Page 23 of Never Till Now

“I’d like to take you hiking early in the morning up Mount Tamalpais. There are only certain days the special fog will cooperate, and tomorrow is supposed to be one of them.”

“Special fog?” Weirdo. “So you want me to crash here to ensure I wake up in the morning?”

“Yeah.” He leans back, prepared to flinch from my unknown reaction. “Is that too much for us?”

“No, that’s fine, numbnuts.” I hop off the barstool and put my plate in the sink. “You could have logically told me that instead of baiting me. I would have brought a sweatshirt and snacks too.”

“So, you’re not mad? We said no sleepovers.”

“This is a bit different. We know the rules and where our feelings stand.” I fight my yawn. “I can also sleep in your guest bed when I’m ready to pass out.”

“Do you want to lie in bed and we can watch a Charmed rerun?”

“Putting you through Charmed is something a girlfriend would do.” I wink. “Let me give you a memorable show.” I turn around and begin to leave a trail of my clothes on the floor as he follows me to the guest room.

The weight of a heavy arm holds me in place in my dream. Or am I awake? I feel a hard length grind against my ass as a hand cups my breast. Nope, definitely awake. I am still processing the moment. I don’t share a bed and I don’t cuddle. Teeth meet the shell of my ear and hitch my breath. He doesn’t seem mad that we fell asleep in the bed. Which could be bad. The last thing I want to give up is orgasms this good too soon.

I should jump out of bed, but as his hand travels south and his crafty fingers brush over my folds to spread them, I feel my top leg lift to allow him more access. Slowly, he circles my clit without saying a word. His motion is steady until my labored breathing becomes erratic. I reach my arm back to tangle in his soft hair. A breathless scream leaves my mouth as I come, and seconds later, his fingers stop.

“Good morning.” He sits up and reaches for his sweats.

“We shared a bed.”

“It appears we both fell asleep, and you slept through the alarm.”

I don’t try to hide my eyes trailing over his chiseled abs. A fucking statue of a man who should be carved in marble.

“I never sleep past five.”

“Well, you did.”

I check the clock myself with disbelief.

“Luckily, my personal wake-up call worked.” His grin is wicked and if he hadn’t thrown a hoodie in my face, I’d be riding his. “We have to hurry if we want to make it in time.”

I groan and fall back onto the pillow. “What if I don’t?”

“Trust me, you do.” He offers his hands and I take them.

We don’t speak the first twenty minutes of the climb. Adam seems lost in thought, but I’m on high alert for wild animals and rattlesnakes. Yes, even in the damp morning I’m terrified a snake will be slithering about. I wanted to give up the first ten minutes of this hike. My body and lungs felt like they were going to tap out. Almost an hour in, I halt our steady pace and sit on a large rock and reach for my water. The cold, damp mist seeps through my leggings and chills my bones.

Adam senses I’ve stopped and turns back to me. If his fit ass has a tired, flushed face, I can only imagine how unattractive I must look. He pulls his water from his bag, props his leg on the rock and takes a long drink. If someone snapped a photo of him, it could easily be used in a magazine or a scene for a sports commercial. He hands me a granola bar and eats half of his bar in one bite. What a sexy beast.

“I am thoroughly impressed, Blondie.” He grins. “You hiked farther than I expected without stopping or complaining.”

“You mean that your other play toys didn’t make it as far as me?”

“They won’t even walk on the grass.” He winces. “Don’t call yourself a play toy.”

“You’re not feeling more for me, right?” My eyes scan his face as my heart picks up again.

“No.” He rushes his words. “I’m saying you’re more respectable. You work for what you want, you know what you want in life and hold yourself accountable. You don’t worry about ruining your shoes by walking on grass. I only need you for sex, but it’s a bonus that you’re a cool person.”

“Good.” Relief gushes through my chest and I relax my shoulders. I take one last sip of my water and stand. “Let’s keep it that way.”

We continued our hike for what seemed like a lifetime. Okay, I might be exaggerating a little. I have no idea how I’m going to make it back down, but I don’t dare complain. We reach a landing as Adam stops. He turns around with a smile.

“We are right around 2,500 feet above sea level.” He is beaming more than I’ve ever seen.