After changing into more hike-worthy clothes-her in a grey top on grey sweatpants and him in a no-sleeve jersey on top of drawstrings shorts, all of them in steady sneakers-they begun their hike in the woods.

Thy navigated the steep slopes and uneven terrains until they reached the road that weaved through the hills behind the cabin.

Adam's heart was pounding furiously in his chest as he run off of pure physical adrenaline, his lungs burning from the frigid winter air rushing into them.

But the biting cold only seemed to propel him as their hiking boots made swishing sounds in the snow.

"You know, for the record..." Eva's voice came from behind, ragged and grouchy, "...I accept that you are simply unbeatable but that doesn't mean the smugness should drive away your consideration. Come on, you are making me look like a chump."

Adam pasued and casted an amused glance backwards at the woman who was hellbent on them continuing the hike despite his several attempts to get them to go back to the cabin.

He wondered if he'd taunted her too much and she was doing this to prove to him that she was made of sterner stuff.

He waited for her sweating form to catch up, then made to continue the run only for her to grab his hand.

"Jeez, are your bones made of stone or something?"

Letting go off his hand, she sagged forward, bracing her hands on her knees with her breaths falling out raggedly.

"We are supposed to be doing this hike together and yet you run like we're each man for himself."

Annoyed amber eyes glared at him, and he chuckled. He looked up at the darkening sky, the remnants of the sunlight reducing gradually as the sun begun it's dip behind the horizon.

"Just admit that you give up."

"I never said I was tired." She protested, then seemed to force herself to stand straight, body heaving.

She turned and looked at how far up they'd climbed and her eyes lighted with shock. "Wow! I made it all the way up here! Told you I could do this."

At the smugness in her voice, Adam chuckled, having to admit that she'd done well. Standing at about half a foot shorter than him, she was a bundle of fortitude.

A trooper who'd sucked up all the exhaustion he knew she was feeling with grim determination. And it had been quite a while since he'd seen that quality in a woman.

"Since you claim you aren't tired, why don't we continue our jaunt?" He waggled his eyebrows, knowing she was a woman who loved challenges.

Uncertainty adorned her face for just an unguarded second before it was replaced by the same determination. "Lets go."

Shaking his head at the fierce way she'd spoken, Adam decided that she'd had enough and deliberately took a branch that lead them through a less daunting terrain, and the cabin soon came into view.

"Ah, now I see..." Eva spoke, her voice ringing with delight. "You are the one who's grown tired and that's why you so desperately wanted us to come back!"

Adam snorted, but didn't say anything, knowing it would only be considered a challenge. Even though he felt invigorated to do the hike all over again, he had to consider her tiredness despite the bold front she was putting up.

As soon as they reached the stairs, Eva dragged herself up the stairs to the porch and collapsed into the hammock, her body sprawled on the netting with one leg hanging over the side.

Adam followed up the stairs and leaned his back on the railing in front of her as her lashes drooped in exhaustion.

"God, didn't realize how much I needed this. You are a hard man to keep up with out there, Wild One."

She let out a moan, one which was way too similar to the ones his lovers made when he was deep inside them, and it was all Adam could do to hold back a grunt of sexual frustration as fire pooled in his belly.

"You did good." He said, purely as an incentive to help bolster her cofidence. "Let's just hope you don't puke here."

"Yeah, because I'm that friend of yours from the party, huh?" She asked sarcastically, fluttering her lashes lazily and making Adam wince that she'd mentioned it. Raul must've really made a pooper out of himself that night. "What was his deal anyways?"

He shrugged, then seeing she'd once again closed her eyes, said, "Alcohol has never sat too well with me, and I guess he drank too much that night."

"June was so furious. Poor girl, she had a nightmare where your friend was puking right when they were kissing."

They both laughed at that, but hers lacked the usual liltingness, and he frowned. He'd meant to give her a workout, but maybe he'd ridden her too hard, and the thought sparked a modicum of guilt.

"I'll go get you some water. Stay put."

"Do I look like I could walk even a metre? My legs feel like jell." She grunted.

Adam headed into the cabin and returned a minute later with a bottle of water for her and a cold malt drink for himself, only to find her already drifted off to sleep, lips parted slightly as she snored softly.

Perching his butt against the railing, he twisted the opening of the can and took a long swallow that acted like a balm to his parched throat.

He stared down at the woman laying sprawled in the hammock, hair lying in a messy disarray around her head.

Her lips beckoned at him temptingly, and he would've kissed her if he wasn't fairly certain she wouldn't like it considering she hadn't yet admitted her attraction to him.

He skimmed his gaze lower to the enticing rise and fall of her breasts as she took deep, even breaths.

He'd more than once noticed that she had small but firm breasts, but what she lacked up there, she made up for in the hips and booty department.

She was a beautiful woman, strikingly so, and he'd had a hard-on through most of their jaunt. If she had noticed, she hadn't said anything, but he knew he had made it more than clear to her that she enthralled him sexually and he wouldn't hesitate to fuck her the very moment she allowed herself.

But there was something about the lust he felt for her. It seemed so heated, more primal than any woman, except the one from the New Year's Eve party, had made him feel after he'd only known her for just three days.

And he was going to make sure to keep that in check, which had to begin with him seducing her to finally give in to the desire that burned so brightly in her eyes when she gazed at him.

Turning away from her to cool his stimulating thoughts, he watched the sun gradually disappear behind the horizon while drinking from his can, then headed inside to put something up for dinner.

Done cooking, he was just setting up the table with the dishes when the door creaked open.

He peered through the kitchen doorway to find Eva yawning, then wincing as she stretched, and he could only imagine how her overworked muscles had knotted while she'd been sleeping.

"Right in time." He told her as she headed for the kitchen.

"Wow." Her eyes crinkled with delight as she took in what he'd prepared. "And here I was wondering how we were going to pull through with dinner, because confession time..." She paused as if for dramatic effect. "...cooking is not my forte."

He chuckled at that and met her disapproving glare. "Of course." For some reason, he wasn't surprised.

Annoyed lashes batted at him. "Hey, I didn't say I don't know how to cook. I just said it's not where my strength lies."

"Oh, please don't put words in my mouth. I couldn't possibly." He said innocently, holding back the laughter that was tickling his throat. "In fact, I know you cook so well that the last time you boiled water, it ended up burnt."

"Huh, your believe in me is very refreshing."

The petulant pout on her face made him lose control, making the laughter rumble through him.

Once again, he found himself poleaxed at the woman's ability to make him lose himself so much when he was a man who always kept the circle tight around his friends and loved ones, never opening up to an outsider easily.

That she'd gotten him to offer to help her conquer her fears, had done so effortlessly, was enough to make a small jolt shoot up his spine.

Eva washed her hands at the sink before joining him at the table. He'd already served himself, and she proceeded to scoop some of the rice unto her plate.

"This looks so appetizing." She served herself some of the already dressed salad and finally lifted the heavy, sautéed tilapia onto her plate.

A comfortable silence settled on them as they begun eating, until halfway through the meal, he looked at her and suddenly wondered why she was truly here, whether she was doing this to prove herself to someone.

She caught him looking, and an eyebrow quirked at him. "What?"

"Why do you really want to do extreme sports? I mean apart from the fact that you want to step out of your comfort zone and have some fun."

She gazed at him thoughtly, then nodded slowly. "I guess it's because everyone thinks I'm skittish and that despite how I always put up a bold front, I'm a scaredy cat inside. That I'm too afraid of taking risks. I guess I just want to do something to prove them all wrong."

He nodded in understanding and was just about to go back to eating when she asked. "Why did you choose to be a nature photographer?"

He looked at her, having not expected that question. But he figured this was a topic he could discuss without delving into the parts of himself he'd rather keep unearthed.

"I did a photography course in highschool, and I was so good at capturing things so perfectly. The teacher considered me a natural and took me under his wings teaching me everything I needed to know about the camera." He smiled, thinking of how the teacher had shaped his life.

"And even before I finished highschool, I was doing freelance work for magazine companies and getting some money here and there. But I realize I was mostly fascinated by people and nature. Pictures of people showed so many things, and there's just something about being in the wild that's just so beautiful to capture."

"Wow, during highschool? That's some passion there."

Adam nodded. Photography at that time was the only thing that had kept him sane when everything else at home had been so chaotic.

He'd learned the imperative value of self-dependency at the tender age of twelve, a few years after his mother had walked out of his life-his brother and father's too.

His father's alcoholism had gotten out of hand, turning him into a pathetic excuse of a man. and one way or the other he'd been forced to become the breadwinner alongside his father's now meager income.

That was why he wanted to be nothing like his father was now; there was no way he was going to allow a woman enough license to turn his world upside down.

Shrugging of the raw memories waiting to consume him, Adam focused on the rest of his food. When they were both done, he turned to her, thinking of her aching muscles. "I'll do the dishes. You go take a shower."

"Hmm, is that supposed to be making me swoon at your gentlemanliness?" She asked in a teasing tone as she got up, seemingly careful enough not to incur the spite of her aching muscles. "Anyways. I think a shower is just what I need."

"You want me to join?" He asked when she turned.

She casted him an alarmed glance, eyes wide with disbelief. "Of course not, you pervert."

He chuckled, watching as she hurried out of the room. Next time, he thought confidently.

_________

How's it going? Things are going to get pretty heated from the next chapter onwards so prepare. Thank you for reading.

LOL(Lots Of Love)
-Enock