Chapter Eleven
“Hey Bird,” Erin’s boss, Will, said a few days later as she stomped into the COA office. “You know it would be nicer if you kicked that dirt off your boots before you entered the building.”
“Sorry.” She spun around and headed back out the swinging screen door. It squeaked and slammed shut behind her. She’d been so lost in her thoughts she honestly hadn’t realized what she was doing.
She exhaled, her breath an opaque cloud floating into the crisp morning air. She pulled her sleeves over her hands and walked back and forth along the deck, clicking the sides of her boots together a few times.
“I see in the book you’re headed up Mount Sonnet today,” Will said, coming up behind her.
“Yeah.” Even though today wasn’t an official COA outing, she always wrote her whereabouts in the calendar so someone would know where she was.
“How far up you going? There’ve been a few bear sightings, so stay alert.”
“We’re stopping at the pod.” She leaned against the deck railing and craned her neck to check out the blue sky through the tree awning.
Will stayed quiet so she looked at him. He had one brow raised and his chin tilted down. Really now? his expression said.
“It’s nothing.”
“Oh, it’s something.”
She turned her head.
“Something with the initials T.S. I’m guessing. I was on Cascade’s blog this morning and—”
“Zip it.” She’d read the blog. Apparently 96 percent of poll voters now believed she was corrupting Troy. What exactly that meant, she wasn’t sure. But news of “their” puppy had surfaced now, too.
“Touched a nerve, huh?” Will rested beside her. He had a daughter in college at Georgetown and liked to expound his fatherly wisdom on Erin to fill the gap.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“I know. It’s like pulling teeth to get you to open up about anything. But feelings are feelings, sweetie. You can’t hide them away.”
She had to. She had to keep feelings out of it because otherwise she’d have to give up Troy and she didn’t want to do that. When they’d started this boyfriend hunt, she told herself her heart wouldn’t get involved. She’d keep it safely tucked away. And she had. Until Troy had found a way in. And it scared her.
Right at that moment, his truck pulled up and he got out. He wore jeans that fit a little loose and a white long-sleeved CFD shirt that fit just right across his broad shoulders and chest. His brown hair still hadn’t been cut and her fingers tingled at the thought of running them through the silky softness. He twisted and leaned over the front seat, gifting her with a nice view of his backside and a strip of mouthwatering skin when his shirt pulled away from his jeans.
Erin chewed her bottom lip.
Troy yanked out a backpack and draped it over his shoulder. Shutting the door with his hip, he adjusted his black Ray-Ban sunglasses and…
She wobbled.
His pearly whites and the flash of dimple sealed the deal on her plans for later. He really did break the mold on hotness. Add in that he made her laugh, he didn’t take himself too seriously, and her family adored him, and she was a goner.
For today.
Only today.
Not tomorrow or the next day. Or the day after that.
Just today.
Her adviser would shit a brick if she found out, but Erin wasn’t thinking clearly anymore and well, reckless was edging out smart. Story of my life. She couldn’t help it. This time was much worse. This time Troy crisscrossed her brain cells.
But, she’d justified all morning, if things went according to plan, she’d have helped Troy overcome his phobia before he helped her get naked. Win-win. And no conflict of interest.
Will chuckled and patted her on the back. “Good luck, Bird.”
“Bird?” Troy said, having arrived at the other side of the railing while she’d been lost in Troy-Land.
“It’s a nickname my boss uses,” she said, smiling at him.
He smiled back. “What does this one mean?”
“I’m not really sure. Something about wings and flying solo.” She broke eye contact and hurried down the deck and steps, coming around to properly greet him. “You set to go?”
“I’m all yours.”
Three little innocent words and she wanted to do things. Very physical things. The things they hadn’t gotten to do the other night because he’d left the club early to help his sister with Amelia. The little girl had had a nightmare and wanted Troy.
She admired that about him. His love for his family.
“Let’s do it.” She spun around, lifted her pack from where it sat, and put it on her back.
“I’d like that,” he whispered from behind her.
She tripped over a branch. Dammit. She had to get over how nervous he made her. “Good, because we’ve got about a ninety-minute hike before we get to our destination.”
“And hey, I’m sorry about bailing on you the other night. I was having a great time and the last thing I wanted was to cut it short. But I’m pretty much the only one Amelia responds to when she has these bad dreams and when she needs me, I—”
“It’s okay.” Erin touched his arm. “I understand.”
They started up Sonnet Trail, the path wide enough that they could walk side by side. Since the storm more than a week ago, rain had been scarce and the sun a friendly companion each day. The earth below their feet gave with each step, but not enough to worry about sinking in any mudholes.
“Where we headed?” Troy asked.
“You’ll see. I hope that after today you’ll be okay with heights again. We’ve set small challenges that you’ve conquered with relative ease and I think you’re ready for more now. This will be turning it up a notch, but we’ll still have a safety net.”
“Okay. How’s Frito doing?”
“He’s good. He’s at my mom and dad’s again. Mom’s baking for a cookie exchange she’s going to and she loves his company.”
“I think my mom might be going to the same party. She and Amelia were having a good time in the kitchen when I left.”
She shrugged. The idea of their moms being in the same place and talking made her a little nervous, and she’d rather change the subject. “While we’re walking I want you to try to feel relaxed about the past. I know it’s impossible to forget what happened to Jamie, but if you can unhook the bad memories from that day, the fear can become deconditioned.
“Breathe deeply and look at that memory like a distant recollection. Yes, it had an impact on you, but you’ve changed since then. If you can let go and allow your thinking brain to dilute the anxiety you felt that day, then you’ll train yourself to live with what happened and move forward.”
Troy took a deep, audible breath. She kept her eyes on the path ahead of them, but sensed him willing the tension in his shoulders to relax, his body to reach a peacefulness he could live with.
They walked in silence for a long time. The murmur of wind rustled the leaves in the trees; broken branches crunched under their boots. Sunshine slanted across the woods in a kaleidoscope of golden color. Her awareness of him never dissipated, though.
She daydreamed about laying her head on his chest. About being wrapped in his arms. About letting him all the way in.
“Tell me about your master’s program,” he said, breaking into her thoughts. “What you have planned when you’re done.”
Since that was a much safer topic, she did. She rambled on about her classes and professors and the plans for new programs at COA. “Want to know my graduation present to myself?”
“Shoot.”
“A trip to Maui. I’ve never been and I want to just veg on the beach and do nothing.”
“It’s beautiful there.”
She pushed a branch out of the way. “You’ve been?”
“No. But Bree and Jack went on their honeymoon. Bree loved it.”
Erin took Troy’s hand, planning to ju
st give it a quick squeeze. But he held tight, taking her much smaller hand and covering it with his warm, strong palm.
“We’re here,” she said, coming to a standstill.
Troy looked around with a blank expression. She pointed up. Tucked into old-growth pines, a secret pod-shaped tree house built on a platform forty feet above the ground sat hidden unless someone knew what to look for.
“Wow. What is that?”
“It’s a treetop hut with our name on it.”
He grinned. “You know if you wanted to get me alone you didn’t have to drag me all the way to the middle of the forest to some clandestine destination. Although no one will get the scoop on our whereabouts out here, will they?”
“You read the blog.”
“No, but Bree did. And she had a great time ribbing me about it this morning.”
Erin covered her face with her hands. Embarrassment didn’t usually plague her, but everything about Troy seemed to make her cheeks burn. And she really hoped Bree didn’t think she was corrupting him or drawing unpleasant attention to their family.
“Hey.” He carefully pried her fingers away. When she dropped her arms, he cupped her jaw and ran a thumb across her cheek. “Amelia can’t stop talking about you, which means my sister thinks you’re pretty awesome.” He released her and tilted his head back. “Now tell me how we get up there.”
Amelia liked her?
“There, uh, should be a ladder hooked around the tree trunk…here.” On tippy-toes, she pulled on the rope ladder hidden on the other side of the thick tree base, unseen from the seldom-traveled path. It swung down and thumped her in the thigh.
“So I’m thinking I’ll climb up first and shout encouragement from the top. The ladder can only hold one of us at a time.”
“Sounds good.”
“How do you feel about this?”
“Great. I had no idea this was here. What’s inside it?”
“You’ll have to find that out for yourself. Remember, you’ve got this.” She smiled and started up the ladder, making sure her boots hit each wooden rung securely. She’d made the climb several times before, but wanted to make it look easy for him.
She paused halfway up to wipe her sweaty palms down her jeans. Glancing down, she found his interest right on her, uh, booty.
“You getting tired, Watters?” he called out, moving his gaze to her face.
“Nope. You enjoying the view?”
“Immensely. You can take your time. I’m in no hurry.”
Sensations having nothing to do with her midair position and the slow sway of the ladder wove through her and she turned away, tucked her chin into her neck. And smiled. A silly, girl- enamored smile that she fought to tame but couldn’t. She started climbing again.
The platform greeted her a minute later and she tried as gracefully as possible to transition to the wooden base. She stood up and took it all in. This high up, everything came across magnified. The smell of pine and earth and clean air filled her lungs. Puffy white clouds looked close enough to touch. She looked over the railing made from antlers and waved to Troy.
“Your turn.”
He wasted no time getting started, but halfway up, he paused. His grip tightened on the ladder. She stayed quiet, hoping he’d work out for himself whatever had triggered his apprehension. Three seconds…four seconds…five…and then he was in motion again without any further hesitation. He moved like a man accustomed to heights. A man without fear.
“You did it,” she said when he stood before her, not even the slightest bit out of breath. No sign of any unease on his handsome face.
“Had the perfect incentive.” He slid off his sunglasses and the sparkle in his eyes made her weak in the knees.
She spun around and beckoned him to follow with a wave of her hand. “You’re not feeling any sort of anxiety or need to get down on all fours?”
“Nope.”
“What are you thinking about?” She stepped through the open doorway into the pod-shaped tree house. The hut had six sides. Made from spruce and pine, space between the horizontal slats let in plenty of sunshine. On two of the walls, larger openings served as windows. A domed roof was open at the top.
“I’m thinking exposure therapy works. And…” He spun her around. “How I might best accomplish thanking you.” He slid her backpack off her shoulders and let it hit the dusty wood floor.
She took a shaky step back. “Most people just say the words.”
“I’m not most people.” He stepped forward.
“I know that.” She scooted backward along the edge of the tree house like she needed to give him a tour of the tiny space. Her hand slid along the smooth walls, walls that would keep what happened between them right here. Because she hadn’t brought him up this high just to look at the view. But she had no plans for a repeat performance once they left. She wasn’t ready to give her heart away, and with Troy she was more than halfway there.
“How about I start with the words?” His hot gaze did a quick inventory of their surroundings. Solar-powered reading lights, thick woven reindeer blankets. Done.
“Okay.” She fanned her shirt away from her body. God, it was getting hot as he trailed after her. Steamy. And they hadn’t even touched yet, this little game of cat-and-mouse a last attempt at convincing herself this was a bad idea.
It was such a good idea. Every tingle told her so.
“And then move to—” He’d gotten close. Very close.
So when his arms went around her waist and he hauled her against his tall, well-built frame, she grabbed the front of his shirt.
“Are you looking for suggestions?” She peered up at him, her heart thudding in her chest. Looking into those flecks of light-saber gold swirling in his eyes did a mind-numbing dance over any doubt.
He wanted her as much as she wanted him.
“This might be my first tree house in a while, but I’m pretty sure I can figure out something you’ll like.” He cupped her face in his hands. “Thank you.”
“You’re—”
His mouth swept over hers and the welcome fled right out of her head. He kissed her hard, a tight-lipped kiss that quickly turned into a biting of lips and play of tongues. Flutters spread across her lower back. Then his open mouth journeyed along her jaw and made slow, wonderfully tortuous progress to her earlobe and those flutters moved between her legs. He nibbled there before pulling back and driving her wild with a soft press of his lips and gentle flick of his tongue to the sensitive spot on her neck just below her ear.
It tickled in that want-more way and she writhed against him. Her hands traveled to his back, up to his shoulder blades. Her fingers toyed with the hair curling slightly at the base of his neck.
She melted into him, lined them up so her body made contact with his in just the right spots to send shivers of desire from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet.
Troy.
He returned to her mouth and deepened the kiss. Setting the world record for longest lip-lock ran through her head. No one had ever kissed her like this. Like all his shields were down and he wanted to give her everything.
Best thank-you kiss ever.
That’s what she told herself. That’s what she had to tell herself. Neither of them wanted any sort of attachment, so this was perfect. She’d give him her body and keep her head and heart out of it.
It’s too late for that and you know it.
Warm, loving hands moved over her body, grazed the side of her breast, brought her to such delicious distraction that she abandoned her worries.
Before she was even close to ready, he pulled away. His hands slid down her arms and he laced their fingers together. “God, how I want to thank you more,” he said, his voice hoarse. So bone-melting sexy.
He released her, ran a hand through his hair, and looked out their secret hideaway toward the treetops. She followed his gaze. In all the times she’d been up here, she’d never noticed how the dark green groups of pine needles contrasted with
the single jade needles of the spruce, yet evoked a breathtaking harmony.
With a deep breath in through her nose, she closed her eyes.
And smelled the rugged man before her.
“You’ve done much more than get me over my fear of heights,” he whispered. “You’ve helped clear my head.”
She smiled. “I’m good like that.”
“Or it could be the altitude.” He grinned.
Her playful fist met his rock-hard biceps.
“In all seriousness, though, thank you.”
“You already said that. Now I thought you were going to show me some thanks.” She bit and sucked her bottom lip.
His eyes tracked to her mouth. He groaned. “You have no idea how much I want to show you.”
“Oh, I think I do.”
“But—”
She covered his mouth with her palm. “We know what this is. Let’s let our bodies do our thinking for us now.”
He traced a finger along the column of her neck. “I had no idea what we were doing today. I don’t have—”
“I came prepared.”
“You did?” Delight, fascination, eagerness, hunger… She saw them all when he arched a brow and the corners of his yummy mouth lifted.
“Uh-huh. So spread that blanket over there and do what you want with me.”
“Only if you reciprocate.”
“I think I can do that.”
Troy spread the blanket and the two of them did exactly what they wanted.
…
Sometime later, when her body had never been more happy and her heart never more full—ignore that!—they took their time getting dressed because they had to touch one more time. Kiss one more spot. Giggle and whisper and sigh. Troy stepped out of the tree house and she immediately missed him.
“Uh, Erin?” he called over his shoulder from the railing.
After a quick look around to make sure they didn’t leave any evidence of their activities and pats on her cheeks to calm down the glow she was sure showed, she joined him. “Yes?”
He nodded down. She peered over the banister. Troy pressed a hand under her chin to close her mouth.
A very large black bear and her cub had taken up residence right below them, napping in wide shafts of sunlight.
Wild About Her Wingman Page 16