Sierra Nevada (XXX)

1

Footsteps and Heartbeats

I sat, facing the setting sun, cross-legged on the rock with my guitar tucked in my lap mindlessly humming the lyrics to the little tune I was playing. It was one of my favorites. I heard the shuffle of feet behind me. It scared me to the bone, but I didn't stop playing until I struck a string wrong. I pretended to check her tune and adjusted the knife sitting beside me, putting it quite a bit closer to my reach. Then continued playing. The foot shuffled again, this time much closer and to my right, between my tent and me. The fire was low but in front of me. I'd be able to see the face of the person if I turned to look. I could feel my nerves bunch as more sound escaped my stranger. I was alone, that much was true, but I was not unarmed. I had gone out believing that my wits, my skill and my presence of mind would be enough. I was prepared to sacrifice my guitar if I needed. Intuition told me to speak.

"You lost?" I called out boldly with all the confidence I didn't feel in my heart.

"Hardly" came the reply. I instantly recognized the timber of that voice and damn near broke a string. "Are you?"

"That's not likely." I said fighting to keep my voice calm with every syllable I uttered. He moved into my field of vision. He was a vision. I seriously thought I was imagining the whole damn thing.

But before me stood one of the few people in the world that could still rattle my chains. His smile nearly knocked me off my rock, not that I hadn't seen it up close before but rather that it was directed at me and I hadn't paid for it. His eyes were twice as brilliant under the fiery hues of the sun as it prepared to set than they had any right to be. He laid those eyes on me and inside I turned to complete goo.

"No?" He questioned raising a brow and smiling. I watched the light of recognition hit those eyes. He covered his surprise as I tried to cover mine, but he'd had so much more practice. I sat stunned and just looked him up and down. He had a pack slung over his back, his guitar in its case in his other hand, a flannel on, under his jacket, of course, black skinny jeans, naturally, and brown hiking boots that had definitely seen some wear. When my eyes met his he was smiling rather smugly. I wanted to hurl my guitar at him.

"Do you do that to everyone you meet or is it just me?" He asked as he leaned his guitar against the other rock in my campsite and shrugged out of his pack. I watched him incredulously while he made himself at home.

"What I don't get a hug this time?" He pouted and I wanted to drop kick him. I must have given him my classic What the fuck? expression because he withdrew from me rather hastily.

"I'm sorry." He said shoving his hands nervously in his pockets and shuffling his feet in the dirt. DAMN DID HE HAVE TO BE SO FREAKIN CUTE?

"It's just you look like someone I met once." He looked at the fire then at his discarded gear. I figured I had better start speaking or he was going to go away feeling rejected.

"You're not wrong." I finally threw at him. My pitch came out all wrong.

"But I didn't expect you to remember it." If fangirling was something I didn't want to do I was failing hard at it. I swallowed hard and sat up straight. "It's just I didn't expect to run into you," I paused for a moment not sure of what to say but eventually I vomited out something random and stupid and followed it up with, "much less anyone out here."

"Yeah, kinda totally random. I thought I'd be alone out here this time of year. I'm Avriel Kaplan. But you know that." He said and he reached out his hand. We didn't need a formal introduction, well I didn't. I knew who he was. I wondered if he knew my name.

"Michelle, right, or do you go by Shelly?"

FUCK! I scrambled to keep my seating while he smiled and laughed. I had never heard his laughter before, not like that and I never seen those green eyes shine quite so brightly.

"Relax, I didn't read it, well there was a lot I didn't read." His smile was relaxed and bright.

"Here let me take that." He took my guitar out of my numb hands before I could drop it and propped it next to his. It was the only barrier between us and he casually took it away. I took his offered hand, found it to be warm rather than cold, and stood up, my hunting knife landed, tip first, next to my foot in the dirt. He let his eyes wander over me twice, just as I had done to him, and opened his arms for that hug.

"I won't bite cha." His eyes told me he was lying, but I stepped into his open arms anyhow. As he held me I wondered what kind of man he really was, when he wasn't doing what he did for a living and doing it in public. I began to wonder if he was as kind and honest as he seemed to be? And I became acutely aware that we were alone in the wilderness too. His hands remained neutral on my back, but he pulled me closer than he had when I met him. He tucked his face closer to my neck and held on longer, taking several deep breaths to match the ones I took to try and calm my nerves.

My senses kicked in, he smelled like the out of doors we were standing in, fresh and clean, with just a hint of man that was more pleasing than anything I had smelled in a long, long time. He was warm and strong and for some reason, I felt very safe in his arms. I relaxed into him and sighed. He was way too comfortable to cling to. He also didn't seem to mind. He sighed into my neck. His breath was hot and his beard made me wiggle out of his arms.

"Tickles." I giggled at him and he blushed and chuckled. Our cheeks matched.

"Do you prefer Avriel or can I call you Av?"

"Av?" He questioned before he sat down.

"Hmmmm?" He superfrowned while he mulled it over. OH JESUS THAT'S NATURAL?

"You can."