Break, page 22
Vincent is following in the back, calling out occasionally to alert us of any hazards or interesting sights Mina should check out. Her head is twisting in all directions as she tries to take in every inch of the view.
After about thirty minutes of walking, I can hear her breath pick up a touch from the exertion and her pace has slowed a bit. Looking down at her, I see a small tremor rattle through her from the cold. The temperature is dropping quickly, so I touch her elbow to stop her.
Unzipping my jacket, I pull off my sweatshirt I’m wearing underneath it and hand it over. “Here. You’re cold.”
Her eyes are bright, lit up from her enjoyment of our hike, even though her teeth are chattering. “Oh, no thank you. You’ll be cold with only a t-shirt and jacket.”
Vincent chuckles, taking the sweatshirt from my hand and slipping it over her head. “Ethan will be perfectly fine, sweetheart. If he gets cold, I’ll give him a snuggle next to the fire when we get back.”
I start to roll my eyes at him but stop when she lets out a giggle at his teasing. Biting her lip, she looks up at me shyly. “That’d be a sight, wouldn’t it?”
My heart thumps in my chest at the sound of her laughter, and I can’t help but feel a surge of desire course through me. She looks so damn beautiful, with her rosy cheeks and disheveled hair being whipped around her face by the breeze picking up. “It’d be something,” I murmur, thinking about snuggling up with her instead.
She doesn’t laugh, but her eyes glitter with amusement. Turning when Max calls out to us that our site is up ahead, she takes a step but stumbles over Walter. Stinking dog had been trudging along next to her, but stopped in front of her without her noticing.
Quickly reaching out, I grab her around the waist to catch her from hitting the ground. Her bark of laughter causes Max to turn around and walk back, looking her over with concern. “Walter! Come on, man. You okay, Mina?”
Laughing, she waves us off. Her cheeks pink up in the dimming light, a bit embarrassed over tripping. “I’m fine, just wasn’t paying attention.”
“If you need to ride on a back the rest of the way, I volunteer as the sacrificial beast of burden.” Vincent waggles his eyebrows, teasing a deeper blush from her.
Blowing out a huff, she shakes her head. “I think I can manage not eating dirt the rest of the way. I appreciate the offer to ride you, though.”
Max’s eyes widen before he spins back around as he fights off a smile over her unintentional innuendo. Vincent lets out an intelligible sound, something between a laugh and a groan, and he struggles to not make a comment. He’s really fucking struggling, too.
Her smile fades, turning into confusion over his reaction, and I decide to redirect her. Reaching down, I grab her hand and interlock our fingers, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “Let’s get back before it gets too dark.”
She nods, her smile returning as she tightens her grip on my hand, holding on as she maneuvers her way over the darkened path back to camp. Her fingers are cold, and I can’t stop my thumb from running over her skin in a weak attempt to warm her.
The fire is still crackling, even with the flames beginning to lower after burning for a few hours. Pulling her forward, I stand her in front of the fire and whisper, “Stay here for a few minutes to warm up. You’re trembling like a leaf.”
Mina nods, her eyes finding mine in the dim light. Her lips part slightly, as if she wants to say something, but nothing comes out. Instead, she turns her attention to the fire, her hands reaching out to soak up the warmth.
The way her hair falls around her shoulders, and how her eyes sparkle in the glow of the flames; it’s all too much for me to resist. I know I’m being forward, but I take a step closer to her and wrap my arms around her waist from behind.
She jumps at the sudden contact, but then relaxes into my touch. There’s a sense of protectiveness that’s grown inside of me since having her around us again, a need to keep her safe and warm.
Clearing his throat, I meet Max’s eye over the top of her head when he says, “I’ll gather some more wood for the fire. Vincent, would you take a look around to make sure… well, just make sure everything is good?”
“Can I help with anything?” Her voice is low, relaxed, and content.
Shaking his head no, Vincent gives her a soft smile. “Nah, sweetpea. Just get warmed up and then we’ll call it an early night. We have an early morning tomorrow.”
As they move away, I can’t stop from tightening my grip a bit more around her waist and breathing in her scent before slowly releasing her and stepping away. “Do you need anything before we sleep?”
Her eyes find mine over her shoulder, a bit of bewilderment in them, most likely from the contact I instigated. “I’m, uhh… I think I have everything I need.” Her nerves are showing again, and I really hope I didn’t make her feel uncomfortable.
Nodding toward the tent, I do my best to play it off like it wasn’t a big deal. “If you’re ready to sleep, why don’t you head in and lay down? Everything is set up.”
“O-Okay.” She wrings her fingers together and takes a deep breath, focusing those brown eyes on me. “Thank you for bringing me out to the woods. I… I just love it here. It’s magical.” She whispers the last bit before taking a step around me and unzipping the entrance to the tent and slipping inside.
I squat in front of the flames for a few more minutes, lost in my own thoughts. It’s not long before my friends return, flanking my sides as they take a seat in the chairs located around the fire.
We sit together, all staring at the coals until Max breaks the silence. “She go to bed?”
I nod, choosing not to speak or look at either of them.
“Sooo, I’m just going to ask because I think it needs to come up. Ethan…” He trails off until I look over at him. “You got a thing for her?”
I roll my eyes and scoff at his teenaged question. “A thing. Yeah, pretty sure I’ve got a thing for her.” Glancing over at Max, I can’t tell if he’s considering my answer or is pissed by it. We don’t break eye contact until he gives me a slight chin lift in acknowledgment.
“Yeah, I’ll be real honest here. I do, too.” I don’t react to Vincent’s declaration because I already knew he did. I’ve seen the way he is with women he’s been interested in over the past few years, and with Mina? He’s definitely invested.
We both turn to Max, who’s still silent. His jaw clenches as he works through his own feelings. Finally, he lets his shoulders drop. “Whether I am or not isn’t the issue right now. She’s got a lot on her plate, and we’ve all been assholes to her throughout her entire life. How about we focus on keeping her safe, giving her experiences she’s been deprived of for years, and let her take a bit of control over her future? If that involves one or more of us, I’ll accept that.”
Pursing his lips, Vincent narrows his eyes at him. “Or we continue to show her we aren’t the assholes she thinks we are. Open up and let her get to know us, and maybe be a part of her life once Danny is dealt with. Maybe we could all be adults and let her know we all are interested. Let her make decisions for herself with all the information provided.”
Tossing a log onto the pile of ashy wood, I stand and brush my hands off on my pants. “I’m going to bed. I think we should all get some rest. Early morning tomorrow.”
Vince lunges forward and beats me to the tent. Whispering as he passes, “I’m gonna get a spot next to her. Maybe I’ll score some middle of the night cuddles too.” With a wink, he unzips the entrance and heads inside.
Waiting, I hold back the flap until Max finds his way over. Standing in front of me, he makes his confession. “I’m worried I’ve fucked up too much with her in the past, and I have a temper.”
Squeezing his shoulder, I give him the only answer I can. “Apologize. Then be better.”
Laughing softly, he shakes his head at me, then goes inside. I’m the last to enter.
After closing us in, I make my way to the last sleeping bag on Mina’s left. Her breathing is steady and deep, peaceful after a full day of work and hiking.
Threading my fingers behind my head after lying down, I look at the roof of the tent. I eventually close my eyes and drift to sleep with the sounds of Mina snoring softly as her warm, sweet scent slowly fills the tent.
Chapter 30
Holy Fuck
Max
Stretching my back as I wake up, I try to work the kinks out of my shoulder from sleeping on the ground. My movement shifts me into something solid and I freeze at the weight that’s pressed up against my chest.
Cracking my eye open, I expect to find Walter curled up next to me, but when I see a mess of dark waves, both of my eyes fly open and widen in shock.
Holy fuck… Mina is cuddling with me.
I glance around the space to find Vincent on the other side of her, staring at me with a shit-eating grin. Ethan is sitting near our feet, just watching us with curiosity. I open my mouth to say something, but Vincent quickly puts his fingers to his lips to keep me quiet.
Snapping my mouth shut, I look back down and see that Mina is dead to the world. Her mouth is slightly parted, breathing steadily into Walter’s neck. Apparently, the little shit took advantage of this impromptu cuddle pile as well. She has her arm slung over his side, and it’s nice to see all the stress lines smoothed out across her face while she’s completely uninhibited and peaceful.
Walter must notice that I’m awake because his tail taps against the sleeping bags in a slow thump, happy to greet me this morning. He shifts his body to get up, bumping into Mina. She stirs enough to roll over to face me. Pressing her cheek against my chest, she releases a contented sigh and drifts back to sleep.
As her body leans into mine, I realize that my dick is hard as a rock. I have to look up at the ceiling of the tent to will the damn thing to go down before she wakes up and realizes it’s throbbing against her abdomen.
Vincent realizes my predicament and starts to snicker quietly. I want to get up and smack him, but not enough to give up the position I’m in right now. Even with a raging hard-on, this is fucking heaven. So instead, I glare at him as I wrap my arm over her and pull her against me a bit tighter.
His laughter trails off as he watches me, and I curl my lips up, smirking at him when my hand rests between her shoulder blades. Pushing up on his elbow, he whispers, “Touché,” and then winks before hopping up to twist and crack his back.
Ethan’s deep, rumbling voice fills the tent, and I feel Mina shift when his words disturb her slumber. “We should probably get moving. Best time for fishing.”
Wishing we didn’t have anything planned, I briefly close my eyes to enjoy the feeling of Mina next to me for a moment longer. My hand rubs up and down her back gently in an attempt to ease her awake.
Groaning softly, she nuzzles her face deeper into my body, fighting her need to wake up. I can tell the moment she does when her muscles tighten under my fingertips as she realizes she’s basically lying on top of me.
Her eyes pop open and meet mine. I bite the inside of my cheek when I see that she’s obviously embarrassed, unsure of how to react lying this close to me, and maybe a little scared. My body instinctively responds to her alarm, and I pull her more firmly against me before setting my palm against her cheek. Leaning down, I whisper soothingly in her ear, trying to calm her. “It’s okay, Mina. You must have rolled into me at some point last night. I’m not upset and I’m not going to hurt you. I swear, I’d never do that.”
I press a kiss to her forehead to reiterate my words. Tilting her head back, I study her and the blush which is running from her neck all the way to the apples of her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to,” she mumbles, voice cracking from sleep.
Christ, she’s fucking cute. Chuckling, I grin at her. “Don’t apologize. Besides, I’m certain I stayed warmer than those two fuckers last night.”
“Truth,” Vincent mutters.
She smiles shyly at me, and my stomach does a somersault. I’m definitely feeling something for this girl, and I don’t know how to handle my own emotions at what that might mean.
Ducking her head, she rolls over to face Walter and gives him a big hug and some ear scratches, murmuring sweet ‘good boys’ in his ear before finding her feet. I hate letting her go but I know that asking her to lie back down with me wouldn’t go over well.
I watch as she stretches her arms above her head, flashing a sliver of skin at her waist, which sends another pulse of desire straight to my cock. The fucker is still standing at attention. With her back turned to me, I get up quickly so I can tuck the head of my dick under my waistband to hide it from her. Of course, she hears my movement and looks back at me.
The way her gaze runs down my body is more analytic than simply checking me out, and I wince when her eyes take in the bulge in the front of my sweats. Immediately, her hand covers her mouth, and she spins back around to scramble out of the tent.
Groaning inwardly, I finish adjusting myself, then throw on a new shirt before making my way out into the fast-approaching morning.
Vincent and Ethan are working together to get some breakfast cooked up, but Mina isn’t in the clearing. “Where’d she go?” I ask them.
Ethan looks me over, then nods his head to my left. “Bathroom.”
I’m tempted to follow her, to make sure I didn’t make her uncomfortable, but I wait. I occupy my time by organizing our gear to take on the boat for the day, sending frequent glances in the direction Ethan said she went in.
The snapping of twigs and crunching leaves alerts all of us that she’s making her way back. Speaking softly to Vince and Ethan, I whisper, “I’ll be right back.” I walk toward her and wait next to the truck just as she steps out of the woods.
She stops when she sees me, then looks away, unable to meet my eyes and clearly embarrassed by the whole hard cock thing. Walking up to her, I lean down to get her attention and have her meet my gaze. “I’m sorry,” I start, and her dark eyes move to mine, searching inside me for the reason behind my apology. “I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable with…” I motion to my dick, unintentionally drawing her attention lower.
Her eyes follow the movement of my hand, then shoot up to the sky. “S-Sorry…” she stutters out.
“Mina,” I call to her and wait for her eyes to drop back to me.
Stumbling over her words, she rambles. “I know it happens and wasn’t anything about me. I mean, I know that men sometimes can’t help… you know,” she says, waving in the vicinity of my crotch. “I just don’t want you to think I think it was because of me, or-”
I cut her off, unable to stop the little smirk from tilting my lips up. “Well, I wouldn’t say it wasn’t not you,” I confess, and she looks bewildered by that. Like she can’t believe that she elicited a physical response from me.
Blushing furiously, she looks away from me again, then mumbles, “I’m just going to go before I embarrass myself even more.”
As she steps away, I quickly hold my hands up to halt her. “Please, don’t be embarrassed. You’re a beautiful woman and I won’t insult you by saying I didn’t enjoy having you pressed against me.” She stiffens when I first start talking, but by the end, a small tremor runs through her slight body. I still keep some distance between us, but I move close enough that her scent fills my nose.
When she sucks in a gasping breath, I see a brief flash of fear before she shuts it down. Whispering to me like she’s admitting some dark secret, she says, “I’m not really familiar with… this.” She waves her hand between the two of us.
“What do you mean?”
Shaking her head, she gives me a self-deprecating laugh. “Any form of intimacy. I’ve never… Danny and I didn’t…” She’s struggling to find the right words to explain, and I wish I could understand, but I’m lost. A high-pitched noise escapes her throat in frustration.
Walter hears the noise she releases and yips at her from where he’s waiting by the food. “It’s alright, buddy,” I call to him, then focus back on Mina. “Just say what you’re trying to say. I’m not going to laugh at you, honey.” I promise, relaxing my body so she doesn’t feel cornered.
Rubbing at the spot between her eyes, her shoulders fall like she’s defeated. Then, looking up at me with the fear I saw earlier, she explains. “I was married to Danny for almost five years. We didn’t cuddle. We didn’t touch unless he wanted… those things. I don’t know what it means.”
Her confession surprises me, and I hear Vincent start coughing behind me, clearly having overheard what she said. Her face falls, thinking he’s laughing at her, so I grab her attention before she shuts down on me.
“Mina, no one is laughing at you.” She looks skeptical, but I continue. “I promise. Also, fuck Danny for treating you like less than you deserve.” Taking a deep breath, I try to put her at ease. “Don’t be embarrassed by what you have and haven’t experienced. Just… experience it and know you won’t get any pressure from me or them.” I nod in the direction of where Ethan and Vincent silently pretend that they aren’t listening to any of this. “Now, how about we eat breakfast, then we’ll show you how to catch some fish?”
Nobody brings up what just transpired between the two of us while we inhale our food in relative silence. Mina is lost in her own world, picking at the meal, and mainly pushing it around her plate.
As we load up into the truck once we’ve cleaned up, Vincent punches me in the shoulder when Mina isn’t looking. “You did decent back there, but you need to fix this shit. She’s shutting down right in front of us.”
“No, she’s not,” Ethan grumbles, shoving us apart so he can get to the driver’s door.
