Chapter Fourteen
“What’s on your mind?” Bear asked once they had pulled away from Lizbeth’s.
“I like her, Bear. A lot. Although I know she doesn’t want anyone to feel sorry for her, but I can’t help but think how sad it is that she’s out here all alone. Life is fragile.”
“Don’t let her fool you. She’s lived more life in her twenties than most people have in their eighties. Stick around long enough she’ll tell you.”
Aasia sighed. “I guess it’s time for me to consider looking for a new job. Tansy told me the high school is hiring a science teacher.”
“Science teacher?” Realizing how rude he sounded, he quickly changed his tone. “Are you interested?”
Her smile seemed forced. “Yes. I applied. I’ve also been looking outside of Fin’s Creek.”
“You’d want to move away from here?” He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He didn’t know long he and his team would be at Creed’s Creek, and then where would they be assigned? Bear hadn’t thought that far ahead into his future.
“I may not have a choice. I spent precious time and money earning my degree, but options are so slim here for something in my field.”
Acting on impulse, he reached over and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “No matter what you decide to do, you’ll be amazing. You’ll do amazing things.”
“Thank you, Bear. Could I interest you in seeing a secret space of Fin’s Creek?”
“I’d like that.”
“Turn left at the next road.”
Fifteen minutes later they were walking a trail that dipped beneath a cathedral of towering pines.
The lazy evening sun spilled through the canopy feathering ribbons of light on the path ahead, still damp from the rain that passed through earlier.
Birds chirped overhead as if in welcome into their peaceful world.
Aasia walked slightly ahead and he watched her pause to pluck a flower and bring it to her nose. “Not much longer,” she called back to him.
“No hurry.” His gaze naturally dipped to the gentle sway of her hips. The jeans accentuated her heart-shaped bottom. His own jeans seemed to fit him tighter, making walking a chore.
Bear had no clue what the hell was going on between them. One minute he felt the flames building, and then just as suddenly he was back in the friend zone. And then on occasion, she looked at him in a way that invited him to pull her into his arms and kiss her until she quivered.
When the trees began to thin, the air thinned. She looked back at him, an impish smile tugging her lips. “Are you doing okay?”
“Great.” Bear’s breathing became labored. He could have walked a hundred miles with a twenty-pound pack on his back, but with all the blood rushing to his cock he felt woozy going up the incline.
“We’re here.”
She stepped aside and allowed him to come to stand beside her.
The woods fell away, revealing a valley so green and lush that it seemed more like a watercolor painting than real.
Rolling hills folded into another and another like a satin blanket that luxuriously flowed into a clear blue lake.
Rocks with jagged peaks popped up in the glistening water and fallen tree branches created a diversion.
Through his career, he’d visited a lot of places and seen many wonders of the world. Here, he saw the most beautiful view because he had Aasia next to him. He’d traveled many, many miles to get to where he was right at that moment.
For a few moments neither said a word, just took in the majestic scene. Absorbing Mother Nature’s gift.
She bent and picked up a mushroom, examining it closer.
Standing, she showed him her find. “This place is why I chose science as a career. I’d sit here for hours hiding from all the chaos at home.
This is where I learned about the love of nature and chemistry.
Each step felt like entering a labyrinth of another world.
” She tossed the mushroom and wiped her hands on her jeans.
“When I was given the job at MedLabOne, I had such high hopes and so many ideas. I believed I could conquer the world. But science is so broad, and MedLabOne is such a small breadcrumb. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate what I’ve learned, but it’s not where I saw myself.
The remote lab was a taste of what I wanted to explore.
When I come here, I’m reminded of my desire to learn more about nature.
Although getting fired wasn’t my finest hour, I need to look at this as the push to help me find something that excites me again. ”
“That tells me being a science teacher probably isn’t your fit,” he said.
She nodded. “I think you’re right. Life’s too short to settle. Something will come along. I just need to keep the faith.”
He reached out and took her hand, which seemed as natural as the earth beneath them.
As massive as the valley was, there on that overlook things narrowed.
At least for him. He felt more certain than ever that he’d do anything to protect the woman standing before him.
Somehow, she softened his heart, made him want to be a better man.
Her desire to find what made her happy encouraged him to think about his own career.
She tilted her face upward, a glint of a smile carving her beautiful lips. Everything faded around them. Her chest rose and fell in rhythm.
“Bear?”
“Yes?”
“Are you going to kiss me or stare at me?” she whispered.
Their lips met gently at first. There was no need for a rush or desperation. The act was a s languid as the water below.
He snaked an arm around her waist, drawing her closer until their bodies were pressed together. This was where he belonged. He knew that more than ever now. Something was continuously changing between them, and he needed to flow as easily as nature around them.
The kiss deepened as she parted her lips, opening to the exploration of his tongue. His hand moved into her hair, gently tugging the strands. He pulled back an inch. “You taste so damn good.”
“Like peach pie?”
“Better.”
They kissed again.
Time surrendered to something eternal.
He rested his forehead against hers, their breath mingling as they stayed there holding each other. A part of the mystical woods around them.
“There’s nothing I want more than to press you against a tree and take you, but you deserve more than a fuck in the woods. You deserve someone to show you how special you are.”
She smiled at him.
And he kissed her forehead.
“Then let’s go now before I push you against a tree myself and show you that I have a little bad girl inside of me.”