Silver Mine by Vivian Arend

real. Shelley drank some of her water and pretended not to be checking him out as he stretched his arms.
    Biceps that didn’t bulge so much as just scream competency and power. The curls of hair visible at the top button of his shirt—memories of dragging her fingers through that thick mat were far too clear.
    And with shifter senses, there was no way he was unaware of her involuntary physical response.
    His habitual silence became a blessing as he grabbed her pack and lifted it for her, that damn grin saying more than words could have.
    The fourth time they stopped the scent lingering around her was making her ache. The heat of the sun had increased as they rose above the tree line, crossing through the low point of a mountain pass, and everything around them became more intense. The fragrance of her own body. The potent aroma that screamed Chase, which constantly poked and prodded her. Shelley kept moving forward in the hope she could stay ahead of the fragrance and remove the dire need to drool.
    “Last stop,” Chase called.
    He had chosen a clearing by the edge of a small pond, a pristine waterfall trickling down the mountain face into the rockbound pool. Shelley removed her pack with relief, holding in the groans she’d have liked to utter.
    She was far from out of shape, but doing an hour-long workout a day was nothing compared to the nonstop marathon they’d nearly completed.
    Still, she couldn’t complain about the scenery. The verdant green around them was a part of the northern colour-scape for such a short time of the year. It was incredible to be right out in the middle of the crisp newness. They munched yet another small, high-calorie snack while silently examining the view around them. The constant murmur of the water synchronized with the constant pulse of her blood as her heart rate slowed, and she returned to a state of tranquility.
    Then Chase pulled off his shirt, and she wasn’t nearly as serene anymore. And when he rose and stepped behind her, pressing his hands onto her shoulders, the groan she’d managed to withhold earlier burst free.
    Chase laughed. “You’ve done well. Nearly there.”
    He massaged a little harder, manipulating the muscles until they relaxed.
    Shelley squeezed out the words. “You do that for too long, and I won’t be able to bear putting the pack on again.”
    His hands kept moving, but he paused before he spoke. “You done in? Want to camp here?”
    Tempting and yet not. “I can do one more hour, but it’s up to you. Whatever you think is best.”
    He didn’t answer with anything other than five more minutes of rubbing. She was too busy enjoying every second to worry about how turned on she was, with his half-naked body right behind her, pressing so close at moments that his chest brushed her. She wished she were half-naked again herself, to feel the caress of his heat, the slick of skin on skin.
    Bad Shelley. Bad idea.
    Chase squeezed one final time then tugged her arm to help her rise. Now that her shoulders weren’t screaming in pain, her thighs and calves loudly called out their protests. Mixing in the instant images she got of Chase massaging those aches away?
    Her face must have been beet-red, but there was nothing she could do about it or the very apparent scent of her aroused body.
    Damn wolf senses, anyway.
    Shelley made it to her feet and smiled sheepishly at Chase. “Thank you.”
    He nodded, his expression unreadable, although she didn’t think he was mad. Maybe she was driving him as crazy as he was making her.
    She turned and bent to gather the few items she’d dropped to the ground. Chase moved forward at the same moment, and somehow they bumped and she lost her balance, tipping backward, arms flailing. There was a blur of limbs, and moment of being suspended in midair, then an icy-cold sensation enveloped her as she landed squarely in the tiny pond.
     
    Shelley screamed as she landed, and Chase rushed forward to help her. It was terrible that