I shoot her a glare. “I’m confident that wouldn’t work. Especially not with my interview tomorrow morning. I need to stay focused.”
“If getting under him won’t work, then maybe you should get on top of him. Whatever works best for you.” I nudge her shoulder as we burst into laughter over her joke.
“Seriously, though, I set rules for a reason. He’s hot as hell, but I need to focus on my career. That’s the only reason we’re here. I don’t have time for dating right now.”
“So let’s see if I understand this correctly. You suggested a specific set of rules to remain focused on your career goals. But now that you’re here, sleeping next to ‘the man carved from stone,’ you’re upset he’s respecting the boundaries you put in place?” I stare at her, dumbfounded by her summary of what I’ve dumped on her this morning.
“Ugh.” I throw my face into my hands. “I know, Ishould be happy he’s being respectful. I think I just wish he’d want to break the rules as much as I do. Not that I think we should. I just want him to want to. But the wall of pillows tells me otherwise.”
“Well, I don’t think it would hurt to have alittlemore fun with Theo while you’re here.” Turning my head, I cradle my cheek as I look at her. “You two aren’t really selling the whole ‘we’re dating and in love’ vibe. Maybe ease up on the rules a little bit. At least when you’re around everyone else.”
“Have we really been that bad?” I ask.
Beth winces as she nods. “You came here to get a job with the help of Theo’s brother, right? And this other job isn’t technically guaranteed yet?” I nod. “Then for the sake of your career, feel Theo up a bit. Use him to get close to his older brother and secure a job, interview, whatever it is that you need. Career is number one. You don’t have anything to lose if you have a little fun along the way.”
“I guess that makes sense, but?—”
“Alright, ladies, ready to catch the best view of your lives?” Alex comes bursting through the door, and I don’t miss the exaggerated eye roll Beth lets out in his presence.
“Bit of an overstatement, don’t you think?” Beth stands, walking past Alex on the steps, but not before patting my hand in reassurance after our talk.
“Trust me, it’s not,” Leo says, following Alex down the steps after Beth. Roman follows shortly after with a backpack securely strapped to his shoulders that looks like it could burst open at any minute. I notice Leo has abackpack as well, a little less than bursting at the seams. Theo waits for me on the steps. Standing, I join him as we let the others get a head start.
“Beth has informed me that apparently, we aren’t fooling anyone,” I say.
He laughs. “Funny, I didn’t think we were doing so bad until Alex told me the same thing the other night.”
I look at him, surprised. “Seriously?” Looking down at my shoes in defeat, I continue, “We’re so bad at this. I knew this would never work.”
Theo grabs my chin between his thumb and forefinger, gently lifting it until my eyes meet his. “We’re okay. I think we just need to sell it a little more. Will you be comfortable with that?”
My heart warms at the question, but the feeling quickly fades when I remember he’s only doing this for his benefit. I nod.
“Good.” He moves his hand from my chin and reaches down to interlock our fingers. “Let’s start by holding hands for the hike. If at any point I make you feel uncomfortable, just tell me, and I’ll back off.”
“Okay. And you do the same. If there’s anything?—”
“Angel, you can do anything you want to me, and I’d have zero complaints.” Theo smirks down at me, and my cheeks heat at the use of that nickname again. When his pupils widen, he gives a slight shake of his head before clarifying, “For the sake of selling our relationship to the others, of course.”
“Right, of course,” I say in response, disappointment fogging my brain.
Fingers locked together, we take off after the others asI say a silent prayer that I don’t fall face-first into the dirt, embarrassing myself. My failed tie-dyed shirt was embarrassing enough to last the remainder of my stay.
I was correct to assume that my definition of an easy trail and Theo’s definition were wildly different.
By the fourth time that my toe catches on a rock and Theo has to balance me before falling, I’m ready to turn around and head back to the house. Thankfully, we’re at the back of the group, but I can feel Theo holding in a laugh every time I trip and have to grab onto his bicep for balance.
“Stop it,” I tell Theo, who could barely hold in his laugh when my shoe catches on another rock, not even a full two steps later.
He places a hand on his chest. “I didn’t say anything.” He insists on his innocence, but one look and I can still see the corners of his mouth turned up in a half smile.
His smile grows when I make eye contact with him, and I don’t have to say anything further when he confesses.
“The way you keep grabbing onto me is cute. That’s all.” Great, I’m trying to resist making a fool of myself, and he thinks I’m “cute.” Last I checked, women who men find “cute” aren’t typically the ones they are willing to break a few rules for. Just another reminder that I need to stop thinking about the way his bicep flexes every time I grab on to him, or how his lips might feel on mine.
“We didn’t do a lot of hiking growing up, so I’m not as accustomed to it like you clearly are,” I say, trying to save face.
“How come? You grew up here, didn’t you? Pretty rare to find a family in the Pacific Northwest that doesn’t do a lot of hiking.”
