She purses her lips, drawing in a tiny, shocked breath before catching herself. It’s adorable. But the flush of her cheeks and how she tenses on top of me lets me know I need to pump the brakes.
I flirt, “You’re not fluffy cute. You’re heart-pounding, head-spinning, knee-shaking, hot-as-a-rocket gorgeous.”
She starts to pull away from me, and I urge her gently to stay. I love the feel of her soft warm body pressed against mine,and I’m not ready to give it up yet. “What’s wrong, sugar? Am I moving too fast for you?”
She shakes her head. “No, but I’m too heavy to lie on you like this. I don’t want to crush you.”
“Crush me? Do I look like a crushed man to you?” I drawl lazily, pulling her up my body further, closing the distance to her irresistible lips that taste like barbecue, beer, and a catalog of the fantastic things about tonight.
“No,” she says without an ounce of guile. “You don’t look like a crushed man. You look like a happy one.”
“Damn right,” I declare, tilting my head to kiss her, finally taking the invitation to suck on her sexy lower lip before leaning my head back to take in the result—heavy panting, flushed cheeks, dilated eyes. Things get quiet and serious between us, and my heart races as I wonder what she wants me to do next.
Faith answers my unspoken question by relaxing into me and resting her head on my chest. I breathe in her honeysuckle scent, concentrating hard to keep my cock on standby rather than attack mode. My body has a mind of its own. I don’t want to give her the wrong impression, though.
Honestly, I’m thanking my lucky stars for the chance to hold her in my arms beneath a flawless, light-free starry sky. This is more than I could have ever hoped for when I walked into the feed store this afternoon, and so much better than a drunken night out with the boys at Stonie’s. They’re my crew and brothers to the end, but that doesn’t mean they make the best drunks.
“These stars are something, aren’t they, Faith? I feel like I can see the whole Milky Way from here.”
She turns her head, looking up. “Wow. They’re incredible. It’s amazing how small and insignificant everything seems in comparison to this sky.”
“Yeah, I read somewhere that most of the stars you can seewith the naked eye are something like ten thousand light years away. That means the light we see today from them is ten thousand years old.”
“Seriously? That’s insane.” She shakes her head. “It’s comforting knowing that no matter where we go on the planet, we’re covered by the same stars and moon. Even when you’re gone for fire season, I can look up at the night sky and know you’re seeing the same thing.”
The smoke’s usually too thick for that, especially when we’re digging direct lines on the fire’s edge. But I don’t tell her that.
Instead, I say, “That’ll be our thing, staring up at the same sky and thinking about each other.” It’s what I want more than anything. To know Faith’s at home waiting for me to return. I want to believe more than anything that it could be like that between her and me, but only time will tell.
Looking down at her forearm, resting on my chest, I notice goosebumps. “Are you getting cold?”
“A little.”
“In that case, it’s time for the hot springs and dessert. But first, I’ll pull out the blankets and start a fire. Sound good?”
“Dessert?” Even in the twilight, her face glows red.
I grab the brown paper bag sitting next to the beer and shake it. “I told you I got snacks. Sweet snacks.”
Her face lights up. “I like how you think, Travis Cartwright.”
I don’t feel like I can fit another thing in my stomach, but my mouth’s watering, too. I’ve been exercising and eating clean for fire season, which means the chances of me killing for a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup are extremely high.
Faith asks, “Can you bring my purse back with you from the car? I should text Birdie, so she doesn’t worry about me.”
I’m back in a few minutes, breathing like I’ve climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. The thought of undressing and getting inthe hot springs with Faith has me all tied in knots. I don’t expect anything more than a mostly innocent dip. But being in such close proximity to her more or less naked body makes my hands shake.
Dropping the blankets and bag of candy near the rock by the hot springs, I hurry to get the fire going before dusk turns to dark. Faith grabs her phone, and I see her typing away. I long to know what she’s telling her sister, but there’s no way I can see her screen from my location.
Instead, I text my brothers in the Rough & Ready Hotshots, breaking the news I won’t make it out tonight. I get a little ribbing from Rojas, but I’d wager he and the rest of the crew are already three sheets to the wind.Not how I want to spend my night.
Soon, flames lick up the sides of the wood I’ve stacked in a tepee formation. I look at Faith for a long moment. She stands near me now, and her lips look extra pink and swollen from making out.
“You ready?” I ask, trying to sound matter-of-fact. But my voice cracks. If she notices, she doesn’t let on.
I cross the distance to the edge of the hot springs and hurry out of my clothes, feeling Faith’s eyes glued to me the whole time. Their heat sears my flesh as I remove my T-shirt before replacing my cowboy hat and removing my jeans and socks. I hear a sharp gasp behind me as I pull down my gray boxer briefs, tossing them atop my clothes pile. I’ve got my back towards her, and glancing over my shoulder, I catch her staring at my ass.
Grabbing my cowboy hat, I put it over my junk before turning to her and inviting, “Come in however you’d like. But I’d rather not wait all night for my clothes to dry.” Her eyes never leave the cowboy hat, and her cheeks stain when I let it fall one flirtatious second before turning.
