Page 84 of Roughing It

“That you’re a creeper. It’s fine. I like that in a partner.”Grinning, I rub the tip of my cold nose against his chest and dig my icy toes into the meat of his thigh.

“How can you be so damn cold all the time?” He complains but pulls me closer.

Ignoring him, I say, “I had a dream about the Trail Creek settlers last night.”

“Better than the nightmares.”

I nod and wriggle until I’m in his lap. “I was in the bed dying, but instead of wilting away, I grew angrier every day my husband was gone. And when you—”Shit.Maybe he didn’t catch that. “When he finally showed up with the fruit, I smashed it in his face.”

Hudson snorts. “Sounds exactly like you.”

A mischievous smile tugs at my lips, and I lean forward, giving his collarbone a nibble. “After I shoved the fruit in his face, I had to clean it off. I couldn’t leave him all messy.” I kiss and suck along the length of Hudson’s neck.

“So you dream of me?”

I freeze; I knew it was too much to hope he would miss that. “The man in my dream did look a lot like you. Only more handsome.”

“Brat.” He shudders as I slowly roll my hips and grind against him.

“Aw, don’t be mean. Open your mouth for me. Let me show you what happened next.” I lick along the seam of his full lips, and when he opens, I suck his tongue, relishing the groan that escapes his throat.

My hips rock against his, building that exquisite tingle between my legs with each roll. But before we can go any further, my phone buzzes.

Hudson grunts in annoyance and buries his face in the crook of my neck. “I hate that fucking thing.”

“I have to take this. It’s Kirk.”

Hudson doesn’t answer; he just slides out from under me. I frown at his retreating back, then huff and fling myself back into the pillows before stabbing the answer button.

“What.”

“Good morning to you, too, BB.”

“Sorry. You have terrible timing.”

Kirk gives me an apologetic grin. “I would have waited for you to call me, but the hubs surprised me with a few days away, and apparently, we’re leaving in an hour.”

Marcus hollers in the background, telling Kirk to say hi to me and to hurry the hell up. I grin. These two are couple goals.

“He’s forbidding me from working while on vacation.” With a roll of his eyes, Kirk continues. “I didn’t want you to think I ghosted you.”

“You’d never!”

“Of course, I wouldn’t. Everyone knows you’re my favorite. How are you?”

“I’m good. I promise.” I’m surprised to find I mean it. You won’t catch me on the lake anytime soon, and I’m avoiding comments, but each day that passes brings a new sense of peace.

He smiles, then slips into work mode. “What’s on the agenda for the next few days?”

“I’m not sure. Hudson plans things, but I don’t find out until he springs them on me.”

“Okay, keep up what you’ve been doing.” He shifts. “You have two weeks to go, but I’ve already taken care of the arrangements for your pickup and departure from Trail Creek. When I get back from Seattle, we can talk specifics.”

And just like that, Kirk punctures my rising happiness balloon. Pain, sharp and jagged, tears through my stomach and up into my chest at the thought of being without my Bear. Two weeks. Travel plans. Going back.

The fake friends. My lonely apartment. No Hudson.

I sit, silent and unblinking, until the weight shifts on the bed. “She’s learning how to shoot a bow and arrow.”

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