Feral Read Free Page A

whether he had ever come back yesterday. He had so few things in it, it was hard to tell.
    Then, in the distance, she heard his by now familiar barking. She jumped from the lean-to and headed off into the trees, not sure from which direction the sound had come. She stilled and listened carefully. If she concentrated, she thought she heard the sound of running water. There was a good-sized stream around here somewhere, she knew. She closed her eyes and tried to visualize the map.
    When the barking came again, she followed the sound, pushing aside branches and scratching herself in the process. After several minutes of tramping off-trail, she found herself on the low bank of a clear mountain stream. He was in the water, his back to her, the water up to his waist. His animal skin outfit was neatly laid out on a rock.
    Julianne quickly unbuttoned her blouse, stepped out of her jeans and underwear and waded into the stream. The water sent a knifing stab of cold straight up into her chest.  He turned at the sound of her splashing. She held her breath for a moment, uncertain of his reaction. Did he want to see her again? Would he run away today? He watched her as she waded closer to him, his eyes roving up and down her body, taking in her breasts, her hips, the nip of her waist.
    Then he smiled, the first smile Julianne had witnessed from him. His teeth flashed white in the late morning sun while he waited patiently for her to reach him. She waded through the water, the cold stream flowing between her legs, a sensation she found arousing.
    She watched his face cautiously, trying to read what was going on behind those dark eyes, and waiting for his gaze to drop down to her breasts. If he'd been any other man, that would have happened immediately. It was hard not to notice that her breasts were rippled with gooseflesh and her nipples drawn up into tight little nubs by the combination of cold water and air.
    But his eyes didn't stray from hers. He seemed to be trying to read her mind as much as she wanted to read his. His calm demeanor let Julianne relax. She had wanted so badly to see him today. Still, the hike here had been one long exercise in worry and regret and anticipated disappointment. He'd been startled by her yesterday—and by his body's reaction to her—and she didn't want a repeat of that. 
    He looked tenderly down at her as he stroked her hair with a wet hand, an act she interpreted as an apology. She allowed him to stroke her hair for several minutes, before pulling his hand down and covering her mouth with it, kissing his palm. He closed his eyes, as a low moan rolled up from his chest. The sound unleashed a wave of warmth in her own body, a flush that spread from her neck all the way down to her hips.
    The urge to slide his hand down her neck and place it over her breast was overwhelming. Normally, she had no problem going months without sex if there was no one around she was interested in. Julianne wasn't boy crazy by any stretch of the imagination. But suddenly her body was all aching need, every inch of her skin howling to be touched.
    She was seconds away from winding her arms around his neck and pressing her ravenous body hard against his when he playfully flicked some water at her. She jumped back in surprise. His barking laugh vibrated like a tuning fork deep in her abdomen.
    They played in the water this way for awhile, chasing and splashing, but careful not to touch each other. It was the most fun Julianne had had in she couldn't remember how long. To be outside, beneath a canopy of green treetops, in a sparkling clear stream and with a damn near perfect specimen of man—she'd been right to take this internship, that was for sure. Even if she still didn't know the perfect specimen's name. At this point, she wasn't sure he even had a name. She might have to christen him herself.
    By the time, Julianne stopped to catch her breath, her skin was pink and her teeth beginning to chatter from the cold water. He