AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m taking you camping,” I repeat, my fingers swirling over her shoulder.
Her eyes close, and she twists her mouth. “I hate bugs.”
“I’ve got bug spray.”
Her eyes open and narrow on me. “I hate being cold.”
“Good job you’ve got me, your human radiator.”
Her lips twinge unamused. “I can’t leave the animals.”
“Already taken care of with Lloyd and Sam.”
She pauses, her beady eyes trying to find a weakness. “What if I say no?”
“You won’t.”She could, but I’m hoping she doesn’t.I’m very aware of how much she hates camping. Max and Owen filled me in on their little trip as kids when she was eaten alive by mosquitos and got lost in the woods near the campsite. But she was younger and now she deals with animals for a living. I mean, how traumatised can she be?
“Oh, won’t I?” She juts her chin towards me, and I pull her to me in a blistering kiss. Stealing her taste and inhaling her sweet scent.
We break apart and she’s already softened. I can see it in the way her eyes are now glossy and not harsh. “No, you won’t. Because this weekend is important for you, and that means it’s important to me, too.”
She softens further, wrapping her arms around my middle and putting her head on my chest, inhaling and exhaling deeply. “Fine, you win.”
Three of my favourite words.
“Do you need all that stuff?” I ask Zoey as she carries a full suitcase to the front door of the flat.
She pins me with a glare. “Of course I need this, and it’s not stuff. It’s my clothes.”
“You realise we’re going for two nights, and you’ll spend most of it inmyclothes or your birthday suit,” I remind her, picking up her case and then putting it down again, groaning from the weight. “Seriously, Zoey, go get rid of whatever fancy shit you’ve got in here and putsomeof it in the backpack in my wardrobe. If it doesn’t fit in that bag, you don’t need it.”
She pouts, widening those big blue eyes. “But—”
“That princess pout doesn’t work on me. Go,” I instruct, pointing to our bedroom.
She huffs and the little scowl that makes her nose wrinkle appears. “My pout works on everyone, even Owen, who is emotionally stubborn. I swear that man doesn’t understand affection and evenhegives in to me.” Her foot stomps a little as a last-ditch effort to get her own way.
Stepping forward, I place my thumb and index finger on her chin and tip her head back until she’s staring into my eyes. “I guess that makes me special, then. I might not be able to resist you in many other ways, but I’m not budging on this.” I place a soft kiss on her mouth, as she sighs. “Go,” I urge.
“Camping Harrison is strict,” she says, twirling around with her suitcase. “Maybe if I’m bad enough, he’ll spank me later.”
I chuckle. “I heard that.”
“I know,” she shouts back.
An hour later, we’re finally on our way. Zoey did listen to me about her clothes and managed to fit what she wanted into my backpack without much fuss. I’m glad because the car is filled with camping gear, so fitting that suitcase in would’ve meant sacrificing the tent and as much as I might’ve got Zoey to agree to the weekend of camping, sleeping without the tent wouldn’t have been the way to ease her into this trip.
The drive to the New Forest isn’t too far, and we should be there in about two and a half hours. As we leave London, Zoey finally looks up from her phone with an apologetic look on her face.
“Mouse and Jelly settling in the new shelter, okay?” I ask, knowing that she would’ve been messaging Lloyd and Sam.
She nods. “I’ve been told to politely ‘fuck off’,” she laughs. “Honestly, the balls on them. I’d fire them if I didn’t love them so much.”
I extend my hand over the centre console. “There is one rule this weekend. No phones,” I say, glancing at her to see her reaction.
“But you have your phone,” she protests.
“Because that’s our map and music. Hand it over, sweetheart.”
