“Mm,it’s great,” I mumble. My cheeks heat. Fuck, my entire body is now on fire.
His hand pulls me closer to him, and my muscles slowly startto relax as the heat from his chest seeps into my back, warming me. We lay still for a few moments, neither of us moving or speaking.
His heartbeat races at my back, and I know that I am not the only one of us being affected by our closeness. Ronin’s arm weighs down on my side as he starts to relax, letting it settle against me. I don’t know what to do with my hands, so I hold them close to my chest.
I let myself snuggle back into the warmth and comfort of his body. His breath catches for an instant as my ass pushes against him, and I immediately pull myself off, embarrassed.
“Sorry,” I say, a small laugh choking out of me.
“It’s okay,” Ronin replies, and a huff of breath in my hair tells me he’s chuckling, too.
His hand tightens against my stomach again, and he pulls me back closer to him. “I don’t mind,” he whispers into my neck, his warm breath causing goosebumps to break out across my chilled skin.
I’m not sure how to respond, so I let silence fall between us for a few moments. Ronin breaks it again with, “So, come here often?”
I laugh, my body shaking against his with delicious friction. “You’re such a dork,” I whisper.
“Always,” he agrees, and I can hear the smile in his voice.
His fingers move underneath the blankets, rubbing gently against my sweatshirt. He twirls them around, running slow, lazy circles against me.
“Are you warming up yet?” Ronin asks quietly, his tone much more subdued now.
“Yes,” I reply, closing my eyes and relaxing further into him, trying to ignore the way my body is heating up for other reasons.
His hips press against me, the motion so slight, if I wasn’t hyper-focused on his every movement, I may have missed it. My throat goes dry, and there is an immediate response in my body as a low throbbing begins between my legs.
Ronin’s hand stills and comes to rest againstmy stomach. He settles behind me, his hips flush with my backside and his legs notching into mine.
My heart rate slows, and I allow myself a moment to enjoy the feeling of being wrapped up in Ronin’s arms. Visions of us flash behind my eyelids, picturing us sprawled across white bed sheets, limbs tangled together. I see myself waking up next to him, light rays of the early morning sun stretching across the room, reaching for us.
The sudden yearning for this future that fills me is so overpowering, so encompassing, my breath catches and I squeeze my eyes even tighter, willing myself not to do something stupid—like start crying. Something about being close to Ronin seems to unlock this desire for a future I thought long lost. A future that he had offered me, and I had turned down. Now it seems within reach once more.
I find that I want it, desperately.
With these thoughts to keep me company, I finally drift to sleep, Ronin’s arms holding me tight against his chest, and I’ve never felt safer in my life.
The ground next to me is cold in Ronin’s absence as I wake up, stretching out my arms and legs and groaning as my joints pop. I sift through the bag at my side and pull out a beanie to tug on over my unruly bed hair.
As I leave the tent, I squint in the bright daylight, scanning our campsite to see who’s awake. Evan, Cat, and Ronin sit around a small fire, cooking breakfast. The smoky aroma of bacon and sausage assaults my senses, and I’m suddenly famished.
“Good morning,” I greet them as I take a seat. “Smells amazing out here.”
I pull a bottle of orange juice from the cooler. Ronin hands me a plate and I dig in, my stomach thanking me for the greasy food. He meets my eyes as he fills his own plate,shooting me a small smile that makes my insides complete mush.
After everyone has had their fill of breakfast and freshens up for the day, Evan sets us on a course to hike to the nearby waterfall. Sapphire Falls is one of many waterfalls and hiking destinations in the state. Evan and I grew up taking hiking and camping trips with our parents, and he has fallen in love with the hobby as an adult. He was so excited to plan this group trip, and I’m thankful for it even though he picked a horribly cold time to come out here.
I find myself walking next to Bree as we make our way down the trails, passing other campsites and hikers along the way.
“What was that little stunt you pulled yesterday?” I hiss, my focus on Ronin’s back just ahead of us. I elbow her in the side and she yelps.
“I think what you mean to say is ‘thank you, Bree,’” she replies, smirking at me.
I roll my eyes. “You are a child,” I tease. “A meddling child.”
“So,” she starts, giving me a sly grin. “How did you sleep?”
My cheeks heat as I remember being wrapped together with Ronin, his strong arms holding me flush against his body. “I slept just fine, thank you. Once Ronin warmed me up, at least.”
