chapter 7

When Jared stepped out of the bathroom, he felt like a new man. The shock subsided somewhat under the cold water, except for a few unwanted images of Ann's naked body and sexual reactions to her touch. Her fantasy was clearly trying to fill the void because she hadn't let him do anything he'd dreamed of for so long.

But now he must take a different approach. He needs to take time for himself, to plan the best strategy to ease his defence. It's clear he hasn't gotten too far from the way he's doing now. Instead, he needs a few days to recover from the current events and make her despair for him, not vice versa.

The solution was simple, he realized as he wiped away cold drops from his skin. He needs a few days of fishing or hunting to clear his mind and prepare his strategy. Furthermore, the few days apart would probably make her desperate for his touch, at least if she continued reading his erotic novels, he would laugh to himself. Oh yes, his own fiction and imagination will help him get what he wants.

Feeling good, Jared quickly dressed and went out to get his things.

After a while of searching, Ann suddenly came across him and curiosity was evident on his face.

"What are you doing?" she asked idly.

"I'm going fishing," Jared managed to answer in the same light-hearted tone, though the scents and sounds disturbed his beginner's stability.

"Fantastic. So I go with you."

"But...you can't," Jared said immediately.

"Why not?"

"Uh...well...because it's going to be a two-day trip," Jared tried desperately at the first thing that happened to him.

"So?"

"I don't have a tent. I'll have to sleep outside."

"Sounds funny," Ann smiled at him.

Damn it, Jared thought. Since when did she suddenly become interested in outdoor activities? What happened here?

"Okay, this won't be a vacation. This trip I'm planning is going to be a tough exercise, carrying a lot of stuff and won't have any modern amenities around."

"I think that sounds interesting and I'm sure that going with a professional will make the trip much better than going it alone."

"Are you really sure? I never thought you enjoyed the outdoor life? "

" Well, I usually don't. But I thought maybe I should experience it before getting rid of it. So, when do we go? "

Jared took a deep breath and looked at her expectant face. Damn. Then he could safely bring her back to the cabin and he could finally enjoy the rest of his vacation in peace. She probably won't last long, because she doesn't know what she's putting herself in here for.

"Okay," he finally admitted. "But you need more useful clothes."

“I think Erin left something I can wear,” Ann smiled happily as she turned to look at the storage inside the cabin.

***

A little later, Ann found a pile of Cade and Erin's clothes and equipment, and with Jared's help, they sorted and found what she needed for the trip.

"I even found us a tent," Ann announced cheerfully, pointing to a package lying in front of her.

"We can't use this," Jared said abruptly.

"Why not?"

"It's just a tent for one person. It's too small."

"So? It's the only tent in the area so Cade and Erin are probably using it. What if it's big enough for them and big enough for us as well.

Jared only groaned in response as he imagined him and Ann lying side by side in the small confined tent, their parts touching and rubbing against each other. He shook his head. He could never sleep under such circumstances. Damn, why had he been convinced to bring her in in the first place? And why couldn't Cade leave him alone in the first place, and not let him be trapped here with Cade's sister?

"Okay, take it. I can still sleep under the stars."

“You don't have to, you know. We can share,” Ann smiled at her.

Sure, okay, he thought. After all, she invited him to her bed?

***

After packing up their gear for a few days, they closed the door of the hut and headed deeper into the mountains. Jared took the lead when it came to keeping an eye on his partner. Luckily, she's about the same height as Erin, Cade's wife, and the cabin is well-equipped with hiking gear. He noticed that Ann was having a hard time adjusting to the tempo, so he slowed down and made sure she followed suit. Obviously she wasn't used to walking on rough terrain, but that wasn't surprising considering what he knew about her. However, it bothered her why suddenly she wanted to experience something she had never shown interest in? She did something. It was certain. But what could it be? Despite her best efforts, she seemed to be enjoying herself and her face was brighter than he had ever seen before. She's definitely up to something and it's probably not just annoying her, even though she's done a great job at it.

***

They finally reached Jared's favorite fishing spot, the day was almost over. Ann felt tired and all the muscles in her legs seemed to be exhausted. However, it turned out much better than she had feared and she is glad it did. While Jared set up the tent, Ann was cooking their dinner on the gas stove as Jared had taught her earlier today.

She craved some food before falling asleep and resting her tired muscles. Bathing wasn't such a bad idea either, once she thought about it. The clothes wick away sweat well so she doesn't get cold while walking, but she doesn't feel very comfortable with the smell she gives off right now. Maybe she should check out Jared's explanation of how quickly his clothes dry?

Starting the next day in sweaty clothes is not something he is too fond of. Especially not when she's finally so close to Jared, she wants to feel her best. Right now she can scare both hot men and wild animals with her scent, she laughed a little.

"What's so funny?" Jared suddenly turned to her as he stared at the last tent pole on the ground.

"Can I wash my clothes?" Ann took the opportunity to ask.

"Sure. There's a spring to our left."

"Good. Then I'll try it right after dinner. "

" What's going on? "Jared smiled at him." Not used to your own sweat? "

" I'm not feeling very cool right now, no. "

" Does that matter? It is just natural. "

" I know that. But I don't have to take advantage of it anyway. "

" It's your choice, but I advise you to postpone washing your face until tomorrow. Your clothes will dry much faster in the sun.

"I'll think about it," Ann nodded.

If she had a better body, she would never have thought of washing her clothes. Jared didn't feel anything out of the ordinary, so he must have been a lot nicer than she was. He probably slowed down so she could keep up. If he had been alone, he would have been here a few hours earlier, but she loved him very well.

***

After dinner, Jared located the fishing rods he was carrying and started assembling them. As a result, some of the long bamboo segments look so thin that they will break in half if the fish is too heavy. Ann isn't sure the rods will be useful for anything, but she tries to be careful as Jared explains the concepts of fly fishing to her.

He showed her how she had to move the rod to place the fly exactly where she wanted it, but the swaying and movement were so complicated that she was sure she would catch anything. other than the fish, including myself. When the line touched her cheek, she let out a surprised voice. The sting was so sharp and unexpected that she was glad she hadn't stuck anything sharp to the end of the line.

"There must be an easier way to fish," she concluded in a slightly annoyed voice.

"Of course. But that's the most interesting thing."

"Um, I can see why with a spiky fly flying through the air without any direction or control, it must be interesting to see which part of you gets caught in the needle."

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it soon. It's a lot easier when you try it near water."

So, say, Jared picked up some stuff and took him to a quiet part of the river and advised him to give it a try after he placed a fly at the end of his line.

After a few tries, she finally touched the surface of the water and released the fly that followed the current.

"Good," Jared said. "You seem to get it. Now try to aim for the big rock over there. The fish likes to stand right next to it, resting as it moves up the stream."

"Okay, I'll try," Ann admitted as Jared made his way to another fishing hole further upstream.

Daylight begins to fade, but the night is never completely dark at this time of year, so Ann can still see every detail of the scenery around her. It's so quiet. There was only the sound of water flowing beside her and hitting various rocks while carrying small fragments with her. The night also brought lots of mosquitoes, and she felt at least a few visitors on her neck and on her arms.

She took the mosquito spray she had brought with her and applied it to every visible part of her skin. Now the bastards will get what they deserve, she smiled to herself. She was protected from now on, so now they would have to look for another unfortunate creature to steal blood. Probably Jared. But maybe he was just too used to being bitten by little vampire-like creatures.

Well, considering his muscular and muscular build, he probably wouldn't be affected by a bit of blood loss. He brought most of their gear here, and it still looks as cool as ever. The world isn't fair at all, or she desperately needs more exercise before joining Jared on his fishing expedition.

When he talked about a fishing trip, she thought he was going to walk for about half an hour. Instead, it took them about five hours. However, she can do it with additional exercise, so it's not a waste in the end.

She raised her hand and scratched her neck. Mosquito bites really annoyed him. The skin was hot to the touch, and the sensation spread to other parts of her body that had not been bitten. Or the bastards that bit her everywhere? The itch is getting worse. She tried to focus on other things, but the itch still bothered her. Her skin was growing warmer, even though the air was still cold.

Suddenly she realized something was wrong. Mosquito repellent. She applied it all over her skin and now it itches like hell. Could she have been allergic to the repellent? She found the bottle in her pocket and read the description. "May cause allergic reactions. Test on a small area of body skin first."

"Damn it," she cursed out loud. Why didn't she read the label before pouring a generous amount onto her face, arms, and neck? She must have looked like a beetroot by now if her itching was any indication. She must remove the repellant immediately.

She put her fishing gear on the grass and went down to the stream. Taking off her cap and rolling up her sleeves, she wiped every part of her body she could reach. Soon, the cold water soothed her itch and she breathed a sigh of relief that the remedy had worked. The water was so good she wanted to swim in it. But the current was too strong for her.