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“His land outside town,” I reply honestly. “Get to know his country boy roots. I’m hoping it’ll let me in past his image, getting back to who he used to be. You know what I mean?”
Donnie nods, his eyes pinching slyly. “Okay. Get a thread with the unvarnished Keith, and then tease that out. Even if it’s just innuendo, I want something, Elise. Now get the hell out of here. You owe me part three by the end of the day.”
“On it,” I reply, getting up. Going back to my desk, my head aches and my heart twists.
Dirt . . . well, I know dirt. I know some life-changing, bomb in the middle of the room sort of dirt. But I promised two people that I wouldn’t disclose it. And I won’t.
But what sort of dirt on Keith can I come up with that’ll be okay and still keep Donnie off my ass?
I’ve got a lot of work to do.
Chapter 16
Keith
The weather is perfect, late enough in the spring that my t-shirt and jeans are all I need for the days while the nights are going to be cool enough that Elise and I are going to have no problems snuggling up next to the fireplace in my cabin.
“It’s been too long since I’ve been up here,” I admit as we pull off the deserted dirt road onto the grassy shoulder at the trailhead, shifting my truck into park. “Guess I got too caught up with stuff this past winter. By the way, are you sure about those clothes?”
“What about them?” Elise asks, turning and sticking out her chest. “Don’t think I’m covered enough?”
I take a look at her tight blue tank top, the valley between her breasts deep and proudly displayed before clinging to her stomach and hips. Her legs are just as displayed, as Elise showed up wearing a pair of tights that show every curve of her body.
“You look amazing,” I tell her honestly, “but I’m just worried. It’s a five-mile hike to my cabin. Are you sure those tights are what you want to wear in the woods?”
Elise grins, shifting her knees and giving my eyes a little treat that sends a warning twinge down to my cock. “I’ll have you know, Mr. Country Music Star, that these are top of the line trail runner’s tights, and the person who sold them to me at the store told me they’re better for me than those old ass Levis you’re wearing. They support and compress my leg muscles, giving me just what I need.”
“And I thought I had what you needed,” I joke, making her blush. “Just one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Stay behind me on the trail because if I have to spend five miles looking at your ass in those tights for the whole walk . . . well, we won’t last five miles before we scare the local wildlife.”
Elise grins, biting her lip. “Maybe I’ll want to take a break from walking . . . we’ll see. Come on, let’s get the packs.”
I could have come up here yesterday and brought the ATVs down, or there is an old fire trail that I could take if Elise and I wanted to bounce and jolt our way for ten miles going around the backside of the mountain, but hiking up for a weekend just felt more real.
I help her with her pack before grabbing mine. “Come on, and if your pack gets too heavy, tell me.”
“I’ll have you know, I was a Girl Scout. I did go camping . . . once or twice,” Elise says, grinning. We start off, and as we take the trail, a comfortable silence drops around us. It’s not totally quiet, of course. There’s plenty of natural forest sounds, but there are no cars, no traffic. Just us.
“Wow, it feels like another world,” Elise says quietly as we hike. “It’s . . . it’s kinda like you.”
“How’s that?” I ask, thinking how she nailed it in one single sentence. She’s got a gift for it, that’s for sure.
“Well, on the surface, it’s a little intimidating, beautiful but imposing at the same time,” Elise replies, her eyes still in the trees as we walk. “Then you get this sense of nothing going on, like it’s just boring and calm . . . but if you really look, there’s a lot going on. You just have to be quiet and let it unveil itself to you. You’re a lot like this place, I guess.”
I smile, reaching over and taking her hand. “And they say I’m the songwriter. Come on, if you think this is nice, wait’ll you get a view of the cabin.”
It takes us about ninety minutes to make the hike, taking our time because there’s really no need to rush. Elise does tease me a little as we go up one hill, pushing past me to give me a very inspiring view of her ass flexing as she makes her way up the trail. I probably could’ve made the climb quicker on my own, but I’ll admit to being more than happy with my slow, distracted pace since it gives me more time to admire Elise’s assets as we reach the crest and start down the other side.
