“Fuck, I need a condom.”
She shook her head. “I have an IUD, and I get tested every year. Still negative. Just fuck me, Cole.”
Holy hell. Adele’s bluntness pushed my already rock-hard cock to the brink.
I cleared my throat. “Same here. Are you sure?” I had to force myself to hold still, clinging to my control by the thinnest thread.
Her eyes pinned to mine. “Now.”
“Okay, then. As you wish.” My lips curled in a startled smile. I was so damn pleased she was as lost in this as I was.
I notched myself at her entrance and filled her clenching channel in a deep thrust. Her head fell back against the shower wall as she cried out. What followed was quick and dirty.
She was coming in a matter of seconds, clenching around my length as my own release slammed into me. I could barely stand, my hand flexing against the tiled wall. We stared at each other, gasping for air, until she said, “Well, good morning to you too.”
On the heels of that, we started laughing. I shook my head to myself as we soaped off moments later.
Before we stepped out of the shower, I bent low to give her a lingering kiss. “This was the perfect start to my day,” I murmured.
Chapter Twenty-Four
ADELE
Sometimes there are bears
A few days later, I called encouragingly to the woman making her way slowly up the rock climb. “You’ve got this!”
“Do I though?” she called back, her tone dry.
Even though I knew she was nervous, there was enough humor in her tone that I knew she was okay. “You know it!” I returned.
One of the other women in the group commented from my side, “You’re really good at this.”
I glanced her way. “I’m not doing anything,” I pointed out.
She rolled her eyes. “Actually, you are. Now, you’re just standing here being our little cheerleader, but you showed us all how to belay, you did the initial climbing lesson, and now we’re all climbing.”
I grinned, feeling a flush of pride. “Well, good. If there’s one thing I aim to do, it’s to make sure anyone who hikes with me builds some confidence.”
This was a group of women who had signed up for a week at Heartfire Falls for day hikes, rock climbs, and so on. They were gearing up for a longer hike to do the entire Pacific Coast Trail the following year. They’d told me from the beginning they knew that was no easy feat.
Although the longer trails were often goals for hikers—the Appalachian Trail being the most famous in the US, two others being the Pacific Coast and the Continental Divide—Alaska was my stomping ground, and I was content to stay here. There was also the reality that if I tried to do months-long hikes like those, I’d have to plan more carefully to make sure I had medically trained co-hikers with me in case something happened. Here, my trips were shorter. My mind mentally shied away whenever I thought about how much I wished I didn’t need to depend on anyone.
A little while later, we were back at Heartfire Falls. I was trying not to think about the fact that Cole had come over every night since our first night together. Even more than that, I was trying not to think about how much I anticipated him. My body buzzed with a hum of anticipation every afternoon into evening because I was impatient, ready and anxious to see him. To be with him.
“How are you doing?” Maggie’s voice came over my shoulder as I walked down the hallway after returning from a quick shower in the barn apartment.
I turned to face her. “I’m great, Maggie. I love this. I’m really grateful to be here.”
“We’re grateful to have you. We were already busy, but now we can advertise that we have a new guide.” She paused, tipping her head to the side. “Do you have a preference for who I pair you up with for longer trips?” she asked.
Heat started to rise in my cheeks, and I cleared my throat. “Of course not.”
I wasn’t about to admit to her that, of course, I did. I would love to be paired with Cole, but I also knew better. The idea of sleeping with him under the stars was beyond tempting. I knew I was dancing along the edge of something irrational with him already.
“What about Cole?” she pressed.
“Maggie!” I protested, realizing instantly I gave something away with that.
