“Well, I’ll never be able to see them the same way,” I said.
Rory flashed me a brilliant smile, his features a bit softer in the wake of his release. “Well, now I have a favorite tree.”
“Think it might be one of mine too.” My heart thundered, and I ran my thumb along his cheek to savor the feel of him. “Though we should head on back down the trail.”
“Where to next?” Rory asked, and I loved that he assumed the date wasn’t over.
If I could, I wanted him in my bed, in my life, for as long as I could keep him.
I just didn’t know if he felt the same. However, broaching that here, right after we’d fucked, didn’t work for me. “We’ll head to my place.” I crouched and gestured behind me. “Come on, get up. I’ll carry you back.”
“You can’t be serious,” Rory said. “I’m a full-grown man.”
“I’m still bigger,” I teased.
“Yeah, you are.” The throatiness of his voice zapped me with lust. He conceded, and a second later he was climbing onto my back. Rory wasn’t small by any means, but he was slender, and I loved having his heat pressed up against me. Besides, I was used to hefting around lumber and doing heavy labor. Picking him up wasn’t a big deal.
“Let’s go.” I set off back toward the beginning of the trail. We hadn’t even gone the whole route through before we’d been sidetracked, so it wouldn’t be a bad hike. The crisp air invigorated me, and feeling his body pressed against mine soothed me in an unexpected way. I craved him with every ounce of my being, with a fervor I hadn’t realized I possessed.
“Gonna dick me down when we get back to your apartment? We haven’t christened your bed yet,” he said, nipping at my neck. My cock made an attempt to wake up, but it was spent.
“I’m not in my twenties anymore,” I warned. “My refractory period is a bit longer.”
“I could hold your cock in my mouth until you get hard,” he teased.
Heat flared through me with a blinding ferocity. I’d never even considered that, but with Rory I dove into all this new exploration headfirst. In my regular life, I was planned, methodical. Never impulsive.
However, he pulled me out of my ruts with ease, bringing a refreshing liveliness to my days that I couldn’t quit.
I needed two talks. One with him about whether he might want more.
And two, with my daughter.
My chest pinched tight at the idea of any potential upset, but the weight of Rory anchored my decision.
The buzz of a phone cut through the hushed nighttime air, and a second later, Rory tugged out his phone. “It’s my boss. He doesn’t usually call.”
“Better pick up,” I said as I continued down the path, closer to the parking lot.
“What do you need?” Rory asked, clearly talking to Owen. I’d spoken to the guy a few times but had mostly just heard about him—through both Harper and Rory. He sounded like a stand-up boss from the way he took care of the people who worked for him. “Shit,” Rory swore. “You’re how far away?”
“What happened?” I asked.
“Owen’s car broke down, and he needs to get supplies to the shop. Can we do a quick run?” Rory asked me.
My heart squeezed tight—not just at Rory’s instant support for Owen but for his consideration of me as well. For someone who’dnever navigated a relationship before, he was taking all the right steps. “Yeah, of course.”
It wasn’t until he hung up that a realization hit me. “Harper’s not at the shop tonight, is she?”
“Nah,” Rory said. “She finished up a few hours ago.” With the way he pressed up against me, I could feel when his body stiffened.
“Hey,” I said, my voice low. “I know you guys work together. That’s not going to scare me away.”
His lips brushed against my neck in a soft kiss, one that said everything from the man who doled out snarky comments at the drop of a hat just to avoid emotions.
A shiver ran through me, along with a deep, stirring desire to claim him in every way possible, heart and soul.
I needed Rory to be mine.
