I take a moment to appreciate the beauty around us. He’s not wrong. Birdsong floats on a soft breeze through the towering pines. “I considered stopping here for the night. But now that we’re here, it’s kind of early, and the next spot sounds nice too. It’s only about two hours more.” Nova chuckles, and I turn to squint at him. “What?”
“Promise not to hit me?”
I give him an exaggerated sigh. “Why would I do that?” He purses his lips, biting back a smile. I wave for him to go ahead and answer.
“Well . . . you sounded a bit like Grinder for a moment.”
Screw it. I smack him. Just because I think we can get two more hours in does not mean I sound like Grinder.
Yeah, okay. Shut up.
“So we’re still going?” Grinder asks with amusement as I get back on my feet and reach for my pack.
“I’m hoping to get somewhere particular tomorrow night,” I tell him.
“You’re not worried that I’m going to make you the best cup of coffee in the morning?”
I turn and give him a saccharine smile. “Do your best, Grinder. But I’m pretty certain we’ll be staying there no matter how good your coffee is.”
With a haughty laugh, he replies, “We’ll see about that, princess.”
Two hours later, we reach a campsite next to Holcomb Creek, sheltered under a canopy of cottonwood trees. The couple we rode with up to the trailhead are there, too, happy to share the site. There’s only enough time to set up our tents and eat, but before I head to bed, Nova steals a moment for a goodnight kiss. It’s slow, tender, and shows me how glad he is that I stayed. Hopefully, my kiss back shows him how glad I am too.
I go to sleep listening to the sounds of the nearby stream, drifting off to dream of more kisses to come. And maybe more.
***
I wake the next morning to the delicious smell of fresh brewed coffee, the aroma enticing me to leave the warmth of my sleeping bag. “Crap,” I groan out. Grinder won’t stop until he wins this bet. I pull on my pants and grab a few items before unzipping the tent door.
“Good morning, Belle,” Grinder says with a smile. “Ready for your coffee?”
I toss him my mug as I turn away from the creek. “Pee first,” I say, holding up my new urination device and pee rag, a yellow bandana I use for wiping so I don’t have to carry rolls of toilet paper. I learned Leave No Trace at a young age. When I’m done, I hang it off my pack to dry in the sunlight, which also kills any bacteria to keep it hygienic. “Coffee second.”
I walk a suitable distance from the creek before finding a private spot to unzip my pants and . . . Crap. I don’t quite get it right and end up having to wipe a bit of splash back off me. Still, with a little practice, this device is a keeper. I’m done and heading back in the time it would have taken to get into a good squat that made sure I wouldn’t fall on my ass. Why the hell didn’t I get one of these sooner?
By the time I get back to camp, Bats and Nova are both up and making breakfast. Grinder stands there waiting with a steaming cup of black gold. “Drink up. We’re burning daylight. I’m thinking we can get in at least twenty-four, maybe twenty-five miles today.”
I take the mug, sniffing the contents. Damn. It smells better up close. But that’s okay. I have a plan. “I hope you didn’t spend too much time on this,” I say, trying to look disinterested, even though I’m almost salivating. I’m a coffee addict, after all. All college students are sooner or later. “Because I’m pretty sure that we’re only going . . . oh, sixteen miles?”
A raucous laughter leaves Grinder, filling our little grove. He points at my mug. “You might want to drink that before making any plans.”
“Is that so?” I turn toward Nova and saunter over to him, handing my steaming mug to Bats as I pass him. The big guy’s expression is passive as always, but I’m learning to read him, and there’s mischief in his eyes. He doesn’t know where I’m going with this, but he’s curious. I lower myself into Nova’s lap, his arms quick to wrap around my waist. I absently run my fingers through his hair as I purr, “In about sixteen miles, we’ll reach the Deep Creek Hot Springs. Apparently, it’s a pretty popular swimming hole. You want to go swimming, sunshine? See me in my bikini again?”
Nova’s answer is hardening beneath my ass before he exclaims, “Hell, yes.”
Grinder lets out a dismissive huff. “Nope. Even our neighbors can tell you Nova’s not answering with his head.”
“Fair enough,” I say, turning my gaze up to Bats. “How about you, big guy?”
Bats’ eyes have lightened, and the corner of his mouth has ticked upward in a playful grin. “Sounds lovely,” he says in a slow drawl.
Grinder growls, “Drink the damn coffee, princess.”
I take a long sniff for show, doing my best to be as unreactive as possible. Shit. I might be in trouble if it tastes half as good as it smells. I raise my cup to my lips. My gaze drifts to Grinder, whose eyes are locked on my cup. At least, that’s what I assume he’s watching, because why would he be staring at my lips? The rich taste of arabica trickles across my tongue. The time I spent peeing gave it enough time to cool to the perfect temperature, allowing me to deepen my taste into a full gulp. Fuck. It’s as tasty as it smells. With a few tweaks, he’ll make good on his promise. Today, at least, it’s still missing something. The question is, do I let him down easy?
I lick my lips to get each drop of coffee, and admit, “Pretty good.” Grinder’s lips curl up into a satisfied smirk like he’s won. Oh, honey . . . “But you promised me the best cup I’ve ever had.”
“Excuse me?” Grinder exclaims, ready to burst. I respond with a shrug, because I know it’ll get that throbbing vein in his forehead to pop out a little further. “What is your perfect cup, then? An over-roasted pumpkin spice latte from Siren’s Coffee?”
“Three sugars and a cream,” Nova says, much to the shock of both Grinder and myself. “Oh, but put the cream and sugar in first or it won’t be quite right.”
Grinder scoffs and blurts out, “Bullshit.”
My jaw drops. “How do you know that?”
Grinder throws his arms in the air in frustration. “Seriously?”
Nova shrugs, like it should be common knowledge how I prepare my coffee. “The second day in Idyllwild, when we went for breakfast, you asked for an empty cup, then mixed it up before the waitress filled it. Same for your second cup, which was when I remembered seeing you do the same at the B&B in Manzanita. Oh, and again at breakfast in Big Bear.”
My heart flutters a little, because he’s right. “You remember how I made my coffee in Manzanita? We hadn’t even met yet.”
Nova grins and wraps his arms tighter around my waist. “When a captivating girl like you walks into the room, you bet I do.”
I can’t find the words to reply. He didn’t just notice me. He drank me in like an iced coffee on a hot summer day. I place my hand on his cheek and my lips on his. Our kiss isn’t long, but in that moment, the world stands still as I let the swelling warmth in my chest pour through our kiss. It’s a warmth that pushes out any lingering doubts about staying, filling me with hope for whatever lies ahead.
We break apart to the sound of Bats chuckling. My gaze turns to the big guy, who tips back my mug, emptying it in a few gulps. “I’ve got some nondairy creamer in my pack. Three sugars, right?” I smile and nod as he turns to get the items from his pack.
“You have creamer?” Grinder asks with a touch of annoyance.
Bats chuckles again as he opens three packets of sugar and tips them into my cup. “Get your own supply. I’m not helping you win a bet you shouldn’t have placed.” He adds the creamer, fills my mug, and stirs it as he crosses over to hand me my mug. As I take it, he licks the spoon, humming with satisfaction. “Delicious,” he says with a wink and a grin. Is Bats flirting with me? He couldn’t be. I’m sitting in the lap of one of his best friends. He must be goading Grinder, who grunts in frustration as he eats his breakfast. Goal accomplished, I guess. Bats reaches out a hand to help me up. “Come on,” he says. “I bet Nova’s eager to see you in your bikini again.”
I wiggle my ass in Nova’s lap, drawing a small, whimpering moan from him. “Is that so, Nova? Are you in a hurry to get going?” Nova looks torn between enjoying me wiggling on his lap or seeing me in my skimpy swimsuit. Or maybe he doesn’t want to see the hard-on pressing into my butt cheek. I giggle as I stand and offer him my hand. “Come on, sunshine. You can walk behind me today. I’ll even pretend to not notice you staring at my ass while you’re back there.”
***