Page 16 of Something that Could Last

What if she’s happy Luke and Tiffany are going with us so that she doesn’t have to be alone with me?

Maybe she isn't interested in anything beyond friendship. That can't be the case, though, judging by her body's reaction to mine. I can tell my presence affects her. Her breathing becomes more rapid and her pupils dilate, her body instinctively leaning into mine. When we kissed the other night, I could feel her tremble against my chest. And the way she moaned. Had I not already been hard, I would have been from that soft sound reverberating in the back of her throat. But then again, she drank quite a bit that night. I'm sure that if she’d been sober, she never would have let me press her against that building the way I did. Besides, the short time we’ve spent together has included our friends as a buffer. If they hadn't instantly hit it off, we might not even be seeing each other.

I need to quit worrying about this. I'm over-analyzing everything, and guys don't do that. We just go with the flow.Right.

It's after eight o’clock and Luke is still in bed. If we're going to do the mountain biking tour and fit in some rock climbing, we need to get going. I walk into his room to wake his lazy ass up. Of course, he’s naked and has kicked the covers off so his junk is all out in the open. And it's morning. Gross.

“Wake up, shithead,” I tell him as I shove his shoulder. I’m still pissed at him and not in the mood for his fuckery today. He groans and rolls over in the queen-size bed. At least his package is out of sight now. “Dude, get up. We gotta go.”

He grunts out an incoherent response but doesn't budge. I know what will get him out of bed.

“Luke, there are two naked girls in the hot tub at the cabin next door.”

He sits straight up and cranes his neck to see out the window. Our neighbors are barely visible through the dense patch of trees and the distance that separates us from the other cabins.

“What?” he asks, rubbing sleep from one eye. “Naked?”

“Yeah, they said that if you get up now and get dressed, you can have a threesome with them.”

“Fuck you,” he grumbles and throws a pillow at my head. I duck and it hits the wall behind me.

“Get your ass up. We leave in five.”

Luke takes his time getting ready. By the time he finally strolls into the kitchen, it's been a good fifteen minutes. He pours himself a cup of coffee and grabs a banana. I knew if I didn't have coffee made, I wouldn't get him out of here before noon. I grab myself a vitamin water and set a frying pan on the stove.

“Eggs?” I ask as he slides into a seat at the kitchen island. He nods as he takes a sip from his mug.

I turn on the burner and grab the carton from the fridge. This gourmet kitchen is kind of ridiculous, but Luke insisted on the luxury accommodations for the four of us. Our friends, Greg and Vince were supposed to come with us but backed out at the last minute, opting instead to spend a month with their ailing grandmother in Florence. Not that I can blame them. Sick grandma or not, I would’ve chosen to revisit Italy too.

The cabin itself is a little ostentatious if you ask me. It's thirty-five hundred square feet with travertine tile, granite countertops, and high-end appliances. The master bedroom boasts a king-size bed, a sitting area, a flat-screen TV, and an en suite bath with a walk-in shower and infinity tub. It's even nicer than my parent’s bathroom back home. It's a little showy, but that doesn't keep me from imagining Abby in that tub, wet and waiting for me to join her. I picture her with her thick, dark hair piled on top of her head, her neck and shoulders bare. Her beautifully tan skin glistening under the soft glow of dimmed lights. Soaping her breasts and watching her nipples pull into tight peaks.

Fuck, now I'm hard. I just need to focus on making these eggs and stop thinking about her.

Naked and in my bathtub.

Dammit! My hard-on is never going to go away.

“J, are you alright over there, man?” Luke asks.

“Yeah, I'm fine. Just trying to find the whisk.” I attempt to make an excuse for being so damn flustered.

“It’s sitting on the counter by your left hand.” From behind me, comes the distinct and subtle snort of a suppressed chuckle. He may not know what’s got me so worked up, but my discomfort amuses him nonetheless.

Okay, got the whisk.

I imagine Abby's emerald eyes burning with desire.

Focus, asshole!Crack open the egg. Put it in the bowl. Whisk. Spray the pan. Pour. Salt and pepper.

I think I'm good now. No embarrassing woodies at breakfast.

OUR MOUNTAIN BIKINGtour group is small, only three other people besides Luke and me. I’m hoping that makes our little excursion go faster. Then we can get on to what I'm really looking forward to: rock climbing. I'm nervous but excited at the same time. Even though I've always been a little uneasy when it comes to heights, I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie, and the thought of climbing up the side of a cliff is exhilarating.

The mountain biking tour begins easily enough, descending trails that run down the mountain along the river. Luke rides next to me in the back of the group.

“So, what's the deal with you and Abby? You've really got a thing for her, don't you?” Luke prods.

Oh, boy. Here we go. “What do you mean?” I reply evasively, eyes forward and focusing on the terrain ahead.

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