“Stuart William Knight.”
Quiet again filled the cabin. Serious quiet. The exchanging of names. I ended that moment. “Do you feel like swimming?”
“Yes.” She sat up and placed her mug on the side table. Scooting to the edge of the bed, I caught the twinkle in her eye. “That should cover wet, and I’m sure at some point I’ll touch you.”
Damn if that didn’t provoke a rise in my jeans. “Is it still a bonus if it happens repeatedly?”
“Don’t be such a stickler for the rules, Stuart William.” She skipped across the room to where I sat, lightly kissing my lips. Things only became tighter across my fly.
“It’s who I am, Miss Heron.”
“Maybe some things can change, Mr. Knight.”
* * *
Before we left for the lake, I checked in on Freckles. She’d stayed quiet in the shelter, and she wasn’t in danger of getting too cold. Horses in this part of the country developed longer coats that made them look almost plush. She nickered and pushed at me as I filled her food bag.
“Hey, girl.” I scratched behind her ear while she ate. “This is all your fault, you know?”
No response. She chewed as I remembered the day she reared on Mariska. I remembered the flash of adrenaline in my veins at the thought of that beautiful girl being hurt. It was only slightly less than my panic when Cheyenne returned riderless. The fucking protective instinct was only growing stronger the more time I spent around her.
Rebellious anger twisted in my gut as my mind insisted what had to be done. A knot ached in the front of my throat. This battle was different from coming off the drugs. Drugs sucker-punched me when I was down, hitting me with pain and nausea I couldn’t fight. What I was dealing with now was completely different, and I was stone-cold sober.
The swish of feet moving through the grass followed closely by the scent of ham and cheese broke through my angry thoughts.
“Hungry?” Mariska held out a small parcel wrapped in a paper napkin. Taking it from her, I recognized eggs mixed with a slice of the pork from dinner last night and cheese.
Taking it, I gave her a little nod of thanks. “I thought you didn’t like to cook.”
“Just because I don’t like to doesn’t mean I can’t.” She stood back and crossed her arms watching me.
Giving her a reluctant smile, ignoring the battle waging in my chest, I took a bite. Shit it was fucking delicious. “Mmm...” I couldn’t help a groan. Months of eating poorly were catching up with me.
She laughed and shook her head before going back to the house. “I’ll put on my swimsuit.”
Standing beside Freckles, I finished breakfast in three bites.
* * *
Mariska
The smaller lake was secluded and gorgeous. I wasn’t sure how much longer we had of this Chinook, but every day felt like borrowed time. Sort of like every day I spent with Stuart. The fight was back in his eyes, and I knew we had gotten too close this morning. Or perhaps it was last night when he pulled me to him in the darkness.
Either way, as he alternated between playful and hostile, I knew his resistance was raging back. As for me, I’d brought a leopard-print bikini, because... well, why the hell not? All my cards were in. I had nothing to lose now, and I planned to fight dirty.
Discarding the bandeau top, I pulled on a loose-weave beige cover-up. The knit was essentially a series of open circles that created an even sexier effect than topless. My breasts played peek-a-boo at every turn. Just for fun, I braided my hair in a thick rope over my shoulder.
Stuart took one look at me and cleared his throat, facing the water. “I’m pretty sure this is a mineral spring.”
“Do they have those in Montana?”
“A few resorts south of here, near Elkhorn and Helena, are famous for them.”
Stepping into the pool, I was intrigued. “You know, hot springs are known for healing properties?”
He stepped forward as well. “FDR bought one to cure his polio.”
The water was warm and lovely. I took off my top and pushed gently through the waves. “It feels amazing. Like a spa.”