Evie
evie
“ S o, where exactly are we going?” I’m unfamiliar with Illinois and don’t recognize any significant landmarks as we head north. The snow has melted, and spring looks like it will settle in early this year. It’s been warm for February, according to my cousin, and the only reason Eric has suggested we stay out in the woods for the weekend, I’m assuming.
“If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you.” Eric grins over at me, the vision interrupted by Archer shoving half his body through the opening between the front seats. The dog’s body shakes with excitement as he leans down to lick Eric’s face before moving to give me kisses, too. I feel bad that Bagel is stuck in the back, whining as he tries to reach me, but he can’t because his little body is too short.
“Archer, get in the back, buddy,” Eric gently reprimands him, pushing the giant shepherd back with his elbow. “I really need to get him one of those crash kennels. Worst dog parent ever, huh?”
I laugh. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about. Bagel is a passenger prince, so I guess that makes me a bad dog mom, too.”
When Eric arrived at my door this morning with coffee, doughnuts, and a wicked smile that suggested he’d rather tie me up again than journey the few hours it would take to get to his ‘magical campsite,’ I became all stuttered words and heart palpitations.
All that happened, however, was a sweet, chaste kiss in greeting before he helped himself to my kitchen to put the doughnuts on a plate and the coffee in mugs, even though we needed to get on the road.
Archer and Bagel played in the living room while we made small talk over breakfast. Yes, small talk. Even though what I really wanted to do, and I’m pretty sure he did too, was strip down and play a game of Twister in the bedroom.
Neighbors be damned.
The fact that he took two weeks off work in the middle of a huge shift for the company, just so we could spend time together, is probably the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. As he looked over my sketch ideas for Roselyn’s room and the photos of the progress I’d made so far, the fact that he seemed genuinely interested and continued complimenting my skills was just the icing on the cake.
Eric is kinda perfect.
Now, all I need to do is be a big girl and have the ‘ I can’t have kids’ discussion before this man makes me fall harder than I already have.
“I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about sharing a tent, so I brought two, just in case,” Eric says as casually as he would ask about the weather. “But I think we both know my preference on the matter.”
“Okay, we have to talk about the elephant in the truck.” I throw my arms up and slide my body sideways in my seat, hitching a leg up until it’s forming a nine and I’m facing Eric full-on. I grab the bags of jerky I brought, giving a regular piece to Archer and sliding Bagel his own through the space between the seat and the door before tossing a piece of Korean-style pork in my mouth.
“You, sir, are like two totally different people in there.” I point a long piece at him and twirl it in the air like a wand. Eric grabs my wrist mid-air and pulls my hand to his mouth, biting off a chunk of the tenderized meat while side-eyeing the road. The action makes me wet instantly. Eric hums in approval as if he knows it, rubbing his thumb lightly over my wrist before he lets me go.
“See? That! That right there is what I mean!” I cry once I find my words. “You are so laid-back one moment and then all dominant alpha male the next. Which one is the real you? Will the real Eric Adams please stand up?”
He lets out a long laugh. It’s full and boisterous and makes his entire body shake with mirth. “This is the real me, . Just your friendly neighborhood golden retriever in the streets and a dominant Doberman in the sheets, baby.”
Baby.
In fear of melting, I shrug out of my jacket, letting it hang on my shoulders as I attempt to get rid of some of the heat radiating off my body. “Have you dated someone who’s really into spicy romance books since Daphne or something?”
Did I just give away that I, myself, like spicy romance books—a hobby I picked up abroad?
Oh well. No shame in my game. Those books have unlocked kinks I never thought I’d be into.
Eric grins—he really has to stop doing that—like he knows exactly where my dirty mind has drifted off to. “I’m a cyber security specialist. I’ve seen some shit.” He shrugs as we take an exit and turn left toward the woods. “I got curious.”
Well, fuck. Now I’m curious, too.
“Does it bother you that we barely know each other and I’m overly familiar with you?” he asks suddenly, though the smile on his perfectly pouty lips denotes his playfulness hasn’t left the building…err, truck.
I shake my head. “It’s been six weeks. It’s not like we haven’t been talking and texting consistently, among other things,” I mutter the last part under my breath, but he hears me anyway.
“How long did it take you to get untied, anyway?” He laughs, flinching as I reach over and smack his arm. Archer begins to bark, shoving his way onto the center console once more as his high- pitched yelps fill the truck. Bagel starts to bay. The loud shriek-like howl paired with Archer’s pathetic cries has us covering our ears and sharing a look of sympathy.
“Too long,” I shout over the noise, “and you’re going to pay for that. And for making me get up so early today. I’m not a morning person, you know.”
I swear he mutters, “I know.” But I can barely make it out over the two ridiculous dogs who have created a two-hound band and are currently crafting their first chart topper.
How would he know?
I ponder the question as the forest grows thicker. The road is lined with fluffy Hemlock trees and other coniferous species, and the further we drive, the more I notice the naked, smooth, greige bark of maples peppered throughout.
I’m good at picking out certain things in nature, but if you asked me to write a detailed report on my findings in the forest at any given time, I’d get my paper back with a big, fat F circled in red.
Hiking is fun. Needing to learn everything about my surroundings while out on the trails is not.
There’s a sign welcoming us to a national forest with a name I can’t pronounce. Not long past that, there’s a check-in station that Eric pulls up to with a smile.
“Hey there, Sampson,” he greets, grabbing a yellow paper from his dash and handing it to the older gentleman.
Sampson smiles, the deep wrinkles in his face crinkling as his thick, bushy mustache wiggles. “Why hello, Eric.” He leans down to peer through the open window and lifts his hand in a wave. “Hi there, miss.”
“Hello,” I offer politely.
Eric and Sampson fall into easy conversation, talking about how it’s unnaturally warm this time of year and how the ground is dry, so we won’t have to worry about snow. “But even so, it’s still a bit early for campers to be in the area you’re going to, so you don’t need to worry about having any neighbors.”
He gives Eric a wink before nodding to me. “Have a great time out there.”
I don’t know whether to be slightly disturbed by the older man’s insinuation or if I’m looking too deep into the sparkle in his brown eyes. As soon as Eric’s window is up and we’re winding down the long road, I ask, “Come here a lot?”
“There’s a lot of lakes and trails up in through here, and it’s dog friendly. I keep Archer on his leash when we're hiking, his recall is shit, but I’ve never had a problem with any other dogs. It’s like a whole different world up here, you know? One where I can escape the reality of work and the smell of the city. Just a man and his best friend, huh, buddy?” he coos to Archer, who has started to get restless in the backseat as though he recognizes where we’re at and can’t wait to stretch his legs.
“Why do you live in the suburbs, then, if you’d rather be in the woods?”
“Would you want to live in the middle of the woods with no one around? Just your significant other and your dogs?” he answers my question with one of his own.
My reply is immediate. “No. I need human interaction. I wouldn’t mind living somewhere with lots of land, so neighbors aren’t right on top of us, but I definitely don’t think I could be restrained to the forest with only you and the dogs for company…sorry.” I look over at him as I laugh.
Eric’s eyes have darkened and his knuckles are white where he’s gripping the steering wheel. He’s rubbing the lower half of his face while shooting me heavy glances, and the image causes my panties to grow wet.
“What?” My voice is breathy and I don’t even know why.
“Do you even realize what you just said?” he asks, tone husky and low.
I replay my words, my cheeks heating as I realize that while he asked about a significant other in general, I responded as though we were a couple and mentioned living with him and Archer.
Just fucking own it, . When did you become so scared to voice how you feel?
Against my will, my thoughts stray to Jonathan, and I think about how easily I spoke to the man I only knew for two and half days. My necklace is warm as I fish it from beneath my shirt and play with it absentmindedly.
Why am I so weird around Eric when I was never this way with Jonathan ?
Maybe because Eric is here and single and wants to keep you forever.
“?” My name on Eric’s lips pulls my gaze his direction slowly. “Where’d you go in there?” He offers me a warm, yet slightly concerned, smile.
Shaking my head, I reach up and hook my arm around the underside of Archer’s neck as he bumps his head against mine like he knows my thoughts skittered away to somewhere cold and sad. “Nowhere, I’m fine.”
Eric seems to want to say more, but as we come around a corner, he slows his truck and pulls down a small dirt path just wide enough for the large vehicle. “You brought me out here to kill me, didn’t you?” I deadpan, thinking about how I also playfully accused Jonathan of being a serial killer.
Without missing a beat, his voice is sinister and dripping with delicious promises as he replies, “Well, I did tell you that no one would be able to find us.”
Somehow, that makes me shiver with anticipation instead of fear.
I’m about to respond when the trees thin and the scenery turns into something you’d see in a painting. There’s a vast campsite with a rust-colored picnic table and a fire pit nestled on the sloped bank of a beautiful lake. The sun is high and bright, casting golden rays over the sporadic trees dotted throughout the grounds and highlighting the evergreens. The water appears more turquoise than blue beneath the yolky light, giving the lake a warm vibe, but I know the water is probably freezing .
“Wow,” I breathe.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Eric sounds proud, as if he’s carved this little slice of heaven from the earth by himself.
Despite it being warm for February, there’s still an early morning chill in the air that nips at my skin through my clothes when I exit the truck. “I hate early mornings, I hate the cold, and here I am, enduring both for a man I barely know,” I mutter under my breath, pulling the hood of my flannel shacket over my curls.
Knowing we would be out here for two days with no shower, I opted for no makeup but at least curled my hair last night to make sure I didn’t look like a complete trash panda. The last thing I need is a nursery of raccoons trying to adopt me as their own. I don’t think Bagel would appreciate that much.
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm,” Eric speaks directly into my ear, sneaking up behind me like a freaking stealthy mountain lion. I jump and spin directly into his open arms. Without warning, he dips his head and presses his soft, pillowy lips against mine.
The kiss is immediately hot, and Eric takes complete control of my mouth, backing me against the side of the truck. Every cell in my body lights up and does a little dance, collectively groaning when he pulls away, lightly nipping the tip of my nose.
“How about now? Still cold?” He nuzzles my neck, grazing his teeth along the column as he peppers light kisses against my skin .
“Uh… Uh-uh,” is all I manage, mind going completely stupid as he plays my body like a fiddle.
Every touch is strategic, from the way his fingers burrow inside my shacket to grip my sides over the thin, long-sleeved shirt I’m wearing to the way his other hand cradles the side of my neck he isn’t attacking with his lips. His thumb strokes lazily over my pulse point, pressing ever so slightly when I moan.
“I can’t wait to make you see stars later,” he whispers against my skin. “Literally and figuratively.”
Eric pulls back as the dogs rush back to our side, finished with their business and sniffing around the campsite to ensure it’s all Archer and Bagel approved. “Let’s get set up.”
As much as I’d rather just climb into the backseat of his truck and have sex like we’re teenagers, I oblige him and help unpack everything.
I’m a little confused as Eric keeps handing things down to me from the bed of the truck. Daphne mentioned wanting to travel in style, and while it’s still tent camping, Eric has enough equipment to set up an entire household.
The two tents he brought are huge—like big enough for multiple families—and they connect via a tunnel that can be closed off from both sides. There’s an outhouse with a full-on seat that goes over the sanitary container, and enough cooking equipment to fully stock a kitchen.
“Do you always travel like this?” I ask, looking over the campground that now looks more like a woodsy-themed hotel room.
“No,” he says as he sets up a cooking contraption over the fire pit. “Just pulling out all the stops for you, babe.”
Excuse me while I melt into a puddle of goo.
He throws a charming smile over his shoulder, pearly whites on display, blue eyes sparkling with warmth as they drift down my body and back to my gaze. “Impressed?”
Arching an eyebrow, I shrug a shoulder and smirk before turning to head down to the water. “I guess we’ll have to see how warm you can keep me.”
Eric laughs and winks. “Oh, don’t worry about that. I have gas heaters for both tents. It will be warm enough that you won’t even need your pajamas.”
I stop in my tracks, thinking about Bagel and Archer in a tent alone and how easily they could tip a heater over. “Gas heaters? Isn’t that dangerous?”
Eric shakes his head. “No, it will be fine. There’s a ventilation system and tip protection. Plus, a sensor in case there’s not enough oxygen. Archer stays far away from it when we’re out here by ourselves. Bagel will be toasty enough from across the tent, he won’t even try to go near it. I promise.”
I must still look worried, because Eric stands and walks over to me. “If it will make you feel better to have the dogs stay in our tent, we can do that.” He leans down, rolling his forehead across mine and adding, “ After we’re finished consummating this relationship,” as he passes .
“Oh, are we in a relationship now?” I ask in mock surprise.
“Yep.” He pops his p. “I decided on the drive up. I’m done waiting. You’re mine now,” he states matter-of-factly.
Before I can reply, my stomach lets out a resounding grumble, reminding me that it’s nearly time for second breakfast. Eric’s laughter floats on the slight breeze as he turns. “How about some brunch? Then we can go for a hike. There’s a place I wanna show you.”
“Oh yeah? The place you’re gonna murder me and hide my body?” I joke with a teasing, saccharine lilt.
“Nah, baby, the only thing that’s gonna get murdered on this trip is your–”
“Whoo whoo whoo!” Both dogs break out in song, charging toward the water at a pair of geese floating around the bend. The fowl ruffle their feathers before taking off, and I call Bagel back before he tries to take a swim. He ignores me, continuing the ballad of his ancestor's hunting days. “Whoo whoo whoo!”
When I look back at Eric, who is moving our bathroom for the next two days closer to the water and away from our tent, he’s wearing a wolfish grin that suggests he really does plan on murdering my–
“Whoooo whoooo whoooo!”