“This way,” Wyatt said, tilting his head. He led us toward a small bench on the side of the trail, surrounded by tall, looming paper birches, like the ones he’d pointed out earlier. He plunked down on the bench, and I stole the spot beside him. With a few quick movements, the thermos was open, and I took the first sip of rum.
The sweetness hit me first, followed by the slight burn, and I savored the warmth, like a balm against the increasing chill of the oncoming night.
“Pass it over,” Wyatt said. “I earned this drink. Came out to Susie tonight.”
I blinked. “Wait, what?”
He tilted the thermos back and took a sip, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the motion. God, this close, the scent of the rum mingled with the crisp air and the cedar that always lingered around him. I wanted to roll around in it.
“Yeah, she called earlier. She’s already moved on—found a great guy she’s dating named Zack. And even though I didn’t mention our mutual connection, I told her I was bi.” He skimmed his hands through his hair, those callused, scarred fingers so damn hot. I wanted to put them in my mouth.
“How did that go?” I asked, surprised he’d even made that step. I was used to the runaround, the guys who thought dipping their toes in was hot for a spell but wouldn’t own up to anything.
He shrugged. “I mean, Harper’s bi. We’ve always been supportive, and Susie understood too.”
“Yeah, but it’s different dating some nameless guy,” I said, not sure why I was blurting this out. “What happens if you tell your family it’s me?”
Wyatt let out a heart-weary sigh that tugged at my own. “Susie won’t care who it is as long as I’m happy. As for Harps—well, I hope she’ll be understanding.”
“Does that mean…” I asked, my mouth drying. He couldn’t possibly mean he intended on telling her?
Wyatt looked at me. “What about me doesn’t spell serious? And if that scares you, then you better run now.”
“What, out in these woods?” I teased, unable to help myself. “I’ll trip and fall, and you’ll just have to pin me down and fuck me until I agree.”
Wyatt arched his brow. “You know, if you want something, you can ask.”
A shiver raced through me. “Ease me in, won’t you? I’ve been riding the avoidance train since I was a kid. Far easier to crack a self-deprecating joke than ask for things. Pah.”
Wyatt’s laugh echoed through the clearing. He wrapped an arm around me, and I snuggled into all that damnheat—to combat the chill, obviously. I stole the thermos from him again and took another sip. I didn’t do this with guys, the whole “sit under the night sky” thing. Hell, I’d rather gargle with cat hair and vinegar daily than talk about feelings.
Yet with Wyatt, the prickling discomfort didn’t slam in as violently. And he let me evade when I needed to without chasing, without pushing. Simply waiting, with all the steadiness of the surrounding trees.
“Since you’re a tree lover, what’s your favorite?” I asked. My emotions were too surface level right now, too close to brimming over.
“For lumber or generalized appreciation?” he asked. “For lumber, cherry wood. The sturdiness combined with the unique color have always appealed.”
“And generalized?” I asked, invested even though I didn’t know shit about trees. Just watching the movement of his mouth, the soft incandescent look in his eyes when he talked about something he was passionate about—he was the most transfixing creature I’d ever encountered.
“Have you ever heard of the kauri tree?” he asked. I shook my head. “They grow primarily in New Zealand, and they’re some of the largest trees in the world with long, long lifespans. They look like ancient sentinels in a forest, and I’ve always wanted to go see them myself.”
“Let’s go,” I said, tipping back another swig of rum. At this point, the warmth was flooding through my chest to my extremities, a slow, enjoyable tingle. “We’ll schedule it, hop on a plane, and go.”
Wyatt shook his head. “That simple, is it?”
I leaned in and pressed a kiss against his neck, the simple intimacy sending a thrill through me. “Well, yeah.”
“Where’ve you been all my life?” he asked, shaking his head.
His praise filtered through me, the way he viewed me so differently than how I saw myself. I’d grown so used to always being the one cracking jokes, deflecting any emotions, that the mask had been easier, simpler in a way, even if it chafed.
Yet Wyatt peeled it away every time.
“Well, I’m here now,” I said, my voice coming out raspy. God, he was irresistible, and if he didn’t get inside me this second, I was going to do something embarrassing like cry. “And I’m ready to ask.”
“Oh yeah?” Wyatt asked, staring at me with an intensity that almost bowled me over. “For what?”
I swallowed hard. “Take me here. I want you to fuck me hard against these trees, where anyone could find us.”
