Page 89 of Almost Ravaged

But when I sink into him, he captures my hips and holds me in place while he inches back.

Heart in my throat, I peer back at him. I can’t read his expression. He’s focused on the view, face unreadable. I take him in, assessing the boy I’ve been in love with for as long as I’ve known what love meant.

Tonight has to be the night. This is our shot. It’s what we both want, and I’m tired of waiting. I told him point blank I wanted him to kiss me. It’s up to him to decide what happens next.

Chapter thirty-one

Tytus

She’s high. Just my fucking luck.

I wanted to hold her. Kiss her. Sneak down one of the trail passes and tell her everything I’ve kept to myself for years.

But I don’t want to do any of that if she’s not going to remember. Or worse, laugh in my face, because she always gets giggly when she’s high or drunk.

I even wrote it down and brought the scrap of paper I scratched it on with me. It was unnecessary, really, since I already have it memorized, and I was paranoid it would fall out of my pocket, so I folded it up and tucked it into my sock. Stupid, really. But I always feel fucking stupid when it comes to trying to define where things stand with my girl.

This was supposed to be it. Our night.

Now I’m being sent to the penalty box before I even had a chance to take my shot.

“Come on, mon ange.”

Sawyer giggles again. God, I fucking love the sounds she makes. The breathy sigh when she’s studying or the cute little whimper that escapes her at the endof a yawn. I hear her perfect laugh in my sleep, bold and loud, like she doesn’t care who hears it.

Sometimes I hear her sobs in my sleep, too.

Her sobs, punctuated by gasps of air and my name pleaded over and over again.

All her happiness. All her sorrow.

I hear it. I feel it. I want it all.

With her hand in mine, I lead her away from the asshat who’s clearly never taken a geography class. We stop on a flat rock several meters from where others are spread out across the picnic tables and a handful of others are setting up hammocks between trees.

I squint out past the horizon. Canada, my ass. The setting sun has dipped behind the clouds, but the colors in the sky are bright and bold. “Do you want to watch the sunset?”

She sighs. It’s the wistful kind, like something isn’t going her way or she’s holding back.

I sit and spread my legs wide, hoping like hell she’ll take the invitation and let me hold her.

She doesn’t release my hand, but she doesn’t sit either. The vibrant colors of the sunset at her back create a glowing halo around her.

“Do you want to sit with me?” I finally ask.

She closes her eyes and shakes her head. “I want to do everything with you, Ty.”

Urgency ripples through me. “Sit down,” I demand.

Maybe all hope isn’t lost for this night.

When she sinks to the ground in front of me, I spread my legs wider. “Lean back.” I want her pressed up against me. I want to feel her everywhere.

Cautiously, I weave my arms under hers and drape them across her stomach, then rest my chin on her shoulder.

She giggles on contact. “That tickles.”

Fuck, I wish I could record that sound.