I tunneled my fingers into his hair and tugged him closer, needing his touch. He crashed his lips to mine and swiped his tongue across my bottom lip. Moaning, I opened to him, and his kiss turned ravenous. He sucked on my tongue and slipped his hands around my waist to my ass. I moaned again, and his erection pulsed against my belly.
He hooked his hands under my ass and lifted me. Instinctively, I wrapped my legs around him and pressed my boobs against his chest. He ground his erection against my pussy, the move stealing my breath.
His kiss was like a wildfire—all-consuming—a spark igniting the kindling between us. He explored my mouth, his tongue dueling with mine as he thrust his hips against me over and over. His hardness made me wet, memories of that thick shaft sliding in and out of me adding fuel to the already out-of-control blaze burning inside me.
Both he and Jacques had made it clear this morning that they wanted more, but within moments, we’d been frantically getting dressed and dashing for the lifts. I thought things might have changed. But the way Trav owned me now left me in no doubt that I’d be sleeping with him again.
Trav eased me down, then pulled back, stepping away from me suddenly. Our chests heaved, and I rubbed my legs together, desperate for friction on my clit again.
He groaned. “Fuck, if you keep doing that….” He huffed out a breath and not so discreetly adjusted himself. “I’m taking you riding.”
***
Trav was right. Hazel was a sweetheart. Gentle and patient, she followed Trav and his big chestnut horse no matter how tightly I held the reins and jerked her head when I was freaking out.
We approached a stream that had flooded over a dip in the trail we were taking. My heart beat at a frenetic pace, and my breaths turned short. But Travis didn’t hesitate, guiding his horse down the undulating embankment.
“No, wait,” I called out to him as Duke, his horse, went to step into the water.
Trav turned, lowered his sunglasses, then squinted at me. “It’s okay. Just let Hazel navigate through it.”
“If it’s flooded, forget it,” I said, repeating the mantra we’d grown up with on the Gold Coast. Storms in South East Queensland were nothing to scoff at, and when our roads flooded, only idiots risked crossing them. Why was he taking his horse through it?
“This isn’t flooded,” he responded, his brows furrowed and his lips turned down in a frown. “It’s just a little stream—perfectly safe to cross. If you bring Hazel closer and toss me her reins, I’ll lead her through with Duke.”
I hadn’t realized I was pulling on the reins so tightly that Hazel had stopped walking. I eased off and clicked my tongue like Trav had shown me, and Hazel began her descent to the waterline. She was slower than Duke, probably understanding just how freaking nervous I was getting down there.
When I came alongside Trav, he took the reins and nudged Duke forward. I held the saddle in a white-knuckled grip while the horses navigated the water. They did it easily, not even getting their knees wet. But I was a nervous wreck.
“Do we have to come back this way?” I asked, a tremble in my voice.
Trav reached over and covered my hands with his. The warmth seeped through me, and I let go of the saddle to interlace my fingers with his. He held my hand, giving me a moment to get my confidence back. His silent support was exactly what I needed. He’d pushed my boundaries, getting me to do something that I’d balked at, but he made me feel safe and cared for. When I squeezed his fingers, he gestured back to the stream with a tilt of his head and finally answered my question.
“We do, but first there’s a swimming hole I want to take you to. We can go skinny-dipping before we head back.” He wiggled his eyebrows, a wicked grin tilting his lips up.
I giggled, and he passed me Hazel’s reins.
I looked around at the towering trees, palms, and ferns as well as the deep blue of the sky overhead and marveled at the beauty of this place. It really was an oasis tucked away in the fringes of the desert. We led the horses around the trees, following the stream deeper into the property.
“You said before that you all moved here after Jacques was drafted by the Seals. Does that mean there’s more roommates besides you and Jacques?”
Trav nodded and grinned. “Rusty’s here too. He was Jacques’s roomie in college. We decided to stay together when we finished.”
“So you can all hang shit on each other.” I smiled and shook my head. They must be close to have decided to stay together.
Trav laughed hesitantly, the sound slightly confused. “I don’t know what hang shit on each other is. No kink shaming here, but I might pass on scat play.”
“Oh!” I giggled. “Ew! Sorry, I meant that you each have stories about what one another got up to at college. You can dish the dirt.”
Trav grinned and tilted his head in thought. “There were lots of drunken frat parties. Usually, though, it was Jacques rescuing me while Rusty held up the wall.” He huffed out a laugh, and his cheeks turned pink. “Let’s not get into those. I’m a responsible adult who does adulty things.”
“Like gets drunk and goes along with the even drunker girl’s suggestion to marry his best friend.”
Trav barked out a laugh and pointed at me. “At least it wasn’t my idea!”
“Let me guess, you would have done it skydiving?”
“Nah. Maybe naked skydiving, though. Wanna do it with me?”
