39. Lincoln
39
LINCOLN
Pouring water into makeshift troughs for the horses, my muscles screamed in protest. I was in damn good shape, but apparently not the sort of shape I needed for riding.
I set the jug down and attempted a stretch, even though my muscles were not pleased with me. As I fought through the discomfort, I really took in our surroundings. I’d been many places in my life, but I’d never seen one as beautiful as this.
It was a hidden gem, tucked away from prying eyes by a dip in the landscape. The spot was nestled between Castle Rock and the Monarch Mountains, and if I thought my new property had good views, it had nothing on this campsite.
It was as if both rock formations towered over us, trees bordering us on the north side, and meadows on the south. A creek that gathered in a little dip ran through the landscape, forming the world’s most perfect swimming hole. And the quiet…
It was a silence I’d never known before. Nothing but the sounds of the horses getting settled and the breeze rustling tree branches. Perfect .
But none of it was as perfect as the woman standing in the middle of our campsite, wind lifting mahogany strands of hair as she scratched Brutus’s ears. When she straightened, those tendrils swirled around her, creating their own work of art.
She moved toward the swimming hole, kicking off her boots as she went. I had no choice but to follow. It was as if she had woven some sort of spell around me. Arden sat, rolled up her jeans, and sank her feet into the water. She tipped her face up to the sun, the rays making the apples of her cheeks glow.
I couldn’t resist. I leaned over and pressed my mouth to hers. Arden’s eyes opened, taking me in as I kissed her, not missing a moment.
“Thank you for this,” I whispered against her lips.
Something passed over her face, but it was gone before I could pin it down.
“It’s my favorite place,” Arden said, turning her focus to the horizon.
I lowered myself to the bank of the swimming hole, then pulled off my own boots and slid my feet into the cold water. “I can see why.”
“Sometimes, I come for a week. Bring my sketchpad and load one of the horses with supplies.”
I tried not to think about Arden out here all alone or imagine all the things that could go wrong. “I bet you could create a lot of beauty out here.”
A small smile played on her lips. “It definitely fills my bucket. And Brutus loves it.”
I glanced over my shoulder to find Brutus passed out on one of the saddle blankets. He’d practically run the whole way here, so I could only imagine how tired he was.
A flicker of movement caught my eye. A dragonfly skimmed along the water and then floated up to rest on Arden’s knee. Soft wonder filled her expression as she took in the creature that was a riot of color: pink, blue, and teal. “Well, aren’t you beautiful?”
“In some cultures, they’re supposed to bring good luck,” I said quietly, not wanting to frighten it off. “That or be a sign of rebirth. ”
Arden’s gaze flicked to me, emotion swirling there. “Rebirth.” Her focus moved back to the dragonfly still resting on her knee. “Feels like I’ve been working toward that forever.”
“Maybe she’s telling you that you’re already there.”
Arden watched as the dragonfly took flight again, dipping and rolling before taking off into the wilderness. “Maybe she is.” Her focus turned back to me, a smile playing on her lips. “This place really is magic.”
“It is.” I glanced around at the beauty engulfing us. “I wonder what trails I’ll have off my property. You know, I think you can see it from up here,” I said, turning and squinting into the distance.
“Really?” Arden turned, following my line of sight.
“See the creek that runs along the base of the mountains?”
“Damn, Cowboy. You got yourself a spot.”
I pulled out my phone and tapped my photos. I knew I wouldn’t have any service, but I’d already downloaded what I wanted to show her.
Arden leaned over and sucked in a breath. “Linc…”
“This is the first sketch of the exterior. Your brother has a gift.”
“He does.” Her gaze roamed the sketch, seeming to memorize every detail.
“Anything you’d do differently?” I knew I’d be lying to myself if I said I asked for any other reason than I hoped like hell Arden would be spending a lot of time there.
“It’s perfect. The way it’s just gonna settle at the base of the peaks. The way it’s gonna meld with the golden grasses. I’m a little jealous, if I’m honest.”
I grinned, locking my phone and setting it on the bank. “If you’re really nice, I’ll let you come visit.”
She shifted slightly, her unease showing for the briefest moment.
“What is it?”
She shook her head, strands of her hair lifting in the breeze again. “Nothing.”
“Vicious,” I growled .
She bit the corner of her lip. “How often are you going to use that house? Cope said it was just a vacation home.”
I was an idiot. I hadn’t once considered that Arden might think our situation had an expiration date. Hadn’t thought she might need a little reassurance.
My hand slid along her jaw, and I tilted her face toward mine. “I can do my job from anywhere. I may have to fly to Seattle for meetings every couple of weeks, but I can live anywhere.”
Arden was quiet for a moment, those gray-violet eyes searching mine. “Where do you want to live?”
“I’d live in that tiny-ass tent if that’s where you were.”
Her berry-stained lips parted on a sharp inhale. “Linc. You don’t know that. You barely know me. I’m grumpy half the time, finicky about my space and art, and not exactly good at normal. You can’t say that.”
My hand shifted, sliding into her hair and holding tight. “You think I don’t know I need to duck and cover if you get woken up before ten? Or that every time I get a little bit closer, you’re going to try to shove me away? I know, Vicious. And I’m still here.”
My fingers tightened further, making sure she paid attention. “But you’re so much more than that. You’re not afraid to tell me the truth. You see beyond the surface into everything beneath. You make me feel…not alone for the first time in years. And you make me want to reach for better, the kind of more that’s all about being who you truly are.”
Arden’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. “That scares me.”
“I know, baby,” I whispered, dropping my forehead to hers. “But you’re still here.”
“I’m still here.” She let out a long, shuddering breath. “Plus, leaving you unprotected in the wilderness would be rude.”
I barked out a laugh as I released her. “That’s very true. I need you and your switchblade to keep me safe.”
Arden grinned at me. “Damn straight.”
“How about some bourbon before dinner?” I asked.
“I wouldn’t say no. ”
“Good.” I pushed to my feet and headed for where we’d set up the drinks near a tree where we’d hoist our bear-proof container tonight. I rifled through the bottles of water and a few sodas until I found it. We didn’t have ice, but we could set the glasses in the water. That’d cool it down quickly.
Pouring two healthy servings, I turned to head back and froze. Arden was nowhere to be seen. Not on the shore, not in the distance, not in camp. My pulse picked up speed as blood roared in my ears. Where the hell was she?
And that’s when I saw it. The pile of clothes next to the boots on the shore.
A second later, a dark head of hair burst from the water’s surface, sending droplets flying. Arden looked like someone who didn’t have a care in the world as she treaded water in the center of the swimming hole. I, on the other hand, had just lost ten years of my life.
I stalked toward the water. “What the hell are you thinking?”
Arden’s eyes widened in surprise. “I was thinking I was hot, and it was the perfect time for a swim.”
“That water is barely above freezing,” I shot back.
“Don’t be dramatic.”
My eyes narrowed on her as I set the drinks down. “Dramatic? Because I don’t want you to get hypothermia?” That’s when I zeroed in on her bare shoulders. “What are you wearing in there?”
Arden tried to swallow her laugh but was only half-successful. “What do you think I’m wearing, Cowboy?”
Fucking hell.
Just the mental image, the promise of what lay under the surface, had my dick stiffening. “Vicious, out of the water.”
Those gray-violet eyes danced. It was the sort of mischief I hadn’t seen from Arden in weeks. And damn, it was good to see.
She flipped to her back, her perfect breasts breaking the surface of the water. “What are you going to do about it?”
That challenge. The fire. My dick pressed harder against my zipper. “Spank that ass for scaring the hell out of me.”
Arden’s eyes flashed—a different kind of fire in them now. She flipped back to her stomach and swam toward me. “That sounds a hell of a lot more like a promise than a threat.”
Everything in me tightened at the pure temptation swimming toward me. “Why don’t you come out of the water and find out?”
Her gaze was liquid purple now as she swam closer to shore. She didn’t stand, not yet. She seemed to be weighing her options and power moves. And it was hot as hell watching that beautiful brain work.
Arden’s hands balanced on the sandy bottom. She was close enough now that I could see all of her, and the globes of her ass peeked out of the water. My hands fisted around nothing, wanting to touch her so badly.
She saw the shift. And that’s when she stood, seeing that I was at my breaking point.
It wasn’t slow or timid because that wasn’t Arden. She stood in one fluid movement, beauty in motion. There was no bashfulness or hiding. Because that wasn’t her either.
She stood in full ownership of her body as the water slid down her in what seemed like endless rivulets. Her hair slicked around the perfect breasts my hands ached to palm as those streams continued their journey, coasting down her stomach toward the tiniest dusting of hair at the apex of her thighs.
Thighs that were tan, curved with lean muscle, and dipped into calves painted the same. But it was her face that held me rapt. Those lips I knew tasted like cherries. Eyes that always welcomed me home. Ones I could lose myself in forever.
But now wasn’t the time for tender. My girl wanted to play. And I always gave her what she wanted.
“On your knees.”