Chapter 10
10
August
P ulling up to the curb outside of Tripp’s house, he’s already on the porch waiting, which makes me smile. I can tell he’s nervous by the way his shoulders are hunched, and I find undeniably adorable. He’s dressed in a pair of teal board shorts, a white tank top, and he’s got a matching teal hat flipped backwards on his head. I’ve never seen him wear a hat before, but I’ll admit, it’s doing all kinds of things to me.
Giving me an awkward half-smile before opening the passenger door, Tripp climbs in, the fresh scent of him filling the cab, making my mouth water.
“Howdy, sweetheart,” I drawl, finding myself wanting to kiss him.
So, I do.
Tripp turns his head toward me just as I lean in, and he sucks in a breath a second before my lips press onto his. My tongue parts his lips gently, sweeping inside, and tasting him. He’s minty, like he just brushed his teeth, and I can’t get enough. My heart is a steady drum in my chest, my skin feeling like it’s thrumming with electricity, and the way his lips caress mine has my stomach dipping.
Pulling back, I rest my forehead on his while we both catch our breath. Tripp breathes out a laugh. “Well, hi to you too.”
“Missed you,” I admit as I sit up in my seat and put the truck in drive while Tripp buckles his seatbelt.
His head darts in my direction, but I don’t look over at him. “You did?”
“Course I did, baby.” I drag my gaze over to him and wink before returning my attention to the road. It’s nearly dusk, which is the perfect time for what I have planned. My stomach twists thinking about what he’ll say when we get there.
Will he like it?
Think it’s silly?
Did he miss me too?
I hope the answer to the latter is yes, but I don’t see him saying it out loud.
“Where are we going?” he asks about five minutes into the drive.
The music plays softly from the stereo—a fuckin’ bangin’ 90s country playlist—and the sunset in front of us sets the perfect vibe for what I have in mind tonight. This is different than anything I’ve done before, but when I thought about it, I knew it was the right idea.
“It’s a surprise,” I murmur, tossing him another wink with a grin. “We’re almost there. ”
Sliding my hand across the seat, I link my fingers with his, the touch sending a tingle throughout my entire body, warming it as I can’t help but smile. A few minutes later, I’m taking a right down an old country back road. Gravel kicks up under my tires as I drive. About a mile down the road, I turn around and back in so the bed of the truck is facing the river. Putting it in park, I kill the ignition, then reach in the back and grab the cooler sitting on the seat.
“C’mon, sweetheart.”
I made up the bed with pillows and blankets before I left the ranch, so after I drop the tailgate, I set the cooler down and hop up, holding out a hand for Tripp. He watches me with curiosity in his eyes for a moment before taking my hand and letting me hoist him up.
Sitting beside me, he looks out across the water at the last ounce of daylight kissing the sky. “What is this place?”
“It’s the Rattlesnake River.”
“Uh…” Tripp turns and looks at me. “Do they call it that because there’re rattlesnakes?”
Laughing, I shrug. “Fuck if I know. I’ve never seen or heard any out here, but I guess it’s a possibility. That’s just the name of the river. I’ve been comin’ here since I was a teenager. This entrance isn’t a very well-known one, and it’s a perfect spot to come out at night and just relax.”
Tripp glances over at me, and I can’t read the expression passing through his eyes. He’s quiet for a moment, then asks, “What is this between us, August?”
I figured the question was coming, and I’m glad he asked. It’s one that’s been on my mind, especially after realizing how much I wanted him to stick around last weekend. If it were anybody else, they would’ve either been gone the night before or first thing in the morning. With Tripp, though… the idea of sending him home made my chest ache. I had this need to spend more time with him, and even when he left later that afternoon after we all got done working, I still yearned for more.
That’s new for me, but I like it.
“What do you want it to be?” I ask, nerves swirling around my stomach.
He tenses up, looking at me like a deer in headlights. I have to bite back a laugh. “I mean, I d-don’t know,” he sputters. “I’ve never done anything like this before, so I don’t know what the protocol is, but I also don’t want to get my hopes up if this is just some temporary thing for?—”
Pressing my index finger to his lips, I breathe out a laugh at his ramblings. “I’ve never done anythin’ like this before either.”
His brows pinch together. “You haven’t?” he mumbles against my finger
“Not like this, no.” I shake my head, dropping my hand to his and linking our fingers together again. I like holding his hand. “The idea of a relationship has never appealed to me. I work a ton; it takes up the majority of my time, and what time I do have to myself, I’ve mostly wanted to spend it with my family. I know you’ve heard about some of my previous hookups, but that’s all they were. I’ve never really wanted more.”
His face drops, as does his gaze. “Oh.”
Squeezing his hand, I say, “Until you.”
His eyes dart up to meet mine as they widen, brows shooting up. “What?”
Chuckling, I clarify, “I know what we have is still very new, but if it’s okay with you, I’d like to make this more official.”
I watch Tripp’s Adam’s apple roll in his throat as he swallows, the wheels turning in his mind. “Wait… are you asking me…”
“To be my boyfriend?” I finish for him. “Yes, sweetheart, I am.”
“Are you… are you sure?”
His innocence and awkwardness are so goddamn adorable; I hope it never goes away. “I’m more than sure. What do you say?”
Tripp blinks at me. “Um, yes?”
I laugh. “Is that a question?”
Shaking his head, a grin spreads on his face. “No question. It’s a yes.”
My heart thumps powerfullly as a smile curls my lips. “Good. Now, get on my lap and let’s celebrate us both havin’ our first boyfriend before we eat.”
He pauses. “You brought food?”
“Fuck yeah, I did. But you don’t get any until you come for me.”
Even with the lack of daylight, I can see his eyes darken. Swinging a leg over, he crawls into my lap, his arms wrapping around my shoulders as mine come to his fine ass. As soon as Tripp’s lips meet mine, we lose ourselves to one another. Grappling hands and hungry tongues take over. Somehow, we’re able to rid each other of our clothes without coming up for too much air, and as soon as we’re both naked, I wrap a hand around both of our lengths, relishing the shiver that rolls through Tripp as I start stroking us together.
He groans into my mouth, the sound sweet and sexy all at once, and I swallow it down, flicking my tongue into his mouth for another taste.
“You like that, sweetheart?” My voice is nothing more than a rasp.
He nods, pulling back enough to look down at where my fist is pumping us together. A whimper falls from his lips that makes my balls tighten.
Eyes glancing over his shoulder, my lip curls into a grin as I nod my chin. “Look behind you.”
He does as I say, a gasp sounding from him. “Oh my gosh, are those fireflies?”
“Mmhmm.” I continue stroking us as we watch them. “It’s one of the reasons I love it out here so much. Isn’t it pretty”
He nods, returning his gaze to me. My chest swells with something completely unfamiliar, but definitely not unwanted. Reaching up, I wrap my free hand around the back of his neck, pulling his head down closer to mine. Tripp rests his forehead against mine, our gazes locked as I bring us closer to the edge. This moment feels different. It’s intense, the energy surrounding us thick and heady. It turns me on even more.
“I’m close,” he breathes.
“Me too. Kiss me.”
His lips seal onto mine, and not even a minute later, we’re both spilling our releases as my tongue strokes against his. He cries into my mouth as wave after wave of pleasure rocks through me. It’s fucking incredible.
After we both come down and catch our breath, Tripp climbs off my lap, and I reach under the pillow where I stuffed a towel, and I clean us up before reaching for the cooler.
“Hungry, boyfriend?” I ask, cocking a brow at him.
His face splits into a grin as he nods, biting down on his bottom lip.
Handing him one of the sub sandwiches I made, I open my own before passing him a bag of chips and a bottle of water. We eat as we watch the fireflies float around in the distance, and I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of contentment flowing through my veins.
Who would’ve thought that being covered in pounds of flour would lead to this… something I’ve never once even thought about wanting, and now it seems like the most obvious thing.
I can’t wait to see how we’ll feel as more time passes, but for now, I’m enjoying this for what it is… new and really damn amazing.
The End.
Turn the page for a sneak peek at Finn, book 1 in The Moore Men series.