AllFreeNovel
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“Come on, I’ll show you why I brought you here.” Moving slowly, I make sure I don’t rush her. She’s navigating uncertain terrain, while I’ve been here more times than I can remember.
We come to the edge of a wooded area and she pushes my sunglasses up to the top of her head. I catch hold of her hand.
“The ground can be uneven from this point on,” I explain, hooking my sunglasses over the neck of my t-shirt.
“Thanks. I don’t need to twist my ankle.”
“At least not until after you’ve cooked me lunch and dinner,” I joke.
She sputters out a laugh. “Tell me how you really feel.”
I give her hand a quick squeeze. “Hey, I never said your cooking is the only thing I like about you.”
“Mhmm,” she hums skeptically as we step over rocks and fallen brush. “If you didn’t need me to feed you later, I might wonder if you’re leading me in here to do away with me,” she says.
“You’re safe for now. I’m definitely having nefarious thoughts about you, but they don’t involve killing you. At least not unless it’s death from too many orgasms.”
She trips, stumbling forward. I pull back on our joined hands and swoop in, keeping her upright.
“I’ve got you,” I say.
“Thanks, although it’s your fault I tripped in the first place.”
“How do you figure?”
She fires an annoyed look at me. “You talked about killing me with orgasms.”
I smirk. “And that made you trip?”
“Apparently, I can’t walk and think about orgasms at the same time,” she says, shaking her head, and I bark out a laugh. “Ryder, you need to behave. Be good like your last name suggests.”
“I’ve always thought of it as being impossible to live up to, so why even try?”
“You could take it as a challenge instead,” she says.
I grin down at her. “I prefer to think of my name as an antonym.”
“You’re incorrigible,” she tells me, but her expression makes me think she doesn’t see that as a detriment.
“I’m a lot of things,” I acknowledge.Most of them are not positive. Giving her hand a gentle tug, I silently signal for us to move on. “Once we break through to the other side of all these trees, we’ll be there.”
“I’m holding my breath,” she says.
“Are you teasing me?” I ask.
“No, I’m serious. I’m curious about what’s so awesome we’re trekking along in the woods.” She swipes her arm across her forehead, wiping the moisture away. “Especially when I’m not dressed for a nature walk.”
Shit. She’s right.Her black pants and purple shirt must feel stifling.
“I’m sorry, Calista. In my excitement to share something with you, I never even considered the clothing you’re wearing. I guess your chef duds aren’t ideal for being outside,” I concede. I’m dressed in a t-shirt and shorts and I’m still hot as hell.
“Yeah, especially when it’s July.” She fans her face with her hand.
“I’m a selfish asshole,” I say.
“You didn’t set out to make me overheat, right?” she asks.
“No, of course not.”
