Chapter 8

Rayne wandered around exploring after her shower. She’d taken so many pictures she wasn’t sure what she would do with all of them. Maybe a photo journal to remember, not that she was likely to forget discovering her fiancé was a thug and then deciding to flee from him. She stopped and looked at the path, wishing she had brought the plant book. For a short second, she debated on asking Devin what some of the plants were, but that would be bothering him and he’d made it quite clear she was to stay far from him.

She headed back towards the camp, deciding to download the pictures onto her laptop and begin a journal. Was there a power outlet at the shower building? Sitting by the lake felt like something she wanted to do. Rayne checked the sky, the clouds off in the distance were nothing to worry about, she hoped.

After she changed into shorts, Rayne gathered her laptop and a blanket then headed for the lake. She stopped when it was in view, wondering how she hadn’t realized how big it really was. Not just large but beautiful as well, so serene it wasn’t at all surprising that Devin had been upset when she’d trespassed on his land. She wouldn’t want to share this with just anyone, either.

Delighted when she found an outlet at the front of the building, she plugged in and set the laptop on the blanket, then sat down to upload the pictures, looking out over the lake. Not taking pictures now would be insane. She walked to the shore, pausing to smile at a family of ducks. They didn’t seem bothered by her presence, so she wasn’t going to get in their way. Rayne snapped a few pictures of the young ones following mom, she presumed, around in the water in a scattered line. A few ducks landed in the water just away from the family, so she took pictures of them.

Aiming to the opposite shoreline, she began to snap, bringing the focus in and out to get in as many angles as she could. Just as she thought she’d taken enough, a movement on the far side caught her attention. Lowering the camera, she noticed someone in a canoe was heading across the lake. She lifted the camera to zoom in on them. Her breath caught in her throat when she realized it was Devin. He was paddling with long, sure, strong strokes, she hesitated as she noticed that he didn’t have a shirt on, before snapping the picture. She didn’t want to impose, so she didn’t take any more pictures, just used the camera to look at him from this safe distance.

Rayne zoomed the lens in further so she could see his face, the sweat on his brow. He looked troubled, as if he was thinking very deeply about something. The canoe was going fast enough to ruffle his hair as he moved through the water. His hair wasn’t scruffy but it wasn’t the short, neat haircuts she was used to seeing on men. It fell and framed his face when he put his head down as the canoe coasted through the water in a straight line. He really was very nice to look at. She took a chance and aimed the camera down to look at the rest of him. His sculpted chest was rising and falling as he caught his breath, he had really been working to move through the water at that speed. His arms were just as developed as his chest and for a fanciful second she wondered what it would be like to be held in those strong arms. Heat moved through her as she blushed at her thoughts. Aren’t you in hiding because of a man? He lifted his head again and started to paddle, slower this time. Well, it doesn’t hurt to just look, does it? She smiled at that thought as she continued to watch him through the lens.

He stopped paddling and looked right at her. She froze, not lowering the camera. There was no doubt he could see her, those grey eyes were looking right at her. Not sure what else to do, Rayne lowered the camera but continued to stand there and look out at him. He was heading in her direction. Of course he was, dummy, this is the shore and he’d have to come here wouldn’t he? Did she pack up and run back to her tent or stay? It would be rude to run and hide and she didn’t want to be rude. Suddenly nervous, she went back over to the blanket and sat down.

She wasn’t going to sit and watch him as he moved closer to the shore, she told herself over and over. Even as she lifted her eyes from the laptop screen to glance in his direction, she tried to convince herself she wasn’t watching him, she was just looking around. It took a lot of focus to continue to work on her laptop when he was close enough she could hear him moving through the water. Rayne kept importing the pictures into a folder labelled with the date and tried not to hold her breath, knowing he was almost at the shore now. She was glad for her long hair, it allowed her to look at him and he couldn’t catch her.

He manoeuvred the canoe onto the shore, bringing it far enough in to not step in the water. Rayne flicked her eyes away from the skin on display and back to the screen for a few seconds. As he was stepping onto the shore she was watching. There was a man that made jeans and bare feet work. With one hand, he held the paddle and reached down and picked up the canoe and pulled it completely from the water with the other. It was either really light or he was that strong, she decided it was probably the latter. Not knowing whether to greet him or wait and see if he spoke first, Rayne lowered her head to look at the pictures on the screen. She could hear him moving the canoe and had just begun to think he was going to ignore her, when she was sitting in his shadow. She looked up slowly, trying not to linger on his body before she reached his face. “Hi,” she whispered, “sorry to intrude,” she motioned to the plug, “I needed power.”

He continued to stand silently, looking down at her. She couldn’t figure out what the look on his face meant. It wasn’t anger, but he didn’t look happy with her either. “Is...” she cleared her throat hoping to locate her voice “Is that okay? I’m working on a photo journal...”

“Of?” He finally said.

She looked around the lake and then back at him. “All of this, the trees, animals, plants it’s all so beautiful.”

“Are you a photographer?”

She bit her lip, shaking her head. “Not professionally, but I can take a good photo or at least recognize them. I am—was, the manager of an art museum.” His eyebrows shot up, but it wasn’t surprise in his eyes, more like amusement.

“Mind if I take a look?”

A little surprised at his request she hesitated. “Uh–no, not at all.” He squatted down beside her as she took a few seconds to drag her eyes away from his sweat covered chest. Coming back to reality she jerked the laptop, adjusting the screen so he could see it as well. “I haven’t edited any yet, I was just sorting.” She clicked the first one of the trees she’d strolled through. “I’ll use the crop and adjust the focus to highlight a bit here and there...” Rayne stopped when he reached across her and hit the arrow key to bring up the next one. His arm was close enough that she could feel heat from it. She held her breath, waiting.

“Good eye,” he said quietly.

He was much closer than she realized, for when she turned to look at him his face was only a few inches from hers as he continued to scroll through the photos. She could smell his musky scent, mixed with sweat and had never realized until this moment that the smell held an appeal. Her heart skittered around in her chest. Glancing at his mouth, she wondered what it would be like to be kissed by him. Her eyes were still studying his lips as they turned into a half smirk. Looking back to his eyes, she felt a flush of embarrassment realizing he was watching her while she’d been staring at him.

“Do you swim?” He asked.

She raised both eyebrows at him in question, not sure how that related to the photos. “Yes.” Why is my voice so breathy? He watched her and she wanted him to, even though she didn’t know why.

“You should take some photos from the middle of the lake, you’d get some great shots.”

She nodded, not even sure she could trust her voice.

“Do you know how to canoe?” She shook her head. He smirked again. “It’s fairly simple. You just paddle and that controls the direction you travel.”

Rayne nodded again, still not wanting to speak. He had a soothing voice, she’d heard the bark too, but this—this was much more pleasant. He reached out and moved the hair back from her face with a feather light touch that she was certain happened in slow motion. Her skin tingled just from that brief contact.

“Maybe practise near the shore before you go out too far.”

She swallowed. “Okay.” He dropped his hand and she felt the loss of his touch. Watching as he straightened up slowly, she made sure to stay right where she was, not wanting to embarrass herself further.

“Enjoy the sun.” He looked up at the sky. “The storms will be here by dark.”

He continued to stand there and just look at her for a few more moments, but she couldn’t figure out what he was thinking. She knew she needed to say something. “Thank you—for everything.” Setting the laptop beside her, she knelt there at his feet looking up at him. A strange look crossed his face so briefly she wasn’t sure it was real, before he nodded and backed up a step, and then another, not looking anywhere but into her eyes. When he turned and walked the other way she felt let down.

Rayne just sat like a statue watching him walk away. She felt lightheaded and wondered if it was from the sun. Instantly she frowned, it wasn’t the sun—it had been the man. The muscles on his back twitched with each step as he moved further away. She allowed herself to look, her eyes wandering down over his jeans. She’d been right about something at least, he did have one of those cute butts that you just wanted to grab. Inhaling deeply, she then blew it out. That was one potent, sexy man. “Not what you need to be thinking about right now, Rayne,” she looked back down at the laptop and noticed he’d left it open on the picture of him in the canoe. Tilting her head to the side she studied it. It was a good picture, the distant shore in the background and the strong silent man paddling. A picture said a thousand words and these were all words she should not be contemplating. Strong, sexy, appealing, and delicious—words she needed to strike from her mind.

She needed to change the picture or look away, she forced her eyes to look at the canoe. Could I do that? He’d made it look so easy, so she knew right then that it wouldn’t be. She could do what he’d said and practice near the shore, just see if she wanted to take it out any further. Practicing with the canoe was added to her list, but not for today. Soon though. Forcing her attention back to her laptop screen, she started flipping back through the pictures.