by Kate Hunt
“Yeah, of course,” he says, pausing to look over at me.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“Take your time.”
I swiftly walk away from the campsite, walking through the woods until I reach the river. It’s moving swiftly and looks refreshingly cold in the heat of the day. At a more relaxed pace, I walk beside the river, feeling the tranquility of my surroundings calming me down.
We’re just friends. We’ve always been just friends, and we’ll always remain just friends.
I’ve nearly convinced myself of it when a noise grabs my attention. It’s not just any old noise, either. It’s a growl. It’s definitely a growl.
And then, in my peripheral vision, I see a large shape moving in the trees.
Oh, God. Is that a fucking bear?
I don’t waste time trying to answer the question. I just start running. Fast. It’s probably the worst thing I could do right now—I’m probably attracting more attention to myself—but I’m in such a panic that I can’t think straight.
All I can do is run.
I follow the river, stumbling over the rocks, covering as much ground as possible. I keep throwing one foot after the other, terrifying thoughts of being chased by a bear fueling me on. This isn’t like me, being so illogical, and yet here I am in full-blown panic mode. I’m in such a state that I’m only half-aware of the fact that the ground I’m running on is rising, lifting away from the river.
“Shit!” I scream out, realizing too late that I’ve reached the edge of the cliff. I try to stop, but I’m going too fast. I have too much momentum. I slide onto the ground and claw at the dirt as my feet start to slide over.
No. No. No.
I start to slide down the steep embankment, but at the last second, my hands catch a bush. Frantically, I tighten my grip around it. It holds me, thank God.
Then the dirt shifts. The roots of the bush I’m holding onto start to loosen.
“No,” I gasp. “Please. No.”
The roots release from the damp, rocky soil. With terrible slowness I start to slide down the bank. I scream as I kick and grab at the dirt and rocks, desperate to save myself.
None of it does any damn good.
A handful of seconds later, the river receives me with an icy cold, shocking embrace.
It feels final.
It feels like death.
4
Beau
When the high-pitched scream splits the air, I drop the axe mid-swing.
I’ve never heard Reese scream before, but there’s no mistaking that it’s coming from her.
But where the hell is she?
I follow my gut and run toward the river. I can sense her running past here. I can feel her footsteps below mine. The further I go, the closer I feel myself get to her.
Seconds later, another scream guides me to her. I run up the ridge, my heart pounding with dread as I near the edge.
I reach the top just in time to look down and see her sliding down the bank and into the rushing river.
Without a second’s hesitation, I follow her in, diving off the cliff into the water.
The current tries to claim me as I hit the water. But nothing’s going to overpower me right now. Shaking water from my face, I spot Reese floundering not far from me.
“Stay calm! I’m coming!” I yell over the roar of the water.
“Beau!” she yells back, gasping for air.
I swim toward her, closing the space between us in only a few strokes.
When I reach her, I wrap an arm securely around her and start to swim for the shore. Our breathing is labored as we emerge from the water and stagger onto dry land. I wrap my free arm around Reese and pull her toward me, holding her tight.
“Reese,” I murmur against her wet hair. “Jesus. Are you okay?”
She shivers against me, pressing her face into my chest. “Yeah. I…think so.”
“That was so fucking scary.”
“I know.” Slowly, she looks up, her eyes blinking at me. “But you saved me.”
Gently, I smile at her. “What? Did you think I wasn’t going to?”
She laughs, but then her state of shock returns. “Oh my God. I can’t believe that just happened.”
“What did happen?”
“I thought I saw a bear, and I just started running. I was in such a panic, Beau—” She stops talking, her expression turning pained. “I feel like such an idiot.”
“You’re not.”
She gives me an embarrassed smile. “You’re just being nice.”
“All that matters is that you’re okay,” I say. “Come on. Let’s get you back to camp.”
Back at camp, Reese pulls some dry clothes out of her backpack and disappears into the tent to change. While she does that, I quickly change out of my wet clothes, too, then get the campfire going. It’s getting dark and the heat of the day is quickly cooling off. When I glance up at the sky I see the stars starting to come out.
The flap of the tent lifts up and Reese emerges. She’s combed out her damp hair and has changed into a light, long-sleeved tee and cut-off shorts that only cover mere inches of her thighs.
Her soft, curvy, perfect thighs.
Seeing me look at her, Reese tugs on the ragged hem of her shorts and mumbles, “Thought I brought a different pair with me.”
“You look good,” I say, pulling my gaze away from her and turning back to the campfire. The flames are full now, licking up into the evening air. I try to stay focused on the fire as Reese sits down beside me, but it’s impossible to ignore her bare legs. The firelight is reflecting off her creamy skin, casting a red-orange glow across it.
There’s a loud pop in the distance—an early firework—and Reese startles.
“Oh, God,” she says, laughing, pressing a hand to her chest. “I’m so jumpy right now.”
I frown at her. “Would you rather stay somewhere else tonight? A hotel or something? There aren’t many lodging options back in town, but I’m sure we could—”
“No, no,” she says. “I’m fine. It’s so pretty out here. I’d hate to leave.”
“Do you feel safe, though?”
“I do.” She smiles over at me. “You’re here, after all.”
My chest tightens. Shit. When she says stuff like that, it only makes me want her more.
“Well, if you need anything, anything at all, just say the word,” I tell her.
“Thanks, Beau.”
A comfortable silence falls between us for a few moments. Reese looks over at me and smiles.
“Do you need anything?” she asks.
I swallow. “What do you mean?”
“It just feels like you’ve done so much for me these past couple days. So if you need anything…”
She’s not…suggesting something, is she? Even if she is, I’d never want anything physical from her because she feels like she needs to pay me back for something.
Still. It’s impossible not to let my mind wander there. It’s impossible not to imagine how sweet those lips of hers would feel on mine. Or how—
“I’m good,” I say, turning back to the fire again, staring into the flickering flames.
“All right,” says Reese. “I owe you, though.”
“You don’t owe me anything,” I say, and pull myself up and go over to the cooler to start unpacking stuff for dinner.
5
Reese
Damn it.
I knew I shouldn’t have tried to flirt with him.
The worst part is that it was such a pitiful attempt. I mean, what was I thinking, putting it like that? If you need anything…
Ugh. Talk about unromantic.
I know it was less than an hour ago that I was fighting off these feelings. But after thinking I was going to be attacked by a bear—I still feel embarrassed about that—and then almost drowning, it feels like my whole life has been turned upside down.
I want Beau. I’ve wanted him for a long time. And it’s time I fully admit it to myse
lf.
Even if he doesn’t want me back.
At least Beau didn’t make me feel awkward about my shitty attempt at flirting with him. He did the decent thing and changed the subject as if nothing happened at all. Now the two of us are preparing dinner together; he’s grilling burgers over the fire while I get all the fixings ready.
Things feel like they’re back to normal between us as we sit down to eat. A few more fireworks go off in the distance, and I don’t flinch this time. The noises just make me excited to see the bigger ones that Beau has promised we’ll soon have a view of.
“My family used to come here every year when I was growing up,” Beau says after swallowing a bite of burger. “There will be fireworks going off all around us tonight. It’s pretty cool.”
We finish up dinner and clean up a bit before getting out the s’mores supplies. When our marshmallows accidentally catch fire, we poke fun at each other, then we eat s’mores until we can’t anymore. And when the fireworks really start up, we sit silently side by side, looking up at the glittering sky in awe.
One particularly huge explosion lights up the sky, and I draw in a breath.
“Whoa,” I say.
An even larger firework follows, soaring high up into the sky and then crackling into what looks like a million sparks.
God, this is so beautiful. I feel so full of joy right now. I turn to Beau, grinning, and he smiles back at me. His smile isn’t as happy as it should be, though. It’s bittersweet.
“I’m going to miss you like crazy, Reese,” he says.
Suddenly my joy feels tinged with sadness, too.
“I’m going to miss you, too,” I say.
“I don’t just mean as a friend,” he says.
Wait…what?
I blink at him. More fireworks go off above us, but I can’t pull my eyes away from him.
“What are you saying?” I whisper.
“I’m sorry if this makes things awkward,” Beau says, watching me carefully as he speaks. “But I can’t keep it in any longer. I have feelings for you, Reese. Feelings that friends aren’t supposed to have for each other.”
Oh my God.
“I know this is terrible timing,” he goes on. “Or…I dunno. Maybe it’s good timing. You’re leaving. This way you won’t have to hang out with me pretending to—”
“I like you, too,” I blurt out.
Beau takes a second to absorb this. His eyes search mine; I give him a little nod, a little smile, wordlessly assuring him that I really mean it.
And then, in the next moment, he’s leaning forward, pressing his mouth to mine for the first time. From the second our lips touch, I feel sparks.
Big sparks, like those brilliant ones up in the sky.
As our kiss deepens, warmth spreads through my body. I feel my nipples harden, my sex vibrate with need. It’s a brand new feeling, but at the same time, it’s obvious to me that it was in me all along.
It was just hidden. It was just waiting.
Our tongues entwine. Our hands fall onto each other’s bodies. That warmth that just spread through me sharply increases in temperature. I can taste Beau’s desire in his kisses, too. We both want the same thing. I can feel it.
And when I slide my hand up Beau’s leg, I can really feel how much he wants it.
My God. The man is rock hard.
“Maybe we should…go into…the…um…” I mumble.
“The tent?” Beau suggests.
“Right. The tent.”
Beau stands up and holds out his hand. His bulge is at eye level now, and my breath catches. I force my eyes upward, take his hand, and let him pull me up. Without another word, he leads me over to the tent.
Inside, we immediately start kissing again, but this time we start pulling off each other’s clothes. I’m still in a bit of disbelief that this is actually happening—but it also feels so, so right.
“You always go braless?” Beau murmurs after he peels off my shirt.
“Only when I fall into rivers. My bra’s drying out.”
“Mmm. Right.” He lowers his head and kisses one of my hardened nipples. Tingles shoot through my body. When he gently bites down on my nipple, I let out a high moan. If that feels that good, I can’t imagine how good it’s going to feel when he’s inside me.
Oh, God. He’s going to be inside me.
I reach for the waistband of his shorts and fumble with the button, finally popping it open. With desperate need I tug down his shorts and his boxers, freeing his cock. In a lustful fervor, he undoes my shorts and shoves down my panties and we lower ourselves down onto one of the thick sleeping pads he set out earlier.
Beau settles in between my legs and kisses my neck as he reaches down and glides his fingers over my clit. He knows exactly where to touch me and how much pressure to apply. We may have never done this before, but we know each other. Our lips and hands and bodies know what to do.
“You’re on birth control, right?” Beau murmurs.
“Uh huh,” I say.
Beau draws his fingers away from my clit, and a moment later I feel the tip of his cock kissing my entrance. My heartbeat pounds in my ears as he slides into me for the first time. He’s huge, and it feels like he’s stretching me out as he slowly glides into my pussy.
“Holy shit,” I whisper.
Beau grunts and keeps pushing into me. When he’s completely inside of me, he brings his mouth to mine and kisses me deeply.
I wrap my arms around him and dig my fingers into his muscular back as he begins to slide in and out of me. He thrusts into me deeply each time, delivering wave after wave of pleasure.
“Beau,” I gasp.
His cock throbs and he drives into me hard. I claw at his back, crying out with pleasure. His balls slap against my ass as he drives into me over and over again. It feels like ten orgasms are building inside of me at once.
“Beau!”
“Reese,” he groans. “Reese.”
My pussy tightens around his cock as a wave of ecstasy crashes over me. Beau groans and slams hard against me. I feel him spill into me and my eyes prick with tears. Nothing has ever felt so right.
Above us, more fireworks boom, then crackle as the sparks scatter across the sky.
This is the perfect moment.
So long as I don’t think about the future, this is the most perfect moment of my life.
6
Beau
“I still can’t believe we liked each other this entire time, Beau.”
I laugh and kiss her bare shoulder. We’re still lying together in the tent and Reese is in my arms. “I know. If only one of us had done something about it sooner.”
“No kidding,” she says. “We’d probably be married by now.”
I know Reese is just joking around, but her comment makes my heart pound harder. It’s not like I’m about to propose to her, but the thing is…I can imagine her as my wife.
“Don’t forget the ankle-biters,” I joke back.
She laughs. “Right. How many kids do you think we would have had by now?”
“Three. Maybe four.”
“Four!?” Reese gives me a look. “My God, Beau.”
I grin and shrug. “That’s what happens when you’re a married couple who has a lot of sex.”
“Mmm. I see.” She reaches down and palms my cock. I instantly harden at her touch. “Speaking of which…”
A handful of seconds later, I’m kneeling behind Reese as she steadies herself on all fours in front of me. She’s just as wet and tight as the first time as I guide my cock into her. I hold onto her hips as I thrust, lost in the bliss that is her body. Every time she moans my name, I leak a little cum inside of her, until I can’t take it anymore and I spill into her again, bringing her to orgasm at the same time.
“Oh, God,” Reese pants, rocking against me. “That was so good.”
I pull out of her, my seed dripping from her. Jesus, I wish she wasn’t on birth control. I wish all that joking about marriage a
nd kids wasn’t us kidding around. I don’t want to just fuck Reese. I want us to be together for real.
Reese lays down on the mattress pad and smiles sadly up at me.
“I don’t want to leave, Beau,” she says. “I don’t want to leave you.”
My chest grows heavy. “I wish you could stay, too. But you can’t just throw away the opportunity.”
She chews on her bottom lip for a few seconds, then nods. “No. I know.”
For almost a full minute, the only sounds are the fireworks above us.
“Maybe one day…” she finally says, but then her voice drifts off. We both know how uncertain her long-term plans are.
“Let’s just enjoy what time we still have together,” I say. I fucking hate saying that, but I also don’t want us to spend the rest of this camping trip feeling down about the future.
Reese nods and swallows. After a second, her lips curl up into a smirk. “Oh, I get it. You just want to get laid again, don’t you?”
I laugh. “That’s not what I meant.”
“So you don’t want to get laid again?”
“Reese,” I groan.
“I’m just teasing you.” She hooks her finger and beckons to me. “Come here. I’m getting cold.”
“We can’t have that,” I say, moving over to lower myself between her legs.
A day later, we’re driving back to the city, and then two days after that, it’s time for Reese to catch her flight. I see her off at the airport, fighting the urge to tell her to stay the entire time I’m there. But I don’t want to make this any harder than it already is. And I sure as hell don’t want to make Reese feel guilty for leaving.
We’re meant to be together. I feel it deep in my soul.
But right now, the timing just isn’t right.
“I’ll call you when I land,” Reese says, taking her bag from me. I insisted on carrying it up until now, but she’s about to go through security and I can’t go any further with her. “Or…wait. Never mind. It’ll be really early here.”
