“Fuck you, I’ve never done that.” Thought about it. Recreated it at home, growling my way through my horny shame. Repeatedly. But never for real. “I wouldn’t.”
“I know. Hey, lighten up, man. That’s the whole point of this weekend. To unwind and consider all your options in life.”
Instead of my previously held pipe dream of holding out hope that one day Emily might realize I exist and fall deeply, madly in love with me too. “That was before she was here, inside the cabin we’re going to spend two nights at. What are the fucking odds?”
“A million to one.” He grabs the cooler from the back seat and shoves it at my chest. “So don’t blink. Take the chance in front of you.” A new expression skitters over his face, and his jaw tightens up. “There aren’t any rules up here, kid. You’re a young man. She’s a young woman. See how the night goes, and don’t trip if you’re given a chance to show her how good you could make her feel. I’ll get out of your way, too.”
“But we drove up together.”
Now his expression is completely readable. He thinks I’m a fucking idiot. “I’ll go to bed early. Let you get to know her one-on-one. I’ll head out for a hike by myself tomorrow. Not abandon you here.”
“Oh. Right.” In the fading twilight, I know he can see me blushing.
He claps a hand on my shoulder, the warmth of his touch grounding me. “Hey, this is all normal. It’s normal to be rocked when the girl you like is unexpectedly in front of you. Don’t panic.”
I take a deep breath when he squeezes my arm. “I’m not panicking.”
“Good.”
I turn toward the house then stop. “I’m not not panicking. But it’s a good kind of panic.”
We’re both chuckling as we step back inside, and the way Emily lifts her head immediately, smiling when her gaze lands on us, does something intense to my chest.
Is this what hope feels like? Wild horses galloping against my ribs?
“What did you bring?” She gestures to the pizza she’s set on the table. Beside it is a bowl of salad. “I’m happy to share.”
Her dinner would be an appetizer for one of us, but I still grin like a goof as I thank her.
Heath puts away our groceries as I add our steak sandwiches to the dinner table.
“So, you guys really just decided to rent a random cabin?”
I nod. “And we found you waiting inside it.”
“What are the chances?”
Heath joins us. “That’s what Wyatt said.”
As if it was meant to be. As if maybe we were meant to have a second chance at a proper introduction. Except I’ve spent three months thinking about how good her tiny pussy must look and taste and feel. “We should eat,” I say sharply.
Emily laughs, a pure giggle, and I wonder how much of my desire she can sniff out. For a little bit of a thing, she’s not scared of us anymore.
She’s having a great time being the guest of honor, suddenly. “So, if you know everything about me, tell me something about yourselves.”
“First of all, we don’t know everything,” Heath says.
Just where she sleeps, what she studies, and how fucking cute she looks first thing in the morning.
“And you know that we’re in construction,” I offer. “Heath owns the company with his business partner, Daniel. I’ve worked for them for three years.”
“And what did you do before that?”
“I spent a few summers planting trees.” I shrug. “It was a good way to stay fit for the winter.”
“Why?” Her eyes are wide as she nibbles on a slice of pizza. “What was in the winter?”
“I worked as a ski instructor here in Virgin Peak.”