“Hell yes.”
“But... you haven’t even seen the business plan. I mean, this wouldn’t be a business. It would be a nonprofit.”
“I don’t need a plan. I trust your knowledge and your instincts. I trust you.” My heart, which had already been beating wildly, was now in danger of jumping out of my chest.
“I’ll show you a plan anyway. And then if you change your mind, I will understand.”
He pulled me in his lap. “I won’t change my mind.”
“It would be a loan.”
“No, it would not. I want to do this with you, as a team. If we can work together to make each other’s dreams come true, well, I can’t imagine anything better, honestly.”
I was overwhelmed by this big, hunky man who wanted to intertwine his life with mine on so many levels. And I was ready to jump in with both feet.
“Are we hiking today?” I asked.
“Sure. We can go up to a viewing point and have lunch there.”
He kissed the back of my hand, then turned it palm up and skimmed his lips from the center of my palm to my wrist, where he drew a small circle with his tongue. I bit my lower lip.
“You like this?” he asked wickedly.
“You keep this up, and there will be no hiking.”
He moved his mouth further up my forearm. Holy hell. Why was this such a turn-on? It was the way he moved his tongue... just barely touching my skin with the tip, teasing me more than anything else.
We made it out of the house two hours later. The couch had seen some sexy action again, and so had the shower.
“I’ve gotten used to you parading around without a shirt,” I complained, pointing to Will’s white T-shirt. It was molded to his chest, so plenty of muscle was showing, but it wasn’t quite the same.
Will was half hiker, half detective, looking on guard every time we passed a group. He gave me a sheepish grin when I looked at him pointedly.
“I told you it doesn’t bother me. You don’t have to change who you are for me. I just don’t think you’re truly relaxing, but that’s okay too. I know a few ways to make you relax.”
“Is that so?” he nudged my shoulder playfully.
“Oh yeah. You looked very relaxed this morning.”
He gave my ass a little smack.
“Hey, what was that for?”
“Reminding me about this morning.” He pushed a strand of hair behind my ear, adding, “We’re three hours away from the cabin. Don’t tempt me.”
“How about last night? Can I remind you about that?”
He pulled back, eyes flaring. His passion for me consumed me. He kissed my forehead, then took my hand, leading me further up the trail.
***
At the end of the week, after a day full of hiking, Will announced he’d made reservations in town. So even though every muscle hurt and I had imagined an evening where I’d soak in the tub—possibly with Will—I dressed up, ready for a night out with my man. Maybe I’d get my bathtub extravaganza anyway later on. I was wearing a knee-length sweater dress with long sleeves and not a very deep V-neckline. But Will stilled when he saw me.
“What? This isn’t sexy.”
“For me it is. Or maybe because I know what’s underneath.” He gave me a quick kiss, but still stroked my tongue, and I shimmied afterward as I worked a red scarf around my neck. Ufff... why couldn’t we just skip dinner?
I realized why when we reached the restaurant. Will had reserved one of the smaller rooms just for us. We were surrounded by candlelight, soft music, and a mix of delicious smells.