Riley
Okay, so I was cutting it a little close this afternoon, but I would have made it back to my car in time. I sure as shit didn’t need the grumpy dick behind me to rescue me.
This is not my first rodeo. It’s not even my second or third.
My feet move as fast as they can down the trail while ensuring I’m not going to tumble to my own demise thousands of feet below.
That was a little dramatic. This trail isn’t that rough. It is steep, though.
Every time I peek over my shoulder, Cole is silently walking behind me.
His name fits him perfectly. It somehow seems to encompass the whole grumpy yet flirty asshole vibe he’s got going on.
I’m not even going to think about how hot the man is, or at least I’m going to try not to.
After he scared the shit out of me, I was taken aback by how hot he was. He’s tall with dark brown hair that’s slightly messy on top, like he was running his fingers through it the entire time he was walking up the trail, trying to find me.
His jaw is covered in just the right amount of stubble to be deliciously sexy, and I can’t help imagining what his clearly muscular body looks like beneath his clothes.
A raindrop smacks against my cheek, effectively yanking me from my devilish thoughts. Fuck.
Luckily, we’re already below the treeline. We’re in less danger than we were half an hour ago, but we still need to get the hell off this mountain and fast.
Cole’s voice is more serious and laced with concern. “We’d better pick up the pace. I need to get you off this mountain.”
I don’t know why his words shoot straight to my heart, but they do. His concern for me, someone he doesn’t know at all, is oddly touching.
Despite his asshole exterior, maybe Cole is a decent guy. I guess he’s on this search and rescue mission, so he can’t be all bad.
He steps up beside me, grabbing my hand. I have the urge to rip it away, but it feels nice.
We walk hand in hand as the occasional drops turn into a drizzle. The trees are blocking some of it from hitting us, but certainly not all of it.
We round a corner, and a four-wheeler comes into view. “That’s mine,” he says, letting go of my hand so he can slide his backpack into the compartment on the back.
He swings his muscular leg over the machine. He pulls a key from his pocket, and the engine rumbles to life. He turns to look at me, patting the seat behind him.
“Get on.”
I stand still. I started this hike on my own two legs. I’m going to finish it the same way.
“I’m just going to hike the rest of the way,” I say.
His jaw clenches so tight I’m afraid he’s going to crack a tooth. “No.”
I open my mouth to tell him he has no right to tell me no, but just then the gates of heaven open.
Water comes pouring down from the dark sky above—a flash of lightning splinters across the sky, followed by a painfully loud crack of thunder.
“Riley,” Cole grumbles, “I will pick you up and put you on here myself, if I have to. I’m not leaving you here alone, so… get… the… fuck… on.”
Despite the dangerous situation we’re in, my body shivers at the dominance in his tone. If a man ever tries to tell me what to do, usually it’s a hell fucking no from me. In the bedroom, that’s an entirely different story.
We aren’t in the bedroom, though, so my body is clearly confused.
Another flash of lightning brightens the forest around us, and I give in. I climb behind him, setting my hands gently on his hips.
I know I need to hold on, but I don’t trust myself to be a koala on his back. I’ll probably come from the contact alone.
He has other plans. His hands grip my wrists, wrapping my arms fully around him. My chest is now flush with his back. I can feel every dip and curve of his abs under my palms with the way my arms are braced around him.
“Don’t let go,” he says a second before he whips the four-wheeler around. He’s driving faster than I would think is safe, but it’s probably safer than staying up here with lightning flying all around us.
I was an idiot to think it was a better idea to walk the rest of the way instead of taking his offered ride.
We’re both soaked by the time we make it back to the small parking lot that is occupied by only my SUV and what I’m assuming is his truck. It takes all of five seconds for me to realize something is wrong with my car.
It’s tilted to the right. I know before moving my gaze down to the tire that it’s going to be flat.
Fuck.
I don’t even get a chance to go and inspect it before strong arms wrap around me, and I’m plopped down into the passenger seat of the truck.
“What the hell?” I yell, swatting at Cole’s chest as he leans over me and secures the seatbelt in place.
“I’m not leaving you here, and your car is obviously out of commission,” he says from where he’s standing in the open door with the rain pouring down around him.
“You could have given me the chance to get in here myself.”
“Like you would have come without putting up a fight,” he says, cocking a brow. He slams the door, then drives the four-wheeler up a ramp into the back of the truck.
I try to keep my gaze forward, but I can’t help glancing over my shoulder as he secures everything in place. Even through the pouring rain, I can see his muscles straining against the wet fabric that is clinging to his skin.
There is a very real part of me that wants to be as close to him right now as that shirt is.
Come on, Riley. Get a grip.
I snap my head around, forcing myself to look through the windshield until he climbs in beside me.
“Fuck. I haven’t seen it rain like this up here in a long time,” he says, running his fingers through his hair, which looks black now with how wet it is.
“Lucky me,” I say, giving him a sugary-sweet smile.
“Mmhmm,” he mumbles, starting the engine.
“Where are you taking me?” I ask as he starts to drive out of the parking lot. “Are you going to take me somewhere and murder me?”
He gives me a sideways glance like I’m an idiot. “Yes, I hiked all the way up that fucking mountain in the pouring rain only to bring you back here and kill you.”
“I don’t know you. You could be a serial killer for all I know.”
“I’m not.”
“Exactly what a serial killer would say.”
He sighs, like I’m testing his very last string of patience. “I’m pretty sure leaving you in the forest during a torrential downpour with a broken-down car would be a much more fitting scene for a horror movie than this right here,” he says, motioning between the two of us in the cab of his truck.
“While that might be true, it still doesn’t mean I should trust you.” Even though I can’t help the innate feeling I have that I can trust him.
I barely know anything about him other than his name and the fact that he’s hot as hell, but I sense that I’m safe with him. Whether I’m being a complete idiot right now is yet to be seen.
“I’m not going to hurt you…” He pauses, glancing in my direction as he continues to drive toward wherever our destination is. “Unless you want me to.”
Oh… fuckedy… fuck…
Despite how cold I am from the rain, warmth spreads through my whole body. Desire builds in my core, making me want to crawl across the truck and straddle him, although he’s still driving through a horrible thunderstorm.
“Nothing like a little pain with your pleasure,” I say.
He bites his bottom lip but doesn’t say a word. We’re both silent for the rest of the drive, but the tension is so thick you can almost taste it in the air.
Chemistry like this should be illegal.
Eventually, he pulls up to a warehouse-looking building. I bite back a retort about it being the perfect lair for a serial killer. I don’t think he’d appreciate it much.
He pushes a button, and a large garage-style door starts to open. He eases the truck forward, sliding it into park.
We both climb from the truck, pulling our bags out with us.
The space is ample. There are a few more trucks parked inside, along with snowmobiles and more four-wheelers. My eyes widen when I see the small plane sitting a few feet away.
I round the truck, stomping after Cole. “What am I supposed to do now?” I grumble.
“Say thank you.”
You’ve got to be kidding me.
“Not what I meant, asshole.”
He turns around to face me. I think he’s going to say something, but he stands there staring at me.
“You drive me fucking nuts,” he says.
“Same.”
There’s a heavy beat where his honey-colored eyes are locked on mine. Then, in some coordinated twist of fate, we both drop our bags to the floor in the same heartbeat and collide into one another.
His fingers slide into my hair as his mouth descends on mine. Our tongues slide against each other, like they’re dueling for control.
Much like he and I have been doing for the past few hours.
It’s rough and passionate, and I can’t get enough. My hands have a death grip on his soaked shirt, like I’m afraid that if I let him go for even a second, he’ll vanish.
He steps us backward until my back collides with something hard. Jerking my head to the side, I see it’s the plane behind me.
He takes the opportunity to move his mouth down my neck, kissing and licking a path across my damp skin in a way that makes my toes curl in my boots.
I grip the bottom of his shirt, trying to pull it over his head. That’s easier said than done with how wet it is.
We separate from each other, each of us peeling off our own clothes and boots. They land against the cement floor with a wet slapping sound that echoes around the building.
Standing there in the same clothes he caught me in earlier, I take in his glorious body that I knew was hiding behind his clothes, but is now out in the open for me to enjoy.
And fuck if I’m not enjoying it.
He’s nothing but corded muscle on top of more delicious muscle. Every inch of him is toned to perfection.
Who the hell is this guy, and why does he look like… that?
We were both so wet that even our undergarments were clinging to our bodies. His black boxer-briefs are doing very little to disguise his hard cock that’s threatening to bust through the fabric.