping hair and then paused. Putting his hand down, he stopped half a step away from me. “Where’d you go? I came here looking for you an hour ago, and you weren’t here.”
Where did I go? Into the water, into the light?
“I thought there might be cleaner water before the creek splits. So, I went to explore the right side of the stream, and I fell in,” I said, barely audible over the rushing water.
That sounded believable. If only I could make myself believe it too.
Logan squinted his eyes and started shaking his head, looking at me in disbelief. “How? I walked across the stream and managed not to fall in.”
“I leaned forward too far while refilling, I guess,” I said, handing Logan the bottle in my hand.
“Uh, okay,” he said, tentatively, grabbing the canteen from me. “Do you want to change clothes?” he asked, not looking at me anymore but searching the ground for my bag.
Dazed, I stumbled to my bag a few yards away. Without thinking, I pulled off my drenched shirt and wrung it out over the dirt and then threw it over my shoulder.
Where did I go for an hour? It had only felt like seconds.
My trembling fingers feebly plucked at the top button of my pants until it came undone. Unlacing my boots in record speed, I toed them off and started shimmying off my pants. I paused and turned my head. I was so distracted, I’d forgotten I was standing right in front of Logan.
I jerked my eyes up from my now-bare legs.
Logan’s green eyes were so dark, they were almost the color of pine needles. He didn’t avert his eyes this time. They stayed defiantly on me—raking down my chest, over my hips, and then to my legs. I could feel the challenge in his stare. Tell me what you want.
My cheeks heated.
The only part of Logan that moved was his broad chest as it rose and fell gradually.
I wanted what he did, but I shouldn’t. I had some compounding problems. Doing what I wanted, kissing him again, and needing his hands on me wasn’t solving any problems.
“Turn around,” I said.
A small smile tilted at the edge of his lips before he pivoted a huge boot in the crimson dirt and then turned his back to me.
I shrugged out of the drenched bra and panties and tiptoed into dry clothes. After wringing out each piece, I folded the damp garments into the side pocket of my pack. During the process, I occasionally sent a quick glance over my shoulder to see what Logan was doing.
The entire time, he sat along the bank, his back facing me. To my knowledge, not a single muscle turned in my direction.
Points for chivalry.
Hurriedly, I tied my boots and stomped toward Logan. “All done. We can go now.” I tossed the tangled mass of wet hair over my shoulder and shrugged on my pack. “How did it go?”
