I WOKE up with my arms around her, my steel cock pressing into her. She made a sweet murmuring sound, half asleep, and pushed her ass back into me. A groan slipped out of me.
“Jesus fucking Christ, this feels too good,” I rasped into her hair.
She rolled over in my arms to face me. Her eyes were puffy with sleep, hair all messy. I wanted to keep her like this forever. We could spend the rest of our days out here in the woods, wandering through the trees and staring at the stars together.
She blinked the sleep from her eyes, gaze on my face, and my mouth hitched.
“Good morning,” I whispered.
“Morning.”
My arm tightened around her and she sighed, eyelids drooping with comfort. She didn’t need me warming her up anymore now that the sun was out but hell if I was going anywhere.
“Thanks for, um—” She cut herself off, flattening her mouth. “Thanks.”
I gave her a small nod. The second I heard her shivering, protectiveness had surged in my chest and I was out of my tent in a shot. My girl was cold. As if I wouldn’t do anything about that.
I watched her lashes flutter. She had a healthy flush of pink across her cheekbones that I wanted to press my lips against.
She shifted and the movement pressed her against my cock. My eyes fell closed and I groaned.
“You’re so hard,” she whispered, eyes wide.
My expression turned rueful and I winced. “Sorry.”
She shook her head. “It’s okay.” She swallowed, her gaze dropping to my lips. My cock pulsed and her lips parted, eyes meeting mine. “Felt that.”
I huffed a laugh. My control balanced on a knife’s edge, teetering. Her warm, soft body pressed up against me, curves against my hard lines. That sweet, sleepy expression on her beautiful face.
I never got to wake up with her, not like this. Our parents never would have let us have a sleepover, even if we had insisted nothing was going on.
And now? We weren’t kids anymore. My pulse picked up as my heart pounded against the front wall of my chest, where Liv’s hands were tucked.
Her gaze turned molten. “Why are you teasing me like this?”
I closed my eyes, dragging in a deep breath while reminding myself of the end game. Hooking up with Liv now and scaring the shit out of her, versus keeping my hands off her and waiting until she felt the same way.
“You know why,” I told her, my voice low and teasing.
She squirmed against me and the thread of my control strained.
Maybe we could fool around a little—
No. Not yet. Not until she wanted me back, and not for a quick fuck. Forever.
I rolled onto my back and unzipped the sleeping bag, willing my erection to go away.
“Come on, Livvy. The day is young and the flower is out there.”
I unzipped the tent, stepped outside and stretched, tilting my head up at the blue sky. The forest was drenched in that perfect morning light, clear and bright, with sunbeams cutting through the canopy around us. I leaned down to peek into the tent, where Liv hadn’t moved.
She lay back in the sleeping bag with a grouchy expression, eyes cataloguing every muscle on my bare torso before her gaze snagged on my erection.
Her eyes shot back up to meet mine.
I let out a loud laugh. “I’ll get coffee started.”
WE SPENT another day scouring the mountain for the plant with no luck. I sent a glance over at Liv on the way back to the campsite. As she walked, her pink ponytail bounced. Wisps of bangs cascaded off her tanned cheekbones, and a smile lingered on her mouth, like she was happy and content. My blood hummed with satisfaction.
“Are you free next weekend?” Liv asked after a few minutes.
I nodded. “You want to do another camping trip?”
“It’s my turn to take you on a date.”
Mischief glittered in her eyes. I could see it right under the surface, my favorite side of Liv. Silly, mischievous, egging me on and challenging me.
“You going to take me somewhere nice?” I asked, grinning back at her. “Should I wear a suit?”
She held her smile down, trying not to laugh. “No suit necessary.” Her eyes sparkled. “You’ll see.”
I held her gaze, biting my lower lip. Oh, this was going to be fucking good. The doily museum didn’t work so now she was going to ramp it up. Anticipation rolled through my chest, filling every crack with light.
Fucking hell, being with Liv was fun. There was no one like her, no one who knew how to push my buttons like she did. No one I enjoyed bugging like her.
I shook my head, staring at her, taking in her pretty face, her big brown eyes glittering in the golden hour light. “I missed you so fucking much.”
She blinked, stunned, and for a second, I thought she’d shut down.
She didn’t, though. Her cheeks turned pink and she smiled. She pulled her delicate bottom lip into her mouth with her teeth and I watched, fascinated.
I should have kissed her this morning.
AS THE SUN set and the temperature dropped, she retrieved my hoodie from her tent. She hadn’t given it back this morning and I hadn’t asked, and when she pulled it over her head, I couldn’t wipe the grin from my face.
She yawned for the fourth time and I nudged her. “Bedtime.”
She nodded and started to get up.
I thought about our kiss yesterday, and I couldn’t help myself anymore. “I’m coming in,” I said, leaving no room for argument.
She nodded again, hand slipping into mine and tugging. She didn’t have to pull hard. I followed her to the tent, yanking my shirt over my head as she got into her sleeping bag and I took the spot beside her. The cold didn’t affect me like it affected her.
Same as last night, she moved to her side and I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her to my chest, tucking her under my chin. My mouth brushed her temple in a quick kiss.
“Goodnight, baby.”
“Goodnight,” she whispered.
I lay there listening to her breathing even out until she fell asleep while I memorized the feel of her against me. Her warmth, her softness, the curve of her ass in her leggings. Her chest expanded and contracted under me with her breathing.
If this didn’t work, it would crush me.
