Chapter 11
“This is so beautiful.” Allie sighed as they hiked along the trail. It was a hot summer morning, but the trees offered some shade against the desert heat. This place was like an oasis in the middle of the desert. A forest of pine trees and creeks.
Most people came to Vegas for the strip. To gamble or watch shows. She loved it for its diversity. You could be in the desert one minute and in the mountains the next or smack dab in the middle of a hectic town.
Allie stopped to look around at the scenery. She had never been to Mount Charleston before today. She’d dragged a kicking and screaming Sandy to Red Rock, but this was much different.
The woman was allergic to nature and hated hiking that served no purpose outside of just being in nature surrounded by bugs and things that could kill you, like rattlesnakes.
It wasn’t a harder climb than the other, just different. Different terrain and scenery.
Carson, who was keeping pace with her, looked around as if seeing it for the first time. Maybe it was, but she hadn’t asked when he suggested it. “It’s nice,” he finally replied with a shoulder shrug.
Allie rolled her eyes though she knew he wouldn’t see it through her sunglasses. Men. Point them at a gorgeous scenery or painting, and they could care less. Point them at an elk or fish, and they started to drool.
“How much farther are we going?”
“You’re not getting tired on me now, are you?
” Carson gave her a crooked smile. He looked happy out here.
Just like he had when they were paintballing.
He was out in his element again. He had a large backpack on his back.
She didn’t want to know what the thing weighed, but it looked heavy.
He said everything they needed to survive was in that bag.
Was he planning on them camping out here? She hoped not. Not that she was against it, but all she’d packed in her backpack was water, food, a jacket, and a flashlight.
“Please, I could keep up this pace all day long. I was just merely curious. I’ve never been out here.”
“It’s not much further. The terrain gets a little rough at spots, but in the end, it will be worth it,” he stated cryptically.
So he’d been here before; well, that answered that. “Good thing for you, I like surprises.”
“Good to know. Have you been hiking since you moved here?”
“Once, I brought Sandy out to Red Canyon, and I use that term lightly,” she said with a wry smile.
“Hated it?” he guessed.
“Every second,” Allie confirmed, laughing. “She is not an outdoors girl unless it’s sitting on a balcony or lying on a lounge chair next to a body of water.”
“She was the same way when we were kids.”
“So, I haven’t been out since. I don’t feel comfortable going hiking alone, and I don’t really know anyone else here but her.”
“That’s smart not hiking alone. It could be dangerous. You could injure yourself or get lost, and no one would be there to help you.”
“Or you could attract the wrong kind of person. Though I suppose someone like you wouldn’t have to worry about that.
” She looked him up and down. He wore blue jeans and a light grey long-sleeved muscle shirt that left nothing to the imagination.
His thumbs were hooked in the backpack straps showcasing his biceps.
She could see the ridges of his abs flexing with each step he took.
Allie had always been more attracted to brains than brawn, but it was hard not to look at this man and drool a little.
“Someone like me?” He gave her a puzzled look.
“Big, tall, SEAL. I’m sure you’re trained on how to kill a man in a million ways and make it look like an accident.”
“Ah.” A proud look came across his face.
“Or trained in all forms in the art of war.” She waved her arms around in punching motions.
“I wasn’t raised by ninjas.” He chuckled at her attempt to jab and uppercut. She knew how to do it, but she was just playing around, not trying to stay alive or ward off an attack.
“Oh,” Allie gave a small sigh of disappointment.
“I did learn basic defense though.”
“Oh yeah, against this?” She kicked out at him playfully but lost her balance when she stepped down on a rock as she lifted her other leg. Her ankle gave way, and she started to stumble. Her arms went out in a windmill motion to try and save herself from injury.
Carson snatched her before she could topple over and embarrass herself. His hands were along her sides, just under her breasts. No doubt he could feel her heart galloping. “You alright?” he asked in concern then looked around. “Let’s sit you down so I can look at your ankle.”
“Carson don’t bother; I’m fine. The only thing hurt is my pride.
” She tried stepping away before she did something even more embarrassing like trying to kiss him, but his grip remained firm yet gentle.
As if he didn’t want to hurt her, but wanted her to stay in his arms. She tried not to notice, but it was impossible not to.
“I just want to be sure,” he remarked as he maneuvered around her to snake his left arm behind her back underneath the backpack to her side and guided her to a large boulder next to the trail. She hoped her back wasn’t sweaty. That was all she needed to add to her embarrassment.
Allie sat down on the rock and allowed Carson to remove her shoe and touch her ankle.
Sandy would be so proud of her right now.
Allie could see her now when she retold this tale.
Sandy would be jumping up and down with joy.
Claiming it was all her ingenious idea, when in fact it had just been Allie goofing around and not watching where she was stepping.
“Carson, this really isn’t necessary.” He was making a big deal out of nothing. She hadn’t even rolled her ankle. She’d just slipped on a loose stone, nothing to worry about. Her ankle didn’t even hurt.
Carson squatted down between her legs and looked up at her. It was hard to read his expression from behind his glasses. “Indulge me. I’d hate for your ankle to swell and then I’d have to carry you back down.”
Sandy said men liked to play heroes like that, but she supposed with everything he was carrying and then adding her weight on top of it, it wouldn’t be pleasant. They had already crossed some heavier terrain.
Allied nodded, signaling he could begin, though the exam wasn’t needed. She felt perfectly fine. The boots she wore also covered her ankle to prevent rolling.
Allie held perfectly still as Carson’s hand worked down her bare leg. She wore khaki shorts and a black tank top that showed off the top swells of her breasts—at Sandy’s insistence—and her hiking boots. She was really glad she’d decided to shave at the last minute this morning.
“How’s that?” he asked, pressing against the area right above her ankle with his finger and thumb.
“Fine.” She was proud her voice remained steady while the rest of her was turning into a puddle of mush.
“No pain?” His thumb prodded along her calf muscles.
“No. I thought it was my ankle you were worried about, not my calf?”
“I just want to be thorough.” He sounded unmoved by the task, as if he were a doctor that did this every day.
Her belly quivered at the glide of his hands caressing her skin. His hand wrapped around the back of her calf, his thumb probing the muscle. A barely audible groan stole from her lips before she could clamp her mouth shut, hoping Carson hadn’t heard.
Of course, he did. The man missed nothing. His hand stilled, and he looked up at her. “You are injured,” he accused.
Shit, how to tell him it wasn’t a sound of pain but pleasure. “I’m not. I’m just ticklish there,” she said, saying the first thing that came to her mind.
Carson stared at her for a moment.
She felt under such scrutiny even though she couldn’t see his eyes. She still felt them on her. “I think that’s enough.” She tried pulling her leg away, but he refused to let her go.
“I still need to check your ankle.” Carson unlaced her shoe and pulled it off, followed by her sock.
He turned her foot this way and that. Asking if anything hurt with each new position.
It was completely fine. “See, I told you, you were worrying for nothing. You’re saved from carrying me down the trail.
” She smiled, trying to quell her racing heart and striving to appear calm when she was really a bundle of nerves.
Every glide of Carson’s hands on her body felt like electricity shooting through her straight to her core. It was as if her body had been dead, and he’d just revived it. She had never responded so much to a man’s touch before.
Carson’s hands were still on her foot, just resting there. Allie wasn’t sure if he was conscious of the action. He was looking up at her. Those damn sunglasses still prevented her from seeing his eyes. She wondered what he was thinking.
“Well, I’m glad it turned out to be nothing. I’ve known people who rolled their ankles and waved it off, that turned out to be fractures.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I like to think I can handle my share of pain, but growing up as I did, I learned when an injury was serious or when you could walk it off.”
“Your older brothers? They rough-housed a lot?”
Allie started laughing as memories flooded her mind.
“Are you kidding? My mother threatened to wrap my brothers up in bubble wrap if they didn’t stop getting cuts and bruises.
Eventually, she learned if it wasn’t profusely bleeding, at an odd angle, or a bone sticking out, you were going to survive. ”
“Let me guess, you were right out there with them?” He smirked as if he already knew the answer.
“As much as they would let me. I didn’t enjoy the homebody life like my mother. I didn’t enjoy the cooking and cleaning and just being home all day. I wanted to be out in the world doing things instead of sitting inside.”
“I was the same way. I hated being stuck in the house. I would get antsy after a while. Luckily, I liked all seasons, so there was always something to do. Hockey, ice skating, skateboarding. You name it, I tried it.”
“And you tried dragging Sandy out to those things?” Allie had a hard time picturing Sandy on ice skates or playing sports.
“No,” Carson chuckled, “but she was a great cheerleader and great at recruiting my teammates.”
“That I can imagine.” They both started laughing. Carson’s hand flexed against her foot. For a second, she forgot it was still there. Allie’s breath stuttered, her heart began to race again, and there was a strange fluttering in her stomach as if butterflies were trapped inside.
Allie felt a pull. Carson seemed to feel it too because they both leaned toward each other, like two magnets pulled toward one another.
“Everything alright here?” Just like that, the moment was shattered, and they pulled away from each other to their original positions. Two other hikers had come upon them. Allie was so caught up in the moment, she hadn’t heard anyone approach.
“Yes, we’re fine. Thank you.” Allie pulled her foot free from Carson’s loose grip and started putting her sock and shoe back on.
“Are you injured?” one of the hikers asked, looking concerned.
“No. I’m great. Thank you.” Please leave. She tried willing them with her mind.
“We thought it might be a rolled ankle, but she’s good. Thank you for checking though,” Carson added as he stood up and dusted the dirt from his pant legs.
The hikers nodded and moved along without a backward glance. Allie relaced her boot and stood up. “Ready?”
“If you are.”
More than.