Page 49 of Unhurried Hearts

He looks at me expectantly.

“Am I allowed to say things now?” I whisper.

“Please. Save me.”

I snuggle a bit closer, resting my head on his knee.

“I can respect that. I promise I won’t do anything to, um, accost you tonight.”

But it will be hard.

He groans and I’m not sure which part of what I said was wrong.

“Today, oddly enough, marks the end of the six months. I’ve never slept with anyone I’ve been in a committed relationship with before.”

“Oh.Oh.”

It’s all I can think to say but my mind is alight with the possibilities of what could happen inside that tiny tent. Giggling doesn’t seem like the mature response to his admission but that’s exactly what I do. Giddiness overtakes me and I laugh.

His gaze is intense.

“I guess…I guess we have that in common then,” I whisper.

“Anna?” he leans in close and I let my eyes fall shut, ready to receive a kiss that seals our words. “Your marshmallow is burning.”

I whip my head around. “Nooo! I absolutely refuse to go to bed without a damn s’more!”

He passes me his marshmallow stick and spears a fresh marshmallow on mine.

We rotate them close to the coals, paying better attention this time, before squishing them between the crackers and squares of chocolate.

“Damn, my cracker broke,” I say.

“That always happens.”

“I haven’t made one in years.” I attempt to salvage my s'more but it’s a big mess. “Aah, the chocolate is melting so fast.”

We’re laughing hard, the sound carrying high into the trees, sparks chasing the sound as they float up on wispsof rich smoke. Chris takes my wrist, hauling me into his lap. I’m still laughing, sticky marshmallow all over my lips, when he takes my chocolatey fingers into his mouth to suck them clean. My laughter morphs into heavy breaths as his tongue slides along my fingers, his mouth hot and demanding. His dark eyes reflect the dying embers behind me, and the pressure of his erection grows as he cleans away the last of the chocolate. I shift, straddling him, his length lining up perfectly with my core.

“I’ve got some right here, too.” My voice is raspy as I dart my tongue out toward the corner of my mouth.

He drags a hand through my messy hair and kisses me so deep that I simply sigh into his lips and sag against his torso. Every kilometre, every step I’d thought about this. About the moment he’d tell us we’re done moving and we can simply be together. His hands slide down my back, finding purchase on the flesh of my hips, pushing me down against his growing erection. I suck his tongue into my mouth, something I’ve never done but seems right, making him shudder.

Behind me the warmth of the ashes, before me the passion of this unfairly hot man. Even with multiple heat sources, it’s impossible to ignore the rapidly dropping temperature of the forest in fall. When I shiver, he shifts his hands to hold me fast, standing with ease.

“Gotta get you warmed up,” he says while he walks us carefully to the tent.

Away from the fire it’s pitch black.

“Crawl in, okay?”

“You’re not coming in yet?” Panic laces my voice at the thought of being left in here in the darkness.

“I have to put the fire out and stash the food.”

“Stash it?”

“Bears,” he answers, matter of fact.

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