Page 24 of Found Forever

Just more places for him to kiss.

“Shall we go?” he asked, hitting the fob to lock the truck.

She nodded and waited for him to find the first marker. It was barely noticeable unless you were looking for it. Sticks bent in a very particular way, then wedged into the V of two trees that connected at the root. It pointed northwest, so he headed northwest.

“How’d you know to go this way?” she asked, twigs cracking under her running shoes as she skipped to keep up with him.

“Asher and Nate marked the trail. I know their marks.”

“Cool.”

She was wearing navy cropped yoga pants and a hot pink tank top of a similar workout material. Her blonde curls were piled on top of her head in a sexy, messy top knot, but a few wisps fell down without care to frame her face.

He was in shorts and a T-shirt.

“Do you think the lake will be warm enough for swimming?”

“Doubt it, but we can try anyway.”

“I didn’t bring a bathing suit.”

He craned his head around and cracked a half-smirk. “Neither did I.”

She bit her bottom lip, but the smile broke through. “Oh.”

Dead leaves crunched under their shoes, and birds sung high in the canopy. It was a wonderful soundtrack to what was shaping up to be picturesque day.

Although the breeze was on the cooler side back at the ranch, the sun hung high overhead with benign warmth and they were shrouded in the forest, safe from the wind. Sweat quickly broke out on his forehead, but Decker didn’t mind.

He stopped when they reached the next marker and pointed. “See.” It was the same as before. Sticks bent and angled in the V of two trees. They pointed more due north than the last marker. “We need to go more north than west now.”

Her brows knitted together. “That’sthe marker? You’re sure?”

He smiled. “Dead sure. It’s what we used all the time when we needed to let each other know where we were without revealing our location to the enemy.”

She blew out a breath and plopped her hands on her hips. “Okay … I’d rather not get lost, though. Triss said there are bears in the woods.”

“There are. But we’ll be fine. I have bear spray.”

“You don’t need that. You just need to outrun me.”

He barked out a laugh at her unexpected response. Then, just because it’d been a while since he touched her, he bent low and scooped her up caveman style, so her head hung behind him over the backpack. “Naw, I’d just carry you like this.” Then he started to run. “See. I won’t let you get eaten by a bear, Joanna.”

She giggled in that sweet way he adored and smacked his shoulder. “Put me down, Decker!”

“Nope. Can’t risk you getting eaten by a bear. This is safer.” He slowed his roll to a quick-paced walk.

“This is actually really uncomfortable over the backpack. Please put me down.”

Oh shit.

He stopped and set her own her feet. She was still smiling and her cheeks glowed a sexy pink. “Sorry.”

Lifting one shoulder in a playful shrug, she leaned over and bumped him. “Just don’t outrun me if we come across a bear, okay?”

“Deal.”

They continued on, locating the markers with ease and adjusting their course.

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