Page 121 of Mr. Hook-up

“That’s where we’re going. Just you and me. And in that section of dirt in between the range of mountains is where we’ll be camping.”

“Camping?” My eyes widened, a bit of panic now filtering into the spots that were tingling. “You’re kidding ...”

He chuckled. “Not even a little. You’re going to love it.” He squeezed my skin. “And don’t worry, there’s even a bathroom.”

I sighed. “You just made me the happiest woman alive.”

“And I haven’t even told you about the bathtub yet ...”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Easton

If I was going to take Drake on a trip, our first that wasn’t work related, I wanted to make sure she never forgot it. That it was a location she could absorb on a level that went beyond restaurant reservations and tours and cultural experiences I normally planned. I wanted her to connect to the landscape, to feel the air. To listen to the stories the mountains whispered.

Utah was a place where I’d spent a lot of time. Not just skiing in the winter, but camping in the spring, summer, and fall. Never promoted as much as Colorado or Nevada or Montana, more of a hidden secret that always surprised people when they arrived, it was a state that was often overlooked.

I didn’t know why.

These grounds were some of the most beautiful in the world, and as someone well traveled, I had every authority to say that.

That was why I wanted to share this with Drake.

I wanted her to know what it felt like to be in the middle of nowhere. To have to rely on nature and her own senses for entertainment. To bein a place where there was a very good chance her cell phone wasn’t going to work.

As we got into the SUV waiting for us on the tarmac at Canyonlands Regional Airport, where our private plane had just landed right outside of Moab, I said, “You better text Saara now and tell her you’ve arrived, since she most likely won’t be hearing from you for a few days.”

She looked at me from across the front seat, slight panic in her eyes. “Really? It’s like that?”

I laughed.

She had no idea what she was in for, despite how many times I’d attempted to explain the remote aspect of these trips.

“It’s very much like that, baby. You saw the photos. There isn’t exactly a cell phone tower next to our tent.”

“Wait, wait,waaait. I thought we were going to have a bathroom? And didn’t you mention something about a tub?”

My chuckle ended in a smile. “You’re going to have both. I promise.” I nodded toward the phone that sat in her lap. “But in about fifteen minutes, that thing is probably going to stop working. Before you freak out and semi-lose it, let your bestie know you’re alive and the only bear that’s going to be eating you will be me.”

“Oh boy.” She lifted the phone and held it to her ear. “I think a phone call is required for this. She may think I’ve been abducted and the abductor texted her those messages, because when I tell her I’m going camping with no service, she won’t believe me.” She paused. “Saara, wait until you hear this ...”

As I began the drive toward the site I’d rented, I reached across the front seat and placed my hand on her thigh. I was listening to her describe the plans to Saara, but those involved only the camping part of our trip. What I hadn’t told her, what I wanted to keep a surprise, was that after we left Moab, we were headed to Park City, an experience that wasn’t going to be anything like our time in the tent. I’d visited Park City several years ago, and the hotel we would be staying in was a suggestion from DeclanShaw. Since he was neck deep in our legal matters, during one of our many chats, I’d told him I was going to be traveling, and he had recommended to extend our trip and book the hotel owned by the fiancée of Jenner Dalton, one of the partners of The Dalton Group. He said it was one of the nicest hotels he’d ever been to, and Camden agreed.

The moment I heard that, I was sold.

Once we checked into Park City, one of the many things I’d planned was a private cooking class hosted by the town’s top-rated chef. We were also going to see the entire area from a helicopter, getting a full tour from the sky. We were going to end our afternoons with massages and our evenings with fire and mountains and my hands on every single part of her body.

“Saara?” Drake said anxiously. “Are you there? Have we lost connection ...” She looked at her screen. “Shit. You weren’t kidding. I have no service ... and she’s gone.”

I gently took the phone out of her hand and placed it in the compartment between our seats, closing the lid so it was secured inside. “You won’t be needing that for a while.” I clasped her hand. “Look around, Drake. Tell me what you see.” I was beginning to slow as we were nearing the area, and I rolled down the windows so she could get hints of the air, the scent turning cleaner as we got deeper into the mountains.

I took a quick glance in her direction and watched her take a deep breath, her eyes closing, her free hand moving out the open window, her fingers spreading wide as the breeze passed over her skin.

Her eyes opened, and after a few seconds, she said, “Serenity.”

“What else?”

“Beauty.”

---