8. Mysterious Water

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After two daysof nonstop rain storms, I went stir crazy. I read another chapter about Heath Arnault and how he met his wife who, oddly, hailed from the Steele Valley area. I also finished the books on special metals I brought, and drew more schematics for the next golf club. An idea for a better bear spray trigger even came to me in a dream in the middle of the night, and I found myself sketching notes on that.

As a scientist at heart, it's like the lab called to me, enticing me to test things, and I almost ran back to California, telling my brother where he could shove the sabbatical. But I stuck it out, perhaps because I hadn't conquered the challenge of the beguiling woman across the camp.

With a break in the weather finally, from my porch view, I found her sunning on the dock. Hell yes, I changed quickly into swim trunks. I needed stimulation of any kind, whether raking over her body or talking with her. I'd even attempt asking her out again to test her reaction. Anything to get away from this cabin.

The air hung thick and humid, with another storm coming our way later, according to weather reports. For now, with the sun out, I needed to take advantage of it before I got stuck inside again.

The closer I got to her, I had to bite my tongue to prevent it from lolling out. A black, barely there bikini graced her body, with three teeny triangles and tiny strings—none of them tied, like she didn't want the strings making any lines in her tan.

I swallowed hard, nothing left to the imagination now. Her body and my body in the lake, and how to get her there were the only things on my mind. I hid my growing erection with my towel and warned myself under my breath. "Keep it together, man."

"Hi, Eve. Looks like we survived the storms and had the same idea." I tossed my towel down and jumped into the water before she could get a good look at my groin. Not that I'd mind if she did. I'd love to gauge her reaction when viewing my thick, long boy for the first time. But we weren't there yet; that kiss in my cabin promised good things to come, though.

"Come swim with me. The water's nice and cool."

"I've been here a little while, and was about to head up to my cabin before you arrived." She reached for her t-shirt and covered herself, sitting up. Mesmerized, I watched as she tied each string masterfully, like beauty in motion.

When finished, she tossed the shirt away and stood, giving me a fucking heart attack at the sight of her lean body with scraps of material covering places. My cock couldn't calm down; at full mast, it'd bust the seams of my shorts any minute.

"No, don't leave yet. Stay here and swim and talk with me. You know you want to. It's futile to resist me." I begged and grinned broadly, making sure my dimples deepened for her view. "We could play some games in the water to kill time."

She sighed, ending it with a soft chuckle. "Now you're asking for way too much, Wyoming." Her teasing voice forming around the syllables of my name spiked the dopamine in my system.

"But you'll do it," I boldly stated, and my hypothesis proved correct.

With her backside to me, her black suit nothing but dental floss there, she took the steps into the water, one by one, tormenting me with the fluid way in which her body moved.

My tongue darted out, licking the center of my bottom lip while my brain almost short-circuited the minute her body entered the water. A zap—or zing—a current of electricity carried from her to me.

"I noticed the tattoo on your wrist. It matches your necklace, doesn't its it?" I started our conversation, which I needed in order to keep my wits about me and not grab her.

The gold necklace intrigued me. Designed like a tiny looking glass with a delicate bird painted inside of the charm. I'd noticed it the morning she sat next to me for coffee.

"Wow. Observant." She fingered the pendant a moment, eyeing me, then let it go and performed a light butterfly stroke a few yards away, then flipped over in the water, continuing to torture me with her ass in the air before dipping under. Looking around, I watched for ripples or air bubbles, to find her.

She popped up a few feet in front of me with a sly smile. No doubt, she probably saw what I was hiding underwater.

"Does the bird in flight on your tattoo and necklace mean something to you?" This woman was still such a guarded mystery to me. Maybe that tattoo could fill in some of the answers about Eve.

"Sort of. The chain was a gift from my mom. She always told me I could soar and do anything I set my mind to."

I liked that. She had a determined air about her, I could sense it from the beginning.

"What about yours, Mama's boy?"

"You like it?" I turned so she could get a good view of it.

To my utter shock, her fingers traced the rose and letters on my back, my skin turning to gooseflesh as more electrical pulses buzzed me from her touches.

I explained, "My mother is the sweetest person you'd ever meet. She made every place we went to home, whether it was a tent along the trail or our home base. She and my dad gave me the best childhood any kid could ever ask for. I'm pretty lucky compared to my brother Joe."

She picked up on the slight sadness of my words. "Why do you say that?"

"He grew up without our mom and his dad was pretty hard on him."

"You're half-brothers then?"

I made a face at the term. "Technically, yes, but we've done a lot of work in the past years to repair our relationship and heal. Our mother played a huge role in that. She helped us get closer after we'd been separated so much while growing up."

I pivoted back to her and noticed that she swiped at a tear before I could catch it. "Are you okay?" I didn't know what I might have said to make her sad.

"I'm fine. I just miss my mother after hearing that story. She passed away a few years ago."

"Sorry to hear. I can't imagine losing mine yet. Eve, I know we just met, but you can tell me anything, okay?" I reached out and rubbed her arm under the water, and another zap hit me. Did she feel that? I squinted at her, but she didn't seem fazed at all, although she pulled away. "Hey, want to see something cool I found?"

"Um…sure."

I stood up, the soil at the bottom of the lake squishing between my toes. A few yards away, I noticed she wasn't following. "You coming?"

"Do we have to walk there? I can't stand the mud."

I laughed at her and returned. "Sometimes you remind me of a city girl. Hop on my back."

"Seriously?"

"Yep. I'll give you a ride." Goddam…without hesitation, she climbed onto me, wrapping her long legs and arms, holding tight. With her breasts pressing on my back, my body lit up from the constant flow of the current between us. She had to feel it, too.

Aside from our kiss after the bear sighting, this was the second time her body met mine, fitting together so well. It's inevitable this woman would be under me soon, just a matter of time.

"How do you know the lake and these trails so well?" Her lips nearly touched my ear as she spoke. I hooked my arms around the backs of her knees, securing her tighter to me.

"I've been out here for one or two weeks every summer to visit Joe and his family. I've explored most of the lake, except this side. With a longer stay, I should be able to map every inch of the shore before I leave this time. That probably sounds nerdy, but I enjoy doing that kind of stuff."

"No. It sounds fun. You're like a pirate on an adventure."

"Arr, ye goin' adventuring with me, lass?" Complete with a deep gravelly voice, it was goofy, sure, but she laughed it up...and ended on a moan. She probably didn't think I heard, but my entire body was in tune with hers and nothing would escape me, like how she leaned the side of her head more against mine.

"No wonder you want to live here. It's like you were made for this place," she mused.

"Someday. You know, if you could join me on my morning hikes, there's some beautiful sights I'd love to show you."

Her body tensed at that for some reason. "I have to work."

"You're here seven days a week. I never see you leave. Don't you get at least two days off?"

"No. When we have vacancies, someone could stop in anytime to rent a cabin. And I do go to town once a week for groceries and supplies."

"It's like you're a slave, imprisoned in this job at the campground."

"You have no idea," she muttered.

"I should rent the entire place for the duration of my stay. Have you all to myself then."

"You wouldn't."

"Hell yeah, I would. There's this one particular viewpoint we could get to from here on about a half-day hike I'd love to take you to. It overlooks the entire valley. It's gorgeous...like you."

Her body tensed again. "Wyoming, I can't?—"

"Here we are," I stopped her, not only to prevent her excuses, but we rounded a boulder jutting out into the lake, arriving at our destination. "See how the pool forms behind this big rock? And look, these smaller ones bordering it, smooth like perfect seats. Someone had to have built this, maybe the Natives, long ago, like some kind of ceremonial spot."

I could picture a dozen or so people through the ages gathered here praying together, or maybe even a couple like us, looking for a secluded, special place to make love. With her still on my back, I waded in with her until it got deeper.

"What do you think?" I asked.

"I love it. It feels magical here."

I chortled. "As a man of science, I disagree. There's always a logical explanation for everything."

We swam around for a while, then I took up a seat, leaning on my elbows, enjoying the view of her floating on her back, until she realized I was watching.

"What has you so mesmerized, Wyoming?" she coyly asked.

"The view." Of her especially. "I work so hard at my job, I came out here to replenish my soul this summer, to connect with nature again."

"And how is that working out for you?" She swam up to me, hanging onto my knees, glancing up, eyes sparkling.

"Better than I could have imagined." Something propelled me and I shifted back into the water, her face a breath away. A current of water swept around us, and my skin tingled, starting at my feet, spiraling up in a vortex around us, moving us closer together. Almost like the pool encouraged us, I pulled her into me and leaned into it.

She wrapped her legs around my waist, my arms cradling her back. There was no hiding my hard cock now, and she moaned, trance-like, grinding her center against it.

My mouth closed over hers and she held onto me tighter. The vortex surrounded us again, and every nerdy cell in my brain wanted to stop and take water samples and measurements, but with a sexy woman in my arms, my cock won out.

I grazed my lips along her cheek and sucked in her earlobe, scraping my teeth on her soft skin, and she moaned again. She tilted her head back, her eyes closed, and I moved down her neck.

"Fucking beautiful woman," I whispered against her skin. My hand palmed her breast, tugging the fabric down, pinching her nipple. Her breath hitched and my lips covered her hard pearl, twirling it to a peak with my tongue.

My pulse skyrocketed as her body gyrated, using the hard ridge of my cock to please herself. I growled, holding her in place and letting her body go wild on me. Her moans crescendoed, singing around me like a siren's call. Unlike anything I'd experienced with a woman before, this was unbelievable.

I brought her to my lips, devouring hers, my hand pressing on her ass grinding with her, reaching a frenzied pace, with only the thin, wet fabrics between us. Her tongue danced in my mouth, the sound of our hearts beating loud in my ears.

A burst of sensations, like a million tiny needle pricks, tingled up my legs again, flowing through my body, and I couldn't help my nerdy self this time, breaking our kiss to ask, "Do you feel that?"

"Oh, yes," she moaned on my lips. "Fuck, Wyoming, I'm about to come."

I gladly let her have her moment, her body thrashing about, whimpering. She came hard and fast, shaking in my arms. Finally, I brought her up and sat on a rock cradling her trembling body until she calmed. So crazy this was, I ignored my own needs, leaving my balls aching.

I smoothed the hair from her forehead, our eyes locking, hers questioning, as if joining me in wondering what the hell just happened.

"That was intense," I said and kissed her forehead, but I wish I knew for sure if she'd felt the same energy vortex from the water that I'd felt. Did it matter, though, when I finally had her in my arms and I'd brought her over the edge. When we started for the boulder, I didn't think I'd be able to get her to let go this much.

Now, our summer fling officially started, and I needed more of her.

"I-I should get back to work." Her tone changed and she pushed away from the comfort of my arms, swimming back to the dock.

I joined her, both of us quiet the entire time, with a little drizzle starting to fall. My mind spun with the feelings I'd experienced both in the water and with her since I arrived. Without hesitation, I'd take another dip in the water to experience anything her body wanted to do with me.

As for the lake, I fully intended to gear up with equipment and return to get water samples, a list forming in my head of supplies I'd need. By the time we reached the fire pit, the rain poured down. She ran off to her cabin without saying a word, leaving me gawking at the lake.

I got it now, why Joe always called this his Lake of Mysterious Waters. Only mysteries didn't exist in my world. There had to be a reason for everything.