Chapter Two #2
“Then I’ll drive while you do that.”
She makes an exasperated sound, and I can tell she wants to fight me on this before letting it go with a sigh. “Fine,” she says, shoving the rest of the sandwich into her mouth. “The next stop is Cleveland’s Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame. That’s where we’ll be spending our first night.”
***
The next several hours are spent in silence, not nearly as awkward as the first leg was. Something changed when we stopped for lunch. Nothing so significant but enough that Arianna hasn’t glared at me for hours.
It’s dusk when we finally pull into the campground just outside of Cleveland, the engine humming low as I navigate the gravel road.
It’s a good thing Arianna had the foresight to book a spot in advance, or we’d have been stuck with a terrible view or worse, risk no spot at all.
And judging from the number of RVs and vans parked, my bet is on the latter.
The park transforms right in front of our eyes as we drive to our spot.
The sky is painted in stunning hues of fiery orange and deep red, and the trees silhouette against the colorful canvas.
I smell something I haven’t in a long fucking time—earth, damp from the day’s heat, coupled with a hint of woodsmoke drifting from a nearby campfire.
The day is cooling down when we step outside, a gentle breeze whispering through the leaves and carrying with it the scent of fresh pine.
The air is filled with the sounds of nature—the chirping of crickets and the distant call of birds.
Things I haven’t experienced in years. Ever since I stepped back from fieldwork and focused on investigations, I haven’t had much time to travel.
Not even to Central Park. Hell, it’s been years since I’ve seen this many trees. Since I’ve breathed air so clean.
“I’m going to start filming a short video of the van setup,” Arianna says, turning to me. “I…um, do you mind stepping back for this part? I want to take pictures of this view too before the sun completely sets.”
She’s asking, and that’s progress, so I move back to give her space.
She declines my help when I offer to help her convert the van into a camping setup for the night, stating that her viewers need to learn how to do it on their own and not feel pressured to bring someone along for help.
I watch her get to work, impressed at how she manages to multitask—filming and setting up camp—so I decide to get busy by setting up my tent next to the van.
I bought it at the last minute when Amy told me how small the van was, and I figured Arianna wouldn’t be comfortable sharing her space with a man, even me.
I follow the instructions in the manual before setting up the tent, and when I’m done, I step back to look at it. A stifled laugh from behind me draws my attention to the tent small enough to fit a toddler. Fuck. “I didn’t realize single-person meant single toddler.”
“You should have read the reviews,” Arianna laughs, the sound so infectious that I feel a smile tug at the corners of my mouth.
I find myself captivated, drawn in by the sound.
Such a rare sound that I want to bottle it up, and I find myself rooted to the ground, just staring at her.
And in that moment, I fall for her a little—way more than a bodyguard is ever allowed to feel for a client.
It’s dangerous. “That tent isn’t big enough for a teenager, let alone a grown man. ”
“I’m sure I can make it work,” I say as I attempt to climb into the tent. My legs catch on something, and I trip, falling on my back and bringing the little tent down with me. Arianna doubles over with laughter, the beautiful sound echoing into the dark.
“Stop laughing. I just need to get it straightened out a bit,” I say, shuffling around and trying to pull my leg from its confines. But that only makes the tent rip, making Arianna laugh even harder.
I curse under my breath as I free myself from the tent. When I’m done, it’s clear the thing is beyond saving.
“I guess you’re the one who’ll need protection on this trip after all. From little tents,” she chuckles, dabbing at the corner of her eyes. “I guess you can sleep in the van. And no, don’t get any weird ideas. You’re sleeping in the front passenger seat.”
I agree with the plan. Hell, I’m just happy she’s not leaving me to lie on the damp grass and fight the night elements.
I try not to think of my expensive and cozy bed sitting lonely in my penthouse while I break my back on this trip.
I decide that I’ll just buy a better tent at our next stop tomorrow. The seat will have to do for tonight.
We set up chairs facing the tree line and share a quiet dinner.
When the mosquitoes turn vicious, we get back into the van.
I get comfortable in the seat and figure I might as well read a book for a few hours before trying to sleep.
Silence falls over the van as Arianna settles on her bed to work on her computer, editing the videos she just took.
We stay that way for two hours, and she’s the first to call it a day.
I try my best to ignore the sounds of my client settling for the night.
When I accidentally catch a glimpse of her stripping out of her top in the rear-view mirror, I quickly force myself to look away.
I fight a groan when I feel my dick harden, pushing the heel of my hand over it and ordering it to behave.
No, I’m definitely not doing that. It’s crazy, and it’s creepy.
And yet…
I find my eyes straying back to the mirror.
She has her back to me, and I know better than to keep looking, but I can’t fucking make myself stop.
My heart starts pounding against my ribs when she strips out of the top, revealing the perfect curve and arch of her back that dips to a narrow waist. My cock hardens to full mast, pushing against my sweatpants and begging for relief.
Fuck!
I force my gaze away, cursing myself for a fool. The shuffling behind me sends all kinds of images flooding through my head—images no bodyguard should carry for their client. Goddamnit, I can already tell it’s going to be a long fucking night.