“I was expecting a trust course and zip line or something like that. You know, things that force us to learn to trust each other. This definitely is not what I expected.”
“Says the city girl.”
I shrug and give him a coy smile as we take the steps up to the small covered porch of the cabin. Within seconds, his key is in the door and he’s pushing it open.
“Well, this is going to be interesting,” he murmurs as he steps out of the way for me to enter before him.
I step a foot into the cabin and have to stop the panic that begins to riot within me. Everything is new and nice and clean, but the interior is, at best, twelve foot by twelve foot. There is a full-size or maybe a queen-size bed in the center of the room, and our bags are on the floor next to it. There are about three feet on each side of the bed, and there is what looks kind of like a baby changing table beneath the windows for us to put our luggage on. On the other side of the bed is a doorway, which I assume leads to a bathroom.
I’m almost afraid to look.
“It isn’t much space,” Slade says as he hops onto the bed and puts his hands behind his head. “But at least the bed is comfortable.”
And it looks mighty comfortable. It also looks extremely small with his body occupying the space. Space that he and I will have to share while sleeping.
Memories of his kiss mix with the knowledge that we will be side by side . . . touching, and I know I won’t be getting any sleep.
The cocky smirk curling the corner of his lips gives me the feeling he’s thinking the same thing.
I step over our bags to get a foot of space between us and to investigate the bathroom. There’s a sink, a counter, and a mirror and . . . that’s it.
“You okay?” Slade asks from his spot on the bed.
“Umm . . .” This is not funny. “There’s no toilet or shower.” Not even remotely funny.
“Okay.”
“How can you sound so blasé about there not being a toilet or a shower?” I start to freak. I mean, I’m handling this nature shit pretty well so far—outwardly, at least—but this? This isn’t good.
He chuckles. “I guess I expected it,” he says as if he’s testing the waters. “Most camping places have a communal shower and bathroom. The one plus is Sue said there’s no one else near our facilities, so we’ll most likely get ours to ourselves.”
“Great. A lot of good that’s going to do me when I have to go pee at three in the morning and a bear comes meandering around.”
“There are no bears here.”
“Then why are there signs everywhere telling us to put our trash in those metal bins so as not to attract bears? Bears, Slade. Bears.”
“They won’t come around here. It’s just a precaution.” He angles his head up and studies me. “You’re really freaked out about this, aren’t you?”
“No. Yes. It’s stupid.”
“I’ll protect you.”
“Against a bazillion pound bear?”
“Don’t you have faith in me?” he asks, that playful smile on his lips when he pats the bed beside him. “The plus side is, you know I’ll be able to patch you up after the bear gets done with you.”
“And now you’re a comedian.”
“At least you know I have humor to help get you through the pain,” he says as I glare at him. “Come on. Forget about bears and come plot our history with me.”
Freaking out about bears or talking to Slade about us, albeit a fake us?
I know which one I’ll take any day of the week.
I take a single step and the fronts of my thighs hit the side of the bed as I look down at him. The black shirt against his tan skin and the biceps on full display with his arms folded beneath his head. His muscular thighs flexing beneath the denim as he uncrosses and recrosses his ankles. Those eyes, inquisitive and seductive at the same time.
He reaches out and links his pinkie with mine. “You good?”
“Mm-hmm.” I smile. “Sorry for the little panic attack.” Then I sigh. “So, what will the best course of action be? I mean how will we explain—”
I cut off my own words with a loud whoop as he yanks me down onto the bed beside him and starts tickling me.
“Stop! Stop!” I playfully struggle until I’m on my back and he’s tickling me from above. After a few moments, he lets me pin his hands against my body.
Our breathing is labored, but there is a stillness that screams if either one of us makes the next move, the other will be all in.
I wait for that next second to pass, wait for him to lean in and kiss me. There are a few seconds where I swear time stands still before his breathing slows some and his lips turn up in a smile. “You need to stop worrying, Blakely. It’s simple. We’ll keep it simple.” I release his hands, but he keeps them where they are with one hand on my abdomen and the other on my hand. “We met in a bar. There was instant chemistry, but you walked out, afraid of how strong you felt about me.”
“Is that so?”
His grin widens. “That’s so. And because fate is the funny bitch she is and was determined that we end up together, we just so happened to run into each other on the street a week later.”
“Very creative.”
“And the rest is history.”
“But it isn’t.” I chuckle and rest my head back and look at the ceiling. The mundane white of it makes me so much less nervous than Slade’s face right in front of me while his hand heats my skin
