Chapter 1
Breathing slowly, heart pounding, feet moving, chilly, moist air whooshing past her face and arms to cool her off….this was the best time of the morning. Ciara felt her feet thump along the soft dirt, her body relishing the exercise of a good, long run. There was nothing better than a run through the woods to clear one’s mind, get ready for the upcoming day. The pace wasn’t always steady but this path she’d discovered never failed to make her body sing with the effort as she raced through the trees.
Whenever worries about the future, of what might happen when she had to leave this job at the end of the week started to filter into her mind, she pushed herself harder. This wasn’t a time to worry about anything. This was her time to just be a part of nature, part of the world around her.
She was rounding a corner and saw the movement off in the distance, which was odd since normally, she was the only one out here this early. It was predawn and the horizon looked almost silvery as the sun started to break through the early morning haze.
The man she saw was…shocking! He was so impressive that she actually blinked, just to see if perhaps her mind was playing tricks on her. He literally stopped her in her tracks.
Whoa, she thought, seeing his arm and back muscles bulge as he pulled himself up the cliff’s edge. Ciara watched as….
Where had that stump come from? Looking down, she quickly regained her footing then hurriedly glanced back up towards where she’d seen the man. He was gone!
Shoot, she thought. Her eyes scanned the horizon but nothing else moved. Where had he gone so quickly?
Picking up her pace once more, she ran her usual route along the lake but she had a hard time getting back into the rhythm. And it was all because of that man! He’d been absolutely divine! Never had she seen such a perfectly formed male specimen.
Perhaps she’d just imagined him. This was a pretty remote part of the woods. The summer camp where she worked was careful about the surrounding area, going on hikes only in groups because of the potential of wild animals. The kids were normally pretty loud, scaring off any bears or other animals, but one never knew and so the staff was always careful.
But this man was out there in the distance alone.
Shaking her head, thinking she had just imagined the man pulling himself up onto the cliff, she pushed herself harder, wanting to finish her run and shower before the summer camp kids woke up. As a camp counselor, it took a lot of energy and focus to keep the kids moving in the right direction and teach them everything that the brochure promised to the parents. Between the camping, swimming, archery, arts and crafts and all the other activities, her days were never boring.
Zoran stood on the cliff, looking down at the lake. The silence and stillness of the hazy morning soothed the bitter stress of the past year. Tensions were rising between his country and its neighbors, countries that had been friendly for decades. But out here with the trees and the mountains, the soothing lake and the rising sun, things were peaceful and calm. The world was kind and gentle when he looked out upon the valley. He had one week to himself each year and he needed to absorb as much of the calm as possible before heading back to his responsibilities.
The sudden figure of a slender woman running along the edge of the lake caught his eye. She was a good runner, strong and smooth, keeping a steady pace as she dashed in and out of his sight through the trees. He stood on the edge of the cliff watching her, fascinated by the steady fall of her feet against the earth. And her body. Yes, it was her body that had captured his attention. That long, dark ponytail smacking her back, her strong legs, arms and…she turned a corner in the trail and his eyes feasted on pert breasts and a slender waist. She was
Breathing slowly, heart pounding, feet moving, chilly, moist air whooshing past her face and arms to cool her off….this was the best time of the morning. Ciara felt her feet thump along the soft dirt, her body relishing the exercise of a good, long run. There was nothing better than a run through the woods to clear one’s mind, get ready for the upcoming day. The pace wasn’t always steady but this path she’d discovered never failed to make her body sing with the effort as she raced through the trees.
Whenever worries about the future, of what might happen when she had to leave this job at the end of the week started to filter into her mind, she pushed herself harder. This wasn’t a time to worry about anything. This was her time to just be a part of nature, part of the world around her.
She was rounding a corner and saw the movement off in the distance, which was odd since normally, she was the only one out here this early. It was predawn and the horizon looked almost silvery as the sun started to break through the early morning haze.
The man she saw was…shocking! He was so impressive that she actually blinked, just to see if perhaps her mind was playing tricks on her. He literally stopped her in her tracks.
Whoa, she thought, seeing his arm and back muscles bulge as he pulled himself up the cliff’s edge. Ciara watched as….
Where had that stump come from? Looking down, she quickly regained her footing then hurriedly glanced back up towards where she’d seen the man. He was gone!
Shoot, she thought. Her eyes scanned the horizon but nothing else moved. Where had he gone so quickly?
Picking up her pace once more, she ran her usual route along the lake but she had a hard time getting back into the rhythm. And it was all because of that man! He’d been absolutely divine! Never had she seen such a perfectly formed male specimen.
Perhaps she’d just imagined him. This was a pretty remote part of the woods. The summer camp where she worked was careful about the surrounding area, going on hikes only in groups because of the potential of wild animals. The kids were normally pretty loud, scaring off any bears or other animals, but one never knew and so the staff was always careful.
But this man was out there in the distance alone.
Shaking her head, thinking she had just imagined the man pulling himself up onto the cliff, she pushed herself harder, wanting to finish her run and shower before the summer camp kids woke up. As a camp counselor, it took a lot of energy and focus to keep the kids moving in the right direction and teach them everything that the brochure promised to the parents. Between the camping, swimming, archery, arts and crafts and all the other activities, her days were never boring.
Zoran stood on the cliff, looking down at the lake. The silence and stillness of the hazy morning soothed the bitter stress of the past year. Tensions were rising between his country and its neighbors, countries that had been friendly for decades. But out here with the trees and the mountains, the soothing lake and the rising sun, things were peaceful and calm. The world was kind and gentle when he looked out upon the valley. He had one week to himself each year and he needed to absorb as much of the calm as possible before heading back to his responsibilities.
The sudden figure of a slender woman running along the edge of the lake caught his eye. She was a good runner, strong and smooth, keeping a steady pace as she dashed in and out of his sight through the trees. He stood on the edge of the cliff watching her, fascinated by the steady fall of her feet against the earth. And her body. Yes, it was her body that had captured his attention. That long, dark ponytail smacking her back, her strong legs, arms and…she turned a corner in the trail and his eyes feasted on pert breasts and a slender waist. She was
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