Page 82 of The Trouble with Wanting

Pressing a kiss against his lips again even though it does nothing to mask my continued giggles, I answer his question.

“Even the butt stuff.”

chapter eighteen

Boyd

“We’re hiking Kilroy tomorrow,” I tell her as we lie in bed together the following morning. “We leave at 7am.”

“Mmmmmm.”

I snicker at her nonanswer then realize she probably has no idea what I’m talking about. “It’s an overnight hike. We leave early, hike most of the way up, set up camp for the night, and then keep going to watch the sunrise the following morning. Do you want to come with us? Wait, let me rephrase that—I want you to come with us. Will you?”

Ruby peeks an eye open, probably to gauge the sincerity of my invitation. Just that little look is a reminder that the two of us have a long road ahead when it comes to teaching her that her presence is desired, not an imposition.

She rolls onto her back without answering me, her eyes focused on the ceiling. A long minute goes by before she replies.

“Let me think about it,” she says. “I love spending time with you and your family, but I don’t want to intrude.”

“You wouldn’t be intruding.”

She turns and snuggles her face into my chest. “You know what I mean. You should have at least some family time without me.”

I kiss the top of her head, appreciating the sentiment. I want to push her harder, but what am I supposed to say that doesn’t make me sound like a crazy person? What I want to say is that she fits perfectly into my family and she should get used to being around us, but that’s insane.

“What are your plans for today?” she asks.

I trace a finger along her collarbone, enjoying the way her skin pebbles with goose bumps at my touch.

“Mostly preparing for the hike and hanging around the house,” I answer. “Nothing too spectacular. Why?”

She shrugs a shoulder then turns and snuggles her body into mine, pressing a kiss against my bare chest. “I was thinking about renting a jet ski. I saw some info about it when I was in town yesterday and it sounds so fun, but it would be more fun with a friend.”

I snake my arms around her waist and tug her back slightly so I can see her face. “A friend, huh?”

Ruby blushes, and I watch as it spreads from her cheeks, down her neck, across her chest. “You know what I mean.”

Nudging her onto her back, I lift myself so I’m hovering over her then I rub my hard dick against her thigh.

“I know exactly what you mean,” I reply, pressing an open-mouthed kiss against her neck then sucking on the area until she squeals and giggles. When I pull back to look at her, I revel in the smile on her face. “I also know I’ve been having some thoughts about you that don’t feel very…” I rub against her again, “…friendly.”

Ruby bites her lip, her eyelids lowering, but before anything can come from our little bit of flirtation, there’s a knock on the door.

Her eyes widen, and in less than ten seconds she’s out from underneath me and yanking on a pair of shorts and a loose shirt.

“I’ll be right back,” she says, stepping out of the bedroom and closing the barn door that separates the bedroom from the living room.

I doubt she’ll be right back, and when she does return, it won’t be to snuggle up in bed again, so I roll out of it and head to the bathroom, taking a piss before donning my jeans and shirt from last night.

When I’m finished, I wash my hands and face, grab my watch and wallet from the counter, and head out to the living room to join Ruby and see what’s going on.

I can tell instantly I’ve made a grave error.

While I haven’t had any intention of keeping my relationship with Ruby a secret, I didn’t fully think through the ramifications of walking out of her bedroom in the morning to face her father at the door.

I don’t have a lot of experience with meeting fathers—any experience, really—but I can tell by the look on his face I was absolutely the last thing he was expecting to see in his guesthouse.

“Boyd,” he says, his eyes widening slightly.

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