Chapter 10
LUKE
“Now will you tell me where we’re going?” Scarlett handed over the dry bag I’d told her to pack with clothes, shampoo and a toothbrush.
“Nope.” I tucked her bag into the raft, beside my own, then dropped a kiss to her lips. It was one of many we’d shared this week, but the spark was as alive as it had been from the start. And it came easy. Natural. Like it was the gesture, the part of us, that had been missing.
“Tease,” she muttered, poking me in the ribs before she stepped closer to the raft, standing on her tiptoes to peer inside. “Are we camping at a lake or a river?”
“It’s a body of water.”
“Come on.” Her pout was goddamn adorable. “Just tell me.”
For five days, since the first night we’d slept together, I’d been torturing her with my plans.
I’d asked her to pack certain things. She knew we’d be camping but I hadn’t told her where or for how long.
I’d bought her some wet gear to wear in case of rain but had hid it from her in my truck.
And every evening this week, I’d worked to prepare for this trip, all while she watched along, begging to know what we were doing.
The coolers were loaded and jammed tight with ice.
The tent was loaded along with two sleeping bags I’d zip together.
Normally I slept on the ground, but with Scarlett along, I’d bought an air mattress.
Excitement and anticipation buzzed through my nerves.
God, we needed this week. Starry nights. Open air. No hiding.
“This is not the same boat that was here,” Scarlett said.
“No. My boat is at my rental house. I normally keep this there.” I’d swapped them out last night so I could pack the raft.
“You have a rental house?”
I nodded. “I didn’t tell you that?”
“Uh, no.”
“Oh. You’ve been there. It’s your safe house.”
Her mouth fell open. “That’s yours?”
I shrugged. “I needed a place for you to stay. It seemed logical since it was empty. I’m planning on remodeling soon.”
“Good.” She grimaced. “It needs it.”
I chuckled and took one last look around the garage to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything.
Scarlett had rearranged this space, like she had inside, and though I still wouldn’t admit it and concede defeat, her setup had a nice flow. My tools were organized above my work bench. Coolers had been stacked, tackle boxes sorted. She’d even found some hooks to hang my fishing rods.
It had made packing for this trip a breeze.
“I’ve never been camping before,” she said.
“You’ll like it. Trust me.”
“Okay.” She breathed. “Can I help?”
“It’s all done. Want to load us up some travel mugs? I’m going to open the garage doors and get the raft hitched to the truck.”
“So I need to disappear.” She raised her hand in a mock salute. “Got it.”
I grinned, catching her by the elbow before she walked away, and pulled her into my arms for another kiss.
She moaned, sinking into my embrace, and when I licked across the seam of her lips, she opened for me, letting me sweep in and savor.
Our tongues dueled. Her fingers gripped at my biceps and she gave just as good as she got.
This woman could kiss. She poured everything into it, her spirit and her fire. Gone was the hesitancy from our first night together. If I sensed Scarlett getting stuck in her head, I’d do something unexpected, like swat her ass cheek or flip our positions, until she came back to me.
But after five days, it happened less and less. Her walls were coming down. Her inhibitions were disappearing the more we were together—which had been often. I’d had more sex in the past five days than I’d had in three years. Combined.
I found myself hurrying home each evening, ravishing her on every surface available. The couch. The kitchen island. Her bed and most definitely mine. We’d eat, barely clothed, then go at it again.
It was impossible to keep my hands off her body, and she felt the same about mine. Her fingers made constant trails on my skin. She lingered close whenever we were in the kitchen doing dishes, purposefully brushing against me as I put a plate in the cupboard and she reached to rinse a glass.
And the kissing. I hadn’t had this much fun kissing a woman since I was a teenager and I’d snuck my high school girlfriend under the bleachers during basketball games to cop a feel.
Back then, it had been exploratory and new.
This thing with Scarlett was consuming. My lips were practically chafed raw but I couldn’t get enough.
I growled against her mouth, angling my head for a deeper angle. She clung to me, whimpering when I cupped a breast and squeezed. My cock wept for more but if I started there, we’d never get on the river, so I tore my mouth away.
“You’re irresistible,” I panted, tucking a tendril of hair behind her ear.
Scarlett’s hands snaked around my waist, her palms flattening over my ass. “Not so bad yourself, baby.”
“Coffee.” I dropped one more kiss to the corner of her mouth, then let her go with a playful swat on the behind.
She sashayed to the door, giving me a finger wave as she disappeared inside.
I adjusted my swollen cock and got back to work, opening both garage doors and backing the truck to hitch up the raft. I was bent by the ball hitch, hooking up the safety chains, when a voice carried across the driveway.
“Good morning.”
I glanced over my shoulder to see my neighbor—and suspected FBI agent—walking down the sidewalk.
Her eyes darted into the garage, searching.
I stood and brushed off my hands, extending one her way. “Morning.”
“I thought I’d come over and introduce myself,” she said. “I’m Birdy Hames.”
“I’m Luke Rosen. Welcome to the neighborhood.”
“Thanks.” Her gaze drifted over my shoulder to the door that led inside.
I shifted, blocking it from her view. “Are you new to Clifton Forge?”
“Yes, I am. It’s a lovely town.”
“I think so too.”
She gave me a tight smile, then looked to my truck and the raft. “Where are you off to?”
“Fishing for the week. I go as often as I can get away in the summers.”
Her eyes scanned my red truck, probably because she’d never seen it before. The wheels in her head were visibly turning as she took it in and memorized the license plate.
I stifled a laugh. This truck wasn’t going to help them find Scarlett.
I’d brought this, too, home from the rental house last night. The rig I used for work was parked at the station.
“Well, I’d better get back to packing. Nice to meet you, Birdy.” If that’s even your name.
“You too.” She waved. “Have a nice trip.”
She retreated to her own home, walking slower than a sloth. Every third step, she cast a long glance at my house. She couldn’t see anything but dark windows and drawn shades.
Ever since I’d warned Scarlett that my place was being watched, her neighborhood spying had ended. I hated to deprive her of anything, especially her freedom. Those little glimpses out the window had been important to her, but not as critical as her safety.
What the hell were we going to do? Scarlett couldn’t hide forever. Eventually, we’d have to face both the Warriors and the FBI. I’d been stalling these past couple of months because I’d been waiting for Scarlett to tell me about her time with the Warriors.
Was there anything to tell?
Maybe all she’d seen was exactly what she’d already confessed.
And now the only reason I was stalling was because I was afraid I’d lose her when this was over.
I returned to my task, getting the raft hitched. A week on the river would help clear my head. Sooner rather than later, I’d have to make some decisions and there was nothing like the open air and fresh water to clear my mind.
Birdy lingered in her driveway, bending to pick at a weed growing in the crack of the cement. I walked to the raft, retucking bags as I waited. It took her five minutes to finally go inside, and when she was gone, I strode into the house.
If I’d suspected Birdy was with the FBI before, today confirmed my suspicions. One would think the FBI would be better at blending in.
Why were they still here? If they knew Scarlett was inside, they would have taken her by now. Why was finding her so critical? I was missing something. A big something.
“Scarlett?” I called when I didn’t see her in the kitchen.
She came rushing down the stairs. “What did she want?”
“To be nosy,” I said. “How’d you know?”
“I went to check that the lights were all off upstairs and I heard voices so I peeked through the office window while you were talking to her. Does this change the plan?”
“No.” I’d promised Scarlett a chance to get outside and live normally for a week, and Neighbor Birdy wasn’t going to stop us. We both needed this trip.
“How exactly am I supposed to get in the truck? It’s not like I can waltz outside and climb in the passenger seat.”
Damn. My original plan had been to have her get into the truck while it was in the garage, but then she’d kissed me and well . . . I’d forgotten. And now that Birdy was watching, I couldn’t exactly unhitch the truck, park it and close the garage doors, only to redo it over again.
“Feel okay riding in the raft until we get out of town?” It wasn’t ideal and I didn’t like that she’d be without a seat belt, but it was about our only option.
Scarlett nodded. “Okay.”
“Then let’s get out of here.”
We collected our coffee mugs from the kitchen, then I returned to the garage, closing one door to provide Scarlett some cover. Then I led her to the raft, taking her hand and helping her up.
“Sorry,” I said.
“It’s okay.” She gave me a smile, then settled into the middle row, folding her small body between the bench seats on the rubber floor.
“Feel okay?”
“Yeah. It’s not that uncomfortable. But should you cover me up with something?”
“Just stay low. There’s no way anyone will see you.”
“I look ridiculous,” she muttered, shifting her feet.
“You look beautiful.” I touched her leg and hustled to the truck, wanting to get the hell out of town.