She dipped her fingers into her sex. He grabbed her wrist and sucked her fingers clean; then he guided them between her legs. “There is nothing I won’t do for you.”
As he brought his mouth to her sex, he fisted his cock, and her insides flamed. The sight of his big hand wrapped around his shaft, watching him stroke himself as he pleasured her, nearly made her lose her mind. Her fingers moved faster, chasing the orgasm stacking up inside her. She wanted to feel what he did—his cock swelling within her hand. Wanted to be the reason his breathing stilted and his eyes darkened. She was so focused on watching him that when he did something with his tongue that sent waves of pleasure crashing over her, she reached for the wall to stabilize her numbing legs. She pulled up on Ty’s arms, bringing him to his feet, while she sank down to her knees and took him in her mouth.
“Christ, baby.”
Her love for him swelled, filling up all her empty spaces. And when he stumbled back, leaning against the wall, and watching, she loved him with all she had—hands and mouth, heart and soul.
AFTER AIYLA BLEW Ty’s mind, he took a few minutes to recover, because damn…she did things with her tongue that held him at the edge so long, he came harder than he ever had. They washed up amid more kisses and sweet words, and Ty helped her dry her hair, which had gotten wet despite their initial efforts to the contrary. It was such a simple thing, running his fingers through her hair as she blew it dry, but it felt intimate and special, like she was allowing him to do more than what guys typically did for their girlfriends. He never imagined himself helping a woman dry her hair, but there was nothing he didn’t want to experience with Aiyla. He finally understood how his siblings had all fallen so hard and so fast for their significant others. He’d thought they were nuts, giving up their freedom. What he’d never realized was that living a life free of commitments, without that special someone who made every minute feel more powerful, brighter, and made him feel even more alive than ever, wasn’t freedom at all. It was like playing Hot Potato, jumping from one wrong situation to the next.
They dropped their things off at the tent and headed out to a ridge Ty had spotted the day before. They draped a blanket around their shoulders to ward off the brisk morning chill, and Aiyla rested her head against the crook of his shoulder as they watched rivers of orange, red, yellow, and gray leak across the sky.
Ty took a few pictures with his phone, wishing he had his real camera, and then he and Aiyla took selfies, smiling and kissing and making goofy faces.
“I’m so happy right now,” he said, unable to contain his burgeoning emotions.
“Me too.”
“I feel like I’m living that song ‘Love Someone’ by Brett Eldredge.”
“Oh my gosh! I love that song!” She hummed the tune to the song, wiggling her shoulders to the beat, and he joined right in.
“I don’t want to screw it up again, Aiyla.”
“You didn’t screw it up before,” she assured him. “It was my issue. I was afraid of getting lost in a line of women. I should have said something in Saint-Luc. I should have believed that you really wanted me and that you could be faithful. I mean, I did believe you wanted me. But I was scared to open myself up to being hurt.” She laced her fingers with his and said, “I’m not scared anymore. I trust you, and I’m happy. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.”
“Thank you for trusting me, babe. We only have two more race days—the hike today and then the climb tomorrow. How’s your leg holding up?”
“It’s painful,” she said casually. “But I’ll get through it.”
“I’m going to hike with you, but will you please let Jon check it out before we go?” He ran his hand along her sore leg.
“You can’t hike with me. You’ll have no chance of winning, not even as a couple.”
“This is a charity event, remember? Not the Olympics. You’re the only prize, the only win, I want to accomplish.”
“But—”
He silenced her with a kiss. “Baby cakes, I know you’re stubborn, but you’re not going to win this one. Not when your well-being is on the line. There’s no campsite tonight. If you’re not signed on for a couples hike, then it’s every man and woman for themselves. Except for you. You’ve got me.”
She inhaled a long breath and blew it out slowly, shaking her head. “I don’t need to win this one. Thank you for giving up the win to be with me. I’ll let Jon check out my leg. I don’t want you to worry any more than you already are.”
“Jesus.” He exhaled a sigh of relief. “I thought you were going to say no.” He hugged her tight, his heart racing. “Can I push my luck?”
She laughed. “That depends.”
“What are you doing after the race? Remember when I mentioned that Tempest had gotten engaged?”
“Mm-hm. In Saint-Luc you said her fiancé…Nash? The artist? Had a little boy named Flip, right?” she asked. “I remember. She’s the one who had started teaching children’s music classes.”
Phillip had just turned four. Nash had raised him on his own, and when Tempe had met them, Phillip had called himself “Flip” because Nash had always said his name so fast, that’s how it had sounded to the little guy.
“They’re getting married on Saturday back home in Peaceful Harbor. I want you to come with me to the wedding and meet my family.”
“This sounds serious,” she whispered playfully.
“We are serious,” he whispered back. “What do you say? Be my wedding date?”
Her smile reached all the way up to her eyes. “I just happen to have three weeks free before I go to New Zealand for another ski instructing job. I think I can manage a few days in Maryland with my hot boyfriend.”
He stole another kiss, feeling like he’d won the lottery. “Awesome. Perfect. I’m so happy. I’m going to make the arrangements right this second, before you have time to rethink your answer.”
“I have to stop by my apartment, which is about two hours from here, and pack, and we have the awards ceremony Thursday morning.”
“That’s not a problem. Just be sure to pack a skimpy bathing suit.” He gave her a lusty look. “I’ve ordered a rental car, so we’ll go straight to your place, then catch a flight late Thursday afternoon.” Using his phone, he arranged their flights, getting more excited by the minute.
She settled against his chest again. “You’re an easy boyfriend. A little sex, visit your family…”
“I’ve been called a lot of things, but ‘easy’ and ‘boyfriend’ have never been two of them. Damn, baby. I love the sound of ‘boyfriend’ when it’s tied to you, but I’m pretty sure you’re going to take back ‘easy’ in a second because I’m going to push my luck even more.”
She looked at him with a curious expression.
“I’m supposed to go on a cross-country climbing trip with my cousin Graham and a few buddies two weeks after I get back home. Come with me on the trip?”
“I just told you that I have a job waiting for me in New Zealand, and I’d probably slow you down with my leg anyway.”
“Then I’ll go with you to New Zealand,” he said quickly. “You could slow me to a stop and I’d still want to be with you. I don’t care what we do or where we go. I’m not going months without seeing you again.”
“I don’t want to go without seeing you, either, but if I hold you back or slow you down, you will start to resent me. I don’t want either of us to miss out on the things we love.”
“Then we’re in agreement about being together one way or another.”
She smiled and nodded. “Yes. I want that. But how? I’m worried about slowing you down if my leg doesn’t heal in time for your trip. But I actually wouldn’t mind skipping New Zealand because I’ve been there before and the manager of the resort was just doing me a favor, letting me earn some extra cash while I’m taking pictures in a few of the nearby towns. One of the pictures I took a few years ago while I was working there was featured in World Life magazine after the editor saw it in t
he second book I ever published, Through Their Eyes. Now I pretty much have a job waiting for me there whenever I want.”
He was thrilled for her to have been featured by such a prominent magazine. World Life was second only to National Geographic. “I had no idea you were featured. That’s amazing, but not surprising. Your work is phenomenal. I’d like to get a copy of that issue.”
“Thank you. It was published in May.” She shrugged like it was no big deal, but he saw the light in her eyes and knew how proud she was, as she should be. “As I said, I don’t mind missing New Zealand, but there are other places I really want to go to photograph the elderly, like to the remote villages Ms. F told me about in South Africa. And at some point I want to get back to see her, too. She moved to Algarve, Portugal, and I was hoping to get there later this year.”
“South Africa has majestic mountains. Table Mountain, Signal Hill, Lion’s Head…And Portugal? There’s a coastline of climbs just waiting for us.”
A relieved laugh slipped from her lips.
“I know how important photography is to you, and as a fellow photographer, I understand how finding the right subjects makes it all worthwhile. I’d never want to stand in your way of that.”
“But it can’t be at the expense of you missing your climbing trips or your photography assignments. Or with my bum leg, of me slowing you down. I won’t let that happen.” She climbed over him, straddling his lap with a sexy smile, a hint of worry in her eyes. “How do two people who are constantly traveling find a way to be together without losing pieces of themselves?”
Ty wasn’t locked down to a schedule, and money had never been an issue since he had more endorsement offers than he could ever accept and he earned a pretty penny with his nature photography. The truth was, money meant very little to him, but being with Aiyla was priceless. “We plan, and schedule, and compromise.” He pressed his lips to hers. “And if we’re lucky, fate will always be on our side.”
Her brows knitted. “And if we’re not lucky? Because I’m not sure fate strikes more than once.”
“It’s already struck twice for us—Saint-Luc and here. And if it’s not on our side, then we’ll rely on my initial belief—that we’re in charge of our own destiny—and we’ll make it work.”
“Make our own fate? I like the sound of that.” She put her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder.
He pulled the blanket around her, feeling whole for the first time in so long, he thought it might have been the first time ever. “You can’t see the sunrise from there.”
“I’ve seen dozens of sunrises, but I’ve never felt the dawn of a new day from my new favorite place on earth.” She kissed his neck and said, “Everything is better when I’m in your arms.”
The sun greeted them slowly, and they remained in each other’s arms until Ty’s alarm went off. Then they packed up their things and headed back to camp.
“Since we’re hiking together, we’ll only need one tent.” Ty wasn’t about to let her carry unnecessary equipment, though he knew she’d argue about him carrying everything. He planned to pack one light backpack for her and bear most of the burden himself.
“And two sleeping bags,” she said. When he gave her a questioning look, she added, “We’ll zip them together so we have more room to roll around.”
He chuckled and pulled her in for a kiss. “I like the way you think.”
When they arrived at the campsite, they hit the coffee station first, and found Trixie filling her mug.
“I thought for sure I’d have to drag your butts out of your tents this morning after you disappeared and never came back last night,” Trixie said. “But when I went looking for you, both tents were empty. Did the mountain man make you sleep under the stars again?”
“No. We got up early to watch the sunrise.” Aiyla wrapped her hands around the warm coffee cup and looked at Ty with an expression so full of emotions he was sure Trixie would give them shit about it.
Trixie touched his forehead, and he shrugged out of her reach. “What are you doing?”
“Checking to see if you’re sick.” She smiled and said, “Not hanging out with everyone at night, waking up to watch the sunrise. Sounds like Cupid has left his mark on you.”
“Damn right,” he said proudly. “Where’s Speed? I want him to check out Aiyla’s leg.”
“Speak of the cockiest devil in the land.” Trixie pointed over Ty’s shoulder.
Ty followed her gaze and saw Speed carrying his bags to one of the trucks. He took Aiyla’s hand and headed over. “Spee—Jon. Hold up.” He wanted to speak with Jon Butterscotch, the physician, and he hoped by using Jon’s given name, he would convey how worried he was about Aiyla’s leg without him having to say it in front of her.
Jon flashed a bright smile. “What’s up, man?” He was a big dude who didn’t fit the stereotypical image of a doctor. His hair was a bit shaggy, he was built like he was made for a fight, and when he wasn’t working, he collected phone numbers like coins. He was the exact opposite of Ty’s brother Cole, who was the epitome of professional even in his time off. Cole had always been careful with his body and his heart, and would never think of a one-night stand as something to strive for. But the two of them complemented each other, and their thriving orthopedic practice was proof of that.
“Do you have a minute to check out Aiyla’s leg?”
“It’s just overuse,” she chimed in.
Jon tossed his bags in the truck and wiped his hands on his shorts. “Sure. Let’s take a look.”
They sat at one of the tables, and Jon knelt in front of Aiyla. As if a curtain had fallen, his face went from joking competitor to serious physician.
“Tell me what’s been going on,” he said to Aiyla.
She rolled up her sweatpants. “I’m sure it’s overuse. It started hurting a few weeks ago when I was skiing, right here.” She ran her finger along the area from just above her ankle to her shin. “Like a deep, dull ache most of the time.”
Jon rolled up the other pants leg and visually examined both. “Did you have any falls? Were you skiing more than usual?”
“No,” she said.
“Did it come on suddenly, or was it bothering you for a while but not enough to really pay attention?”
Aiyla’s brow wrinkled. “I guess it’s sort of been on and off for a while. But it’s usually not this painful.”
Jon examined her hurt leg, checking range of motion, her joints, her foot, and asking if it hurt when he did this or that. He pressed on different areas, checking for tender spots, and then examined the leg that didn’t hurt in the same way. He asked a number of questions about her family, and Ty knew enough to realize he was assessing her risk factors.
“Does it ever swell up?” Jon asked.
“After the races it has been a little swollen.”
“So have mine,” Jon said with a reassuring smile. “Any abnormal weight loss or fatigue?”
“No weight loss.” Her cheeks blushed, and she looked at Ty. “And the reason I’m tired has nothing to do with my leg.”
Jon didn’t even smile at that, which told Ty he was deeply entrenched in physician mode. “Do you ever wake up from the pain?” he asked.
“Well, sure,” she said casually. “Doesn’t every athlete?”
Ty reached for her hand, not liking her last answer. “Have you been waking up in pain while you’ve been with me?”
She shrugged. “Sometimes, but I take Motrin and Tylenol and it usually calms down again. Get that worried look off your face. I’m fine.”
He wasn’t so sure. “What do you think, Doc?”
“I think we’re out in the middle of the mountains without the ability to do any medical tests or make a proper diagnosis.” Jon ran an assessing eye over Aiyla. “As a doctor, I’d say you should stay off it and go in for further testing to cover all your bases.”
“I’m not missing the rest of this race,” Aiyla insisted.
“I assumed you’d say that.�
�� He slid a concerned look to Ty and then returned his attention to Aiyla. “If you’re determined to do the hike and the climb, then keep up the anti-inflammatories and Tylenol. I’m sure you know the drill. Rest. Ice. Compress. Elevate.”
“I’ve got a few chemical cold packs,” Ty said. “But, Aiyla, maybe you should—”
She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t even suggest that I sit this out.”
Jon pushed to his feet. “You’re competitive, and that’s admirable. But use your head and listen to your body. If it gets to be too bad, stop. No race is worth permanent damage. I’ve got some instant cold packs I can give you.”
Ty shook his hand. “Thanks a lot, man.”
“Thank you,” she said. “I really appreciate your time and your advice.”
“Listen, sweetie, you doing this race is against my better judgment,” Jon advised. “I get it. I really do. But we don’t know what’s going on with your leg. It could be as simple as shin splints from the constant pounding, or there could be something bigger going on. Whatever the cause, the race is sure to exacerbate your pain.”
“I know, and I’m okay with that.” She drew in a deep breath. “No pain, no gain, right?”
Jon shifted a knowing look to Ty. “I guess, but you should have your doctor set up X-rays, just to be sure. An MRI would be even better.”
“If it still hurts when the race is over, I’ll go see my doctor and get a referral for an MRI,” she said, then quickly added, “Actually, I’ll do it after I get back from Ty’s sister’s wedding.”
“You’re going to Tempe’s wedding?” Jon asked. “Why don’t you let me do a full workup while you’re in Peaceful Harbor?”
She said, “You don’t have to do that,” at the same time Ty said, “That’s perfect. Thank you.”
“I’d feel better if you got it done sooner rather than later,” Jon said to Aiyla in a physician-like tone that left no room for negotiation.
“Are you sure? You must have a million patients waiting to see you after being gone for the race.”
“I’m Superman,” Jon said with a smirk. “A million and one seems like the perfect number. We’ll need to get some insurance information, but we can take care of that after the race. Until then, Ty has my cell number. If you need anything at all, use it.”
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