“Um, yeah. I’m for sure interested in that. In you, I mean—in your help.” Jesus Christ, what the fuck? Why have I suddenly turned into a fucking teenager around Hunter Davies? But the slow smile that spreads across his face, warm and rich, like maple syrup on pancakes, shows me I’m not alone. He still wants me. It’s there on his face, plain as day. How in god’s name are we going to resist this pull between us when every time I look at him or hear his voice or his laugh, or every time our bodies brush up against each other, I’m assaulted by memories of his hot body pinning me down and moving inside me.
“Motherfucker,” I mutter softly under my breath.
Chapter twenty-seven
Hunter
After the night at Pixels & Pints, time seems to speed up. Not only is work at Rainy Day busy for me, which is pretty normal, but Penn is always, always on my mind. He took me up on my offer to help him prepare for the donor presentation, thank god, because while being near him and not being able to touch him the way I want to is nearly impossible, I think not being able to see him at all might actually kill me. I’ve been spending most evenings at his condo, helping him practice his speech using the slides he and Martin have been working on. Sometimes Cooper and Kelly come over too, and they throw questions at Penn as if they’re the donors. I usually make sure he's actually getting into bed before I leave, but he usually texts me once I get home, too excited to sleep. I think he's doing amazingly well. He’s comfortable around people, which helps, but he’s never had to do this kind of formal presentation outside of college, and the shelter matters so much to him, he's getting more and more nervous as the date draws closer.
As for me, I’ve never been so wrapped up in another human being. Yes, it’s completely terrifying, and no, I have no idea whatI’m going to do about it. But we all have a huge distraction right now with helping Penn get ready, and I’m doing my best ostrich impression by sticking my head firmly in the sand until I have no choice but to face it. As I suspected when Penn first told me about it, The Open Door has quickly become a passion project for all of us. And my pride at how gracefully he's handling the pressure threatens to overwhelm me all the damn time.
Martin and Penn have been contacted by a ton of Seattle’s wealthy donors, representing not only the tech world, but through Kelly, they’ve tapped into some of the city's sports elite, including the NFL team, as well as the upcoming NHL team. Carson Wells, their boss, has told Kelly he thinks The Open Door could be one of their main charitable focuses once the team actually starts playing in the next couple of years. That would mean not only lots of possible dollars in donations but also a major boost to visibility in the community. Penn is thrilled, but I know he’s fighting his deep insecurities about being able to make the whole thing happen, so I’m trying to keep his confidence level as high as possible.
The weekend before the presentation, which is set for Friday, Penn texts me, and it’s got a different tone than usual. Instead of being funny and flirty, this one is two words only.
Penn:Need you.
I respond faster than a heartbeat.
On my way.
Fifteen minutes later, Penn buzzes me in, and I find him bordering on frantic. His eyes are wild, and he looks like he may not have slept last night, even though I was here until late, and I made sure he was actually in his bed before letting myself out.
“Hunter, I’m screwed. This presentation is going to be shit, and then what? The shelter’s never going to get built, I’m going to let everyone down again, and all the kids that need help are going to get fu—” His breathing is ragged, his voice cracking and screechy. He’s unraveling at the seams, and I’m not going to sit back and let that happen.
“Hey, hey.” I close the distance between us with a few quick strides, grabbing his shoulders and turning him so he’s facing me. “Penn, this presentation is not going to be shit. You’ve got this. You’re doing so well, and you’ve still got plenty of time left to learn anything you don’t already know. I promise you, it’s going to be fucking amazing.”
But he only shakes his head, not believing a single word, and I know there’s nothing I can say right now that’s going to break through his panic.
“Pack yourself a bag right now, and go grab your hiking boots,” I command, my tone leaving no room for protest.
His mouth opens, a protest forming, but all I need to do is cock an eyebrow at him, and he stops himself, snapping his mouth shut and swallowing thickly, his pupils dilating.
I have to ignore the immediate surge of blood that flows straight to my cock at his reaction.Jesus, fuck. Before Penn, I had no idea how hot it is to take that kind of control.
Five minutes later, he’s ready with a backpack full of water and snacks, wearing his hiking boots.
The drive is mostly silent, except for my playlist low in the background and the occasional huff from Penn as he tries to memorize lines from his now-crumpled, old-school style note cards.
Snoqualmie Falls is a stunning, dramatic waterfall about an hour away from the city that also happens to be surrounded by plenty of low-stress hiking trails for those who like to get out into the forests but aren’t necessarily “hard-core” hikers.It’s nestled in the Western Foothills of the Cascade Mountains, which separate Western Washington’s lush, green rainforests and rugged coastline from the drier, more wide-open rolling landscape of the eastern part of the state. It’s also one of my favorite places to get outside when I’m feeling cooped up or stressed.
I pull him out of the car, and we make our way down to the falls themselves, which are swollen with spring runoff at this time of year. The thunderous roar of the water as it plunges over the rocky edge with unrelenting force is nearly deafening. It’s impossible to get stuck in my head when I’m standing so close to the mesmerizing display of nature’s raw power. I'm hoping it will do the same for Penn.
We stand on the observation platform, the cool mist refreshing as it hits our faces. The falls are framed by towering evergreen trees, and bright green ferns and mosses cling to the rocks below us. The watery spring sunshine reflects off the water, making everything shimmer and causing rainbows to form in the spray, making the scene feel even more magical.
Penn turns to me a few minutes later, and there’s a peace on his face that I haven’t seen in a few weeks. Not since we’ve been home from our trip. But his blue eyes are shining, and the smile he gives me is brilliant.
“Thank you for bringing me here. This is exactly what I needed.”
We’re standing so close it takes a superhuman effort for me not to lean in and kiss him. But holy mother of god, do I want to. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything more, but instead I just grab his hand and smile.
“Come on, we aren’t done yet.”
The roaring of the Falls fades slightly as we head to the trailhead. While he seems much more at peace, his shoulders are still knotted up with tension, and his jaw hasn’t completelyunclenched. But this was the right call—I can see it in the way he eagerly charges down the path ahead of me.
We take steps, one after another, the crunching of twigs under our boots and the occasional birdcall against the distant roar of the water are the only sounds now. The park isn’t crowded today, since we’re still in the wet, cool days of spring and we haven’t really had any warm days to start drying out the forest. The dampness has that way of burrowing right into your bones, no matter how many layers you wear out here.
Suddenly, Penn veers sharply off the trail, drawn by who knows what, but I want to believe he’s pulled off the path by the desire to feel like we’re alone in the world right now, with no chance of stumbling into other hikers.
