Read Online Slade (BBW Bear Shifter Moonshiner Romance) (120 Proof Honey Book 5) by Becca Fanning - Free Book Online
Authors: Becca Fanning
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“Directions to driver’s ed, perhaps?”
Karina bit the inside of her cheek, choosing to smile away the insult as she turned to face Reinicke again. He was considerably taller than her, nearly a whole head and shoulders, and almost twice as broad. She found herself looking at his muscular chest, where a smattering of brown hair was peeking out through the gap in an undone button.
“Sloppy,” she said, pointing at it at once.
That got his goat, and Reinicke adjusted his shirt at once. His clothes seemed just slightly too small for him, his muscles bulging everywhere. Karina did her best not to give him a deliberate once-over, despite his impressive frame. She looked at his face, which was flushed with a hacked off look, and she smiled at him again. Reinicke set his jaw tightly, and his eyes washed over Karina’s body. She felt that twist in her gut again as she watched him, watching her.
“You’re camping out north?” he asked dryly. “Really?”
Perhaps it did look odd for a short half-Latina girl to be carrying a backpack that was almost her own size. But Karina hiked the bag up proudly and stood as tall as she could manage. Who was this guy to tell her what she could and couldn’t do?
“Obviously,” she answered.
“Have you ever hiked before?” he added.
The second phrase was less insulting, and he had less of the bite in his tone. It was a genuine question, and one that Karina had asked herself that very morning.
“Sure I have,” she lied at once. “Tons of times.”
“But not here?” Reinicke said, and it almost wasn’t a question. “Somehow, I think I’d remember seeing you if you had.”
She heard what he was driving at in the way his tone went flat at the end of the sentence. If he’d been talking to someone else that way, Karina might have found that wry humor amusing. Reinicke spoke his mind, at least. There was no falseness to him. Yet every time he opened his mouth, Karina felt her temper shoot up like a rocket. He was bad for her stress levels, and she needed to get away from him as soon as possible.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get started before the hottest part of the day sinks in,” she said briskly.
It was total bullshit, derived from what she’d overheard him warn the others about, and to her surprise he seemed to buy it. Karina began to stride through the visitor’s hut, towards the open door at the other end where the wilds of nature awaited. She was nervous, quaking inside and a little off-kilter from her second run-in with Reinicke, but she knew she had to do this. It was a test of herself, to see if she could live without the lifestyle she’d been buried in for so long.
“Hey, just one second!”
She heard Reinicke’s footsteps thump up to her before she turned. Some of the sternness had fallen from his face, making him look his true, youthful age. Before she could protest, he shoved something into her hand. Karina looked down to find it was a small, blocky radio, stamped with the seal of the Fairhaven Rangers.
“It’s a courtesy,” Reinicke said simply, “for people who aren’t familiar with the territory.”
“And this calls who, exactly?” Karina challenged.
“Me,” Reinicke replied. “I’m here in the day and at the mountain outpost all night.”
“I really don’t think I’ll need it,” she began to say, but Reinicke shook his head.
“I’m afraid I have to insist. It’s the rules.”
He was so proper, so stiff and unmovable. Karina tucked the radio into her pocket with a reluctant sigh.
“Don’t hang by the phone for my call or anything,” she teased.
Reinicke gave a little scoff.
“Believe me, I have better things to do,” he shot back.
And on that note, Karina Vasquez left the visitor’s hut to begin the adventure she’d always wanted to have.
Hiking was hard. Karina had known it would be a challenge for her, but as the hours went by, she realized that she was definitely out of
Karina bit the inside of her cheek, choosing to smile away the insult as she turned to face Reinicke again. He was considerably taller than her, nearly a whole head and shoulders, and almost twice as broad. She found herself looking at his muscular chest, where a smattering of brown hair was peeking out through the gap in an undone button.
“Sloppy,” she said, pointing at it at once.
That got his goat, and Reinicke adjusted his shirt at once. His clothes seemed just slightly too small for him, his muscles bulging everywhere. Karina did her best not to give him a deliberate once-over, despite his impressive frame. She looked at his face, which was flushed with a hacked off look, and she smiled at him again. Reinicke set his jaw tightly, and his eyes washed over Karina’s body. She felt that twist in her gut again as she watched him, watching her.
“You’re camping out north?” he asked dryly. “Really?”
Perhaps it did look odd for a short half-Latina girl to be carrying a backpack that was almost her own size. But Karina hiked the bag up proudly and stood as tall as she could manage. Who was this guy to tell her what she could and couldn’t do?
“Obviously,” she answered.
“Have you ever hiked before?” he added.
The second phrase was less insulting, and he had less of the bite in his tone. It was a genuine question, and one that Karina had asked herself that very morning.
“Sure I have,” she lied at once. “Tons of times.”
“But not here?” Reinicke said, and it almost wasn’t a question. “Somehow, I think I’d remember seeing you if you had.”
She heard what he was driving at in the way his tone went flat at the end of the sentence. If he’d been talking to someone else that way, Karina might have found that wry humor amusing. Reinicke spoke his mind, at least. There was no falseness to him. Yet every time he opened his mouth, Karina felt her temper shoot up like a rocket. He was bad for her stress levels, and she needed to get away from him as soon as possible.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get started before the hottest part of the day sinks in,” she said briskly.
It was total bullshit, derived from what she’d overheard him warn the others about, and to her surprise he seemed to buy it. Karina began to stride through the visitor’s hut, towards the open door at the other end where the wilds of nature awaited. She was nervous, quaking inside and a little off-kilter from her second run-in with Reinicke, but she knew she had to do this. It was a test of herself, to see if she could live without the lifestyle she’d been buried in for so long.
“Hey, just one second!”
She heard Reinicke’s footsteps thump up to her before she turned. Some of the sternness had fallen from his face, making him look his true, youthful age. Before she could protest, he shoved something into her hand. Karina looked down to find it was a small, blocky radio, stamped with the seal of the Fairhaven Rangers.
“It’s a courtesy,” Reinicke said simply, “for people who aren’t familiar with the territory.”
“And this calls who, exactly?” Karina challenged.
“Me,” Reinicke replied. “I’m here in the day and at the mountain outpost all night.”
“I really don’t think I’ll need it,” she began to say, but Reinicke shook his head.
“I’m afraid I have to insist. It’s the rules.”
He was so proper, so stiff and unmovable. Karina tucked the radio into her pocket with a reluctant sigh.
“Don’t hang by the phone for my call or anything,” she teased.
Reinicke gave a little scoff.
“Believe me, I have better things to do,” he shot back.
And on that note, Karina Vasquez left the visitor’s hut to begin the adventure she’d always wanted to have.
Hiking was hard. Karina had known it would be a challenge for her, but as the hours went by, she realized that she was definitely out of
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