My stomach twists, mouth going dry as I consider whether I want to share this part of me with him. It’s not some big secret or anything, but it is diving into a part of my life I typically avoid thinking about if I can help it.What the hell…
“At the house I shared with my ex-husband, there was a creek running through a part of the property,” I explain. “When we first bought the house, I built a porch swing near the water, and I loved goin’ out there in the evenings during the summer.”
“With your ex?” Hollis asks.
Shaking my head, I say, “That was always a place just for me. Trent wasn’t much of an outdoorsy type of guy. His idea of relaxing was in his recliner in front of the television, with a beer in his hand.”
The mention of Trent reminds me that our final court hearing is coming up. I’m almost free of all of this, and the process has been…easy. Almost painfully so, considering how much time and heartache this marriage took from me, but I’m almost there.
“How boring.” Hollis huffs. “I’ve always loved the outdoors more than anything.”
“Me too.”
“Is that why you take your crew campin’ every year?” I feel the weight of his gaze on the side of my face. I meet it, and nod.
“Yeah. I used to camp all the time as a teenager with my grandfather. Right on the lake, or at the creek. We’d wake up with the sun, spend the mornin’ fishin’. I love it, but Trent couldn’t stand the idea of campin’, and I wasn’t about to go alone.” I pause, before adding, “Well, that, and it’s affordable for everybody.”
“And I’m there,” he says, a flirty smirk curving his lips. “That’s an obvious plus too.”
I huff a laugh. “You sure do love yourself, don’t ya?”
“What’s not to love?” Hollis leans in closer, his shoulder brushing with mine. “I mean, you clearly don’t hate the idea of me. Isn’t that right, Cap?”
There’s something in the way he calls me that, that makes my blood heat every single time, and I don’t understand it. People all day, every day call me Cap, and it’s whatever. I don’t even bat an eye, but with him… It’s flirty and suggestive, and I really shouldn’t enjoy it as much as I do. Especially when Hollis is just flirty by nature. I’m over here, overthinking every interaction we’ve had since we went camping, trying to tell myself it meant nothing, or that it was a mistake, and that we can’t do it again, while he probably hasn’t even thought twice about it. I’m sure Hollis flirting with me, or sleeping with me, doesn’t mean anything in his eyes. That’s probably a normal night of the week for him.
“I don’t know about that,” I tease, playfully jabbing him in the arm with my elbow. “I definitely enjoyed you suckin’ my cock because at least then you weren’t talkin’.”
Throwing his head back, Hollis laughs, the sound sending a wave of goosebumps down my arms. “Sure, we’ll go with that. Although, I didn’t see any complaints when you fucked me either, and I definitely talked then.”
“Just because my dick tolerates you doesn’t mean I do.”
The truth is, Hollis fascinates me. He’s my opposite in almost every way, and I can’t help but be intrigued by him. This rugged cowboy who doesn’t give a fuck what anybody thinks about him. Hollis is who I probably would’ve been if it weren’t for my father or my ex-husband. He’s who I would’ve been if people who were supposed to love me didn’t tear me down.
“You’re a terrible liar,” he drawls.
Neither of us are looking at each other, both our gazes on the sun setting along the horizon—and he wasn’t wrong about the views here—but my pulse thrums from his proximity. I haven’t felt this exhilarating type of rush in years. Like high school jitters.
“Can I ask you somethin’, Cap?” he asks after a few moments.
“Go for it.”
“Was I the first person you’ve been with since your husband?”
Iglance over at him, my brows pinched. “Yeah. Thought that was pretty obvious from things we talked about on the app.”
“Yeah, that’s what I figured, but you never outright said that.”
“Why do you ask?”
Hollis shrugs. “Just curious, I guess. I’ll be honest…” He meets my gaze, something akin to amusement dancing in his eyes. “We really shouldn’t have done any of what we did, with you bein’ Remi’s boss and all.”
“Ya don’t say?” I drawl with a chuckle.
Huffing a laugh, he continues. “But we shouldn’t stop.”
“Is that right?” He nods, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “And why is that?”
“Oh, come on, Cap.” Hollis sucks on his teeth. “We’re incredibly sexually compatible, and we’ve had fun. Right?”
