“I’m no good at that stuff.”
Dot rolled her eyes and got up as her dryer buzzer sounded. “Just let him know you’re interested. You know how to do that. Brush up against him, bat your eyelashes…tell him you think he’s sexy.”
“I guess I could try.”
“It won’t take much. You’re a sweet, beautiful girl.”
Her words warmed me. “Thank you.”
Dot shook her head and pulled a large white bra from the dryer. She held it up high for me. “You enjoy that body while you can, missy. Someday you’ll have to load your boulders into one of these.”
I couldn’t help laughing. She peeked at me over the top of the bra, grinning mischievously.
When she finished folding her laundry, Dot left me the last two muffins and headed for the door, basket balanced on her hip.
“I’m at lot twelve,” she said. “Come by and see me sometime. We’ll have some Long Island iced tea.”
“I will. Thank you.”
“Go for it, Drew. I can’t wait to hear all about it.”
I nodded once and she left. I leaned back in my chair, thinking of ways I could be bold with Aiden.
My stomach churned with nervous excitement all afternoon. I needed to keep my mind occupied, so I did my nails and Millie’s, read and scrubbed the kitchen in the motorhome. It was so humid out that I was heading to the bathroom for another shower when I saw Aiden walking back into camp midway through the afternoon. He wore camo pants, an olive green T-shirt, and dark brown boots. The shirt was soaked through with sweat.
I wanted to press myself against him so close his sweat would soak through to my skin. It was all I could think of now—getting closer to the man who’d piqued a lot more than my interest.
Aiden showered and disappeared into his camper. I didn’t see him again until we all went out for dinner at a barbecue place a couple miles from camp.
A waitress whose dark bob was streaked with gray recognized our group.
“The storm chasers! Hey, where’s the other one? The guy who always winked at me?” She scanned all the faces at the table again.
After a couple seconds of silence, Murph cleared his throat and spoke. “Colby was killed in an accident last year.”
“Oh my God.” The waitress put her hand to her heart, her eyes wide with shock. “I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks,” Murph said for all of us. He sighed deeply. “We miss him but it’s important not to forget him.”
“Best be orderin’ some fried pickles, then,” Tex said, grinning. “Colby looked forward to coming here all year for those.”
Aiden’s low note of laughter broke the tension in the air. “Yeah, he did.”
“Well, pickles comin’ right up, then,” the waitress said. “And sweet tea all around?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Aiden said, smiling at her. She ran a hand over her hair and gave him a demure glance before turning to leave.
“You’ve really got a way with waitresses, O’Neal,” I said to him. “I’ll stay away from your camper tonight.”
He hummed his amusement. “Let’s go shoot some pool, funny girl.”
My stomach did a flip of excitement. When he used that commanding tone, I couldn’t resist.
He led the way through an open doorway to a bar on the other side of the room. Though he was silent, I felt his gaze on me. It was a sensual caress I couldn’t get enough of.
“Will you get me a cue while I get a drink?” I asked. “You want one?”
“I’ll get the drinks.” He brushed past me, turning around. “What do you want? Stella Artois?”
“Yeah. Please.”
He knew what I drank. It surprised me that he remembered that from the few times we’d been out in a group of friends.
When he got back and handed me the bottled beer, I took a sip and realized I hadn’t had one since Colby had died. I sometimes drank wine with Shayla at her place, but hadn’t set foot in a bar again until joining the storm-chasing team.
“This is good,” I said, not just talking about the cold beer in my hand.
By the time we reached our second game and I’d finished half of a second beer, I had a happy buzz going. We’d played mostly in silence, but I’d felt Aiden staring at me the entire time.
“I like the way you look at me,” I said, meeting his eyes boldly.
Would he bristle and deny it? He just held my gaze silently for a second.
“Well, I can’t seem to help myself,” he finally said. “Same as every other guy in this place.”
“I haven’t noticed anyone but you.” I held my breath as I stared at him, his eyes full of something I couldn’t decipher.
“You’re up,” he finally said, breaking the spell.
I leaned down to take my shot, but stood up at the last second.
“Why do you do that?” I asked. “Send such mixed signals?”
His brows arched with surprise and he walked over to me, speaking in a low tone. “I get that you’re feeling drawn to the man who was closest to Colby, Drew. It’s not really about me.”
“You think this is about Colby?”
He shrugged, a vacant look in his eyes now.
Was he right? I thought about my dream, when Colby had morphed into Aiden.
“The things I like about you are yours,” I said, thinking out loud. “Your quietness, your occasional smiles, your shoulders, the way you…” My cheeks flushed as I stopped myself from recounting his interlude with the waitress.
“The way I what?”
“I can’t say it.”
“You started this,” he said gruffly. “So finish it.”
“The way you…were with that woman. The things you said and the way you…you know?”
His eyes darkened and his lips curved up slightly. “So this is a sex thing. You’re just horny as hell.”
My already warm cheeks went hot with that statement. I was, but hearing him say it was mortifying.
“It’s not just a sex thing,” I argued. “If that was it, I’d choose someone…easier.” I glanced at a nearby table, where two men in cowboy hats were playing a game.
“Hey,” I said to one of the men. He looked up and checked from side to side to make sure I was speaking to him. “Would you have casual sex with me?”
He licked his lips quickly. “Hell yeah. When? Now?”
“Fuck off, cowboy,” Aiden growled. “She’s not serious.”
“Maybe I am.”
“She’s not,” he said to the cowboy before giving me a glare of annoyance. “You’ve had too much to drink, lightweight.”
“Maybe you should drink some more to loosen you up,” I suggested.
He scoffed. “It’d take a hell of a lot of beer to loosen me up.”
“I’m up for the challenge.”
“You want to take advantage of me when I’m about to pass out?” Aiden replied.
“Maybe.” I smiled and stepped closer to him.
“Jesus Christ, Drew.” He stepped back. “Stop this.”
I shook my head, coming to my senses. “I’m sorry. I can’t believe I said that.”
“Don’t apologize. It’s the alcohol. You’re probably lonely, too. You’ll wake up tomorrow and cringe over this conversation.”
“Aiden, don’t.” My frustration welled inside me, becoming anger. “Don’t say I only want you because I’m lonely. Or because of Colby.”
His eyes softened. “Drew.”
“I need some time alone. I’ll walk back to the motorhome.”
“No. You’re not walking back alone.”
I glared at him. “Actually, I am. I’m an adult, Aiden. Stop treating me like I’m made of glass.”
“Everything okay?” the cowboy from earlier called to us.
“It’s fine,” Aiden snapped. “Mind your own damn business.”
I left through a door in the bar, my stomach growling in protest. I’d have to settle for some trail mix back at the motorhome.
I’d made it ou
t of the gravel parking lot, the rocks poking my feet through the thin soles of my sandals, when I realized someone was behind me. I turned. It was Aiden, though he didn’t seem to be trying to catch up with me.
“What are you doing?” I asked, stopping.
“Just makin’ sure you get back okay.”
I let out a deep breath. “I’ll be fine, Aiden. I just need some time to myself.”
“I’ll keep my distance.”
I shook my head with frustration. “You confuse the hell out of me.”
“I care,” he said softly. “About you. You have no idea how much.”
“What does that mean?” I asked earnestly, stepping closer to him. “Because I’m pretty much throwing myself at you here, and you’re just patting me on the head and telling me to sleep it off. Do you care about me but not feel any attraction?”
He was silent, his eyes swimming with emotion. “I’m not what you need, Drew.”
“What do I need?” I yelled the words and threw my hands in the air. “I don’t even know, so please tell me.”
“I’m not saying I know, either, I just know it’s not me. I don’t…I can’t fuck you like I did that woman you saw me with.”
My face burned with shame. “I’m so sorry I ever brought it up. I’m sorry I was there that night. I’m sorry I even came here trying to prove something that doesn’t mean anything.”
“What are you trying to prove?”
“That I can be brave. That I can find something in life that isn’t just about working and scraping by. That I can do something that helps people. Something that matters.”
He reached toward me but dropped his hand before it reached my waist. “You’re doing that, Drew. You fit here. But I’m not taking you back to my camper and fucking you while you’re drunk. You’d hate me tomorrow.”
I scoffed. “I’m not drunk and I would not. Just be honest, Aiden. I don’t do it for you. My boobs aren’t big enough or whatever it is that rings your bell, I don’t have it.”
He smiled and shook his head, looking away. “You have no idea how far from the truth that is.”
“I just want to get in my coffin bunk and be alone.”
“Stay with me,” he said, his tone almost imploring.
“I wouldn’t be alone if I did.”
“Take the bedroom. Take the whole damn camper if you want, I’ll sleep outside.”
I sighed deeply. “I’m walking back to the motorhome and staying there.”
He nodded. “I’m following you.”
“Everyone will wonder where we went. What about your truck?”
“I’ll text Murph. One of them can drive my truck back.”
This was painful. He cared. He’d said it. And he looked so good in his worn jeans, white T-shirt, and hiking boots that I wanted to cry with frustration. I was aching for him to touch me. Even a hug. I hadn’t wanted to be touched in so long, and now I only wanted it from him.
“Fine.” I turned back to the road and resumed walking.
As promised, he kept his distance. I tried to think about other things during the thirty-minute trek back to the campground, but nothing worked. Aiden’s face swam through my mind: scowling, smiling, and staring at me intensely. I liked every side of him.
When I made it back to the motorhome, I went in and closed the door behind me. The air-conditioning was on, so I pulled my sweaty shirt off over my head to cool off. Then I slipped out of my sandals and into a fresh shirt and crawled up to my bunk.
I tried scrolling through my phone, but nothing held my interest. I set it down and closed my eyes, giving in to my desire to fantasize about Aiden. I wouldn’t try not to dream about him anymore, because dreams were all I had.
Chapter 11
Drew
I palmed my erection and pumped it as I thought about the way Drew looked at me last night, her bright blue eyes full of longing. For me.
I like the way you look at me…The way you were with that woman…It’s not just about sex.
I had to get her out of my system. This was more than my usual arousal for her. I’d tossed and turned most of the night, hating myself for making her feel bad. She actually wanted me, which I’d never thought would happen.
But what did she want? Just a quick fuck? A few quick fucks? I knew I wouldn’t be able to do that and then let her walk away when the chasing trip ended in three weeks.
The way her chest had risen and fallen in the parking lot outside the bar last night when she was upset with me had been so damn sexy. I’d pictured her breathless on my lap as she rode my cock hard and fast.
Feelings had flooded through me as I followed her back to the campground, and they were still there this morning. I wanted so much more than sex with Drew. What I felt for her was almost spiritual. And considering that I avoided feelings whenever possible, I didn’t know what to do about it. I would not fuck her to alleviate my own frustration. Not ever.
But to alleviate hers? It had been damn hard to say no to that.
I stroked my dick faster, gripping it tighter as I imagined following Drew into the motorhome last night and giving her everything she wanted and more. In my mind, I finally tasted her smooth skin and cupped her firm ass. I stripped off her clothes and buried myself inside her, going right for the hard, balls-deep fuck that would give us the release we both needed. For me, the release wouldn’t just be physical. My hand pumped up and down my cock as I imagined a release from this soul-deep craving I had for Drew.
I couldn’t hold back my groan as I came hard.
Better. Now I could focus to get out of bed for a run and a shower before we left to chase. I wiped myself off with a washcloth and got to it.
After I showered, I left the small, bare-bones bathroom and returned my stuff to my camper. By the time I got to the usual meeting spot under a big oak tree, everyone else was there making small talk over coffee.
Drew’s blond hair was pulled up in a ponytail, making her look young and fresh. Between that and her plain black tank top and cutoff jean shorts, she had a girl-next-door look that was so damn sexy I felt my cock twitching in my jeans just from looking at her.
“Good morning,” she said, meeting my eyes.
“Mornin’.”
“Sounds like we’re going to Nebraska.”
I nodded, studying her eyes for a hint of what I’d seen there last night. But all I found was a detached, all-business façade.
“I’m hoping to launch a balloon today,” Murph said. He liked to put his probes in balloons and launch them into twisters.
“That’s too fucking dangerous,” I said, shaking my head. “Colby was our best runner.”
He’d always been the one to hang back until the last possible second before letting go of his hold on the massive cloth balloon that held the probes. It increased the chances of getting them into the funnel, but it was risky. I’d always held my breath the entire time he was sprinting toward the truck with a twister at his back.
“We’ll launch at a safe point and if it doesn’t make it, it doesn’t,” Murph said. “What about your probe launcher? Can you try that? This storm could be massive. I’d love to get probes inside it.”
I nodded. “If it works, there’s no need for the balloon.”
“We’ll go for both,” Murph said.
“Yeah, but—”
“Jesus, Aiden,” Tex said. “Leave your vagina here, okay? We do this every year.”
He sneered at me and I bristled. “Are you fuckin’ serious? I fought in a war. I lead mountain-climbing expeditions and rescue people from collapsed buildings. You’re calling me a pussy?”
He shrugged. “I’m just sayin’ lighten up.”
“I’m about calculated risk,” I said, looking at him and then Murph. “It’s why I made the probe launcher. I’ll free-climb a mountain if there’s someone trapped there. But never for an adrenaline rush. And Drew’s never done a probe launch.”
“We’ve got this, man,” Tex said. “Sack up.”
I stepped closer to him, my frustration turning hot in my veins. “Sack up? You know who’s got no respect for danger? People who’ve never faced it. If you’re gonna risk your life for shits and grins, have at it. But don’t ask Drew to do it. That’s not fair.”
“She doesn’t have to do it,” Murph said. “She can stay with you for the probe launch.”
I ran a hand through my hair. “Yeah, right. Leaving you, Tex, and Millie to launch a balloon? When you’re used to having five people?”
“We’ll make the final decision when the time comes,” Murph said. “We need to move out.”
Millie approached Drew. “Hey, will you switch with Tex for the ride? I need someone to quiz me for the summer class I’m taking online. I’m pretty sure Tex won’t be able to pronounce the polysyllabic words.”
“I’ve got some polysyllabic words for you,” Tex said, rolling his eyes at Millie.
“Sure,” Drew said, her eyes darting over to mine for just a second. Was she relieved or disappointed? I’d been hoping we could talk about last night now that she was calmer.
But it wasn’t happening. She got into the Funnel Finder with Murph and Millie and I got stuck with Tex, who ran his mouth nonstop about college football for the first hour on the road. He didn’t seem to care whether I responded or even paid attention.
Finally, he shut up and left me alone with my thoughts. The hours rolled by and I thought about Drew constantly. I kept replaying last night in my head, wondering if she’d reached out to me because she was vulnerable or desperate.
Or could she actually feel something? An attraction? I couldn’t help hoping so, even though she was off-limits.
It wasn’t just because she’d been Colby’s girl. I was a loner. Had been for thirteen years now. I didn’t do closeness.
Drew was reaching out to a man for what I assumed was the first time since Colby’s death. But she was reaching out to someone who didn’t know how to reach back. I was walled off inside, and she deserved better.
We got to the storm site in Nebraska late that afternoon. As soon as Drew stepped out of Murph’s car, my eyes instinctively locked on her. I’d missed her light, sweet scent next to me in my truck today. Not to mention her warm laugh and the way she turned sideways in her seat to face me when we were talking. Having her attention lit me up like nothing else.
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