Unexpected Love Story (Love 2)

“Not too bad,” Peter says when he gets all the ropes back. “Just under ten minutes. We are going to break for lunch and get ready for the afternoon hiking session.”

I turn and walk back into the house, the lunch spread I ordered all ready. We sit down to eat. “How is this fun?” I finally look at Crystal. “This whole team bonding is going to kill us. I thought Emma was going to stab me when I couldn’t get that last knot.”

“I wasn’t going to stab you, Dr. Walker. Rip it from your hands, yes, but not stab.” She smiles at me, and I just shake my head.

“Maybe it won’t work here, but back when we did it, we found out what our weaknesses were and when to ask for help.”

I shake my head. Not even bothering with this conversation, I’m praying I somehow break my foot or something just to get out of here.

Chapter Seventeen

Crystal

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Holden says from beside me, and I swear if I could push him off a cliff, I would. He has been following me around the whole day, and I honestly can’t stand him. At first, I thought it was cute, but bottom line, if you’re a fucking idiot, I can’t stand you. I look over my shoulder, watching Gabe talk with Ava and Corrine, who are just yapping away. They sometimes giggle and even feel the need to touch him. Dude, he’s your boss. “So you think you can sneak away tonight?” he whispers, leaning in.

I tilt my head to the side. “Nope, sorry.” I turn back around to see Gabe staring at me. “Are we almost done?” I ask, huffing and puffing.

“Just about. We have about another mile to go.” He turns around, shouting to everyone. “About a mile to go, folks. Then you are on your own for the night.” When we make it back to the house, all of us head to our respective rooms, and I grab my shower stuff. Making my way out to the bathroom, I run right into Gabe, who is carrying his own shower things.

Everything falls to the floor in one big pile. “Shit,” I say, bending down with Gabe following me. I pick up my pants, top, and shampoo, and Gabe somehow picks up my panties. My very lacy panties. “Those are mine,” I tell him. He holds them in his hand, and his head snaps to the hall entrance.

“So you do wear panties?” he asks with a twinkle in his eye. I try to snatch them from him, but he holds them from me. “I was dying to know.”

“Well, now you do, so give them back to me.” I open my hand so he can place them in my palm. He reaches over, and his fingers grace mine as he places them in my hand. “Thank you,” I whisper, looking down at the floor. “Were you going to shower?” I ask him. “I can wait.”

“No, it’s fine. Go ahead,” he tells me. When I look up, his eyes have the same look he gave me when he had me pinned to the wall in the office. It was the same look he gave me when he slid into me while he pressed me to the shower. I walk away from taking a shower, my body on high alert. I go to my room and remain in there until it’s almost dinnertime. I put on another pair of black leggings with a big black sweater that falls off one shoulder and pin my hair on top of my head.

“What are we having for dinner?” I ask Emma, who is sitting at the island sipping water.

“Actually, Luke and Holden are going to take us out. Did you want to join us?” she asks me.

“I’m actually beat,” I tell her, looking in the fridge. “Worst case, I can make myself a grilled cheese.” The doorbell rings, and I hear the three other women come down the stairs in full makeup and all dressed up. “You guys packed heels?” I smile at them as they all say yes.

Luke and Holden walk in both dressed almost like they were this morning; their eyes pop out of their heads when they see the girls all dressed up. “I think this is going to be a short night,” Emma says from beside me. “At least for me.” I cross my arms over my chest. “You sure you don’t want to come?”

I shake my head. “I’ll be fine. You go ahead. Have fun, girls.” They wave goodbye to me while I go to the fridge and hear Gabe coming from the back room forty minutes later.

“Where is everyone?” I turn to look at him. He’s wearing track pants and a t-shirt that leaves his arms on full display.

“They went out on the town with Luke and Holden,” I say from inside the fridge.