by Kat London
I looked back at Gavin and laughed. “What is it? It looks like an alien.”
“That,” he said, leaning forward and holding the flower in front of me, “is a Calypso Bulbosa, also known as a Fairy Slipper Orchid.” He spun the flower towards him and then back at me. “While it does look a little alien, I promise you it doesn’t smell that way. Here, take a whiff.”
I leaned closer, meeting Gavin halfway across the counter and closed my eyes before taking a deep breath. Vanilla. The fairy slipper smelled just like vanilla. “How did you know?” I asked, opening my eyes and meeting his gaze.
He paused a moment before swallowing, then cleared his throat. “We’re friends, right? What friend doesn’t know how their friend takes their coffee? You’ve always been a French vanilla girl since I met you. Here, it’s yours.” He put the flower in my open palm, grazing my palm with his fingers.
I stood there not able to do much more than blink as I stared at the flower resting against my skin. I’d never gotten a flower before, even if it was just from a friend. But the bigger question here was that he knew how I took my coffee. I had no idea how Gavin took his, but should I? I knew Blake liked hers with one cream and one sugar and Ali liked hers black. But Gavin, well I had no idea.
The door dinged again, but I couldn’t peel my eyes away from the flower. And then I heard Kyle’s voice. “Hey Cher,” he said. “I didn’t know you worked here.”
I glanced up at Kyle. His face was much too chipper for someone who was out drinking last night. An image of him and one of my wet t-shirt cohorts popped in my head, but I shook it away. Wake up, Cher. You’ve got a job to do. Tucking the flower into the envelope Gavin gave me, I set them on a shelf under the counter. “Yep, I work here. It’s been two years now. I do all the hiking tours.”
“What?” He beamed, and I couldn’t help but smile. “So you’re our guide?” He nodded. “Sweet! I get dibs on Cher’s tent.”
I cringed. Was Kyle this immature last night? I couldn’t remember anything overly boorish, but I was pretty tipsy. I glanced quickly at Gavin, who stepped back from the counter. His face was shadowed with a frown as he crossed his arms and shook his head.
“It’s not that kind of trip,” I said, quickly saving face. “Everyone has their own tent.” I looked behind Kyle. “I thought there were supposed to be five of you all together?”
Gavin spoke up. “Sorry, I didn’t have a chance to tell you last night. It looks like it’s only going to be Kyle and us.”
“Do you like threesome’s, Cher,” Kyle said. “Because here’s your chance!”
Ali burst into laughter from behind me, but I held my ground. My face was hot, but after how I acted last night I knew that this was partially my fault. Gavin’s frown stretched even bigger, and I was pretty sure the side of his jaw was vibrating from him grinding his teeth.
“Like I said, not that kind of trip,” I mumbled. “Let’s get going.”
I led Gavin and Kyle to the garage, where Blake had finished loading the gear. She and Gavin chatted while Kyle and I went to load our overnight bags on the other side of the Jeep. As soon as we were moderately out of sight, he put a hand on my ass and squeezed me.
“Hey!” I spun around, holding my overnight bag between us.
His surprise from my reaction was quickly replaced by a smile so smug I could tell Kyle was used to getting his way. He leaned against the Jeep, sidling right up to me as he whispered in my ear. “I hope we can pick up where we left off last night.”
I took a step back. “What happened last night? One minute you were there, and the next, gone.”
“Oh, yeah,” he said, rubbing his stomach. “I started feeling sick, so I just took off.” Then he reached out his hand toward my middle, and pulled me close. My bag dropped to the cement floor. “Maybe I could sneak into your tent tonight and you could take care of me. That is unless you want the old guy.”
I tried to wiggle free, uncomfortable with his mention of Gavin as the “old” guy. Gavin wasn’t more than five years older than me. So what did that make me in comparison to Kyle? To make matters worse, I saw Gavin had stopped talking to Blake and was now standing at the back of the Jeep watching us. I pushed away from Kyle and leaned over to grab my bag.
That’s when he slapped my ass.
I shot up, bag in my arms, and mouth wide open. But before I could form any words in my head, Gavin was between us. His eyes were wide as he looked between Kyle and me, and his face was beet red. I shied away, embarrassed I’d let the flirting get this far.
“Cher,” Gavin said between gritted teeth. “Can you meet us out front?”
I nodded, not able to make eye contact with Gavin. I didn’t care what Kyle thought anymore. He just made me look like an idiot, and I did that enough myself. I opened the Jeep door and tossed my bag inside, then started it up. Quickly glancing back, I couldn’t see Gavin or Kyle anywhere. So I backed out of the garage, closed the door, and drove to the front of the building.
Kyle stormed past me, down the sidewalk with his overnight bag on his shoulder. Oh, man. Was Gavin mad? Was he going to cancel the trip? I started biting my lip, and old habit from childhood whenever my mom would get after me for not following one of the crazy fad diets she put me on before a pageant. All I wanted to do was play outside in the dirt, and all she wanted me to do was look pretty and act like a girl. I was torn between two worlds.
Gavin knocked on the Jeep window, and I realize the door was locked. He opened the door and tossed my bag in the back seat with his, then climbed next to me.
“Ready?” he asked.
I nodded, then took a deep breath before putting the Jeep in drive. “Are you mad at me?”
He looked confused as he turned toward me. “You? Not at all. Why?”
“I saw Kyle leaving. I just want you to know—”
He cut me off before I could finish. “It looks like Kyle is still not feeling well. I recommended he go home and get better.” Pausing, he raised an eyebrow. “I hope that’s okay with you?”
“Perfectly fine,” I said. I was relieved that Gavin wasn’t upset, but my body still vibrated with nerves. Was it the idea of being alone with him? That made no sense. We were friends. I was just embarrassed that yet again I’d picked out a real winner like Kyle. I needed to get my head out of the clouds and up the mountainside so I could lose all of these romantic notions. I needed to stop searching for love where it didn’t exist.
THREE
After parking the Jeep and strapping on our backpacks, Gavin and I headed on my favorite lake—Upper Kananaskis. It was a light 3k hike to the Point Backcountry campground where we’d spend the night. The nice thing was we could spend most of our day either exploring the trails around the lake, or venture off the paths in search of Gavin’s list of plant life.
The trail to Point was clearly worn, being a popular day trip for most hikers. While I knew Gavin wasn’t looking for a challenging experience, I suddenly wanted to show off some of my skills. Most people saw me as nothing but a curvy-figure girl. But I was a damn good hiker and knew the mountains around us well. And it mattered to me that Gavin saw that.
“I was thinking once we set up camp we could hike over to Hidden Lake?” I asked. “It’s a beautiful spot in this area.”
“Maybe we could take a quick swim,” he said. “I haven’t been there since I was a kid.”
I nodded. The thought of swimming alone with Gavin at the falls sent a warm sensation through my middle. He’d be half-naked—I’d never seen under his plain shirts before, but this girl could imagine. Ohmygod. Friend-zone, Cher. Stop being a dork. Plus, as hidden as the falls were, they were still a popular place for hikers to visit and photograph. We’d be lucky if we were alone anywhere but the campsite.
I cleared my throat before my mind ventured off into further thoughts of Gavin. “So why couldn’t your other staff come?”
“Well, you know that Jacques just quit. Mary is a single mom, and it was supposed to be her kid’s
dad’s weekend, but he got called away to work. I offered to pay for a sitter, but she didn’t like leaving her daughter alone that long.” He offered a lazy smile. “Then there’s Rene, but her husband is sick, so she didn’t want to leave him overnight. They’re both older. She just works at the shop to pay for his medical bills.”
“Wow, single moms and seniors. You’re a pretty nice guy, Gav.”
“Some think so.”
We continued to hike in silence, every crunch of dirt and gravel making my nerves heighten. Even my heartbeat, which was already working harder because of the hike, seemed to be in super-mode from just being close to my old friend. Every time my hand swung a little too close to his, I could feel the heat from his body zapping through my arm. Did he feel the same way? And why was it suddenly so hard to come up with stuff to talk to Gavin about?
“Check it out!” Gavin’s voice made me jump, bringing me out of my daze. He was pointing to the trees on our left, opposite the lake. Before I knew it, he was off the trail and into the brush.
“Wait for me,” I called out after him.
When I caught up with him, he was bent over next to the same kind of flower he gave me earlier, the fairy slipper orchid. I stood back, watching the excitement spread across his face as he dug into his bag. I realized I hadn’t asked Gavin what he wanted with flora and fauna on this trip. Was he going to take a sample back to his shop? Was he going to try to grow some on his own? To my surprise, he pulled out a camera.
“I’ve been planning this calendar for over a year now,” he said, playing with the settings on his DSLR. He held the camera up and started moving around, taking different shots of the tiny flower.
I looked back to the trail, about twenty feet away. “How on earth did you spot this from back there?”
“It’s pretty easy to find what you want when you know what you’re looking for.” He paused, looking up at me from the camera with excitement still bouncing around in the lines around his eyes. My stomach fluttered. Was that excitement directed at me?
“So you’ll sell the calendar in your store?” I asked.
“Yeah, the plan is to donate the funds to local charities. Mary was telling me about this kids program for low-income families. It helps pay for kids to get into sports or arts programs.”
“Really?” I sighed. Gavin was an amazing guy. I watched as he lay on his back, aiming for an upward shot of the tiny flower and noticed his shirt slid up above the top of his pants, revealing a dark patch of hair above his button. My stomach flutters turned to flip-flops. I wanted to reach down and unbutton his pants to see more.
“There, all done,” Gavin said, moving the camera away from his face. His gaze caught mine and held it for a moment. Instantly my cheeks blushed. Did he catch me staring at his cock? My nerves returned, and I stepped back, offering my hand for him to get up.
Gavin’s fingers slid into my hand, gripping them tight as he pulled himself up. He was stronger than I realized, his pull jolting my arm and making me stumble against him as he got to his feet. I grabbed his shoulder to right myself, and my breasts pushed against his chest. Still holding my hand with one hand, his other held his camera tightly as he wrapped his arm behind me.
“Are you okay,” he asked, his breath tickled the top of my head.
A smile played on my lips. “Yes, I’m sorry. Clumsy me.” I made a move to step away, but he gripped tighter. “We should be careful,” I whispered, reaching up and brushing pine needles from his light brown hair.
His gripped loosened, then let me go. Before I stepped back I looked into his eyes—they were distant and glazed with something dark and hungry. I hesitated a moment, held to him now by only our fingers, but he pulled his hand away and with it his warmth dissipated.
Instantly I wanted more of Gavin’s touch. Instead, I watched as he put his camera away. When he looked back up his face was back to normal—the raw want and need was replaced by his soft expression.
But when he spoke his voice was gruff. “We better get going so we can get camp set up.” I could only nod in agreement.
***
It took an hour to reach camp, but by then I was back to business. Gavin seemed distracted. He didn’t run into the woods again, instead just taking pictures on the trail whenever I pointed out something of interest. Different trees, moss, and fauna were what stood out to me. But nothing I pointed out brought Gavin’s original excitement back. He seemed to be holding something in.
I removed my backpack and started unloading my gear. First off was our tents, once we got those setup and our food locked away, so we didn’t attract bears, then I could focus on Gavin again. I was determined to make sure he had a good time.
“Um, Cher,” he said. The sound of my name crossing his lips brought the flutter back to my mid-section. “I don’t seem to have a tent.” He indicated to my tent, already spread out on the ground.
I frowned, as I got up and went to check his gear. “Can I take a look?” He stepped back as I took his backpack and sorted through his things. Ohmygod, Blake. Gavin was right. His tent was not here. “I’m sorry, I let Blake pack for me. It looks like we’re going to have to share a tent.” I peered back to my tiny one-man tent, then looked back at Gavin. “And it’s going to be tight.”
This time he frowned, and I instantly felt my butterflies collapse in my gut. “Listen, I could run back to the Jeep and get another one at the shop? You could go hiking on your own, and then meet me back here in a few hours?” The more I talked, the faster my voice got, which only made Gavin’s frown turn into a smile.
“Hey, it’s okay,” he said. “I’d love to sleep with you—in your tent—if you don’t mind sleeping with me.” His cheeks flushed as he spoke. So, I wasn’t the only one nervous. Nice.
“Only if you’re sure,” I said as he nodded.
We finished securing our site, ate, and then packed up to head to Hidden Lake. Things had finally relaxed between us since our moment in the trees. Even better, Gavin was more playful, flirty even. He was definitely back to his old self. By the time we reached the lake, I was so hot from not only the hike but the thought of him half-naked, I needed a swim to cool off.
Not waiting for Gavin, I started stripping off my clothes, revealing my black one-piece suit. It dipped down in the back, stopping just above my ass, while the front purposefully had strips missing to reveal my cleavage. As I stepped into the cold water of the lake, I looked back to find Gavin snapping pictures of the scenery—and me.
“Ohmygod,” I squealed. “Delete those pictures of me.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, lowering his camera. “But you just look so damn good.” My mouth dropped open, but Gavin didn’t notice. He set his camera back in his bag, pulled off his shirt, revealing a patch of hair on his chest that dropped between his chiseled pecs, down across his abs. When he dropped his cargo shorts, he had nothing on but black boxer briefs. “I hope you’re ready to get cold,” he yelled.
“What?” I shook my head watching Gavin break into a run. It took me a minute before I realized he was coming right at me. “No, no, no!” I squealed, trying to escape into the freezing depths of the lake.
In one swoop, Gavin lifted me up and spun me around. My scream echoed across the lake, bouncing back the mountains that stretched upward in the backdrop. He started to swing back and forth, threatening to throw me in the crystal clear waters. “Gavin, don’t you dare!” I wrapped my arms around his neck and hung on for dear life.
His chest was warm against my body, and when I wrapped my arms around him, I pulled my face close to his neck. The sweet smell of vanilla filled my nostrils. Was it still left over from the flower, or did he always smell this good up close?
“Are you sure?” he teased, tightening his grip. I was firmly aware of the sensation of his hands—one holding my upper thigh, the tips of his fingers sitting at the bottom hem of my bathing suit—the other snug under my arm at the base of my breast, just inches from my nipple. I wanted more, but did he?
<
br /> “Please don’t let me go,” I whispered against his shoulder, my arms pulling me closer to his face.
He looked down, meeting my gaze, his eyelids heavy with lust. At that moment I didn’t care that we were long-time friends. I needed his lips against mine. He leaned his face closer, pressing his forehead to mine. “What am I going to do with you?” his voice came out in a deep whisper.
I couldn’t wait for another second; I leaned up pressing my lips against his with a hunger that I didn’t realize had been brewing inside me. My hands let go, one still holding on while the other moved to the back of his hair, pulling his face closer to mine.
A groan escaped from Gavin’s throat, which only fed my hunger more. He was everything I wanted—kind, sexy, and he turned me on. I didn’t need alcohol to have fun with him. I could just be myself. Why hadn’t I seen Gavin like this before?
A splash in the distance interrupted us. I let go of Gavin, pulling my lips away from his, and turned to see a moose had entered the lake with us. Gavin slowly put me back in the water and took my hand. The two of us waded deeper into the lake to watch the majestic beast take a swim. My skin was so hot from Gavin’s kiss that I welcomed the cold mountain water as it surrounded me.
We stopped when the water was up to our chins. I nestled in closer to Gavin, letting go of his hand as he wrapped his arm around me. The moose finished its peaceful paddle, and left the lake on the other side, disappearing into the trees.
Gavin’s other arm looped around my waist and swung me in front of him. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he pulled me back into a kiss. My breasts felt amazing pushed against his hard chest, and his hands pulled my bottom closer as I wrapped my legs around his waist.
“Oh god,” he groaned, moving his lips from my mouth to my ear. “I’ve wanted you for so long.”
I giggled as his breath tickled my neck. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”
“As if,” he said, pulling back. My skin instantly missed the warmth of his lips. “You’ve been too busy hanging out with all those boys.”
