Misadventures with a Country Boy

by Elizabeth Hayley

  “I want to see this Continental Divide you’ve been going on about,” she said over her shoulder as she rounded the car.

  He stared after her for a second before following. Once he’d climbed in and started the engine, he said, “I don’t think I’ve been ‘going on’ about it.”

  “You’ve probably said those two words more times in the past two hours than one of the local park rangers has in the past six months,” Brooke teased. But the look on her face hinted she was enjoying Cole’s excitement.

  “That’s ridiculous.”

  “And accurate.”

  “I’m having a good time. Can you not ruin it by picking a fight with me?” Cole said, his voice intentionally free of emotion.

  “Are you implying that I ruin your good times? Because I seem to remember quite a few good times we’ve had over the past twenty-four hours that you seemed to enjoy immensely.”

  “Don’t flirt with me either.”

  Brooke laughed. “You’ve got an awful lot of things I’m not allowed to do all of a sudden. Be careful, or I may have to start calling you Mom.” Her voice started out light and playful, but the word “mom” came out of her mouth with a much harder edge to it.

  “You flirtin’ with me does not make me think motherly thoughts.”

  “Oh no? What do they make you think about?”

  “Things that would get us arrested before we get to see Milner’s Pass.”

  “What’s Milner’s Pass?” she asked.

  Jesus Christ, this girl was going to drive him nuts. “It’s where the Continental Divide is. If I’ve been talkin’ about it so much, how come you haven’t picked up on that detail by now?”

  “Because I’ve been blocking you out.”

  “Now that’s not nice.”

  “I’ve been called a lot of things, cowboy. Nice has never been one of them.”

  He turned toward her briefly, just long enough for him to take in her wide smile and her bright eyes. She made a lot of comments like this—ones that hinted at how she’d been surrounded by people who may not have treated her with all that much respect or consideration. It angered him.

  She broke his train of thought. “Don’t look at me like that. You know firsthand that I’m an epic pain in the ass.”

  Yes, she could be. But that wasn’t all she was. “I think you’re nice and funny and honest and—”

  “Now who’s flirting with who?” she teased, though he saw it for the deflection it was. Brooke wasn’t used to compliments. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re all those things too. And then some.”

  His smile grew, but he didn’t reply, accepting the compliment as he wished she had done.

  They arrived at their destination minutes later and got out of the car. It wasn’t so much that it was the most beautiful spot on the highway, but it was damn cool. They were over ten thousand feet up and were in the exact spot that filtered water toward one ocean or the other. It didn’t get much cooler than that.

  There was a trail that some people were navigating, but Brooke and Cole had both agreed they didn’t need to stray too far from the car. Neither one of them had appropriate clothes for hiking, and Cole didn’t like undertaking adventures he wasn’t prepared for.

  “Have you ever had sex outside?” Brooke asked out of nowhere.

  The question shocked him so thoroughly he felt his mouth open and close a few times as he processed what she’d said. “What?” was his eloquent response.

  “Have. You. Ever. Had. Sex. Outside?”

  “Yes. I. Have,” he replied, mimicking her tone.

  “I haven’t.”

  “I haven’t since I was a teenager, but it happened a few times back then.”

  She twisted her lips as though she was thinking hard about something, before she went back to the truck, fished around in one of her bags for a minute, and then started off down a trail.

  It took Cole a second to respond before he jogged after her. “Where are you going?”

  “To have sex in the woods.”

  “By yourself?” he asked with jest in his tone.

  “Am I by myself right now?”

  “You didn’t exactly invite me along.”

  She looked him up and down. “Doesn’t seem like you needed an invitation. Though if you’re not interested, I’m sure I could proposition a random hiker.”

  A growl escaped him at her words—a sound Cole would deny until his dying day. “Like hell you will.”

  Brooke wasn’t sure what had come over her, but she liked it. Her tight jeans rubbed against her sensitive clit with every step, making it clear how on board her body was with the plan.

  While Brooke had been in previous relationships, most of them had lacked passion. It had been two superficial people partaking in superficial things. But everything with Cole felt real in a way that made Brooke want more. More spontaneity, more adventure, more behavior that would give her parents an aneurysm if they ever heard about them. This was how life was supposed to be. And she was suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to live every fucking millisecond of it.

  She walked down the trail a ways before veering off. It was chilly up here—bordering on downright cold. But the heat in her veins spurred her on as she made her way into the tree line with confidence.

  “I’m not sure I want you in charge of leadin’ us somewhere,” Cole quipped from behind her.

  “What if I told you you’re going to really like where we’re heading?” she replied, a smirk appearing on her lips even though he couldn’t see her.

  “I wouldn’t be followin’ you if I wasn’t sure of that. It’s what happens later, when we’re lost and getting mauled by a grizzly, that I’m less thrilled about.”

  Brooke stopped dead in her tracks. “Wait? Are there bears here?”

  “It’s a giant wilderness. There’s probably all sorts of predators out here.”

  Turning, Brooke stared at him. “Way to kill the mood.”

  Cole looked down to where the hard ridge of his cock was outlined in his pants. “I haven’t killed my mood,” he said, a laugh following the words out of his mouth.

  There was nothing unappealing about the man. His Levi’s, which were normally a little loose when his cock wasn’t taking up all the available space, the dark-blue hoodie that made his blond hair look even lighter, the confident stance of a soldier who knew he could handle himself. Even the talk of killer bears fled to the recesses of her mind as she stepped closer to him. “Mine neither.”

  She wasn’t sure who initiated the kiss. They both seemed to move toward each other as if they were each other’s gravity, keeping them both tethered to adjoining orbits of passion. The kiss wasn’t fast or slow, hard or soft. It was a fusion of lips that ignited a fire inside of Brooke.

  In a sort of unspoken agreement, they didn’t dawdle. Knowing someone could stumble upon them at any moment was part of the thrill, but it was also not an incident they actually wanted to have happen. The excitement was in the possibility, not in the actualization.

  Cole thumbed open the button of her jeans and pulled the zipper down. She did the same, pushing them low enough that his thick cock could pop free. Then she slid her hand into the front pocket of her sweatshirt, withdrew the condom she’d retrieved from the car, and handed it to Cole.

  He took it from her and tore it open, and as he sheathed himself, she wiggled her jeans down before turning around, bracing herself against a tree, and sticking her ass back toward him, presenting herself to him. It was the most exposed and vulnerable she’d ever been on purpose, and it was more empowering than she ever would have thought.

  Stepping toward her, Cole ran a hand over her ass and let it trail between her legs. “You standin’ here like this might just be the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  “I’m going to need you to do more than see it.” She rocked back so her ass brushed against his cock, causing Cole’s hand to clamp down on her hip.

  He rubbed his cock between her ass cheeks a few
times before lining himself up and pushing inside of her. A groan left him that made him sound primal, like he belonged in the forest with the wild animals.

  Brooke loved that she brought that out in him. She used her hands on the tree to push herself back onto him as he thrust forward. The slapping of skin between them was loud and not as inconspicuous as they probably should have been, but who the hell cared about being quiet when she was being fucked like she was being claimed?

  There wasn’t much buildup toward orgasm. She’d been turned on from the start, making the end point within reach as soon as he’d slid inside of her. If his harsh pants were any indication, Cole was right there with her.

  His cock rubbed over the sensitive spot inside of her over and over again, lighting her up until spark met fuse, and she combusted around him with a loud moan. Her legs shook with the sensation as he continued to drive into her, his motions becoming more erratic the closer he got to his own orgasm.

  His hips seemed to stutter seconds later before he pushed deep one final time, letting his chest blanket over her as his forehead pressed into one of her shoulder blades. His body shivered as he emptied into the condom, his chest heaving against her back as he tried to catch his breath.

  They were both still for a few moments, enjoying the afterglow and letting the intensity drain from their bodies before they attempted to move. Eventually they had to move, however. Cole tied up the condom and wrapped it in some leaves before sliding it into the front pouch of his hoodie. They both righted their clothes and started the trek back toward the trail without a word between them. They’d said everything they needed to with their bodies.

  They stopped a few more times on the way across Trail Ridge Road before arriving in the town of Grand Lake on the other side. It was beautiful there, and they wandered around for about an hour before they figured it best to get back to Estes Park before dark. After stopping a few times on the return trip to see some scenery they hadn’t gotten enough of on the way over the first time, they returned to their hotel with a couple hours of daylight left.

  After they’d both showered and gotten dressed, Cole asked, “Do you want to grab something quick to eat before heading over to the Stanley Hotel?”

  Brooke sighed. “You’re determined to give me nightmares, aren’t you?”

  Cole laughed at her dramatics. “You said you’d go.”

  “I say lots of things I don’t mean. Like when I said I liked you.”

  Cole shook his head, a smile etched on his face. “I don’t exactly remember you ever sayin’ that, Princess.”

  “Oh. Well, good.” She turned away from him to pack some clothes back into her bag, and Cole couldn’t resist, walking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her.

  The move felt both odd and natural to him. As if he’d been doing it his whole life but in an alternate universe. “Come on, Princess. All work and no play makes Cole a dull boy.”

  She turned around and smacked him, which caused him to laugh loudly. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her neck. He felt her melt into him, letting her arms wrap around his shoulder. They stood there like that for a couple of minutes, and Cole was struck by how content he was to simply hug—and be hugged by—her.

  Finally, she let out a deep breath and said, “Okay. I’m ready.”

  They pulled away from each other, but Cole instantly missed the contact. He laced his fingers with hers and pulled her toward the door. “We’ll have fun. I promise.”

  She didn’t reply but squeezed his hand, which he took as a sign of agreement. They went to a small café across the street from their hotel for dinner before climbing into Cole’s truck and heading for the famous hotel.

  He figured he’d drive around the premises of the hotel first before they got out and explored on foot. He was taking everything in when he heard Brooke gasp beside him.

  “No fucking way,” she whispered.

  “What?” he asked, his head swiveling around to see what she could mean.

  “They have a fucking maze here. I hate mazes.”

  “Who hates mazes?” Cole took in the distaste on her face. Even grimacing, she looked adorable.

  “Someone who was once lost in a haunted corn maze for three hours when she was twelve. Then add in the fact that The Shining is one of the scariest movies of all time…”

  “I don’t know if I’d say scariest of all time.”

  “You didn’t. I did.” She shook her head. “I’m serious. I’m not going in there, so don’t even ask.”

  “I’m not askin’,” he replied. “I’m tellin’ you. We are absolutely going in there.”

  Crossing her arms over her chest, she sank back into her seat. “I’m not.”

  He laughed. “We’ll just have to see, won’t we?”

  “You make it sound as if you can out-stubborn me. You can’t, and you won’t.”

  Cole pulled the truck into a parking spot and cut the ignition. “Whatever you say.”

  In her defense, it took him over an hour to get her into the maze. They’d walked the perimeter of the hotel twice and went in to see the lobby before he managed to lead her in the right direction without her realizing it. Once they were at the entrance to the “hedged hell,” as Brooke called it, it took some serious convincing to get her inside.

  “I didn’t realize you were such a wimp. This tough-girl act you got goin’ on is just that, huh? An act.”

  “I stopped giving in to peer pressure in middle school,” she retorted.

  “I’m not pressuring. Just stating facts.”

  “Your facts are meaningless to me. You want to go die in a sculpted torture chamber, be my guest. I’ll stay out here and maybe even call for help when I hear you getting murdered with an ax.”

  Cole looked up at the sky. “It’s gettin’ dark. If we don’t go in soon, it’ll really be dangerous.”

  “Not dangerous for me, since I don’t plan on going in at all.”

  “We’re goin’ in, Princess.”

  “We are doing no such thing.”

  Cole sighed. “Have it your way.” With that, he dipped down, grabbed her by the back of the thighs, and hoisted her over his shoulder. He sped inside the maze before her squalling could attract a crowd.

  “Cole, you better put me down, or I swear to God, I’ll redrum you.”

  He laughed, taking her deeper into the maze before setting her down. “Okay, we’re in. Now to find our way out.”

  She looked around, clearly confused about which way they’d even come from since she’d been upside down. “I’m seriously so pissed at you right now.”

  “You gotta face your fears,” he said. “It’ll be fun. I promise.”

  She reached out and gripped his hand tightly. “You better get me out of here in one piece.”

  He gave her hand a squeeze. “Always.”

  It took two dead-ends and a shortcut through a hedge to get them both laughing like high school kids.

  “I can’t believe how complicated this is,” she said. “Can’t you use your army skills and get us out of here?”

  “Sorry. I must’ve missed the maze course during basic training.”

  “Too busy learning all the ninja moves you used in that bar?”

  Cole’s head whirled toward her, but she kept staring straight ahead. It was the first time she’d brought up the bar since it had all gone down. He hoped that her referencing it so casually meant she’d found a way to move beyond it. Knowing a thing or two about feeling powerless in a situation, Cole had hoped the event didn’t cause too much trauma. There was no forgetting it—Cole knew that—but she seemed to be dealing with it well, and for that Cole was thankful. “Among other things,” he replied, and she didn’t ask him any more about it.

  It was dusk by the time they reached the exit, which they only found because Cole had put Brooke on his shoulders so she could see which way to go. Truthfully, Cole felt like he could’ve had them out of the maze much more quickly, but he’d been having too much fu
n being “lost” with Brooke, so he’d let her lead the way.

  Afterward, they got back in the truck and drove around Estes Park until they saw an ice cream shop and decided to stop. Cole paid for their cones and then ushered Brooke to a small table. The shop was in a busy part of town, and it seemed like everyone had the same idea they had. The place was mobbed.

  They were talking about their favorite parts of the day when Brooke stopped responding. He looked over at her and immediately felt himself tense at how pale she looked. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  She didn’t seem to hear him as she stared toward the front of the shop.

  He tried to follow her gaze, but there were too many people to be able to tell who she was looking at. “Brooke?”

  She started and stood abruptly. “We gotta go.”

  “What? Why?” He stood with her and followed her to the trash can, where she threw away her cone before starting toward the car.

  He fell into step with her and tried asking her again what was wrong.

  “Nothing,” she answered. “Just don’t feel very well all of the sudden.”

  He tried talking to her a few more times as they drove back to the hotel, but all she’d say was that she wasn’t feeling well. He could tell she was getting annoyed with him, so he decided to leave it alone for a bit. But one thing was sure: he’d need to get to the bottom of her freak-out before they went any farther.

  Chapter Nine

  Cole spent the rest of the night wondering what the best plan of action was. He didn’t want to force Brooke to discuss something she clearly had no interest in talking about. At least not with him. And he couldn’t blame her. As far as she was concerned, Cole was just some country boy who’d offered her a ride somewhere. Or nowhere. She knew basically nothing about him other than his name and address, and he didn’t know much more about her. Though he wanted to know what her deal was, there was no reason she should have to tell him her most personal secrets, and Cole understood that.