揥hy??I breathed.
He raked his hair back and blew a breath out. 揑 don抰 know, bookworm. I抳e been asking myself that question for a year. I panicked out there. It was right there.?His throat worked. 揑 was going to place well in the competition, and then I saw it all梥urfing for a living, traveling all over the world, rubbing elbows with the best surfers.?He met my gaze. 揑抎 be surfing with people I looked up to since I was a kid.?His hand tightened on his mug again and he shook his head. 揑t was so sweet that I couldn抰 even look at it. I had been working towards it for so long that the idea of finally having it, it was厰 He shifted. 揑 panicked.?
A log cracked in the fire and sparks flew.
揌ow are you feeling about it in a few weeks??
I had asked him the question before but he knew what I meant this time. How are you really feeling, I was asking.
揝cared out of my fucking mind.?He huffed a laugh and shook his head at me. 揟he idea of doing it again scares me and the idea of doing well scares me. What the fuck is up with that? I don抰 know why I抦 acting like this.?
My heart ached for him. In my mind, Wyatt held a shield in front of him with the words everything is temporary engraved on it.
揃ookworm,?he said, and his gaze rested on me with such sad longing that it broke my fucking heart. 揌anging out with you on the water, it抯 been the best summer of my life.?
He shot me a sad smile and my heart tumbled down a flight of stairs.
揗e too,?I whispered.
I shivered and pulled my jacket around myself more. It was cooler up here in the mountains.
揅old??
I slipped my hands up into my sleeves. 揂 little.?
揅ome here.?
My stomach rolled forward. He murmured it but the authority in it, the command, made me shiver. I stood and walked to him, and he pulled me into his lap. My pulse raced as his arms came around me. He warmed me as I sunk into him, pressed against his thighs and chest. His arms locked around me and I leaned my head back against him. His scent teased my nose, fresh and masculine.
揃etter??His hand brushed my arm.
I nodded with a small, shy smile.
揑 have an extra jacket and toque in the car for you if you want it.?
揑抦 okay like this.?
揋ood. I like you like this, too.?
His mouth was so close to mine. Inches away. I had the urge to trace it, run my finger along the lines and soft skin of his mouth. The hair on the back of my neck prickled with awareness, and goosebumps rose down my skin under my jacket. The image of him shirtless that afternoon, chopping wood, flashed into my head and my pulse thrummed between my legs. A throb. Like I was empty and needed something to clench on.
I shivered. I needed him. I wanted to clench on him.
He shifted beneath me and my eyes widened when his hard length pressed into me. A muscle in his jaw ticked.
揃ookworm, you抮e making it real hard to be a gentleman when you look up at me like that.?His chest rose and fell with a deep breath but his gaze dropped to my mouth.
揝o don抰 be.?The idea that he wanted me back made the heaviness between my legs intensify. The air between us crackled.
His jaw ticked again and his hands tightened on me, one on my thigh and one on my waist. The hand on my waist slid lower to my hip. Sparks zinged up my spine.
揃ookworm.?He groaned it like he was in pain. 揑抦 supposed to be helping you.?
I wanted his mouth on mine again. I wanted his mouth all over me, and from the way he was looking at me like he wanted to devour me, he wanted the same thing.
I didn抰 want to be shy Hannah anymore. I didn抰 want to miss out on life anymore.
I shifted on his lap to get a better view of his face. I slipped my hand higher on his chest until my fingers brushed his warm, bare skin above the collar.
His eyelids fell closed. He exhaled through his nose and his fingers dug into my hip.
Something rustled in the bushes. I tensed and whipped my head around.
揥hat was that??I asked, peering into the dark.
揚robably a bear.?His voice was thick.
揥hat??My voice squeaked and I lifted my legs off the ground, as if that would help. I was basically climbing him.
His low chuckle vibrated through his chest. 揇on抰 worry. I抣l keep you safe.?His arm tightened around me, and I believed him.
Our gazes met. I was practically straddling him. 揑 know you will.?A streak of boldness hit my bloodstream and I bit my lip. 揥e should go into the tent. So the bears don抰 eat us.?
He snorted but his eyes darkened. His gaze dropped to my mouth again. 揌annah厰 I could hear the hesitation in his voice. 揑 don抰 want to take advantage of you.?
揑 want you to.?A tiny voice in my head screamed what are you doing??? but I shoved that voice aside and pressed a soft kiss on Wyatt抯 mouth.