“Lead on, Bear Grylls.”
Gavin chuckles as he takes my hand in his, leading me around to the steps. They’re wide enough that we easily ascend side-by-side to stand at the top.
“Wow. The view is gorgeous.” I start to rotate around as Gavin drops my hand, murmuring,uh huh. I take in the sight from every direction, and when my gaze lands back on my guide, he’s staring at me. “I guess you’ve seen this many times, so it’s nothing that takes your breath away.”
“I’m gazing upon you, and that takes my breath away.”
My mouth drops open, but I quickly snap it shut as my pulse speeds up. It’s nothing new to have men flirt with me, but there’snothing flirty about Gavin’s remarks. They’re simply statements of his feelings, and I find it attractive and refreshing. Magnetic even.
He steps close, staring at me as he places his hand beneath my chin, lifting my face. “Any objection to me kissing you, Tiana? Because I’ve been holding back since last night.”
“No objection,” I whisper.
He smiles as he leans down, placing his lips on mine. I close my eyes and sigh, breathing him in, relaxing as he takes control, kissing me tenderly. My fingers grip his jacket as he shifts, angling, kissing me deeper. I open my mouth, and he dives in, sweeping his tongue against mine. Not one to remain passive for too long, I pull our bodies flush to each other, matching his energy and engaging in the kiss with just as much need as he’s kissing me.
All too soon, he’s pulling away, and I hear our breaths rushing in and out. “Damn,” he murmurs. “Delicious.”
I open my eyes to see him staring at me, his lips moist and swollen, tempting me again.
“Stop looking at me like that, or I’m liable to perform obscene acts in public.”
I twist my head one way then the other. “I see no one else around.” I grin.
“Tiana.” He practically growls before claiming my mouth again. The kiss is quick but no less intense, and when he pulls away, he takes my hand in his. “Let’s head out. I feel the air cooling.” He looks to the sky, causing me to do the same. “The clouds are condensing. We might get some precipitation after all.”
“Can we make it back to your vehicle before we do?”
He looks up then to the west. “I hope so. We’ll have to hustle.” He looks at me. “You doing okay? You have your poncho?”
“I’m fine, Gavin, and I have a raincoat.”
We start down the steps. “I’m sorry,” he says. “This is the unpredictability factor. I thought we’d have more time to at least stop for our picnic.”
“Don’t be sorry. You can’t control the weather.” We reach the bottom, and I pull us to a stop. “Let’s at least grab a snack bar. We’ll eat as we walk. But first, turn around because I have to pee.”
Gavin chuckles as I drop my pack to the ground, retrieving hygiene items and a baggie. “No peeking. Be right back.” I walk to the other side of the lookout to take care of business before we journey on, hoping we make it back without getting drenched.
CHAPTER 4
While Tiana steps away,I pull out my phone to check for a signal. With just enough reception to pull up the weather app, I see a storm front is sweeping in fast from the north.
“Dammit,” I mutter.
“What’s dammit?” Tiana asks as she returns, zipping closed a baggie of tissues. “Leave no trace, right?”
I manage a smile as she squirts hand sanitizer on her palm.
“You look worried, Gavin.” She looks up while rubbing her hands together. “Is the weather going to worsen before we make it back?” She then meets my gaze. Thankfully, there’s no hint of panic in her eyes.
“It’s likely. Unexpected cold front is moving in swiftly from the north, bringing at least icy rain.” I tuck my phone in my bag. “But there’s a cabin not far from here where we can wait it out if needed. I’d rather do that than chance getting caught in freezing rain. Even our slickers won’t keep us from being miserable.”
“Okay, so, let’s go.” She stuffs the baggie and bottle into her pack and pulls out a snack bar before hoisting the bag onto her back.
I lean in, giving her a quick kiss. “You’re pretty amazing, you know that?”
“Yes.” Tiana smiles before returning with another quick nip. “So are you. Now, get your snack and let’s hustle.” She winks.
“Yes, ma’am. Well first, let me take care of business. No peeking.” Tiana chuckles as I too walk to the other side of the lookout, do my thing, then rejoin her. I use my hand sanitizer, take a drink of water, then pull out my bar, holding the package between my teeth as I sling my bag across my back. “Ready.”
