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One more stop and they’d leave California in their rearview mirror. He would miss it. His life and his friends had been so much a part of the cliffs and waterways of Monterey. But there was nothing there for him any longer. Every day since his dad had died, he’d felt a little more detached from the land and the house. Kain was the only thing holding him to Monterey. And it just wasn’t enough any longer.
Maybe he’d find something new and amazing in New York. Or maybe their shared house was a conduit for them both to start fresh lives. There was a loneliness in Kendall’s eyes sometimes. When her smiles faded and the conversation died away, he caught a look as she took in the miles of trees and foliage of Yosemite. Even in the cliff sides of Monterey, he’d sensed a similar restlessness inside her.
Was it that kinship that drew him to her, or was it more? It felt like more. Why did it have to be now? He didn’t even know where he was going to live. And she sure as hell hadn’t been in his plan.
The longer he was in her company, the more he wanted to be close to her. He’d known the flush of lust and had fallen in love in his senior year of college. He’d even contemplated forever with the exciting environmentalist. But the lure of the Peace Corps had been her dream and hadn’t melded with a business major who already had a job already waiting for him.
And when he and Julie had decided to go their separate ways, the loss had barely made a wave.
Kendall crashed in on him like an Australian Gold Coast undertow. The waves were amazing, but the ride was full of warning signs and breakers that could snap him in half. And like surfing, this woman was just as addicting.
She tucked her chin lower into the blankets, and her calf stroked along his leg. He tried to focus on the butter-light sun peeking around the cliffs as it burned off the fog, but her hand brushed his belly and zeroed in on the ridge of his cock under his zipper. He ground his molars together. “C’mon, Sunshine. Time to wake up.”
Kendall moaned into his neck. “It can’t be morning.”
He rubbed his ear against his shoulder to stop the buzz of warmth and the soft teasing of her voice from distracting him. “Oh, but it is. And we’ve got to get on the road. Nevada won’t get driven across by magic.”
She propped herself up on her elbow. The wide neck of his shirt slid across her collarbone and uncovered half her shoulder. She was heavy-lidded and soft from sleep, and he wanted nothing more than to settle in and spend a lazy day with her. He must have stared just a touch too long because her smile transformed into a sexy smirk. She pushed a wild hank of curls out of her eyes. When it all fell forward again, she groaned. “Still want me to keep my hair down?”
They weren’t tight curls. Just wild waves that seemed to have a mind of their own. “Do you do anything I ask anyway?”
She drilled her finger into his chest. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
He caught her hand and drew it up to his mouth. He nipped the webbing between her thumb and forefinger before letting her go to sit up. If he didn’t get up now, he wouldn’t. “We’ve got a long drive ahead.”
She lifted the sleeve of his T-shirt and scraped her teeth over his shoulder. “Vegas?”
He focused on the mountains and the birdsong. On anything but how bad he wanted to lie back and lose himself in her again. “Too far south.” He looked down at her. “This leg of our tour across America is going to be boring.”
She reached for her jeans. “We’ll find something.”
He swallowed back a groan when she rolled up onto her knees. She’d changed into a pair of sleep shorts with miniature Tweety Birds all over them that she’d picked up before the trip. They were ridiculous and hugged her hips like a second skin. Warner Brothers cartoons should not induce a boner.
He hiked his jeans on and stuffed his feet into his boots before jumping over the side of the truck bed. Remove the temptation, and just maybe they’d get out of there without him doing something stupid. He dragged out two bottles of water, her knapsack, and his toiletry kit from the truck.
“Heads up.”
She looked up and caught her bag. “Thanks.” Unruffled, she tucked the water bottle in her bag. “I’m going to go do the nature thing. I’ll be right back.”
He did the same and started packing up the truck. A few minutes later she came back with jeans and a dark red shirt on, her hair tucked through a black hat. She looked like she was sixteen, for fuck’s sake.
“Do I get my shirt back?”
She shook her head and opened the passenger door. “I told you it was mine.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yep.” She put her bag in and stood on the running board. “Well, come on. The desert awaits us.” She slapped the top of the cab and grinned before disappearing into the truck.
He shook his head and stowed the rest of their gear. If he didn’t know firsthand just how female she was, he’d have thought she was any of his buddies. No muss, no fuss, and as easygoing as a summer afternoon. Both of their lives were about to change, and she acted like she was on vacation. Then again, wasn’t he treating this like a vacation? He should be on a straight path to New York with as few detours as possible.
“Idiot,” he muttered and jumped to the ground. He got in the truck and started it. “Got everything?”
She sipped her bottle of water, her phone in her hand. “Yep. Just checked in with my mom.”
“Have you told her yet?”
“I…” She sighed, and a frown creased between her brows. “I’ll have to since your supplies are going to the house.”
