Drop Dead Queen (Corium University Trilogy 2)

“I guess we should get going then… I ahem… kinda have to go pee.” Even in the cold, her cheeks heat brighter red.

“All right then, let’s go pee together.” I smirk, making her blush even more.

Careful not to hurt her leg, I maneuver us out of the truck and into the frosty morning air. I carry her to the closest tree, where I put her down so she can lean against it. I make quick work of undoing her pants and pulling them down to her knees.

“Squat down as much as you can with one leg. I’ll hold you.” I grab both of her hands, and she does what I tell her. The embarrassed facial expression makes me smile. “You had my dick in your mouth, and my thumb up your ass, but pissing in front of me is too much?”

“Shut up. I can’t help it.” She looks everywhere but at me. She uses some tissues she pulls from her pocket to clean herself before awkwardly trying to pull her pants back up.

I help her get dressed before leaning her against the tree again, so I can go piss too. When we’re both done with our little morning routine, I lift Aspen back on my shoulders like I did yesterday.

She isn’t heavy but holding her up for a long period while hiking through the tundra has my muscles aching.

Sporadically, I take breaks to catch my breath and stretch out my tired limbs.

“I’m sorry… that you have to carry me, I mean.”

“I told you, I owe you, and I don’t like to be indebted to anyone. Bringing you back to Corium will make us even.”

My statement makes her flinch, as if the reminder that there’s nothing more between us hurt her feelings somehow. She quickly covers that sadness up with a joke.

“Well, if that’s so, then saddle up, horsey, and take me back in time for dinner. I’m starving.”

“Did you just call me horsey? Maybe I’ll leave you here after all,” I say, looking up at the sky. It’s right around noon. We’ve been walking for a few hours, so we shouldn’t be far from Corium.

“It was a joke. Don’t leave me here,” she says, all humor gone from her voice.

“I won’t leave you, but I might find something else to do with your smart mouth. Now, let’s go, the sun will set in a few hours.”

The days here in Alaska are much shorter than back home, and we do not want to be caught out here another night.

We continue walking toward Corium… or so I think.

It seems like the sun is setting faster with each step I take. Out here in these ungodly temperatures, the day flew by rapidly. I haven’t said it out loud, but I’m fairly certain we are lost.

“Don’t you want to take another break? We have been walking for a while without stopping.”

“No, we need to keep going. We have to get back before it gets dark or…” I trail off, not wanting to tell her what I’m thinking about.

“Quinton—”

“We’ll be fine. Just a little further.”

“Look over there.” She shifts her hold and points at something to our right.

I turn my head to scan that area and stop mid-step when my eyes catch sight of the small wooden structure. I immediately change directions and start walking toward it. The closer we get, the more apparent it becomes that we’ve stumbled upon a small hunting cabin. About twenty feet away, I stop and make Aspen sit on a nearby fallen log.

“Stay here for a minute. I’m going to check it out first to make sure it’s safe.”

She nods, wrapping her arms around herself.

Turning away from her, I carefully approach the cabin. I slide my hand down my cargo pocket and reach for the gun I stole from the guard. Lifting it, I hold it out in front of me, ready to shoot anything that could pose a danger.

I don’t hear anything inside, and the place looks like it was abandoned a while ago, but that could be a trap.

When I’m right in front of the door, I reach for the handle, realizing quickly that it doesn’t appear to be locked. The handle turns, and with one push, the door creaks open. There are no windows, and the inside is so dark I can’t make out a single thing.

Picking up a stick from the ground, I throw it inside, making sure it’s not booby-trapped. When nothing happens, I step through the door slowly. I give my eyes a moment to adjust, so I can take in the small space.

The cabin is bare, but it has a little fireplace and a makeshift bed in the corner. It’s not much, but it’s enough to shelter us from the cold and allow us to survive another night.

Tucking my gun away, I go back out to where I left Aspen. She is still sitting on the log, just how I left her. I’m not happy about her being in pain, but I must say, I like the way she is depending on me.