35. Grady
GRADY
Well, I’ve gone and fucked this up, haven’t I?
I completely failed her.
And all because she’s too damn sexy and hard to be around.
I’m a selfish asshole. Who’s trying to do right by my friend… and hurting his sister in the process. No matter what I do, I can’t win.
Glancing over my shoulder, I check that she’s still following only a few paces behind me.
She is, her face so fucking beautiful in this early-afternoon sunlight. The dappled shadows dance across her skin, the points the light is touching giving her an ethereal glow.
Spinning back around before she can catch me staring, I don’t say a word, quietly leading her up to the lookout point I know she’s going to love.
She seems to really gel with the nature out here, which is why it sucks that she wants to leave .
The thing is, I don’t think she wants to leave. She just wants to get away from me.
Because you’re being a grumpy asshole!
Shit!
Running a hand down my face, I berate myself some more, then start mapping out how I’m gonna get her back to civilization.
Checking the time, I break down the hours we have until sunset.
If we spend a half hour or so at one of my favorite views in the world, then we can head back down the hillside and reach the bottom of the valley just before dark.
We might be pitching her tent at dusk, but I’ve got two headlamps.
I don’t want to be hiking in the dark, so we’ll have to push to get to the place I’m thinking of.
Wrestling the GPS out of the side pouch, I check the topographical map and work out the quickest route.
“What are you doing?” she asks, nearly bumping into me when I stop.
“Just planning out the rest of today,” I mumble.
She sighs and goes around me, walking ahead on the trail. I let her go because there are no intersections. This path leads straight to the lookout point.
Giving her some space, I figure out the rest of our plans while she stomps ahead in obvious frustration.
Ignoring the sizzle of whatever the fuck I’m feeling, I figure if we camp in the valley tonight, then we can hike out first thing and reach the parking lot by the afternoon.
I’m looking at the most direct route there is.
It’s not as pretty, and there’s a steep climb in the middle, but she wants to go back, right?
And I’ll get her there the fastest way possible .
Huffing, I shove the GPS away, feeling like shit.
I don’t want to go!
But we obviously can’t stay here together, and I can’t send her off on her own, so it looks like my spring break has been thoroughly shat on, and I’ve only got myself to blame.
Because I couldn’t say no to her sweet ass, and now I’m smothered in guilt and longing and…
FUCK!
“Holy shit!” Blake’s voice rises from in front of me, and although it doesn’t sound like she’s distressed, I pick up my pace anyway.
Breaking into a jog, I negotiate the trail with ease and pop out onto the huge slab of rock that juts out from the side of the mountain and overlooks a stunning view of the valley below and the mountains stretching out as far as we can see.
The landscape cascades down to a river that winds its way through the northern valley. It’s breathtaking. Wildflowers are starting to pepper the hills in the near distance, and snow is capping the mountain peaks beyond.
“This is so beautiful,” Blake murmurs in obvious wonder while snapping a bunch of photos on her phone.
I love how in awe she is.
I love how much she appreciates this.
My heart swells and pulses—a mixture of pain and desire and rage at how unfair it is that I’m finally starting to get over Teah… and the girl who’s helping make that happen is the one I’m not allowed to have.
Why does she have to be Wily’s sister ?
Why can’t she just be some random girl I met in a drugstore or something?
A random girl you helped after she got busted for shoplifting.
I close my eyes, not wanting to think about that. She said she’d never do it again. I think that scare was the exact kick start she needed. And this hike. This week was supposed to be the next step in her journey.
And you went and fucked it up.
Dammit.
Clenching my jaw, I internally argue that she started it, but that’s no excuse. I could have stopped her at any second, but I gave in to temptation, and we had each other like the consequences didn’t matter.
Just stop thinking about it!
A growl rumbles in my chest and I shake my head, begging myself to snap out of this angsty mood.
Look at the view. Just enjoy the view!
Unclipping my pack, I slip it off my shoulders and walk closer to the edge. Gazing down at the river below us, I go still, the sounds of nature starting to amplify as I take a moment to listen.
I love this place so much.
It fills my soul every time.
The thump of Blake’s pack hitting the ground makes me jolt, and I glance over my shoulder, the view I’ve been admiring taking on a different edge when she steps into it.
Her blonde ponytail is dancing in the breeze, those reckless curls flicking across her shoulders as she sighs and smiles at the landscape.
Wow .
She’s just so… wow.
I can’t breathe as she moves in beside me, planting her feet next to mine and looking content.
Don’t say anything. Don’t ruin this moment for her.
Watching her out of the corner of my eye, I slip my hands into my pockets and try to keep my raging emotions on lockdown. She’s so close I can smell her again, that sweet citrusy scent blending with hints of sweat and pine and…
My insides clench as another wave of desire flushes through me.
I take a quick step sideways, creating a wider gap between us.
She glances at me, her eyebrows dipping in confusion, and I hide what I was trying to do with a smile, quickly pointing at her phone.
“Do you want me to take a picture with you in it?”
She glances down at her hand, waving the device and shaking her head. “I don’t want to ruin the shot.”
“Are you kidding me?” I step forward, taking the phone off her before she can say any more bullshit. “You’ll be enhancing the photo.”
Stepping back, I snap a few shots of her admiring the view before ordering her to turn around.
She puts on that fake smile of hers and then strikes a few poses. My lips start to twitch as she gets more and more ridiculous with each one. It starts with simple peace signs and quickly escalates. Everything from Marilyn Monroe’s white dress image to Betty Boop’s little butt-sticking-out routine.
And the only reason I know that is because Emma’s got a poster at her place. Which will no doubt be moving into her new house with Dad, and I’ll see it every time I go back to visit.
Man, they’d love Blake.
Stop it. They’re never gonna meet her. They have no excuse to ever meet her!
The thoughts sour my mood, and I cut the photo shoot short.
“Yeah, got a bunch. I’m sure your family will love them.” I pass her phone back and her nose wrinkles, her lips dropping into a pout at the mention of her family.
Maybe it’s just dawning on her that heading back early is going to have her facing Wily and the truth that much faster.
But I’m not about to convince her otherwise; she needs to get that shit off her chest. And I need to get some distance from this woman before I do something stupid again.
My eyes trail down her lush body before I can stop them, and I’m back to picturing her naked ass perched on top of me again.
“We should go,” I mutter, turning for my pack.
“No, it’s so pretty. I want to stay.”
“I thought you wanted to go?” I bite back before I can stop myself.
She pauses for a thick, painful beat, her eyes narrowing into a hot glare. “I only said that because you’re being an ass. Are you gonna keep that up and drag me away from this stunning view before I’m ready?”
“If you wanna go back to Nolan tomorrow, we have to start hiking now or you’ll end up having to suffer my company for two nights, not one. And if we want to get to the camping spot before dark, then we need to get going now.” I flick my arms wide. “So, what the fuck do you want, Blake?”
“You!” she snaps. “But that’s not an option now, is it?”
Her words stun me silent for a second and I just blink at her, taking in her raging expression and fiery blue gaze.
“You don’t think I want it to be an option?” I huff. “You’re so fucking sexy I can barely contain myself around you!”
“Then why are you fighting it so hard!” She stomps toward me, getting all up in my face. “You’re ruining this for both of us with your stubborn ass and gorgeous face and hot body and?—”
“It’s not my body that’s the problem!” My volume rises to match hers. “You’re the vixen here. You’re the one who’s irresistible. You think it’s easy for me to stand here watching you while fighting every temptation in my head?”
“Then stop fighting!”
“Oh, so you want me to betray your brother, is that it?”
“No! I want you to want me as badly as I want you!”
“I do!” I shout, snatching her face and planting my lips on hers.
It’s a hungry kiss. A desperate one.
I shouldn’t be doing it, but the idea of her thinking I don’t want her is killing me.
She has to know.
My lips cover hers, my tongue diving into her mouth when she opens it and lets me in. Fisting my shirt, she yanks us together, her arm wrapping around my neck as our urgent kiss turns into a frantic mess .
Lifting her off the ground, my body takes over as I finally surrender to this battle and stop thinking.
My brain switches off with a definitive click, and I let my body do all the work. My hands squeeze her ass as I dip my head, changing the angle of the kiss and relishing the way her tongue slides against mine, an erotic, deep connection before she goes back to quick, desperate licks.
Her whimpers fill my chest, my heart thundering as she grinds her sweet center along my already rigid cock.
I walk us to the closest tree, leaning her back against it so I can explore her luscious legs, trailing my hand down one of them before heading back to squeeze her perfect ass again.
My hungry lips devour her jaw, sucking a path down to her neck.
She tips her head back, giving me better access while she squeezes my shoulders and moans.
Her skin tastes like salty sweat and that citrusy stuff she puts on it. It’s an erotic blend of delicious, and I can’t stop. I won’t stop.
“Take me. Take me right fucking here. Please.” She’s begging, her sweet voice knocking out my senses, her frantic fingers tugging at my shirt, making me act on impulse.
I place her on her feet, helping her yank off my clothing.
My shirt drops to the sunbaked rock, followed quickly by hers. The cute cotton bra she’s wearing is blue with white daisies all over it and… it’s gone.
Thrown on the ground beside our shirts. I reach for those sweet tits while she makes quick work of my pants. Peppering her face, her neck, her shoulders with kisses, I don’t protest as she pulls out my cock and starts pumping it with her eager hand.
Fuck, that feels so good.
I groan against her throat, my hands gliding over her hips and into the top of her yoga pants.
Pulling them down in one swift move, I yank them to her thighs, wishing I could remove them altogether.
But it’ll take too long to lose the hiking boots, and she’s pleading again, doing my soul in with her soft whimpers.
“Please, Grady,” she moans. “Please.”
She spins around, resting her hands on the trunk of the tree and poking out her ass for me.
Shit, I want to face her, plunge right into her and watch her eyes glaze over, but practicality and fucking hiking boots demand this position, so I step in behind her, running my fingers between her legs and checking how wet she is.
I don’t want to hurt her and… fuck, she’s so wet. My fingers explore her glistening edges, dipping inside her warmth for a moment. She cries out, her nails scraping against the tree as she rests her forehead on the back of her hand.
“You want this?” I whisper, then lean forward, pressing my lips to her shoulder.
“Yes.” She moans the word more than says it, and I give her what she’s been waiting for.
Lining up my cock, I steady her hips, then spear her in one swift move.
Her cry of pleasure rockets right through me, and I’m blinded by every sensation traveling through my body. Her tight, wet pussy clutches me, drawing me in and demanding instant friction .
I deliver, pumping into her in fast, smooth strokes.
The energy between us demands it. This isn’t some slow, languid coupling. This is all passion and heat and speed.
This is animalistic instincts.
Our basic human nature overriding all common sense.