Chapter Ten
WE’VE BEEN HIKINGfor a while. Our newfound and temporary friendship lingers between us, creating a much needed bridge. “So you gonna tell me?”
“Tell you what?” She doesn’t look at me. But she knows exactly what I’m asking.
“How am I, of all people, your mortal enemy?” I can’t believe the words even as I say them out loud. I knew she hated me, but I never could have imagined how deeply her anger ran.
She sighs, and I know she doesn’t want to tell me, but her resolve against me is crumbling. Even if it’s breaking just the slightest amount, I’ll take it.
“Do we really need to open Pandora’s Box?” She’s wary of telling me, and I understand why. I really do. But the need to know outweighs my need to keep the peace.
“We really do.” I say the words without hesitation. My desire will not be satisfied until I know every reason she hates me.
“Can we take a break?”
I stop, eagerly awaiting the answer to my question. She doesn’t know how patient I can be. Glancing around us, I looking for a place to rest. Raven doesn’t stop. She veers off the trail, leading us down a barely visible path with knowing feet. “Where are you going?”
“I know a place.”
She knows a place? Trepidation fills me as I step off the path and follow her into the trees. “You’re not going to murder me, are you?”
Glancing over her shoulder, she flashes a stunning smile in my direction. “If I was going to kill you, do you think I’d warn you first?”
A laugh stumbles from me. She has a point. “I suppose not.”
Even though I should be frightened to follow this woman into the unknown, I’m not. It’s almost natural to trail behind her, even though I can’t explain why.
Over the cracking of sticks beneath our feet, she calls out. “Besides, if I killed you, I’d never get away with it. Our entire staff knows we are up here together.”
My eyebrows raise in surprise. “Well, that’s reassuring.”
We walk for another few minutes before we enter a clearing. There are a few logs acting as benches circling a makeshift fire pit. Just beyond that is a small pond. It sparkles in the early afternoon sun. We can’t be more than a half mile off the path, but this oasis is every hiker’s dream.
“How did you find this place?” Stepping up to the ring of logs, I remove the pack from my back and lower it to the ground. With the weight gone, my shoulders relax.
Raven sets her pack down as well and moves towards the fire pit. With expert hands, she gathers everything she needs before starting a small fire. I watch her movements in amazement. I never would have guessed a girl like her could build a fire with her own two hands. The more I get to know her, the more often she surprises me. I should know by now that Raven is capable of anything she sets her mind to.
The fire roars to life before my eyes, forcing my thoughts back to the present. “Come here often?”
She nods her head as she stands, wiping her hands against the spandex of her leggings. I’m careful to keep my gaze on her face. It wouldn’t be friendly of me to let my eyes wander down, despite how badly I want to let them. “I found this place with my brother a few years ago, but I come here all the time.”
She says it nonchalantly. Like wandering into the woods off a well-traveled path is the most normal thing in the world for a woman to do. “You hike alone?”
“Of course.” She zips open her bag, pulling various items out before turning back to face me. “S’mores?”
Nodding my head, my stomach drops. I dislike the thought of Raven out here hiking alone. “Since we are friends, you’ll have to invite me next time you go.”
Her eyes dart up to meet mine. Slowly, she evaluates the sincerity of my offer. It only takes a moment for her to roll her eyes at me. “I can take care of myself. I don’t need your protection.”
Before I can argue any further, she looks around the clearing. “Help me find some sticks for the marshmallows.”
The look on her face tells me she isn’t willing to discuss this topic anymore. But if she thinks I’m willing to let this go, she doesn’t know me at all.
I follow her into the trees and it doesn’t take us long to find two sticks. By the time we sit around the fire, it’s blazing with life. A comfortable silence falls over us. Raven passes me the bag of marshmallows and I pull one out before spearing it with the stick. For the first time, we feel like friends.
She breaks the silence first. “This is nice. I’m glad our employees tricked us into this. You aren’t so bad in small doses. If we’d met in another lifetime, we could have been friends.”
“But not this lifetime?”
She shakes her head, unwilling to meet my gaze. She fixes her gaze on turning her stick over the fire, doing anything not to look at me. “Nope.”
I lick my lips at the challenge she’s provided me. “You aren’t so bad yourself.”
Her eyes flit to mine, her curiosity winning over her stubbornness. I smirk, adding. “In small doses.”
A smile tilts her lips, and for the first time, it meets her eyes. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her look more beautiful than she does at this moment. Today, her usually perfect hair is gathered into a sleek, low ponytail. She’s broken out in a sweat from our hike, but her skin glows in the afternoon sun. I like her like this. It’s so different from her usual stuck up work persona.
Like a flash, the smile vanishes. “Do you really want to know why I hate you?”
I nod, unable to help myself. I’ve been wondering why she hates me for longer than I care to voice. “Hit me with every single one. I know how you love a good list.”
Despite herself, she smiles. Sighing, she takes her stick out of the fire. Sensing the turn of conversation, I follow her lead. Setting the stick to the side, I give her my full attention.
“I don’t just hate you because of Abby, but that’s one of my reasons. I hate you because of everything you represent.”
Her honesty stuns me into silence. I can do nothing as she speaks but stare at her. I was the one who pushed for this. Now I’ll have to sit here and take it like a man.
A war wages within her eyes, and I want to reach out and comfort her. But it isn’t my place. We aren’t really friends. When our hike ends, so does our truce. She will go right back to hating me. Everything we’ve shared this afternoon will disappear just like any chance we have of being friends.
“Honestly, you never stood a chance. You are the very pinnacle of everything I hate about our society. You can do no wrong as long as your parents’ pockets are deep.”
She pauses, a memory flashing in her whiskey eyes. “I don’t mean to bring up the past. This has nothing to do with that night. We all make mistakes.”
That night.
She might not hold it against me, but everyone else does. This town still hates me for what I did. But I wouldn’t change the events of that night even if I could. It changed me. It put me on the path to becoming the man I never knew I could be.
Words burn on my tongue as I nod my head and say nothing. I want to tell her the truth about that night. I want to tell her everything. If I could, she’d finally understand. She’d finally see that I’m not the bad guy she thinks I am. I’m not the bad guy everyone thinks I am.
“That first time I met you, I could see it in your eyes that you were every bit what they say you are.”
My brows scrunch together as I try to remember the first time we met through her eyes. But I can’t see myself. Time has faded those memories and I’m not the man I used to be. Is there any part of her that sees that? Is there any part that sees the man I’m trying to become? I only see her walking through the door like she owned the place. No man was good enough to meet her gaze, much less hold it. Even with Abby by my side, I could never have been tempted by a girl like that.
But the woman before me isn’t that girl, not in the way I assumed she was. Raven is so much more than I expected. She’s guarded and quick to pass judgment, which makes her come across as harsh and unlikable. But behind her hard exterior walls, she’s gentle and caring. She’s fiercely protective of the ones she loves. All the reasons I hated her are quickly becoming all the reasons I see her differently now. I don’t want to put my feelings into words because it hurts too much to even think about them. This beautiful creature before me could never see us as more than what we are.
Enemies.
I can’t stop the words as they slip past my lips. “And now?”
Her eyes meet mine, an unreadable emotion swirling in their depths. “I don’t know.”
This is the most honesty we’ve ever had in a conversation. “I can deal with that.”
I can deal with that because it’s a place to start.
The rest of the thought stays safely behind closed lips. She laughs, the tension between us breaking. “That’s not the only reason I hate you.”
I nod my head, leaning back against the log, and spreading my arms wide at my sides. Keeping my tone light, I act like her hate doesn’t bother me in the slightest. It doesn’t hurt like I was worried it did, but it bothers me more than I care to admit. “That must be one long list.”
“It’s growing all the time.”
A hint of rebellion flashes in her eyes, and it has me inching closer to her. “I bet it does, Sunflower.”
Her eyes sparkle and her cheeks tint pink when I say my nickname for her. She would never admit it, but I can tell it’s growing on her. She’s starting to love hearing it as much as I love saying it. “What’s next on the list? Let me guess Abby?”
“That’s right.” Her eyes darken a shade. The air between us grows heavy at the mention of her best friend, but I can’t imagine why.
“And you hate me because I broke her heart?” I say it likes it’s obvious, because it is.
She shakes her head. “No, but that didn’t help. She was never meant to end up with someone like you.”
Throwing my hand to my chest, I feign injury. “Your words wound me, madam.”
She laughs, smacking me lightly on the arm. I don’t know when she moved close enough to touch me, but now she’s seated only a few feet from me. “I didn’t mean it like that and you know it.”
She sighs, placing one arm on the log to support her head. Her whole body turns towards me, completely at ease in my company for the first time. “What I meant to say is that Abby was never going to end up married to someone from our world. She’s too much of a free spirit for all our rules and judgmental ways. It would have destroyed all the things that make her beautiful.”
Even as she speaks, I’m already nodding my head. Raven’s right, Abby never would have survived our world. And if she had, the woman who came out on the other end wouldn’t be the Abby we know and love. “So I did the right thing, then?”
Her laughter rings out again, and the sound is like music to my ears. I want to memorize the rare and beautiful sound, because I’m not sure I’ll get to hear it again after today.
“Nice try.” She shakes her head at me.
Shrugging my shoulders, I shoot her the most charming grin I can muster. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”
“You didn’t just break her heart, Blake.” She looks down at the ground. “You drove her from her home. You drove her away from me.”
A single tear falls from her eye and it takes me a moment to realize she’s crying. Without thinking, I bridge the distance between us and wipe the tear from her cheek with a brush of my knuckles. “Please don’t cry.”
Tear-filled eyes lift from the ground to meet mine. “I miss her, and it’s all your fault.”
Unable to resist the urge, I pull her into my arms. I know it’s a bad idea, but I do it anyway. I can’t help myself. Much to my surprise, she doesn’t resist.
Hesitantly, her arms wrap around my torso, bringing her even closer. She melts against my chest like she belongs there, like she was made for me. “Blame me all you want, Sunflower. I can carry the weight for you.”
Nodding her head against my t-shirt, she sniffles. “I will.”
A huff of laughter escapes my lips even though I try to keep it in. “Good.”
Holding her makes me brave. Moving a hand to her back, I press it against her spine before sliding it up and down in a soothing motion. I’m worried it’ll be too much and push her away. But instead of sending her running, her breathing slows. Her tears have stopped, but she doesn’t pull away.
This moment feels too perfect. It feels beyond belief. Just yesterday I hated this woman more than anything, but today -.
I don’t let myself finish that thought. I don’t like where it will lead me.
I need to distract her, pull her back to the present and out of her misery. “So, what’s next on the list?”
She chuckles, and it vibrates through my chest as she leans back to look up at me. “Isn’t that enough berating for one day?”
I didn’t want her to leave, but it was worth it just to see the hint of a smile on her lips. “I can take anything you throw at me.”
She stares at me for a long moment, her eyes light with a level of interest I’ve never seen in them before. “I bet you can.”
My heart skips a beat. She’s teasing me back.
Blood rushes to my cheeks. I can’t remember the last time I flirted with someone. But I never would have expected to flirt with Raven. A flutter of something I know all too well rears inside, deep within my gut. I need to stamp it down before it gets out of hand.
Reaching around her, I pick up her discarded stick and hand it back to her. “Shall we?”
Nodding her head, she takes it from me. Her fingers brush against mine. Electric waves ripple across my skin, sending goosebumps scattering in their wake. Things I haven’t felt in years threaten to awaken within me, and each time they shift in their slumber, the less I want to hide from them. If I knew there was something real happening here, I would welcome them with open arms. But I don’t know that, so I don’t welcome them.
Reaching behind me, I retrieve my own and turn my attention to the fire. It still crackles softly, and the sound eases the nerves building in my stomach. A part of me wants to bolt. I want to get up and run and never look back. I want things to go back to how they were.
No, I don’t.
The thought runs unbidden through my mind. I don’t want to leave. I want to stay like this with her forever. No work hate relationship. No arguing. I want to keep the friendship we’ve found under the Colorado sky.
But even I know we can’t do that. Because nothing this good lasts.
Checking my marshmallow, I draw the stick towards my chest. It’s golden brown and perfect. My eyes move to hers and it’s on fire. Flames lick at the soft surface, marring it with a thick black outer coating. She wrenches it from the fire and purses her lips to extinguish the flame.
My gaze fixates on her lips. I need to look away, but I’m transfixed. Delicately, she pulls at the burned skin before dipping her finger into her mouth to clean it. Her tongue swirls around her finger, and a breath catches in my lungs. Never in my life have I been more jealous of a finger.
Her eyes dart to me, the faintest blush hinting her cheeks. I know I’ve been caught, but I don’t care. “You’re deranged.”
Her mouth drops open. “What?”
I shake my head, then nod towards her stick and the charred memory of what was once a delicious treat. “Only a crazy person would harm a perfectly good marshmallow like that.”
She shakes her head at me, the pink still visible in her cheeks. “I will eat my s’more however I want. Mind your own business.”
Raising my hands in defeat, she laughs. It’s a sound I truly feel like I can never get used to. Reaching back into her bag, she pulls out graham crackers and chocolate. She splits some off before handing it to me. With careful hands, I trap my marshmallow between the chocolate and cracker.
Taking a bite, a small groan of joy escapes my lips. Her eyes flash to me, and I’d be crazy for admitting it, but there’s a flash of something I recognize in her eyes. Something I never thought I’d see in my wildest dreams. Desire.
Whether she likes it or not, it would seem that I have a similar effect on her as she has on me. That knowledge sends as much of a roll of pleasure through me as the s’mores do. Raven finds me attractive.
Just to add insult to injury, I place my finger in my mouth the same way she did. Her eyes watch me like she’s hungry for more than the snack in her hand. Pleasure rears its head inside me again. This day has taken a most delicious turn.
Heat rushes to her cheeks as her eyes meet mine. Realization dawns and her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. She knows I’ve caught her checking me out. A smirk tilts the corner of my lip until in spreads into a smile.
Dropping her eyes to the ground, she turns away. As much as I want to, I say nothing. I don’t want her to stop looking at me like that. If I say something, I risk an end to this tentative flirting we have begun.
We sit in silence for a while, eating our snack and listening to the birds chirping happily in the trees.
Her voice breaks the silence. She glances at me out of the corner of her eye, trying to gage my reaction. “I’m sorry I went behind your back about the silent auction. That was shitty.”
I try to find my anger from yesterday, but it’s gone. Not a single remnant of the fire that burned within me remains. I shrug my shoulder, unsure of what else to do. “I wish you had come to me first.”
Running a hand through her ponytail, she sighs. I want to reach out and follow the path her hand makes with my own. I want to wrap her hair around my hand and pull her closer. “I’m just stubborn. I want to do things my way.”
Fulling turning herself towards me once again, she finally meets my gaze. “I didn’t want you to tell me no.”
A chuckle slips through my lips as my tongue dips out to lick my bottom lip. “I do love telling you no.”
My gaze trails up her body until it stops at the base of her neck. A single lock of hair has escaped her perfect ponytail. Without even thinking, I reach out and tuck the strand behind her ear.
I don’t know where I found the courage to touch her, but now that I’ve done it, I don’t want to stop. Her eyes close the instant my finger trails down her neck. The visible shiver that rolls through her body sends an equal chill through mine. Her body reacts exactly how I’d hoped it would. I want to entangle my hand with hers and pull her closer so that her shoulder meets mine. I want to feel the heat of her body mingling with mine. I want to feel her breath brushing against my skin.
“How about we meet in the middle?” I force the words from my mouth as I drop my hand. Because if I don’t stop, I’ll end up doing something we will both regret. “We can push the silent auction back and start with something smaller? Just like I said we would.”
Her eyes shoot open, her dilated pupils returning to normal in a single second. Looking deep into her eyes, I search for any sign that she’s disappointed or angry. But I find nothing. Disappointment settles heavily in my chest. Maybe I’ve gotten too into my head about her. Maybe I’m reading too much into this. Maybe I’m losing my mind.
“I’d like that very much.” Her voice is soft and dreamy.
Warmth settles deep in my chest. We’ve just come to our first compromise, and we didn’t even scream at each other.
“Maybe Abby was right after all.”
Cocking an eyebrow in her direction, I’m stunned by her statement. “Right about what?”
“Maybe we can be unstoppable together.” There’s a hint of disbelief in her voice, like she can’t believe the words even though she’s saying them.
Her words swirl through my mind. “Abby said that?”
Raven nods her head. “I thought she was crazy.”
Running a hand through my hair, I let my gaze fall back on the fire. “Me too.”
Stretching her arms over her head, Raven stands. “If we want to make it back before everyone gets off work and heads to the trails, we’d better get moving.”
I look up at her, not wanting this moment between us to end. But I know it has to. I stand, brushing the leaves from my pants before I reach down to retrieve my pack. Her words break through my despair. “This was fun. Maybe we can do it again sometime.”
My heart beats harder in my chest. There’s a promise in her voice, but I don’t dare hold out any hope for what the future may hold. I don’t think my heart could handle that kind of disappointment. “I’d like that, Sunflower.”
Her nickname on my lips feels like I’ve said something intimate. Out here alone, there is no work, no rivalry, no hate to stop us from enjoying each other’s company.
A blush spreads across her cheek as she turns towards the fire and puts it out. “Me too.”
I can feel all the things we leave unsaid as we disappear into the tree line and make our way back to the trail. Despite my better judgment, I lift a finger to her hair and trail it through her long strands. It’s every bit as soft as I thought it would be.
Her jaw tenses as she looks towards me.
“Just a leaf.” The lie slips off my tongue without a second thought. I don’t want her to know that I’m in a free fall with no hope of a lifeline.
I’m in over my head and the water is rising. There is no hope of escape.
No matter what happens between us today, this truce ends the moment we reach our cars. We might work together better for our employees’ sake, but the friendship we’ve shared this afternoon will be gone. I feel the loss of her even as she walks in front of me. How can you feel the loss of something you never really had? Everything will go right back to the way it was before. She will go back to hating me and I-.
I don’t know what I’m going to do.