Chapter 12 Adair
ADAIR
At the top of the bluff, I blow out a sigh of satisfaction.
“That elevation was no joke, but this view makes it totally worth it,” I say as Jack joins me on the flat granite outcrop. I let him pick the trail, since this weekend is technically his birthday present. I’m happy that the scenery is as spectacular as the reviews on the hiking app promised.
“How’s that hand?” he asks, picking up my wrist to inspect it. We had to do a little rock-scrambling just before the summit, but the new skin where my burn healed is no worse for wear.
“I’m good,” I say with a shrug, although I’m touched that Jack’s first thought after that strenuous climb was about me.
I shade my eyes with my hand as I take in the view: Steep slopes thickly blanketed with dense forest, broken up on one side with a bare rock face that slices through all that green like a scar.
If I squint, I can just about make out a couple of rock climbers, clinging to the sheer cliff like insects.
I let out a hum of contentment. “Wow, this is really gorgeous.”
“It’s fucking something,” Jack agrees. A few moments later, he makes a noise of either amusement or impatience. “You ought to take a picture. It’ll last longer.”
I don’t know if he means it or not, but since he said it, I take advantage of the opportunity. “Oh, yeah!” I pull out my phone. “Let’s take a picture of us with the view in the background.”
Jack bites back a sigh and rolls his eyes but arranges himself next to me. “Hey!” I protest when he takes my phone out of my hand.
“What? My arms are longer than yours.”
“Oh, right. Thanks, then.” It never occurred to me that Jack would voluntarily take a selfie. I lean my head against his chest with a happy sigh as he snaps a picture.
A thought pops into my head. “Wait. Take one more.” I hop onto my toes.
“We’re done with this shit after this one,” he grumbles, but I feel a smile rounding his cheek beneath my lips as I kiss him. I bury my face in his hair and inhale deeply, not wanting this moment to end. Jack sort of chuckles but doesn’t say anything.
As we start making our way back, he points at a different blaze. “Hey, let’s see where this one goes for a little bit.”
I don’t know why the idea of a camping trip with Jack never occurred to me before, because it’s actually really nice spending time out in the woods with him.
If he wasn’t all grouchy about it being his birthday, I might not even have had to talk him into it.
Even though our hike back is mostly quiet, I can tell he’s having a good time in spite of himself.
I’m wrapped up in my little cocoon of contentment as I follow Jack down a shallow ravine after the final fork in the trail that will lead us back to our campsite. It’s shaded and muddy down here as we track what looks like a dry creek bed.
I’m picking my steps carefully when, out of nowhere, my mind flashes to another muddy forest floor, another trek through the woods — a night that ended with me writhing half-naked on the ground as Jack worked me over, made me filthy and humiliated me.
My dick twitches.
That night, Jack glances up at me with a frown from the other side of the campfire. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.” I take a sip of my beer and nibble at a piece of cornbread. “Just not really hungry.”
He snorts. “I don’t believe that. Not after today’s hike.”
“I figure I’ll eat later,” I say with a shrug I hope comes across as nonchalant. “That smells good, but it’s pretty heavy.” I look Jack dead in the eye. “And I’m figuring I might need to be light on my feet tonight.”
The flare of lust I see in Jack’s eyes burns brighter and hotter than the campfire. “Oh, really?” He sets his plate down on a stump, looking at me like he’s just decided he wants to sink his teeth into me for dinner.
I can do this. I’ve got proper hiking boots on, so I’m way better equipped than some times when I’ve sprinted through the dark forest with Jack hot on my heels. Plus, the moon is nearly full, its silver light glimmering off the lake.
Then again, Jack’s got more… supplies at his disposal. My eyes dart to the coil of nylon rope sitting on the lowered tailgate of his truck. I hear a low, sinister chuckle and realize he just caught me eyeballing it.
When I stand, Jack gets up, too. He moves behind me so he can pull my body against his. He gathers my hair into a ponytail before tracing a slow, sensual line with his tongue down one side of my neck.
My hum of pleasure turns into a jagged gasp when he abruptly yanks that ponytail back and sinks his teeth into the bend where my shoulder meets my neck. He sucks the sensitive skin into his mouth, worrying it with his teeth and biting until the pain makes me moan.
My cock is hard by the time Jack takes his mouth off me. He brings his lips to my ear. “Love the sounds of pain you make. Turns me on to hear you moaning for me, sobbing for me, screaming for me.” He grazes my earlobe with his teeth. “You want to make my cock hard tonight?”
My entire body is tense from the pain still blooming red on my neck and the promise of more. “Please, Jack,” I whisper.
“Good boy.” I think I’d give him anything he wants just to hear those two syllables in his deep voice.
Sliding a hand down my body, Jack chuckles when he gets to my hard-on and gropes me roughly. “If that’s what you want, I’ll give it to you, but I’m not holding anything back.” Between the low rumble of his words, his breath against my ear and whatever awaits in those dark woods, I’m trembling.
“I want your tears, I want your submission — I want you in pieces. I promise to put you back together afterwards, but you’re going to earn it. I want to fucking shatter you.”
Jack gives my cock another squeeze. “Don’t forget your safeword tonight.”
Oh God.