Chapter Four

It was too early to be awake and packing up for a weekend of camping with amateurs. It was made worse because he’d hardly gotten any sleep, worrying and wondering what trouble would befall the group. It was rare that camping amateurs made it through an entire weekend without a mishap, injury or worse. Adding Sandi to the mix was like adding gasoline to the fire. “Are we ready for camping?”

The response was less than enthusiastic which was to be expected since the sun wasn’t even up yet. Still, it didn’t bode well. “Now that you’re here, I am.” The redhead winked and bent over, showing off her shapely ass.

He groaned, scanning the crowd for his colleague. Late colleague, he amended. “As soon as our other guide arrives,”

“She’s already here,” the sexy redhead said. “Sandi’s inside.”

Sandi? He went inside the main building in search of the infuriating woman. And he nearly collided with her. “There you are.”

“As requested.” She skirted around him and kept right on walking. When he caught up with her, she handed out paper cups and poured coffee into each one. “I figured we should all have it black, jolt us awake to start the day.”

And just like that Sandi had the whole group eating out of her hand. “Bags,” he grunted at her. Instead of snapping back she nodded and took the long route around him to load up the van. The two men in the group gave him a look of disgust. “Let me help,” he added just to get away.

“No thanks,” she chirped and continued to load up the gear, acting like he wasn’t there.

“Sorry,” he grumbled reluctantly. He hadn’t done anything wrong yet somehow he was the bad guy. She said nothing and soon the van was loaded up and she was collecting paper cups and taking the coffee pot back inside.

When she returned she clapped loudly. “Time to load up. We’ll arrive at the starting point in about forty five minutes and then we have quite a hike. Prepare yourselves.”

So she’s a good hostess, that means nothing. August would make up his mind when they started hiking. “I hope you don’t have new gear,” he whispered so the clients wouldn’t hear.

“If I did it’s too late to ask now.” She hopped from the van and opened the door, helping everyone get loaded up for the hike.

So far, Sandi had proven herself capable but the real test was coming up. “I’ll take the front and you take the back,” he told her. She replied with a nod and locked up the van, taking her spot at the far end of the group.

August groaned. It was going to be a long weekend.

* * *

If Sandi had to hear Jade and Shasta, the only singles in the group, coo over August for another minute she was going to poke her eyes out with a twig. Oh you’re so big and strong! And You’re such a big help, Auggie! It was nauseating, that’s what it was.

She didn’t know which was worse, the couples holding hands and stopping to kiss every quarter mile or the simpering twosome up front. Days like today she wished she had earbuds so she could tune out everything. Especially since these people were louder than nature. Dammit. They’d hardly begun the hike and she could already see there would be trouble.

Namely Jade and Shasta who were both wearing stylish black leather boots. With hard soles. There were pockets of moisture from yesterday’s rain and each time they crossed one, both women slipped all over the place, holding up the hike for everyone. “Oh my god Shasta, that was so insane! We totally almost wiped out.” They laughed so loud, birds flew away in a hurry.

“Thank goodness we had a Wilde man here to save us.” She giggled again. Loudly.

She fought the urge to roll her eyes again, mostly because she was terrified they might actually get stuck. It was ridiculous and she felt something that felt very close to jealousy. But wasn’t. It couldn’t be. That would imply she had some sort of feelings for August Wilde and she most certainly did not.

Still she couldn’t handle it so she lagged behind, hoping to put some distance between them. It worked. For a full hour. Then they arrived at the campsite and everything went crazy. The two couples bickered every step of the way but eventually the tents were up. Jade and Shasta however, were a walking disaster.

They fought for twenty minutes over who would get the tent next to August, so she just grabbed one and put it up. “Just go with it,” he whispered in her ear as he stalked past her.

She watched him breeze by with a purpose, confusion written all over her face. “Huh?”

Shasta strode up to her with a pout. “You’re so lucky. How did you land a guy like August?”

“What?” She must’ve hit her head on one of her falls because it sounded like she was saying…

“How long have you and August been a thing?”

“Oh we aren’t.”

“It’s okay you don’t have to pretend. He told us you like to appear single for business but since Jade and I were being so bold, he had to tell us,” she rolled her eyes as though him having a girlfriend was just an inconvenience.

“Oh. Okay. Well…hand me that pole.” She went back to setting the tent up. This camping trip was getting more complicated by the second. “Grab that end, would you?” She lined the tent up around where the fire would be later to make sure Shasta would be warm overnight.

“Thank you Sandi, you rock. Did you learn all this stuff to land that hunk?”

“Nope. Knew it all before he swept me off my feet.” Her words were deadpan not that Shasta picked up on it.

“Lucky bitch,” she mumbled and stomped off towards her friend.

Sandi watched her go, feeling like she’d been caught in a whirlwind. “Thanks for not ratting me out,” he said in her ear, making her jump in surprise.

“Stop doing that,” she smacked at him. “You’re welcome I guess.” Her shoulder bumped his as she passed him.

“You don’t need your tent,” he called out, bringing her to a dead stop. “We’re sharing.” His smile was cocky and sinful, and it held a promise she didn’t want to see so she turned away. “We are a loving couple after all, and the cat’s out of the bag anyway.”

* * *

Sandi had barely survived the first night squished in a tent with a big, arrogant, sexy giant. The man took up all the room with his big body but if it had just been his proximity she could have slept peacefully. But no, it was also his scent, earthy and masculine with a hint of sweat and she’d slept with her thighs clamped tight. And to make matters worse when she woke up her body was wrapped around his so tight not even air could slide between them and looked right into a pair of amused green eyes. And that was just the first night.

“Today didn’t go so bad,” August whispered to her around the campfire. The first full day of hiking and camping had gone mostly well. They’d made it through the day without any real injuries and very few complaints. The two couples spent a lot of time taking photos around the fire before retiring for alone time. Jade and Shayna were giggling and drinking inside their tent, leaving her alone with August.

“No serious injuries, no fatalities so I’d say we did better than not so bad.” She would like it very much if August could move to another log. The rest were all empty.

“You’re good at all of this,” he told her, sounding insultingly surprised.

“I know. I’ve been doing it for years.”

Hearing the anger in her tone he held up his hands in supplication. “I’m just saying you’re not just competent Sandi, you’re good. Take a compliment woman.”

That made her smile. “Learn how to give one, man.”

His laugh was deep and warm on the cool starry night. “I don’t usually have to give compliments.”

Sandi raised a brow. “Obviously. But just ‘cause you’re rich and hot doesn’t mean you shouldn’t also be charming.”

Both raven brows rose high on his smooth forehead. “You think I’m hot?”

Her laugh was stark, loud. “Just because you’re a dick doesn’t mean you’re not hot. You are.” So hot she thought he radiated more heat than the campfire.

His gaze lingered on her, heated her up until she had to look away or straddle him until they disturbed the night with their cries of ecstasy. “Thanks. Not about the dick part, the hot part,” he stammered and blushed.

Sandi laughed. “You should be proud, you are a spectacular dick.”

He laughed and she watched, mesmerized by the sight his face relaxed with amusement. It was quite a view. His gaze turned to hers. “I know and I owe you an apology. But shit, I’ve been doing this for about a decade now and you have no idea how man women apply to work for me with claims of being the kind of badass you are. Then we’re camping or climbing or skiing or whatever,” he rolled his eyes, “only to find them useless.” He swiped a hand through his hair and shoved the baseball cap on his head.

“And naked in your tent?”

His face scrounged up. “How did you know?”

“I’ve been in this business awhile too.” She’d seen eager and amorous adventurers try all manner of things to get close to the hunky male guides. Even Christopher, who just let it roll off his back with a laugh and a wink.

“What was that smile?”

“I was just thinking about the way adventurers like Jade and Shasta would hit on Christopher, my fiancé. He didn’t indulge but he was always nice about it.” She felt tears threaten to spill but the smile that came was more powerful. Everyday it was less sad to think about him.

August put a hand on her neck and rubbed. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you,” she whispered. “I mean it. I had just planned to go back to flying. I haven’t done this stuff in a year but I realize I missed it.” She felt a spark the minute her other hand landed over his and pulled it back.

A quick glance at August and his knowing smirk had her blushing. “Felt that too, huh?”

“Nope. It was just residual static electricity from…somewhere.”

August barked out a laugh. “Probably from all the carpets and electricity out here in the middle of nowhere.” To his credit, August was able to hold his laughter for about fifteen seconds before he let it loose with abandon. “Lie to yourself sweetheart, but I know chemistry when I feel it.”

“I already said you were hot, get over it.”

He leaned forward until his big boy blocked the fire and he was all she could see. “Oh no Sandi, this is a two way thing. Whether we like each other or not, our bodies want each other.”

“Our bodies are idiots,” she grumbled and he laughed.

“Maybe but this kind of chemistry is impossible to ignore. We can try but it’ll win in the end.”

She shrugged. “I don’t know about you, but I still have a say in what my body does. Plus there’s always gonna be one thing that makes it impossible to fuck you August. Your complete and total lack of respect for me.” Sandi stood and straightened her back, then marched to the tent.

* * *

Sharing a tent with Sandi was an exercise in torture. August had brought his big tent because he was a big man, but with one little woman added to his tent the air had become thick and tense, sexual tension pulsed between them. It had not been one of his brighter ideas.

The woman who couldn’t stand him during waking hours had gravitated to him at night. While she slept she wanted no distance between them and wrapped her body tight around his. Those lush breasts and toned thighs made it hard to sleep. Hell they made everything just plain hard. She smelled so good, like peaches and fresh air. He’d gotten lost in that scent last night as he drifted off to sleep, only to wake up to a cold empty sleeping bag.

She froze him out all day during the hike, never addressing that almost kiss that happened last night. Not tonight. He wouldn’t let her avoid talking about it, because he needed to know what it meant. Was she a natural cuddler or did it mean something about them? When she returned to the tent that night, he pretended to be asleep until she was nice and comfortable. “Might be easier if you just scoot over now.”

She froze in her attempt to get comfortable and let out a frustrated sigh. “No thank you.”

“So we’re just going to pretend that you don’t wrap yourself around me like your own personal scratching post at night?”

“Exactly,” she murmured, pretending to stretch.

August wasn’t having any of that. He grasped her waist and pulled her body flush against his and wrapped his arms around her. “There, isn’t that better? Now we can enjoy some of it before we fall asleep.” She didn’t say a word but she also didn’t move. If he wasn’t mistaken, she leaned into him. She relaxed. “I do respect you, ya know.”

She stiffened but didn’t move from his grasp. And snorted. “Sure you do.”

“No really, I do. I mean I’ll admit you hit all my buttons.” He didn’t want to tell her but she was hot and sexy and a damned good adventurer. His company needed her. He needed, no he didn’t need anyone. He wanted her though, badly. “I fell in love with a girl just like you a long time ago. She didn’t realize that I run my businesses and she had no desire to be an outdoorswoman her entire life. Her words not mine.”

Sandi sighed and twisted to look up at him. “That sucks and I’m sorry it happened to you. But I’m not her.”

“I know. That’s why I apologized.” August Wilde hardly ever apologized to anyone. Especially women. He pressed his lips to hers, licking her lips before pulling back.

“This doesn’t mean anything, you know.”

He smiled. “I know.” August grabbed her ass with one hand and cradled her head with the other. “I’m sure you’ll say the same about this.” She opened her mouth to question him and he covered his mouth with hers, sliding his tongue across her lips, against her tongue and over her teeth. She tasted even better than she felt. Sweet like the peaches in her hair but sensual like the slope of her ass and the curve of her breast. He groaned when a she lifted a leg and brought her heat right up against the hard ridge of his erection.

Sandi groaned and gripped his hair, wrapping it around her fingers and pulling him closer. Her hips moved against him until he was so hard he ached.

“Sandi,” he ripped his lips from hers and groaned, moving his mouth to her neck and his hand between her legs. She groaned when he cupped her sex, pushing her hips into his hand and reaching for him. Her hand slid into the waistband of his longjohns, gripping him and stroking in long hard strokes.

“August,” she hissed when one finger sank inside her. They were quiet, save for a few grunts and groans of pleasures and sighs of delight, as they raced towards satisfaction. “Oh! Oh! Yessss,” she cried as her orgasm washed over her. Her hand never stopped moving and August began to thrust with the motion.

Sandi leaned over and swiped her tongue across the tip of his shaft and he exploded in her hands. “Oh Sandi.” She collapsed next to him and moments later he heard her soft, even breathing. What the hell was that? Auggie wasn’t quite sure but he’d enjoyed it and he was prepared to take it to the next level.

No matter what.