We reach Interstate 15 by midafternoon the next day. There’s a tunnel under the freeway where the trail continues, but I turn right.
“Where are you going?” Grinder demands from behind me. “McDonalds?” he asks, nodding to the golden arches a half mile north of us.
I point down the side trail that runs along the side of the highway. “Cajon Pass junction. I have a package waiting at the hotel.”
“Why?”
I cock my head, wondering if I heard that right. It seems like a pretty obvious answer, but I give it anyway. “Because I need food?”
Grinder sighs like I’m deliberately trying his patience. “But why here?”
“Why not? The trail’s dry for the next twenty-some-odd miles. This seemed like a good stop. The hotel said they’d accept a package if I stayed the night. It was this or Wrightwood. I went with this.” Grinder rubs the bridge of his nose, getting more annoyed the longer this conversation lasts. “Let me guess, you guys went with Wrightwood?”
“No. Our next stop is Acton,” Grinder says with a slight snap. “Aren’t we ahead of your schedule? You should have extra food by now.”
“Three days,” I reply, holding up an equal number of fingers. “Or I would, if someone would stop eating all of my jerky,” I say with a pointed glance at Nova.
“Sorry,” Bats says. We all turn to look at him in shock. “What? It’s fucking delicious.”
Blinking my surprise away, I turn back to Grinder. “What’s the big deal? I get my package, then we all get a hot shower and a good night’s sleep.”
“The big deal is that we don’t have time for unscheduled stops.” Grinder’s voice is getting harsher the longer this goes on. “This is an unscheduled stop.”
“Well, how the hell was I supposed to know?” I snap back, getting worked up as well. “You haven’t told me where your resupply points are. Isn’t that something you should tell me if I’m going to be hiking with you?”
Grinder balks at the question. He looks at Nova for support, then Bats, but he’s not going to get it from either of them. He takes a deep breath, then sighs in resignation. “You’re right.” It’s my turn to balk. I’m right? Did aliens replace the real Grinder sometime between Holcomb and Deep Creek? “You should know our resupply plans. Night in the hotel?”
I nod, still not believing he relented. “Yeah. That’s what I agreed to.”
“Okay,” Grinder says. “But like you said, it’s dry for the next twenty miles. We’ll need to leave early if we want to make it to the next campground with water.”
I nod in agreement. “Fine by me.”
Grinder waves up the path toward Cajon Pass. “After you.”
***
After checking in to the hotel and collecting my resupply box, we grab dinner at the taco stand on the other side of the parking lot before heading to our separate rooms for the night. With my shirt halfway over my head, there’s a knock at the door of the hotel room. I tug it back down and leave the shower running, as I slip out of the bathroom to see who it is.
“Hey,” Nova drawls when I open the door. “Am I interrupting something?”
“I was about to get in the shower. What’s up?”
A grin stretches across his face. I don’t like what that look promises. Okay, yes. I like what it promises. I’m just not sure I’m there yet.
“You know, I’m great with hair,” he offers.
I roll my eyes, though the offer is intriguing. I got a taste of what he can do with his hands when we were in Big Bear. There’s no doubt his hands would start in my hair, but we both know they wouldn’t stay there. “I think I can handle it,” I answer, but I don’t hide the grin creeping onto my face.
He nods, understanding that I need more time. “I thought maybe we could watch some TV together,” he says. “But if you’re going to be a bit . . .”
I open the door wider and step aside, tilting my head in invitation. “Come on in.” Nova’s smile broadens as he steps into the room. “I still need a shower, though,” I say as I close the door. “But I won’t be long. Get comfy and find us something to watch.”
Nova flops onto one of the two beds in the room. Tucking his hands behind his head causes his T-shirt to ride, revealing a stretch of smooth skin. The tips of the vee of his Adonis belt peek over his waistband. I get an urge to drag his shirt the rest of the way off, let him tear my shirt off, and . . .
Then I’m booking it into the bathroom before the heat in my cheeks, not to mention the rest of my body, becomes too obvious. I strip out of my clothes and climb under the warm spray of the shower before I can rethink his offer. Working shampoo into my hair, I try not to think of where tonight might go. I’m not ready for a repeat of Big Bear, but there’s plenty of other bases we could cover, right?
Twenty minutes later, I’m washed up, my legs are smooth, and my hair silky as I finish running a comb through it. I’m grinning at myself in the mirror like I’m expecting some fun. “Stop it, Liz,” I try to tell myself. “We’re watching TV together. That’s it.” Then again, we’re two people who have had our hands on each other’s naked bodies. I’m pretty certain he’d like to have his hands on me again. I know I’d like that. But I’m tired and sore. Tonight, at least, I can try to have some self-control. Right?
I reach for my lotion, but I don’t find it in my little toiletries bag. Why can’t I find it in my bag? It’s this wonderful shea butter lotion Rachel picked up for me from her favorite place. It should be right here. Crap. I recall pulling it out after the dip in the hot springs the other night. I did a quick wipe down with a wet wash and then used the lotion. I must not have put it back in the bag. Which means it’s in my backpack . . . in the room . . . with Nova.
“Shit,” I hiss under my breath. I’m going to have to go out there in a towel. And of course, I didn’t grab a change of underwear because I was the only person in the room. I tighten the towel around my body and hope it covers my naked ass, or this evening is about to get a hell of a lot hotter than I’m expecting. I suck in a deep breath, then open the door.
Nova’s watching an old episode of the original Star Trek. Which somehow doesn’t surprise me. He has the easygoing surfer look down pat, but there’s a computer nerd hiding behind those deep blue eyes. He turns at the sound of the opening door. His eyes go wide at first, then half lidded with and a wolfish grin as I cross to my pack.
“Sorry,” I tell him, reaching for the open pocket where I keep my miscellaneous gear. “Forgot something.” I squat down, running a hand down my backside and thanking whoever chose the towels. It’s just long enough that Nova isn’t getting a different show than the one on the screen.
“Looking for your lotion?” Nova asks behind me, and I still. He chuckles and waves toward the TV next to me. “On the stand,” he says. I turn, and yep, there it is. “I can help with that.”
The thought of where he might apply it sends a tingle across my skin and a rush of heat straight to my core. “I think I’ve got it,” I squeak out, standing and grabbing the bottle.
“Flexible enough to get your back then? Good to know,” he says with a sexy, playful wink.
Crap. Now I’m picturing him bending my damp, naked body into all sorts of positions, and I’m getting wet for a different reason. This evening has bad idea written all over it.
“Panties,” I blurt. A look of confusion crosses his face as I dive back into my bag, pulling out a clean pair. “Not without panties on.” I turn toward the bathroom, but pause to reach back into my pack, pulling out a T-shirt.
“That’ll get in the way, don’t you think?” he points out.
I cast a glance back at him that says, figure it out.
Ducking back into the bathroom, I drop the towel and start applying lotion, trying not to imagine Nova rubbing his hands all over me. Which of course doesn’t work. By the time I return to the main part of the room, I’m all worked up.
I toss the bottle of lotion to Nova, then cross my arms under my breasts, ignoring how the move pushes them up. Nova’s eyes latch on to them, noticing the way my nipples are pushing against the fabric of my shirt.
“Nice shirt,” Nova tells me.
Looking down, I realize too late that I’d grabbed my Belle shirt. Ugh. “How do you want me?” I ask, forgetting my choice of clothing as I cross to the other bed. Nova’s expression turns carnal as I realize what I’ve said. Now heat’s rushing to my face for a different reason. “That’s not what I meant.”
Nova laughs with amusement. I can’t help but join in. It puts me at ease as I sit on the edge opposite him. “Lie down,” he instructs. “Shirt off?”
I like how he phrases that as a question, not a demand. He’s letting me set the pace. Letting me figure out where my comfort level is. It’s a good question. Before Big Bear, I thought I was ready to go all the way with Nova. Now? I don’t know. My mind and my body seem to want two different things. My body is ready to straddle him and ride him all night long, but my head doesn’t want to rush into the arms of another guy who just wants into my vagina. Nova doesn’t seem to be the type, but I’m having too hard of a time figuring myself out right now to figure out what he wants as well. Still, it’s pretty hard to apply lotion with a shirt in the way. I turn my back to him and reach for the hem of my shirt. I can almost feel Nova’s eyes on me as I lift the fabric and drop my shirt next to me on the bed. I grab a pillow to lie on and roll onto my stomach.