Chapter 11 #4
Me and Hawk, figuring things out together? “Yeah. That sounds pretty perfect.”
“Good.” He gave me a peck on the lips, but when I reached up to thread my hands into his hair and turn that kiss into something deeper and hotter, he pushed away with evident reluctance.
“I can’t. Not right now. The Environmental Committee is cobbling itself back together as of two days ago, and I promised I’d meet a few of the others up on Glassy Ridge at nine for a strategy and information session if the storm didn’t mess everything up.
I’ve gotta get ready. Besides, aren’t you helping your mom bring stuff to the potluck? ”
I groaned. “Yeahhhh. With everything else happening, I might have completely forgotten about that. I’ll need to go call her and sort it out.”
Hawk unzipped the tent so he could stand and began to pull on his warm clothes. I hated seeing his delicious form disappear under thick layers, but I wasn’t about to take my eyes off him for a moment and risk missing part of the show.
“I suppose if I were to suggest that you abandon the protest for a morning and that I blow off the whole Pye Day thing, and that both of us go back to my house, take a nice, hot shower, and get naked in my bed… that wouldn’t be a good boyfriendly thing to do?
” I asked, trying out the new word. It sounded strange… and strangely right.
Hawk bit his lip against a smile. “It really wouldn’t.
You’d be run out of town if you forgot about Pye Day.
And I refuse to abandon the protest. There’s only two weeks to the vote, and I’m finally starting to get traction thanks to Instagram.
” He rolled his eyes. “Hawk Sunday talks about stopping the resort development for months and months, and everyone’s all, ‘That’s nice, dear.
’ I get forty thousand Instagram followers thanks to a post going viral, and suddenly they’re all, ‘Wait, there’s a protest?
About a resort? First I’ve heard of it.’ I can’t miss a chance to educate people during prime hiking time.
Not even to have sex with the great Jack Wy—uh. ”
I sighed and flipped the sleeping bag off myself so I could find my own clothes, and Hawk stopped talking abruptly, his eyes widening as he stared at me, laid out in my boxers and T-shirt.
“What?” I looked myself up and down, feeling my legs prickle in the cold cave air.
Hawk swallowed. “Nothing. No. Just. Uh. Realizing that if I wanted to, I could duck back into that tent and touch you right now. Kiss you. Do… lots of other things.”
“So many other things,” I agreed, letting my voice go rough.
Hawk turned away, and his shoulders heaved in a sigh. “Maybe a good boyfriendly thing to do would be to put some clothes on.”
I snorted and sat up. “Does this mean I’m supposed to stay fully dressed until after the vote?
” I demanded, stepping out of the tent so I could hop into my jeans and pull on my shirt.
“Should I hide my ankles and wear gloves in case of naked-palm touching, lest you get distracted and ravish me in a garden, like in one of your spicy Pride and Prejudice variations?”
He stepped up close to me until our chests bumped. “Don’t knock the naked-palm touching,” he whispered against my lips. “I’m really seeing the appeal. In fact, I’m gonna be thinking of naked-palm touching all morning until I see you at the potluck this afternoon—”
I pulled back to look at him. “Wait… you’re coming?”
He nodded. “Of course. Otherwise, I’ll get run out of town. The Pilkners are coming up here to take over the campout protest for me, at least for tonight. Conrad said Greta keeps telling him to be more spontaneous now that they’re retired, so…”
“So he decided ‘Surprise, honey, I signed us up to sleep in a tent on a mountain’ was a good choice?”
“Mmmhmm. And thank goodness he did because I can’t wait one more night to be with you.
So, here’s what I propose…” He walked his fingers up my chest slowly.
“I’m going to my meeting. You’re going to help your mom.
I’ll come to the diner to help out—and that’s not a euphemism,” he said severely.
“Then after the celebration is over, I’m going to stalk you back to your house in the nice, secluded woods, get my naked palms all over you, and beg you to take my virginity in the garden, or the bedroom, or that random room you added onto the back of the house that I’m kinda thinking maybe you could turn into a dedicated ravishing room…
In fact, I think we should try to hit all the rooms. Okay? ”
My head swam, and my dick moved. “Oh.”
“Oh?” He frowned. “I am willing to consider amendments to this proposal, you know.”
“No! No, no, no. I just… I didn’t realize this was what being in a relationship would be like.” I grinned. “Maybe I’ve been missing out.”
“Yeah,” he said softly. “Maybe we both have.” Hawk lifted up on his toes, wrapped his arms around my waist, and kissed me. “So let’s make up for lost time, okay?”
I grabbed his chin and leaned in to kiss him. “As you wish.”