Free Slade (BBW Bear Shifter Moonshiner Romance) (120 Proof Honey Book 5) by Becca Fanning Page A

She’d cook us a fabulous dinner on the barbeque, to say thanks you know?”

    Karina shook her head. It was tempting to just walk down the roadway back into civilization, but she wanted another day’s challenge at least. She was just finding her feet and her sense of direction, after all.

    “I’ll look you up when I get back down to the main park, I promise,” she told Bud.

    “Please do. We’re here ‘til Saturday,” he replied.

    They shook hands, and he wrung her wrist with such gratitude that Karina felt her arm aching after he’d let go. She waved Bud off, watching his thin frame as he receded towards the horizon, fading out of her journey just as he’d faded into it. It had been nice to have a friend for a while, but now she had to move on alone and really feel the solitude she’d been searching for. As she turned to leave, however, she heard the rumble of a car coming up the road.

    “Turning back?” called a voice nearby. “Why am I not surprised?”

    Karina felt her gut twist. She turned angrily to the sight of the approaching Land Rover, and sure enough there was a handsome face sticking his head out of the window. Reinicke looked less sullen than usual, his set jaw replaced by a smug smile. She wasn’t sure which expression was more infuriating. Both of them got her right in the chest, making her throat dry when she tried to reply.

    “Actually,” she began, clearing her throat, “I was just guiding a quitter back to civilization. You’ll find him a little ways down the track. His name is Bud and he could use a ride back to his wife at the campsite.”

    The car had slowed to a stop beside her. Reinicke quirked a tawny brow.

    “You telling me my job now?” he crooned.

    “Someone clearly needs to,” Karina shot back, “or else you’ll be wasting your day offering your help to girls who don’t need it.”

    Reinicke pouted a little, then nodded.

    “Message received,” he said. “Although, I’d take Route 16 from this point, if I were you. It’s gorgeous at the riverside around lunchtime.”

    Karina chewed on her lip for a moment.

    “I’ll consider it,” she said.

    Before his window rolled up, Karina could have sworn she caught the ghost of a smile on Reinicke’s lips.

    ***

    He was annoyingly right about Route 16. It was a nice walk, not too challenging, but by no means easy, and Karina had a real sense of achievement by the time she hit the river. At midday, the sun directly overhead meant that you could see straight down into the crystal waters, and she sat on a rock to watch the shoals of fish that were swimming by under the surface. She had situated herself in the shade, resting up and filling up with water and protein bars, but the day was still remarkably hot. Sweat had soaked right through her clothes and her head felt a little heavy with the heat.

    Part of the river here broke off into a separate pool which most of the fish avoided, and it looked about twice as deep as a bathtub. Karina navigated the rocks to reach the shady little pool, dipping a hand into the still water. It was blissfully cool, and she scooped up some water to splash against her face. The relief from even a handful of the water was too tempting, and she knew what she had to do. Karina stood up, kicking off her shoes, and stripped off her sweat-soaked clothes, even her underwear.

    Here, she was alone and free, and it was wonderful to sink her naked body into the pool and feel cool all over. She paddled around a little and breathed a sigh, even dipping her hair into the water to rinse out the sweat. This was the life. She hadn’t had a phone-call in days, and there were no pressures or other people’s dramas to deal with. She could just be herself here. And yet, she wished that there was someone with her, so that she could say “Isn’t this wonderful?” and hear them agree. It was a perfect moment, one that would have been so much better if it was shared.

    The snap of a branch brought her