Chapter 18

Ruby

I watch the guys tear quickly down the trail, Wyatt’s broad back rippling beneath his shirt, his muscles straining against the fabric. He draws my gaze right up until they’re out of sight, my eyes clinging desperately to him.

I stand still, waiting until I’m sure they’re out of earshot before losing a growl of frustration. Leave it to Jake to show up and ruin a perfectly good moment.

Even if I had tried, I couldn’t have orchestrated a more perfect place for a conversation between us. The setting sun, the memories lying just at the back of our minds…it would have been great.

Of course, my brother would pop up at exactly the wrong time.

I run my fingers briskly through my hair, replaying the encounter in my mind as I begin to walk.

What was he going to say?

Ruby, I want you?

Ruby, I love you?

I scoff at my own hopeful thoughts, rolling my eyes as I stomp back down the trail.

Whatever he was going to say, the moment has passed. I hope not permanently, but who’s to say?

Maybe I’m just reading too much into it anyways, projecting my desires onto an innocent moment between friends. It’s possible.

Even still, it was the first time I had a chance to talk to Wyatt one-on-one since we got here, and it sucks that it was so short-lived.

Truthfully, though, I’m not even sure what I want to talk to him about. What would I even say?

I drag my feet as I walk, no longer in any hurry to get to where I’m going. Dusk is settling around me, and the woods are settling underneath it. It’s peaceful; calming, even.

And, God knows, I need to be calmed right now.

Even the thought of the way Wyatt looked at me has my heart beating furiously in my chest, my stomach tightening with barely contained desire. His effect on me is ridiculous, powerful, and unshakable; I can barely manage to breathe in his presence.

Back at the lake, I wanted nothing so much as to reach out and touch him, to pull him to me and kiss him like my life depended on it.

Given that Jake showed up, though, I’m pretty happy that I didn’t. Talk about an awkward family moment.

Though, truth be told, it might have been worth it if it meant getting to kiss Wyatt.

I sigh, allowing myself to fantasize since I’m here alone anyway. I imagine his huge arms pulling tightly around me, the press of my body against his. My blood runs hot as I picture his tongue pressing into my eager mouth, his large hands roaming freely across my body.

Heat flows through me at my thoughts, pooling powerfully between my legs. I’m already getting wet again, already desperate for another release.

I know that I’m a virgin and am not well-versed in these matters, but despite that, I know that my feelings for Wyatt are special. I’ve never felt so drawn to anyone, never wanted anyone the way I want him.

My pussy aches at his proximity; my heart hammers in my chest.

This isn’t just your garden variety level of attraction. This is fucking mind-blowing. This is that can’t-eat-can’t-sleep kind of need. The kind that drives people crazy.

I should know, since I’m currently feeling pretty crazy myself.

With thoughts of Wyatt flashing powerfully through my mind, the hike back seems to pass in no time.

Before I know it, I’m nearing the end of the trail—and, just in time, since night is finally falling around me. Our yard comes into view moments later. As soon as I lay eyes on it, I become aware of my aching feet.

I hadn’t noticed until right this moment how badly they hurt. I think it’ll be nice to get off them for the night.

As I draw near, now fully excited by the idea of relaxing, the guys come into view again.

I see Wyatt and Jake standing beside each other out front—clearly in an interesting conversation, judging by their dramatic gestures.

The sight piques my interest, and I hurry over to them, ignoring the protests of my throbbing heels.

“Well?” I ask, nearing them.

“Well, what?” Jake asks.

“Well, who won the race? Did you lose, Jake?” I tease.

They exchange incredulous glances before turning back to me.

“I don’t even know. We got kind of distracted,” Jake says, gesturing around the yard.

I follow his movement, glancing around for the first time.

“What happened?” I ask, only now noticing that there’s a disaster spread around us. In my defense, with Wyatt around, it’s kind of hard to look anywhere but at him.

“Some animal must have gotten into our stuff.” Wyatt says. “Pretty much all the food is gone.”

“What? How?”

He gestures to the remains of our cooler, now broken into bits with only crumbs remaining in the bottom. Empty containers and bags litter the ground around us, garbage already beginning to stir in the night air.

“Why was all the food even out here?” I ask, still looking around at the destruction.

My dad pipes up, sounding a touch embarrassed. “Well, I wanted to cook everything at once so that it wouldn’t go bad. I figured we could cook it all and then store it in the fridge for reheating.”

“Dad…”

“I know, I know. Jake already lectured me. Really, though, it made sense at the time.”

“It really did,” my mother offers, shooting my dad a reassuring smile.

“Well, that’s great and all,” Jake says, “but it clearly didn’t work out too well.”

“I know. Sorry about that, you guys.”

“That’s alright, Dad,” I offer. “We’ll figure something out.” I direct my gaze to Wyatt. “What do you think got into everything?”

“Hard to say,” he replies. “Bear, raccoon…could have been anything.”

“Well, that’s reassuring,” Jake chimes in.

I sigh, looking around again at the mess before turning my attention to the group.

“Well, we’ve obviously gotta come up with a plan here. Any ideas?”