Page 75 of Play With Me

Brook

Iconcentrated on the spot where Lola was focusing her binoculars, but only saw bushes swaying back and forth.

“He’s gone.” She lowered the binoculars and placed them back in the case.

“Are you sure that was Xavier?”

“It didn’t look like him, but it was him,” she confirmed. Her mouth was set thin, almost pouty but strained.

“How can you be so sure?”

“It’s mostly a gut feeling, but it’s based on his body build and his moves. He moved just like Kate does. Besides, my gut never lets me down. That was Kate’s father.”

“If that was him, then what the fuck is he doing?”

“That’s the million-dollar question. We need to find him.” She crawled backwards and prepared to descend the cliff. I caught up to her and said, “Hold on. I’m going down first.”

“Why?”

“I nearly had a heart attack watching your tight ass scale up that cliff.”

“That’s because you’re horny, Madman.”

“True, but I’ll feel better if I’m underneath you.

“Your words are music to my ears.”

“I’m serious, Lola. I want to be able to catch you if you fall.”

She chuckled. “If I could be a little louder, I would laugh. Come on, Madman. Enough of your cute offers. I’m not waiting for anyone.”

True to her word, Lola started descending before I had a chance to stop her. I followed her lead until she was safe on the ground. Thunder sounded in the distance, shaking the earth, and our heads whipped upward. The sky had darkened and the wind picked up, bringing along a winter chill. It was to be expected, given that Thanksgiving was tomorrow. We’d been blessed with good weather long enough, but if we got wet, there was a good chance we could get sick.

Another gust swept through, whipping Lola’s hair in her face. She removed a beanie from her pocket and put it over her head. I looked up when the first rain drop hit my cheek. The last thing I wanted was to get soaked in the middle of nowhere when temperatures were dropping. Too bad we weren’t on the other side of the canyon – if we hiked for about an hour along the trail north, we’d make it to the Madden family cabin, where my brother was staying with Kate by a warm fireplace.

“We’d better get moving,” I said.

Thunder rolled again, and Lola began our trek back. She didn’t stop for any breaks, not even when rain poured from above, soaking through our clothes. When she finally stopped for a short rest, seeking cover underneath a caved wall of rock, her cheeks were flushed and she was trembling.

“Come here,” I said, taking her in my arms and rubbing up and down her back. “You’re shivering.”

As I held her and felt her body ease into mine, I also lowered my head to the side of her face and blew a warm breath.

“Brook.”

“Lola.”

“We can’t. Not now. We need to keep moving.”

“How do you even know what I want?”

She glared down between us, where my dick was visibly pushing at my pants, tenting them.

“But I’m always hard around you. Where’s your sense of adventure?” I kissed the tip of her nose. “I thought you liked the adrenaline. I thought you enjoyed this lifestyle.”

“What the hell are you talking about, lifestyle?”

“I overheard Emma mention you have a lifestyle. And no, I wasn’t eavesdropping. I was on my way out of James’ office. And I assumed it was that sense of adventure—”

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