Skinny Dipping With The Mountain Man (Mountain Man Summer 2026 #9)

Chapter 1 - Trish

I swerve my gaze to the other side of the room. They’re French kissing like the world is collapsing, and it’s their last chance, like they haven’t alreadydone it ten minutes ago.

I take a deep breath. It’s only my third night here but I swear I’ve seen enough action to last for a lifetime.

Visiting Pepys Island has been on my bucket list for years. It’s known as a quiet, friendly vacation destination, with plenty of water activities, from kayaking and swimming in the lake or the ocean, all surrounded by quaint little towns.

In reality, Pepys Island seems like one big small town. Its small towns have fewer residents than some streets on the mainland, and vast stretches of the island are nothing but forests, trails, and open nature.

That’s why I immediately jumped at the opportunity when Lana invited me over with a promise of a cabin in the Almond Mountains all to myself. She’s been showing me around Aria, Pepys Island’s biggest small town, helping me cross all the items on my list.

Happy Place check.

Donut Haven check.

Swimming in the ocean check.

It’s been the loveliest time. That is until we arrive at her cabin and Cole and Lana see each other. They literally can’t keep their hands off each other. They’re good hosts, asking me if I need anything, Cole always cooks us dinner, so I really, really, shouldn’t complain.

Confession time: maybe I am a little jealous since I’m twenty-five years old and I’ve yet to be with someone. Sure, I went on a few dates and exchanged a few kisses, but nothing has ever stuck, I find most men I meet boring.

“Don’t you wanna save some of that for your vacation?

” I ask with disdain, making sure I scrunch up my face for effect.

Lana is my best friend in the whole world, but you should never see that much tongue from a friend.

And that’s coming from someone who held her hand when she was puking all over the toilet after a very eventful Friday night.

Bear barks in response as if he’s agreeing with me. Bear is a big dog, so his agreement echoes through their cabin, I pet him letting him know he did well.

When I first started my job, Lana was my mentor.

She’d been doing for years at the time which meant I was absorbing every single word she said and trying to come up with interesting questions so I could learn more.

I smile at Bear thinking of that time. What started as a professional relationship, quickly changed when we realized how many interests we shared, and she eventually became my most precious friend.

It’s sad that I don’t get to see her much anymore now that she lives on Pepys Island, but part of life too.

Regrettably, I wanted to see her more, but not more of her, let’s put it that way.

“Sorry! We’re annoying, I know.” She pushes Cole away. “We’ve visitors, we need to behave.”

He nods as if he’d do anything to make her happy, but he laces his fingers through hers, unwilling, or unable, to let go.

Lana stops and gets close to me, grabbing my shoulders.

“You know what? What if you go to the small lake we talked about? Since we need to pack, it’d be such a waste of time to be here with us instead of making the most out of this weather.”

“It’s scorching hot, Lana. I don’t think it’s possible to enjoy that,” Cole says horrified as if she’d just uttered a blasphemy.

“You don’t know Trish; she lives for the summer.”

That’s true, you can’t make me believe people actually like fall.

Sure, there are pumpkin lattes and Halloween, but who cares?

Don’t even get me started on people who like winter.

They surely don’t feel the cold like I do, that’s the only possible explanation.

They say fat helps to warm up bodies, I’ve plenty of fat all around and I’ve yet to experience being comfortable in the cold.

My theory it’s just a thing people say to make others get out of their houses in the winter.

Cole doesn’t look convinced.

“That’s right! I need to check skinny dipping off my list.”

There’s however a limit on how much heat a person can handle. Not that I’ll mention that. I just want to be out doing something instead of watching my hosts exchange saliva.

“I have no idea why you decided this is the skinny-dipping spot,” Cole groans dragging his hand over his face. “You mention it to all your friends that come over, but know that’s something you decided unilaterally.”

“I don’t see you complaining when we skinny-dip there,” Lana retorts and that shuts him up.

I’ve never skinny-dipped before, I’ve never felt comfortable enough to even give it a try, but I’m obsessed with novelty so it’s something I’m very excited about. Not a single person in sight, the small lake all to myself.

Lana launches herself into an explanation of how to get there.

She gives me very specific instructions like ‘the rock that looks like a cactus’ or ‘the red flowering tree who looks like it has taken a beating’ and yet the more she talks the more I’m confused.

I don’t have the heart to tell her to repeat the explanation.

I caught most of it, I’ll figure it out somehow.

I’m walking deep in the forest in no time, the sun is burning my skin every time I reach a patch of sunlight.

It’s the beginning of July, so much warmer than I expected Pepys Island to be.

From my research, the island’s weather is milder, never reaching too high or too low temperatures.

The heatwave is the only reason it’s this unbearable.At least I’ll get to spend the rest of the afternoon cooling off in the lake.

I didn’t expect to recognize the rock that looks like a cactus but I do, it’s amazing how nature manages to create so many interesting shapes by itself.

Living in the city, I’m always running around, thinking humans run this planet.

Being here in the Almond Mountains shows me it’s the other way around, every single tree, plant or animal rules this place with an effortlessness we humans don’t have.

Somehow this realization helps soothe some of the stress I’ve been bottling up inside me. I don’t know how I got here. Sure, I’m not happy with my career, but the persistent stress is consuming me these days, hence the vacation.

When I reach a small intersection, sweat dripping down my face, arms and legs, I close my eyes, trying to remember Lana’s instructions. Right or left?

I mumble the two options over and over again, hoping the memory will come. I decide to go right, she did say as soon as I got there it’d be close. If it’s not there, I can turn back and try left.

I congratulate myself when I reach the small lake, trees shadow some of the surface while letting the sun reach the rest. It’s as gorgeous as Lana said.

Incredible in a way that it shouldn’t be a secret.

Maybe I should move to Pepys Island, like Lana keeps pestering me to.

There’s not a single thing I don’t love about this island.

Okay, maybe I don’t particularly like being a third-wheel. Other than that, I’m amazed with this patch of land in the middle of the ocean.

With some hesitation, I take off my clothes. It feels unnatural to take off every single item of clothing outside of the privacy of a home. But I do.

My feet enter the water, sending a chill down my spine, the water cool against my sweating skin.

It’s a momentary reaction, since a minute later I’m sighing with pleasure as I start to swim in the lake.

It’s so small I’m quickly at the other end of it and, after a few laps, I decide to just chill out on one of the shores where the sun reaches, sitting on one of the rocks building the lake.

Putting my head back, closing my eyes so I feel nothing but the sun on my skin, the water swishing around my body, I feel like I could stay here forever.

I stay here for a long time before a shadow falls over me.

Assuming it must be the sun starting to set, I open one eye, struggling to focus at first since I don’t see any trees—the amount of sunlight has clearly messed up my eyesight.

So I open the other, and that’s when I see a man towering over me, wearing only boxer briefs, showing me his pure, tanned, muscled body.

I skitter away, swimming to the middle of the lake.

“What are you doing here?” he asks, frowning at me.

I open my mouth to respond but I’m still too shocked to.

“This is private property, you need to go. Or I’ll find a way for you to leave,” he threatens.

I have no doubt he’d be able to make me leave.

Getting farther away from him helps me to admire the body of the grumpy man.

He’s huge and muscular in a way you’d think is impossible outside of TV.

I can’t find a single lump of fat on him, everything is taut and pure perfection.

I gulp. I’ve never felt this mesmerized by a man before.

Did I really think men were boring before?

In just a second he’s made me change my mind.

Of course, my body would choose the man who’s threatening me.

“I’m a friend of Lana and Cole. They said it was okay for me to be here,” I say, chin up, not wanting to give in even if my body feels good around him.

He sighs. “Their lake is on the other side. This is mine. You’re not allowed to be here.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I’ll leave immediately. Let me just--“

I stop in my tracks. My whole face turns unbelievably hot with shame. I’m naked.

It takes me a second to compose myself and not panic like a teenage girl at the thought of taking a shower next to her volleyball teammates.

I’m an adult, and naked bodies are a totally normal thing.

And if the person who I’ll lose my virginity to won’t the first man who’s seen me naked, that’s just life.

“Can you turn around? I’m naked.” Might as well own it, there’s no other way to get out of the lake.

“I’ve already seen everything, princess,” he says, his tone not mad like before, as if he’s enjoying my distress.

Oh, this man... this unbelievable god who really shouldn’t exist because no real man has muscles like his or can have such a beautiful face and voice. Yes, he’s just someone I made up, he can’t be real. And yet, I know he’s real and I’m mad he’s playing around with me.

“I’m leaving. If you haven’t come out in half an hour, I’ll come in and drag you out.”

With that threat the reckless part of me would love to know how his hands would feel around my body. But I’m a rational adult, so as soon as I can’t see him any more, I leave the lake and dry myself before putting on my clothes.