Page 77 of Roughing It

Suddenly, I find myself pinned beneath my outdoorsman’s weighty mass. He captures my lips, our tongues entangling, stealing my breath and thoughts. Then, with a devilish glint in his eye, he kisses a winding path down my body.

“What are you doing?”

“My turn now,” he growls against my throat. Lower and lower, he moves until his nose is at eye-level with my clit. Glittering green eyes and a tussle of brown hair are the last things I see before losing myself in waves of euphoria.

DAY THIRTEEN

I’m on the porch, bleary-eyed. The nightmares I avoided the night of the lake incident caught me last night. I was trapped in the dark water, but word bubbles floated all around me, calling me a failure, a fake, and worse.

Hudson chased my bad dream away as quickly as I made a sound—my very own knight slaying my dragons. But even with his warm, steady breath on my neck, his strong arms around me, I couldn’t fall back asleep.

But the show must go on.

“Good morning, BBs. Today I’m on the front porch of my cozy cabin extra early this morning. Shout-out to my new favorite coffee shop, The Bee and The Bean. This is a Trail Creek staple; luckily, Hudson has bags of their delicious pecan roast on hand!” Pausing, I take a big sip of my coffee. “Also, thank you for the outpouring of concern and for checking in on me after I fell into the lake. I’m doing great! Now, on to the real reason you’re tuning in before the sun is up. Let’s take a moment to address some of the rumors, stories, and speculation about Hudson and me. It’s important for you to understand that Hudson is a very reserved person.”

Next to me, Hudson mumbles loud enough for the phone to pick up. “What Blakely is trying to say is we’re together. It isn’t anyone’s business, and you’re all too interested in us for reasons I can’t understand.” I stare at him, mouth agape.

“Uhhh, yes…” I clear my throat before putting my best smile back on. “BBs, don’t listen to him; I think he needs a little pecan coffee, too!” I giggle, pointedly ignoring the glare Hudson shoots my way. “While the focus of my livestreams will continue to be the Trail Creek wilderness and the things Hudson teaches me, we’re willing to share a little more of our relationship with you as well.” I lean in, a serious look on my face. “I’d like to be clear, despite what some of the comments or posts from others have implied, we didn’t plan this, and it isn’t fake or for show.”

Hudson snorts. “It sure as shit wasn’t planned. You infuriate me most days.”

I elbow him in the ribs, then kiss him on the cheek. Turning my attention to the camera, I say, “So I have another treat for you early birds. You get to watch a gorgeous New Mexico sunrise. I’ll be going live again in forty-five minutes; make sure you tune back in then!”

With that, I sign off and let out a breath. “That wasn’t terrible. You were nicer than I expected.”

“I even let you kiss me on the cheek. I went above and beyond.”

“I’ll have to thank you properly when we get back from our hike.” Lust laces my voice, and I steal a kiss from his perfect lips.

“How do you plan on thanking me?”

“First, I’ll nibble your ear, just enough to make you squirm.” I mimic my words as I speak, taking his earlobe in my teeth and giving it a tug. “Then I’ll kiss your jaw and lick your Adam’s apple.”

Hudson groans as my tongue teases his throat. An electric pulse fills my body any time I make him moan. My fingers slip under his shirt. “Next, I’ll strum my fingers up and down your ribs and stomach, playful little touches that make goosebumps rise on your skin.”

“No more.” Hudson grabs my hands and sucks in a ragged breath. “If you don’t stop now, we’ll miss the sunrise.”

“Fine. But we’ll pick this up later.” I brush my lips against his ear. “That’s a promise.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

hudson

DAY FIFTEEN

I’m jolted awake by a whimper. Blakely jerks in her sleep, pained noises disturbing the early morning peace.

“Blakely, wake up. It’s a dream.” I brush the hair from her face and feather kisses over her forehead and cheeks.

“Bear?”

“Yeah, Spitfire. I’m here.” I spoon my body around hers, pressing as much skin to skin as I can. “Want to talk?”

“Not yet. Can you hold me?”

“Always, baby. Always.”

It isn’t long before she drifts back to sleep, the stress on her face melting away. I stay awake, studying her, soaking in as much of her as I can. Eventually, light filters in through the windows, and the thin rays highlight her delicate features. I like this version of her, the makeup-free, less flawless, but no less perfect version.

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