And, truth be told, I’d spend every penny in my bank account if it’d make her smile exactly like she was as she stared up at me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
HUDSON
By the timewe arrived at the higher summit—the highest point one could safely climb Havenbrook Ridge without equipment—the sun was low in the sky. We’d wanted to do some exploring up here today, but I’d delayed us because I couldn’t keep my hands off Kenna. Not now that I’d had a taste.
Fortunately, we were both on the same wavelength when we arrived late. Without exchanging a word, we each settled into our duties from the night before. While setting up the tent, I snuck glances at Kenna as she gathered logs and built us a fire, something warm settling in my chest at the ease with which we worked around each other.
After cooking our dinner over the open flame, I surprised her with marshmallows I’d forgotten I’d packed, and the grin she shot me could’ve melted a snowman.
“You tryin’ to get into my pants tonight or what?” she asked, plucking the marshmallow from my fingers and stabbing a stick through it.
The answer to that was obviously an unequivocal yes.
“Maybe.” I speared a marshmallow for myself and held it out over the fire as I slid her a look out of the corner of my eye. “Is it workin’?”
“Depends.” Her voice was dead serious. “You got any chocolate and graham crackers in there?”
Without comment, I pulled the other items from my pack, offering them to her with a flourish.
She hummed. “I think the odds of you gettin’ lucky are definitely stacked in your favor.”
My cock responded to the raspy tone in her voice, my thoughts focusing intently on all the things I was going to do to her tonight. “Then I should warn you…”
“Hmm?”
“You’ve got about five minutes before I haul you over my shoulder and into the tent.”
She grinned. “But then you’d disturb your snoozin’ CB.”
I glanced down at the ball of matted brown fur currently curled in my lap. “She’ll be fine. Fall right back asleep, I bet. I’ll even make her a little bed from my sweatshirt.”
Kenna stared at the dog and me for long moments before the smile slowly slipped from her mouth.
My brows drew in as I scanned her face, trying to get a read on what was going through her mind. “What is it?”
She bit her lip and shook her head, dropping her gaze to the fire. “What’re you gonna do with her when we get back to town?”
“Get her in to see Atticus at the groomers.” I rested my hand on the dog, running it over her matted hair. “CB could also be short for cruddy bastard.”
“Hey!” Kenna said, laughter in her voice. “Leave her alone. Poor thing was abandoned out here. It’s not her fault she smells.”
“Horribly. She smells horribly. And it might not be her fault, but it doesn’t change the fact that she does.”
“Okay, smartass.” Kenna rolled her eyes. “After the groomer, what are you gonna do with her? Are you gonna take her to the shelter?”
Honestly, I had no fucking idea. I wasn’t exactly in the market for a dog. And if I were, it certainly wouldn’t be one that could fit in one of my hands. But the thought of dropping her off at the shelter when we got back to town made my stomach clench tight.
“I don’t know.” I petted CB, settling my hand over the entire expanse of her body. Quietly, I admitted, “I don’t want to.”
Kenna didn’t say anything, but I could feel her studying me. I just wished I knew what she saw when she did so.
We sat in front of the fire for a while, Kenna nestled into my side, until the call of her body got to be too much for me, and I couldn’t keep my hands off her. Didn’t matter that I’d managed to have her twice already today—I had a hell of a lot of time to make up for. And I intended to do quite a bit of it tonight.
With the fire sizzling out behind me, I walked her backward toward the tent, dropping my mouth to hers and not hesitating before slipping my tongue between her lips, desperate to taste her. I groaned as soon as her tongue slid against mine, my cock already hardening in my pants.
“Christ, Kenna, I’ve needed to be inside you all day,” I said against her mouth.
