Part 19 (1/2)

”Whoa, slow down here, Gina. What are you talking about? A person like you? Jasmine is the luckiest dog around. She was not only rescued, but she was rescued by you. I only wanted to make sure you'd given this some thought. It's hard to consider the cons when you have a cute little puppy in your arms. I never for a second thought you were incapable of caring for her.”

Gina shook her head and crossed her arms. ”No, come on, let's go. We can, I don't know, put an ad in the paper or something.”

Ben didn't know what was going on with Gina. All he knew was that he hated to see her looking defeated. She'd been so happy when she found the little mutt, and now she looked like Karma did when she was six and the pony she'd been given for Christmas days before had gotten out of the barn and was lost. Ben had scoured the foothills looking for the pony until he'd finally found the d.a.m.n thing. He'd been Karma's hero from that day on. He wasn't sure what he could do for Gina, especially since he didn't know what was behind her sudden about-face. Then he remembered the conversation they'd had about children and suddenly the picture was becoming clearer.

”Sorry, sweetheart, but we're not going anywhere. Gramps thinks we're on our honeymoon. How is it going to look if we come back the same day?”

Gina shook her head. ”We'll just tell him there's no running water. What are we supposed to do?”

Ben walked her into the cabin, looked over at Jasmine who was still sleeping, and checked the area around the house.

”What are you looking for?”

There was no way he was going to tell her about the occasional mountain lion sightings, not to mention the wolves in the area. He'd definitely have to slowly ease her into mountain life. ”Nothing. We still have an old-fas.h.i.+oned pump in the kitchen just in case the power goes out and we can bathe at the country club. As a matter-of-fact, we can take a run down there as soon as Jasmine wakes from her food coma. Then we can give her the bath you promised her.”

”They let you bring pets in?”

Ben shrugged. ”Sure, why not? And when we get back to town, if you still want to find a home for Jasmine, then that's what we'll do. Okay?”

From the look on her face, the last thing Gina wanted to do was give up that puppy, but for some reason she either didn't feel as if she deserved her, or perhaps she didn't trust herself to take care of anyone else. At least Ben had a few weeks to show her how wrong she was. And with a woman as hardheaded and stubborn as Gina, there was no time to waste.

While Gina went into the bedroom to unpack, Ben pumped out a pot of water and started a fire in the stove to heat it. He hadn't been in the cabin since fall of last year so an inch of dust covered every surface. He swept and dusted the front room, and once the water was warm, scrubbed down the counters and the table. With the water that was left, he mopped the floor. He'd already unpacked the food, so he took the cooler, stashed it in the car, and checked on Jasmine.

She stirred when he let the door slap shut behind him. She looked up at him, tucked her tail beneath her scrawny legs, and drank more of her water before Ben untied her. The two of them walked around the yard so she could do her business. When Gina stepped outside, Jasmine turned into a wiggly, happy puppy. She ran as fast as her little legs could take her and jumped on Gina. The two greeted each other; the puppy's tail thumped against the ground as Gina gave Jasmine her first lesson in manners.

Ben waited until the girls were through. ”Why don't I run in and get us a few towels and toiletries? We can go to the country club. I think we could all use a nice hot bath. Sound good?”

Gina pulled her tight s.h.i.+rt away from her body to examine the stains. ”Yeah, do you want to get me fresh clothes?”

”Sure.”

”I don't know what the dress code is at the country club. I didn't bring anything but jeans and the stuff you made me buy.”

Ben was back in the house before he thought to explain. Maybe it was better that way.

”This is the country club?” Gina looked down from the path she'd traversed which followed the rus.h.i.+ng Middle Fork of the Boise River and blinked her eyes. On the river's edge was a small waterfall flowing down the side of steep cliff into a pool. It looked as if G.o.d had taken a spoon and dug out the center of a gigantic boulder. The pool left behind had had to be ten feet around.

”Yeah, isn't it cool? The waterfall runs at about ninety degrees, though the pool is at a very comfortable eighty-five all year round. Come on, let's go in.”

Was he absolutely nuts? ”I didn't bring a suit.” Gina stared at the pool.

”You don't need one. I threw my fresh s.h.i.+rt on the old stump up there. It's as good as a do not enter sign. It's like putting a hanger on the outside doork.n.o.b of a college dorm room. No one will come down.”

The waterfall and pool were pretty, but really, skinny-dipping? When she turned around Ben had settled on a boulder and was pulling off his pants.

”Come on, I've got the soap.” He took Jasmine's leash from her and watched her expectantly.

”Fine, but I'm not bathing with Jasmine no matter how cute she is.”

”Don't worry, I'll take her down to the river where the tub water runs out and get her cleaned up. Hand me your shampoo.”

Gina handed it off to Ben before he took off down the path as naked as the day he was born with Jasmine trotting beside him. She couldn't complain about the view. Gina did a three hundred sixty-degree turn, checking to make sure no one else was around, before pulling her clothes off and laying them beside Ben's. She tiptoed over the worn, flat stones that looked like a manmade walk. Once she reached the pool, she climbed to the top of the boulder and dipped a toe in. Sure enough, it was warm. How it was so warm, she wasn't sure, but Ben was too busy with Jasmine to ask.

Gina sank below the surface, found a spot that served as a seat, and watched Ben try to bathe Jasmine. She wasn't sure which of them got soapier. When Ben tried to rinse Jasmine off, the puppy thought they were playing as she jumped and splashed. Ben finally dragged her out of the river and Jasmine shook her little body, splas.h.i.+ng water all over him. Amazingly, he didn't seem to mind.

Gina rested her head back against a rolled up towel, closed her eyes, soaked in the sun, and let the water soothe her.

”Jasmine is all clean.”

Gina opened her eyes to see Ben holding Jasmine against his chest. He carried her up and tied her leash to a rock. Jasmine lay in the sun on the edge of the pool watching them as Ben stepped in. He ducked under the water and floated toward Gina. ”Your turn.”

Gina felt herself being pulled under the water and dunked. She came up sputtering and wiped her eyes.

”Turn around.” She would have if he had given her half a chance. Instead, he spun her around in his arms and poured shampoo onto her hair. When she tried to wash it, he brushed her hands away and did it himself.

”I'm more than capable of was.h.i.+ng my own hair.”

”Sure, but I want to. Come on, Gina, relax. I'll be gentle.”

He pulled her back against him as he washed her hair, ma.s.saging her scalp, before moving down to her neck and shoulders. He did have great hands.

”Okay, rinse.”

She slipped under the water, ran her hands through her hair, and surfaced before slicking her hair out of her eyes.

Ben watched, holding a bar of soap in his hands. ”Now we get to the fun part.”

”You're right.” She took the soap from him and lathered his chest, running her hands through his chest hair, sliding over his nipples, and up to his strong shoulders.

Ben stepped down into the center of the pool. Gina wrapped her arms around his neck and held on. Since he was tall enough to stand in the center and she wasn't, her legs slipped around his waist. He dunked them and came up kissing her. Gina forgot all about the soap as she explored his mouth.

The man could kiss. He started slowly, nibbling her lips, teasing her with the tip of his agile tongue, and when she couldn't take it anymore, she sucked his tongue into her mouth. Their tongues tangled, breath mingled, and hearts pounded. Ben set her back on the shelf she'd lounged on earlier as his mouth traveled down her neck to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. One kiss had her pressing her thighs together and wanting to do just the opposite. She rested her head back against the towel, as she floated on the sea of sensation he created with his mouth, hands, and body. His erection rubbed the inside of her thighs as he tortured her. What the man could do with his mouth was worthy of a Tony at the very least. Gina's breath grew choppy as she pulled him closer with her legs. ”Are you sure no one will come down here?”

”Hmmm?” He kissed her neck before nibbling on her earlobe. ”Positive.”

His erection slid between her legs and over her folds as she grabbed a hold of him. ”Do you have a condom?”

”Right behind you.”

”I love a man who's always prepared.”

She slipped off the shelf and grabbed the condom. ”Here, let me.” Ripping open the packet, she pushed Ben back against the seat, and rolled the condom down.

Ben pulled her onto his lap, straddling him.