by Vivien Vale
Even still, it was the first time I had a chance to talk to Wyatt one-on-one since we got here, and it sucks that it was so short-lived.
Truthfully, though, I’m not even sure what I want to talk to him about. What would I even say?
I drag my feet as I walk, no longer in any hurry to get to where I’m going. Dusk is settling around me, and the woods are settling underneath it. It’s peaceful; calming, even.
And, God knows, I need to be calmed right now.
Even the thought of the way Wyatt looked at me has my heart beating furiously in my chest, my stomach tightening with barely contained desire. His effect on me is ridiculous, powerful, and unshakable; I can barely manage to breathe in his presence.
Back at the lake, I wanted nothing so much as to reach out and touch him, to pull him to me and kiss him like my life depended on it.
Given that Jake showed up, though, I’m pretty happy that I didn’t. Talk about an awkward family moment.
Though, truth be told, it might have been worth it if it meant getting to kiss Wyatt.
I sigh, allowing myself to fantasize since I’m here alone anyway. I imagine his huge arms pulling tightly around me, the press of my body against his. My blood runs hot as I picture his tongue pressing into my eager mouth, his large hands roaming freely across my body.
Heat flows through me at my thoughts, pooling powerfully between my legs. I’m already getting wet again, already desperate for another release.
I know that I’m a virgin and am not well-versed in these matters, but despite that, I know that my feelings for Wyatt are special. I’ve never felt so drawn to anyone, never wanted anyone the way I want him.
My pussy aches at his proximity; my heart hammers in my chest.
This isn’t just your garden variety level of attraction. This is fucking mind-blowing. This is that can’t-eat-can’t-sleep kind of need. The kind that drives people crazy.
I should know, since I’m currently feeling pretty crazy myself.
With thoughts of Wyatt flashing powerfully through my mind, the hike back seems to pass in no time.
Before I know it, I’m nearing the end of the trail—and, just in time, since night is finally falling around me. Our yard comes into view moments later. As soon as I lay eyes on it, I become aware of my aching feet.
I hadn’t noticed until right this moment how badly they hurt. I think it’ll be nice to get off them for the night.
As I draw near, now fully excited by the idea of relaxing, the guys come into view again.
I see Wyatt and Jake standing beside each other out front—clearly in an interesting conversation, judging by their dramatic gestures.
The sight piques my interest, and I hurry over to them, ignoring the protests of my throbbing heels.
“Well?” I ask, nearing them.
“Well, what?” Jake asks.
“Well, who won the race? Did you lose, Jake?” I tease.
They exchange incredulous glances before turning back to me.
“I don’t even know. We got kind of distracted,” Jake says, gesturing around the yard.
I follow his movement, glancing around for the first time.
“What happened?” I ask, only now noticing that there’s a disaster spread around us. In my defense, with Wyatt around, it’s kind of hard to look anywhere but at him.
“Some animal must have gotten into our stuff.” Wyatt says. “Pretty much all the food is gone.”
“What? How?”
He gestures to the remains of our cooler, now broken into bits with only crumbs remaining in the bottom. Empty containers and bags litter the ground around us, garbage already beginning to stir in the night air.
“Why was all the food even out here?” I ask, still looking around at the destruction.
My dad pipes up, sounding a touch embarrassed. “Well, I wanted to cook everything at once so that it wouldn’t go bad. I figured we could cook it all and then store it in the fridge for reheating.”
“Dad…”
“I know, I know. Jake already lectured me. Really, though, it made sense at the time.”
“It really did,” my mother offers, shooting my dad a reassuring smile.
“Well, that’s great and all,” Jake says, “but it clearly didn’t work out too well.”
“I know. Sorry about that, you guys.”
“That’s alright, Dad,” I offer. “We’ll figure something out.” I direct my gaze to Wyatt. “What do you think got into everything?”
“Hard to say,” he replies. “Bear, raccoon…could have been anything.”
“Well, that’s reassuring,” Jake chimes in.
I sigh, looking around again at the mess before turning my attention to the group.
“Well, we’ve obviously gotta come up with a plan here. Any ideas?”
Chapter 19
Wyatt
I run my hands through my hair and survey the scene. Honestly, to my battle-jaded eyes, nothing is wrong.
This is a walk in the park—almost literally.
So, we have to wait until the morning for food?
Hunger is good for you. Sharpens your senses. It’s only twelve hours without food.
Try five days. That’ll really give you something to really freak out about.
The evening sun is streaming onto the porch. The lake in the distance shows splashes of beautiful, vibrant blue. Crickets are humming, birds are flitting through the trees, and the world is peaceful. The air is still, warm, and comforting.
Lack of food aside, everything is idyllic.
But Ruby’s parents are pacing back and forth as if it’s the end of the fucking world, Ruby is chewing that cute little lip, and even Jake looks tense.
I want to tell them to just enjoy this beautiful day.
So, there was a bear? Bears live in the woods.
Better than a fucking land mine.
I should have paid more attention, and talked them out of leaving the food on the lawn.
Survival skills aren’t rocket science; they’re just incredibly naive.
I lost all my naiveté in the SEALs. Expect everything to happen to you, because, at some point, it will.
Lucky for them, they have me to help. I step right up to that fuckin’ plate. These people are the closest thing I have to a family. I don’t want to mess any of this up.
If I can pull a team of terrified nineteen-year-old boys through days of mud and rain, I can handle this situation. And if nothing else, I have to make sure Ruby is okay.
Peering over while I’m assessing the situation, I’m reminded of how unbelievably hot she’s looking in that cute little hiking outfit. I could bend her over, right fucking here.
God, she’s so magnificent. From her large, round tits pushed together in that top, the shorts that let her ass cheeks peek out just slightly, to her bronzing skin, glistening with sweat from the activity.
I crouch down next to Jake’s Dad for a man to man chat. I empathize: I’ve learned that a little bro-to-bro empathy can lighten the feeling of any situation.
“God, this is so annoying! You’ve gone to all this effort to make sure we’re prepared and along comes a bear!”
“Exactly,” he says, tensing his mouth into a little frown line, and looking worriedly towards his wife.
“But it’s really not that bad,” I clap him on the shoulder in a brotherly way.
He winces a little… sometimes I forget how strong I’ve become.
“I’ve always got some perishables on me,” I admit. “Tricks of the trade and all that. You guys will find chips, crackers, nuts and dried fruit in the pantry to snack on now. And I can go to the store in the meantime.”
Jake’s Dad makes that worried face again, “the store shuts at six.”
Honestly, this situation is laughable. How would these people cope with real problems?
Ruby seems to be the only person who agrees with me at all. “It won’t kill us to go a night without dinner,” she says.
What a
sensible, survivalist mindset. “We can drive into the big town and have a diner breakfast in the morning.”
I think she’s talking plain, solid sense, but the family descends into an uproar. Everyone is protesting that it will kill them to go a night without dinner, especially, I notice, greedy Jake.
That bastard hasn’t changed a bit while I’ve been gone, I think ruefully.
Jake was the kind of guy who went through the lunch line twice per lunch period in high school. He’d eat every bite, burp, and wish he had time to go through it again.
I go inside to get out the non-perishables I’ve stashed.
But really, I want some air from all this fucking nonsensical drama.
Honestly, these people need to be sent to a war prep camp for a week.
I catch myself.
Drop the tough boy shit, bro. If you want Ruby, you have to be gentle, not some military stereotype. What did you learn on the job? Meet people where they’re at.
The food is still in the pantry. Thank God, Jake’s never been a very healthy eater, and didn’t get into the crackers and dried nuts in his extravagant midnight snack session last night.
Pull that shit in the Middle East, and he’d get sent out up ahead of everyone else on a scouting mission.
OK, we’re not in the military. We’re in the nice woods with nice middle-class people. Play nice.
I shake out my cynical mood, and come back outside to everyone, plastering my face with openness and helpfulness.
A plan is forming in my mind.
They pounce on the food. This isn’t going to last long, is it?
“Alright, I’ve got a plan. Jake here’s gonna make us a campfire, and I’m gonna go fish something for us to cook over dinner. I saw the canoe near the edge of the lake.”
I see everyone’s eyes widen… none of them have so much as thought about catching their own food. Well, aside from Jake. We learned how to fish at camp a decade and a half ago, but he probably hasn’t felt the need nor the want to try again since...
Everyone is hungry and intrigued. Jake is keen to show off his skills after his failure with eating the food I brought.
Everyone’s in. Nodding agreeably. Thanking me.
As if I’ve just agreed to so a solo-recon mission in enemy territory.
And then Ruby surprises me. “I’ll come too,” she says, standing up and looking defiantly at everyone.
It is adorable when she looks defiant. To be honest, she’s gonna be more of a hindrance than a help, but after what I read this morning, I really like the opportunity of having that sweet little body and those innocent eyes all to myself for a while.
I enjoy fishing a lot. It’s a serene way to just get in tune with nature, something I’ve always been keen on, and I’ve come prepared. Fishing poles, hooks, nets, a flare ‘just in case’.
You name it, I’ve got it. I wouldn’t be found dead without my Swiss army knife on me. Almost was found dead with it on me a few times actually.
Ruby comes to help me get my gear from the car. We walk down in silence, but I enjoy the view of that tight little ass in those tight little exercise leggings.
Completely inappropriate for real camping or hiking, but more than entirely appropriate for my viewing pleasure. Her strong little body silhouetted against the sunset, and the pine trees is a sight for sore eyes. It’s the best thing these eyes have seen in months.
I open the trunk and rummage around in all my over-the-top gear. She is peering in curiously. I pull out a couple of fishing poles, one in each hand, slinging them over my shoulder, ready to carry them to the lake.
“Is there anything I can get?” she asks.
She wants to help, but, as a man, it’s my job to get this done. I’ll have her company, but this is not a burden she needs to lessen.
“No, ma’am. I got it,” I reply, sharply but politely.
She pulls that gorgeous strawberry-blonde hair back into a ponytail, staring from me, to the gear, and back to me.
I notice with satisfaction that she’s checking out everything I’ve packed that we’re not bringing, too. I’m fucking prepared for the apocalypse.
As she ganders at my shit, I notice her checking me out.
Her eyes wander over my rippling shoulders, and my exposed chest.
Well, all those millions of push-ups were good for something.
This should be fun.
I take a step towards her, and she looks up at me, chewing her lip.
“Would you say you’re more of a fishing pole girl, or a net or trap girl?” I ask.
I’m teasing her. We both know she’s never held a fishing pole in her life.
But she surprises me by plucking it from my hand, and tossing it over her shoulder. “I’d say I’m a fast learner,” she replies, without skipping a beat. She turns down the path, towards the lake, sauntering a little.
Yes, this is definitely going to be fun.
Chapter 20
Ruby
It’s completely dark by the time we finally start to row deep into the lake. I am comforted by Wyatt’s burly silhouette; but still, the deep darkness of nature is a little eerie.
I get my phone out of my pocket to use the light and check if we’re still close enough to camp to call comfortable. Much to my dismay, there are six texts and four missed calls from Mr. Fentress.
Just checking you’re all safe and set up? Still waiting on those photos…
Don’t have too much fun on holiday! The office needs you here and so do I ;)
Bad.
Meeting today was no fun at all without that strawberry blonde hair of yours to distract me. Maybe it is a good thing you’re gone for a few days!
I was just kidding, come back to boss-daddy!
Ruby, I’m beginning to worry. As your boss, I order you to answer me!
Oh my God, this guy. I shake my head, and when I’ve got my bearings in the dark again, I look up to see where Wyatt has us in this cool, still water. He’s across from me, his strong arms doing all the rowing.
I’m both fascinated and shaken by his incredible strength and endurance…how did he get to be so tough?
I always remember him being the stronger between him and Jake, but the gap between them now is so stark.
“Doing alright, Ruby?” he asks, sincerely. I like it when my name comes out of his mouth, especially with his arms flexed like that as he says it. Like I said, his bulk is comforting in the dark of the night.
He sees my discomfort for the whole experience and smiles warmly, reaching his big hand down and placing it over the one holding my phone.
“Rule number one: enemy snipers can see your phone light. Reach into your pocket to check Facebook? Boom! You’re dead!”
I laugh and raise an eyebrow.
“Relax, Ruby. I’m making fun. But you’ll scare the fish off if the light shines too long. Phone goes away.”
I smile up at him before locking the screen to “off” and placing the phone in my front pocket. I can just make out his shadow over the moonlight hitting the water.
I can smell him, too: his sweaty, leathery delicious man-smell. And I can feel the heat pouring off him as the evening cools. How is this man always so goddamn hot?
In more ways than one, too…
I’m in a bit of a daydream about the heat and the sweat and the man smell when suddenly, I’m startled again.
Are…are Wyatt’s hands on my knees?!
I have definitely imagined this before, but it feels even better in real life. Tingles run through my body. I fight myself to hold in a moan.
Finally, after years, we’re alone again, but now I don’t know what I want to say or how to say it.
How was the navy? See lots of people get blown up? It must have been horrible being grievously injured? Do you remember the time we almost kissed?
Come on Ruby! I scold myself. Get it together! Make normal small talk like a normal person! Talk about something that happened today!
“Thank you for
letting me win earlier, Wyatt.”
“None of that shit. You were great. You won fair and square.”
“You let me win. It was nice.”
“Okay, you caught me. I did. But only ‘cause…you have a nice smile when you’re happy like that. Honestly, Ruby, it’s a breath of fresh air to see that smile again.”
Did he just say it was a breath of fresh air to see my smile again? Maybe he’s flirting with me…
My heart is pounding. And my body is heating up, too.
I can feel his hands, still casual and gentle on my knees, and I want to tell him…tell him how much I fucking want him. Jump him right here on the canoe.
Enough with the fantasies. Back to the present.
“Well, you’re…you’re good at making me smile.”
Nice one, Ruby. Smooth. I look at him, waiting for his answer. Actually, right now, you’re good at making me blush, too.
“… and helping me in general,” I add before he speaks. “Thank you so, so much for how you helped with my hand. I would have been completely fucked. I would have had to go to hospital or something…”
“Of course. I would do anything for you, Ruby.”
What? Is this really happening? I stop. Have I gone mad and stepped into a fantasy universe or something?
“What do you mean, Wyatt?”
His breathing is definitely heavier now. I’m not imagining things. And his hand is a little tighter around my elbow.
“I mean, I’d do anything for you, Ruby. Honest. I know I haven’t been forthcoming with this, so please forgive me if I’m out of place here, but I’ve always had feelings for you. Like, since we were kids. And this trip made me realize they never went away.”
The moment is long and hot and lusty and perfect. And then we magnetize.
I lean forward to kiss him, and he reciprocates enthusiastically. He runs his hands up my thighs and wraps them around my hips, admiring my physique as our lips push hard against each other.
My pussy is throbbing with desire. I’m aching, anticipating those hands to move all over me and caress me even more.
I can feel his stubble against my face. The roughness of his hands against my hips. He kisses me deeply.
Just our lips at first, our two mouths pressed up against each other, the way I’ve imagined it thousands of times. Then he pulls away, biting my lip gently, before coming back in to slide his tongue over mine. I hear myself let out a little moan, and he lets one out, too, low and sexy.