Page 37 of Bigfoot Boss
I open it to find a grocery bag with chocolate bars, a box of graham crackers, and a bag of marshmallows.
“Oh, shit. Are you serious? S’mores!” I cannot keep from grinning.
“I thought we could roast the marshmallows over the fire? Outside?”
“Hell yes, we can! You managed to think of everything! Are you fucking perfect, or what?”
“Maybe I’m perfect for you?” He teases me again with one of those beautiful smiles.
He’s very nearly perfect. Except that he’s my boss, and he is technically bribing me to be here. Except that I’m going to break up with him when we get back to the city. Except that I have to leave him before he gets a chance to get tired of me, I just can’t give another person a chance to drop me from their life.
21
LET ME CLEAN YOU OFF
Bailey
Sacha builds a fire in the pit in front of the cabin. It’s surrounded by hand-carved benches, some of the seats worn smooth from years of use. The evening is waning, but this time of summer, the sun doesn’t properly set until late after dinner. Crickets chirp angrily at us from the growing darkness while Sacha tosses another piece of wood onto the fire.
I settle into one of the benches, nearly dwarfed by the Bigfoot-sized furniture, and enjoy the crackle of the wood. Sacha produces two metal-pronged sticks, perfect for roasting marshmallows, before he sits on the other end of the bench. As the night moves on, we find excuses to move closer and closer together until his leg is flush with mine. We stuff our faces with chocolate and marshmallows smushed between crunchy graham crackers. His arm finds its way around my shoulder as we watch the beautiful sky, stars twinkling into view that are never this visible in the crowded city.
“There,” Sacha takes the opportunity to lean further into my space and points to a constellation, “is the Big Dipper.”
I reach up, wrapping my hand around his, and guide it across the visible sky. “Scorpio.” I trace the outline of the constellation.“Sagittarius,” I add with a smile.
He catches my hand in his with a small laugh. “Alright, show off, I never learned that many of them.”
“I did astrology readings for a while in college.” I stroke my thumb along his knuckles, my hands dwarfed by his large fingers. “Nothing serious, just a little cash on the side. I couldn’t quite convince myself to really believe in it, and then giving readings felt like lying.”
“I am continually impressed by you, Beast.”
When I turn to him, he’s staring at me intensely—too intensely for me to keep making eye contact. I move my eyes back to the sky with a shrug. “You are the impressive one. I’ve never built a company from scratch. I’ve barely held a single job for six months.”
Sacha shakes his head. “You’ve chased your heart through so many phases and adventures. I’ve been doing the same tired thing for years on end.”
“Yeah, and you have the money and status to show for your efforts.”
“Hmph,” he snorts, “you are brave. Always willing to try something new, rather than stay in the same safe place.”
I swallow hard. “Hardly brave. I don’t have to face that I’m bad at things if I’m always moving on to a new challenge. You can’t get rejected if you quit first.”
He nudges my shoulder, and when I look at him, he swipes a finger of melted chocolate over my cheek.
“Hey!” I yelp.
“You could do anything if you really set your mind to it. You are brave, and talented, and smart.”
“And dirty,” I mutter, reach a hand up to swipe at my cheek.
“Sorry about that.” He catches my hand before it reaches my cheek and gives a devilish grin. “Let me clean you off.”
He drops my hand to cup my face in one large hand, my breath catches as he leans in close and swipes his lips across my skin, licking my face clean. A warm chuckle sends his hot breath glancing against my cheek.
“There, my beautiful beast is all clean.”
I start to laugh, but he leans forward, catches my giggle with his mouth, and the world seems far from funny. He presses kisses to me, soft and generous, until my lips are parting and his tongue is dipping into my mouth, exploring me. He holds back even as I push forward against his strong, broad body, kneading his chest with my hands until I am almost groaning into his mouth. A frustrating heat builds in my core. His touch remains reserved, even though I can feel the urgency growing in his pants.
“Sacha, I’m on the pill. We can—If you want to—” My whispered words fumble to a stop. “I’ve been tested.”
