Page 81 of Of Grief And Gratitude

Riona came down the stairs wearing a grey sweatshirt, black windbreaker, blue jeans, and sneakers that were never intended for hiking. Her hair was twisted into a bun on top of her head, and my fingers itched to let those fiery locks down and tug, so her lips tipped up for me to taste.

She stopped before me and spread her arms, turning in a circle. “Okay, I’m ready.”

It had taken a week, but I’d finally convinced Riona to accompany me on a hike. The morning was cool but clear, the sun peeking through the clouds to warm our backs when we followed the old path my brothers and I used to take growing up. It had been years since I’d been at the cabin, and I enjoyed getting back into nature.

The days had taken on a predictable routine. We made breakfast; then, I spent the morning on the trails while Riona stayed at the cabin. She made lunch, and I made sure I returned in time to enjoy her culinary creations. Then, we spent the afternoon in the game room. There hadn’t been a repeat of our bet, but she drilled me about my pool experience every chance she got.

It was so… domestic.

“I figured we’d start out easy by hiking to the creek for a picnic.” I held up my backpack that contained the sandwiches, chips, and water I’d packed for us. She couldn’t claim that I was starving her this time.

She nodded but frowned. “How far is the creek?”

“Less than an hour.”

“I’m not sure I want to be in the wild for hours,” she said, wringing her hands in front of her.

“You’ll be fine. A little nature won’t hurt.”

“What about wild animals? Are there bears?” She made an adorable imitation of a clawed paw, her eyes wide.

I pressed my lips into a flat line so I wouldn’t laugh. “No bears. Maybe a bobcat or coyote, but I’ve never seen one while hiking. Watch where you’re walking and avoid stepping on snakes.”

“Snakes?” Riona gulped. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea.”

I slung the pack over my shoulder and ensured I centered it on my back. “The snakes are more afraid of you than you are of them.”

“That’s what worries me. Scared snakes bite.”

I sighed and grabbed her hand, dragging her out the door behind me. “Nobody has died from a snake bite in this forest that I know of.”

Birds chirped, and a slight breeze made the leafy branches of the trees sway in nature’s tempo as I guided Riona to the path behind the cabin. Her eyes darted back and forth ahead of her; her head tilted down as she almost tiptoed along the trail.

“Riona.” I tugged her back to my front, wrapping one arm around her waist and circling her neck with my hand, holding firmly until she stopped squirming. I could feel her rapid pulse under my fingers, and I gave in to the urge to squeeze until her breath caught, and she rubbed her ass against my hardening cock. “Nothing will happen to you out here. You’re more likely to meet a squirrel or a skunk than a venomous snake. Now relax.”

Riona sank back against me, and I contemplated the merits of fucking her against a tree, deciding against it in the end. Instead, I released her, letting my hands drift down her body until she was free to move away.

“I hate that you can do that,” she muttered, scuffing her feet in the debris on the forest flood. Her cheeks were pink, lips wet from where she’d swiped her tongue across them nervously.

I tilted my head to the side, smirking. “Do what?”

“When you touch me like that, I feel safe.”

“I hope you always feel safe around me.” I knew that hadn’t been the case before, but I hoped to make up for any doubts she had.

She nodded. “I do. And other things.”

Her lilting laughter made my dick twitch, but I ignored my libido and continued along the path, pointing out trees I’d climbed as a child and the small caves we used to hide in. Eventually, we worked our way downhill, where a creek cut through a clearing. Rocks surrounded the area, and I set my backpack on one and pulled out our lunch items.

Riona doubled over, bracing her hands on her thighs as she gasped for air. “I think… I’m allergic to hiking. I’m not cut out for exercise.”

“It was half an hour,” I pointed out drolly, leaning against the rock and opening my sandwich. I’d piled on lunch meat, cheese, and lettuce—enough to fuel us for the trek back to the cabin. “You must have walked for half an hour in New York.”

“On flat, paved city streets!” She snatched the other sandwich from the rock and balled the plastic up before taking a large bite. Her cheeks puffed out, and a bit of the white sauce dripped from the corner of her mouth.

“You’ve got a little something on your chin.”

Her pink tongue poked out, lapping at the mayo concoction. I swear, my mind was in the gutter when Riona was around. I couldn’t stop the filthy thoughts from running through my head. It was satisfying to irritate her, to bring out her sassier side and tame her with my body. The forest hideaway had become a break from reality, where only the two of us existed. When she was near, the grief didn’t sting so sharply.

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