“I mean, I’d like to think I’m getting to know you pretty well. Or at least getting to know your tells. You have something on your mind, so spill,” I say.
He looks at me out of the corner of his eye before glancing above us. The trees are so lush and thick, it’s like a canopy, hiding us away from the outside world.
“I don’t know. Just wanted to check in, I guess.”
“On me?”
Landon shrugs like it’s no big deal, and I can’t help but let a cheesy smile spread across my face.
“Landon, if you wanted me all to yourself, just say that,” I tease.
“Is that such a bad thing?” he asks.
“No, but if you think we’re fucking in the woods, you’ve got another thing coming. I don’t want poison ivy or whatever the hell that stuff is up my pants,” I say, pointing towards a suspicious-looking plant.
A laugh rips out of him. “Believe it or not, sex isn’t always the first thing that comes to my mind.”
“Oh, I get it. You’re like a simp for me, right? Who could blame you? It was only a matter of time,” I say with a dramatic and completely sarcastic hair flip.
Landon scoffs before swatting my ass.
“Ow!” I cry as I attempt to avoid the second swat.
I dodge him for a moment, but he soon gets me again. Knowing I can’t outmaneuver him, I take off running down the path.
He laughs. “You think you can run from me?”
His deep voice rumbles through me, I swear to God, and it takes everything in me not to physically react.
Hello primal kink?
I run as far and as fast as I’m able, managing to avoid each raised branch and stone in my path. Though Landon is extremely athletic, he struggles a little more than I do, which is why I’m able to get a little bit of a lead on him. For a moment.
I see a break in the trees, and it opens up to what looks like a clearing. The instant I see a small lake in front of me, I attempt to slow my steps, but Landon definitely doesn’t. His arms wrap around my waist, and before I know it, we’re both flying intothe water.
It’s surprisingly cold and squeezes me like a vise before I make my way to the surface. When I break through, I gasp for breath as Landon surfaces behind me.
He wipes water away from his eyes and looks to me. “Hey, be careful. There’s a lake up ahead.”
I laugh, splashing a little water towards him. “Asshole.”
He grins, tugging me back into his arms, and I wrap my legs around him. The lake isn’t very deep. Just enough that we can bob in the water, touching the ground from time to time as we casually move around. Looking over his shoulder, I point to the huge waterfall pouring into it.
“Look at that! God, it’s beautiful.”
I feel his eyes on me. “Yeah, it is.”
A smile spreads across my face, though I try hard to fight it.
Turning back to face Landon, I loop my arms around his neck. “You’re kinda fucking cheesy, you know that?”
I expect him to scoff at me. Roll his eyes or push me away. That’s kind of our thing. It’s the balance we’ve found to avoid getting too deep with the emotions. When one of us is uncomfortable, the other pushes, and we accept it. The understanding we have for one another without having to share a single word is… unexpected, to say the least, but like coming up for air. Like being completely seen when you’ve been drowning in a crowd your whole life.
Instead, though, Landon’s arms tighten around me, holding me closer, his gaze fixed on me.
“I’m trying really hard to go slow with you.”
“You call fucking on the back deck for anyone to see and finger-blasting me in the hot tub slow?” I challenge with a smirk.
