After Dark (The Night Owl Trilogy #3)(35)
“I haven’t been here in a long time,” I said. “It’s beautiful.”
She remained silent.
I reached for her hand and admired her as we hiked. She wore loose, khaki-colored pants that hid the curves of her legs and a tight black tank top that hid nothing. A pink sports bra peeked out from under the tank, clinging to her ample chest.
I am horny as f*ck today, I mused as we walked. Did sleeping without Hannah affect me, or was I always this bad? Impossible to tell. The harder I tried to pry my eyes off her, the more lascivious my stares became.
Finally, I tore my gaze free and glared at the horizon. It really was beautiful—the hills dotted with pines, the sky a flawless faded blue. No one in sight. Dry grass, hot wind … a harsh beauty particular to Colorado, which I had come to love.
Mm, and Hannah’s breasts …
I longed to peel that sports bra off them, to free her copious, luscious flesh. Hold her ass while I sucked her nipples. See her cunt, her legs spread— Fuck! I jerked my stare away from Hannah … again.
“Are you … okay?” she said.
“Of course.” I looked steadfastly at the trail. “Enjoying nature.”
“You sure? ’Cause you look like you want to murder nature.”
“I can’t focus. It’s this pace. I’m used to running on these trails.”
Briefly, I envisioned myself and Hannah jogging. Hannah jogging. Hannah’s tits— Good f*cking God!
“We’re dawdling,” I snapped. “I’m hungry … starved.” I picked up the pace, hauling poor Hannah along at my side.
When we lost sight of the trailhead and picnic tables, I plowed off the path, up a hillside. There, in an arbitrary coppice of pines, I came to a halt. I glared around.
“Here,” I announced.
She spread our blanket and I set down the pack.
The shade felt heavenly. I stripped off my T-shirt and used it to wick the light sweat from my face and arms. After a beat, I looked at Hannah.
Damn.
I’d hoped to catch her staring at me, but she was focused on unpacking our lunch.
“I need sunscreen on my back,” I said quietly.
Without so much as glancing at me, she found the bottle and held it up. I smirked and took it. So, she wanted to play hardball …
“Thanks.” I sat on a corner of the blanket and worked off my Merrells and socks at a leisurely pace. I rolled my ankles. I reapplied a film of lotion to my arms, then the back of my neck, my sides around to my spine, down to the small of my back. I stretched forward and gave a soft, content moan as some bone in my back popped.
“I thought you were starved,” Hannah snapped, glaring into the pack.
“I am. My mouth is watering, in fact…” My gaze lingered on her body. I grinned and waggled the sunscreen bottle. “Safety first, though.”
I lay on my back and stretched out one leg. As I slathered sunscreen on my chest, I watched Hannah out of the corner of my eye. Ha, she looked tense … as tense as I’d probably looked on the trail, trying to keep my eyes off her.
How does it feel, little bird?
I sighed audibly as I spread the lotion across my pecs, down my abs, lower. Hannah’s gaze flickered to my hands. I slipped the tips of my fingers under the band of my boxers and circled my waist slowly, lifting my hips.
“There,” I murmured. I sat up and smiled languidly at her.
“All done caressing yourself?” She smirked.
“You tell me.” I crawled toward her. “I know you like to watch…”
Her eyes widened, her lips parting.
“Here.” She shoved a sandwich at me.
Damnit.
I sat beside her, staring out at the mountains and chewing on a gluey peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She handed me a Coke and popped open her beer.
“Thanks for packing this,” she said.
Finally, finally, she smiled at me.
“Of course. There’s a slice of orange in there.”
She blinked and fished the small Tupperware out of the cooler pack. I knew she liked orange in her Blue Moon. I watched her squeeze the juice into the bottle, then pop in the rind.
A blush crept into her cheeks.
“You thought of everything,” she whispered.
“Oh, I doubt that.” I chuckled and took another bite. Warm wind rolled up the hill, fanning over us. My head cleared as my lust cooled.
“Is this … the bread you bought for Chrissy?”
“Mm. We might as well get some use out of it.”
“We could still give it to her.”
“No.” I shook my head. “That’s an unequivocal no, Hannah. If she’s getting help from Seth, we’re not helping her.”
“Well, I’m not okay with that.” Hannah lowered her sandwich and turned to face me. I took a deep breath. This, after all, was what I’d actually intended to do today. Talk.
“And I’m not okay with Seth being in her life. She’s in your life. You’re in my life. If he’s in her life, he’s…” My appetite disappeared. I tossed the corner of my sandwich to a squirrel. “Then he’s in our life. In your life. I won’t have that.”
Hannah stared at me as if I’d grown two heads.
“Say something,” I said.