Page 97 of Steamy Ever After

The view has been captivating, even though I’ve been following her for forty-five minutes up this mountainside. And I can’t knock Jane for the effort she’s put in. It’s not a big climb, not difficult at all, but her hesitancy when we showed up made me doubt she’d follow through. But follow through, she has.

We reach the peak and she tosses her leg over the edge, climbing up first, then spins around to offer me a hand.

“I did it!” she exclaims, jumping into my arms the minute I stand up.

“You sure did. You should be proud of yourself.”

I pull back, fighting the reflex to nuzzle and kiss her neck, and to inhale her soft scent. She stares at me, her eyes full of joy and it sends warmth directly to my heart. I clear my throat, reminding myself that we’re only friends with benefits. That’s it.

She grips my waist tightly, then leans forward, looking over the edge of the cliff. “Holy shit. We’re really high.”

At about a hundred feet up, this isn’t my biggest climb, but the pride in her face is hard to ignore, so I smile back. “You did great. Snack time?”

She nods enthusiastically. I unlock our carabiners and gather them along with the ropes, shoving them into my bag. We settle in a nearby spot, shaded by large pine trees, and she takes out some food. I take long gulps of water, watching her meticulously place the containers on the ground between us.

“Thanks for dragging me out here, Joe. I didn’t think I could do it.”

“No problem,” I say, grabbing some grapes, happy I came up with this outdoor activity. “I knew you could do it.”

The truth is today isn’t just about getting her to do something fun. If I had to stay one more minute in our apartment, feeling her sexy gaze on me, waiting for her to start something, I would have gone mad.

“So, this is what you do on Saturday mornings when you leave for hours on end?”

“As much as I can. Do you notice when I’m gone?” I ask, the thought sending a jolt of hopeful current through my veins.

“No. Not at all.” She pops a grape into her mouth, her full bottom lip distracting me for a second. “Why do you like doing something so scary?”

I blink and force a laugh. “It’s liberating and peaceful. I mean, look around.” I wave a hand in front of us. The horizon of trees and sky is endless and stunning. “It’s so quiet here. One of the few places I can go to be alone.”

Jane takes a deep inhale and releases it. Her lips morph into a wide smile that meets her eyes and makes them dance.

“You’re right. It is pretty peaceful.” She looks around, as if searching for something. “So, no one ever comes up here? Other than you?”

I bite into a cracker, dusting off some crumbs from my lap. “I’m sure others do, but I’ve never bumped into anyone up here before.”

Her eyes float down to my lap, a smile hinting at her lips. When her cheeks blush, I get her meaning.

“Say it.”

“Say what?” she asks.

“What you’re thinking.”

“I’m not thinking anything. I’m eating.” She bites into a carrot stick. She’s playing coy, and it sets my blood on fire.

“Jane… Don’t lie to me. You want something.”

“I want to sit here in nature and have lunch.” Her doe-eyes drift up and to the left.

I move some stuff out of the way and crawl to her side, then brush my nose along her jaw. Her eyes drift shut as I peel her sports tank top up and I grin. She’s not wearing a bra. I suck a nipple into my mouth, rolling my tongue around it.

Her fingers clutch onto my hair and tug. “Move,” she commands.

I do as she says and sit back, leaning against a rock. When she kneels next to me, my eyes grow wide. “What are you doing?”

“I scratched one thing off of my never-done list today. Might as well keep going.”

Her fingers slip beneath the waistband of my shorts, leaving no question of her intentions.

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