Page 26 of Personal Disaster

I trail my finger down the same groove I’ve just licked, but I keep going. I tug his boxers down, and with my other hand, I catch his cock as it bounces out. Hello, Park Ranger.

Heat pulses through me as I stroke him. He’s nice and heavy in my hand, warm and solid to the touch.

My crush was not misguided.

The mountain man appeal has delivered in spades.

In my peripheral vision, I see him clench his hands into fists and push them into his hips. That’s nice. Polite. Considerate.

But I wanted a pervert. I grab one of his hands and bring it to the back of my head as I lean in and take my first taste of his erection. I slide the tip of my tongue over the velvety hard crown, circling the thick head before finishing my slurp over the slit right at the top, where a small burst of something delicious gets me humming.

Let’s be real. Not all guys taste good to me. That’s no reflection of them, just chemistry. Or lack thereof.

Marcus tastes yummy. Like let me swallow him all the way down because yes, I want more of that essence in my mouth rightnow.

And as soon as I suck him in, he tightens his hand around my ponytail and that’s even better. He doesn’t push on my head. He does one better, and holds me back. He makes me work for it a little, although that’s really a sham. His thighs are shaking from the first swallow, and it doesn’t take long to push him over theedge.

I swallow that, too.

It’s a brief respite from reality, but it’s a perfectone.

I press my face into his leg and smile.

“Ah, Poppy.” He groans and laughs and urges me to stand after he tucks himself away. “I was so wary of you when you arrived yesterday,” he says as he tugs me between his legs. “I guess deep down, I’ve been waiting for someone to track me down. But no joke, Poppy, I’m glad you drove halfway up a mountain to findme.”

“Me, too.” I fold into his embrace.

“It’s going to get worse out there, though.”

“Shhh, be a buzzkill later,” I whisper, and he laughs.

“I was going to offer you a place to stay out here. Should you needit.”

I blink up at him. He’s serious. And I don’t think this is sex related, although I’d probably—foolishly—say yes just for regular access to his tongue.

I wrap my arms around his waist and press my face into his neck. Stark sadness intrudes and I shove it away. Not right now, reality. You can intrude in a minute.

“Here’s hoping the world stays upright enough that we don’t see each other until Thanksgiving,” I finallysay.

He nods against my head. “We’ll do our damnedest to make sure ofit.”

We stand like that for a while. He’s warm, and his chest is lovely and firm to lean against.

But I have a flight to catch. And he has work to get backto.

“Before you go…” He squeezes my hand and reaches across the desk. He picks up a National Park Service keychain and hands it to me. “A souvenir.”

I turn it over in my hand. “Thankyou…?”

He chuckles. “Take out your phone.”

Like we’re going to exchange phone numbers, but we already didthat.

I look at him carefully and do as hesays.

He covers my hand with his, and with a firm push of his thumb, extends the metal neck on the keychain fob. “Search for Bluetooth devices.”

There’s one new device nearby. I synch to it, and an app pops up on my screen.

What thewhat…?

Marcus keeps going. “Now that keychain can’t be paired with any other device. It can’t be read remotely. And if you notch the fob out like that again, it will immediately disconnect from your phone and take all the data with it. To reconnect, you do the same thing again. It’s slick andsafe.”

I stare at him, then down to the keychain, then back to him. “Who areyou?”

I expect him to say something cocky, like Marcus Dane, park ranger. Instead he gives me a serious look, then leans in to kiss me. “I’m just a guy in the mountains,” he whispers against my temple as I slide my gaze over his shoulder to the bowl of keychains on his desk. “Trying to do the right thing.”

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