“So…” she carries on after a few more bites, “…are you like a millionaire or something? If so, why bother doing camp? If you don’t mind me asking,” she adds, suddenly sheepish hearing her own questions spoken out loud.
I chuckle to myself and shake my head a little. “That’s a good question and no I don’t mind you asking. You can ask me anything Tess, I mean that.” I say, really meaning it. Half-wishing she’d ask me something more along the lines of whether or not I think we should just get down to the business hanging in the air between us, but she’s too polite for that.
“I don’t have to worry about money, that’s for sure but I do camp because I love it. I’ve been coming up here since I was a kid and one day…”
I trail off, noticing the time already.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Tessa
“And one day? I ask him, noticing him looking at his watch suddenly, making a face.
“Sorry, Tess,” he says, brushing his hair back with one hand casually.
“…And one day I’d like my kids to come up here,” he says, his eyes suddenly burning into mine, like he’s telling me a thousand things without words.
Like he’s dropping a huge hint.
“Are you late for something?” I ask him, feeling sleepy from all the food and just the day so far.
“I forgot to mention, when you first showed up. We have a little job to do, just a four mile round trip up the bluff and back. I need to check on one of the radio towers out there, it’s not registering a signal from down here.”
“Four miles?” is all I can say.
That’s a long walk after the side of beef I just ate.
“I think I’ll just hang here, Sean. I do feel pretty tired and-”
But he’s not having it.
“I’m not leaving you here alone Tessa. I mean it. If I have to carry you up that damned hill I will, now c’mon. We have a job to do here and I won’t have my gir-… err… I mean. I won’t have my staff not taking part. What sort of example would that set?”
I heard what he just said, even though he corrected himself, I heard him fine just now.
My heart leaps and I feel like I could fly up a mountain side with Sean after hearing him say that.
Really? He called me his girl? Even though he corrected himself.
He still said it!
I stifle my squeal of delight and despite feeling so full I could just curl up and sleep, I readily agree to anything Sean suggests, including helping him with the dishes before we go.
“It’s getting late, but if we hustle, have a brisk hike, we should make it back in time for dinner,” he tells me, but all I can hear is the echo in my mind of my new two favorite words from his lips.
My girl…
Sean washes and I dry, standing next to him and watching his shoulders, arms and chest flexing so much even just from doing the dishes gives me suds of my own someplace.
It’s like three dishes, but I wish it were three thousand.
“Do you do the washing up every night,” I hear myself asking, sounding more like a teenager with a crush than the fully grown, college graduate I am.
“Maybe I will, if you’ll dry every night,” he says, and shoots me a wink that weakens my knees.
I’m not convinced I have low blood sugar.
I’m certain I’m only missing one thing in my body and it’s hanging from in between Sean’s legs.
OMG! I can’t believe the stuff I’m thinking. I wonder if he’s thinking half as much as I am… thinking about what he wants to do to his ‘girl.’
Four miles isn’t far for someone like Sean, who I can see works out every chance he gets. But for me, it’s a marathon. And it’s not a flat, level four miles either. It’s a hike and a half, up the bluff and back down.
Sean being the leader, makes sure we have everything and are prepared, even though it’s only a walk in the park for him.
“We have to take every task to heart, Tess.” He instructs me. “Once we have kids in our care here, it’s vital we follow our training and double check every step of the way… you good to go?” he asks me, and I can just feel myself about to burst again, standing as close as I dare to him, looking up into his eyes as he curls his lip into that sly look he’s giving me, holding out his huge hand in invitation, the gravel track awaiting me.
“After you then,” he says followed by a low growl as I turn away from him, feeling shivers travel up my spine again, knowing he’s watching me walk and knowing it's turning him on.
Who brings a clipboard on a hike?
I’m keen to keep talking. I like Sean, as a person to I mean. I’m not just interested in his body. I want to get to know him as a person, and so far he’s blown me out of the water.
What, with his first aid, cooking and teacher story. Let alone the fact he doesn’t have to be doing any of this stuff. He’s doing it to give other kids the experiences and skills he knows will last them a lifetime.
I sigh just thinking about how great he is.
I notice he’s spending a lot of time walking behind me, especially when we get to stone steps and small boulders.
I’m really self-conscious to start with, but his grunts and groans he’s pretending of him huffing it up the hill are really different sounds to my ears.
They sound like the calls of a male alpha, signaling his mate. Staking his claim before he makes a permanent impression.
As the climb
