One of the horses snorts, reminding us they’re still here.
Noah releases me, takes hold of both horses’ reins and leads them to the water. Once they’re happily drinking, he walks toward me, leaving them to enjoy their break. “By the way, congratulations.”
“For what?”
His mouth quirks to one side. “On surviving your first ride.”
My mouth is a mirror image of his. “I haven’t made it to Charlotte’s yet. I’ll only consider it a success once my feet are firmly planted on the ground outside her stable.”
There’s still a chance I’ll die on the way back.
Lady whinnies as if to agree.
Not exactly reassuring.
He laughs. “Okay. Congratulations on your half success. What do you think of riding so far?”
I can’t help the smile that grows on my face. “I’ll admit, you were right. I’m enjoying it.”
I mentally high-five Charlotte’s memory and limp to the water’s edge.
But the limp is for a different reason this time—and it’s more pronounced.
“You okay?” Noah asks.
“I think I discovered muscles I didn’t know I had.”Hello, inner thighs. Sorry for ignoring you all this time.
If they’re achy now, I’m not looking forward to tomorrow, when I’ll be walking around like I’m still riding a horse.
“Sorry about that.”
I wave off his words. “That’s okay. I’m positive I’ll survive.” I glance behind me, at the trail we came down. It seems to be the only one leading to this small stretch of land, which is otherwise secluded. “Is the trail leading from Charlotte’s property the only one that can access this area?”
“That’s right.”
I walk to the river’s edge. “How deep is the water?”
“It depends on the time of year and where you’re standing. It’s deeper farther out.”
I remove my sneakers and socks. Noah doesn’t say anything, but I can feel the weight of his gaze on my back.
I grab the hem of my top and pull it up over my head. I fold the fabric, place it on the grassy bank just behind me, and unzip my jeans.
“Is there any reason why you’re removing your clothes?” Noah asks. He’s not laughing, but it’s lurking beneath his tone.
“I’ve never stayed in a small town before. I’ve also never skinny-dipped before.” I shimmy the denim down my legs. “I just figured now that I’ve crossed the first one off the list, I might as well work on item number two.”
I remove my jeans from around my ankles, fold them, and place them with the top on the grass.
I glance over my shoulder to see if Noah is still watching me.
He is, a predatory gleam in his eyes, but he’s no longer where I left him standing. He’s walking toward me. Butt. Naked.
His lean, muscled body is as spectacular as I remember it from last night.
“You do realize the basic premise behind skinny-dipping is the lack of clothing? And that includes your underwear,” Noah points out.
I laugh, unhooking my bra in the back. “Thanks for the clarification.” I toss it onto the ground, not paying attention to where it lands. My gaze remains locked on Noah’s face.
