Page 35 of Bad For Me (Rock Canyon, Idaho 5)

CALLIE COULDN’T HEAR Caroline calling for her, not over the pounding of her heart and the blood thundering in her ears. The trail of Everett’s fingers on her neck still burned pleasantly, and she had a sudden urge to lean back. To trust him. To believe him.

It was that insanity that had led her to ask him a loaded question.

He probably thought she was daring him to kiss her again, and maybe she was. Maybe she was tired of being scared, of jumping at shadows. It had been too long since she’d let a man touch her because she truly wanted him, rather than just to get her rocks off. She wanted him in a second-chance-at-happiness kind of way—one she never thought she’d want again.

But Everett’s warm breath on her bare neck made her shiver, and anticipation raced through her.

“The first thing I want to do with you,” he said, close enough that his lips grazed the skin just below her ear, “is take you hiking tomorrow.”

Callie’s eyes flew open in surprise, both at his words and the fact that she had closed them in the first place. “That’s it?”

His deep, masculine chuckle caused an ache to pulsate between her legs and her nipples to tighten. “Oh, no, honey. That’s just the start.”

“Callie!” Caroline’s shout broke through her desire, and Callie saw her over by the tents, coming toward them.

Callie couldn’t look at Everett as he stepped away from her. Instead, she fidgeted with her hair and jacket as she started toward Caroline on wobbly legs.

“Have a good night, Callie Jay.”

The nickname whispered so sweetly made her stomach flip, and she turned around to say good night, but he was already heading back toward the house.

“Hey! I got you an elephant ear and a mocha,” Caroline said, coming up alongside her. “Was that Everett?”

Callie reached out for the coffee. “Yeah.”

Suddenly, Caroline was almost nose-to-nose with her. “Oh my God.”

“What?” Callie said, jerking back.

“You have the hots for Everett!”

“I do not,” Callie said before taking a drink.

“Um, yeah, your eyes are totally dilated, and you’re all flushed—”

“If I’m flushed, it’s because it is freezing,” Callie said. “Now give me the sugar you promised me.”

“I don’t think I have what you’re craving.” Caroline laughed as she knelt down to pull an elephant ear out of the bag.

“God, you are a pervy horndog,” Callie said and took the pastry.

“Don’t even try to lie. I know the signs of a woman in lust.”

Callie walked back toward the tents. “I’m ignoring you.”

“Oh, come on! Let’s talk about boys.”

Laughing, Callie shook her head, excitement rushing through her veins, something she had been missing. She’d been playing it safe, holed up and keeping the world at bay. Maybe she did need to get out and live again. Maybe go for a morning hike.

It sounded like a very good start.

Chapter Nine

“I’M SO GLAD you could make it.”

At seven forty-five, Callie stood at the bottom of the trail that Everett had mentioned, Ratchet by her side. Most of the landscape was rock and sagebrush, except for the cluster of trees closer to the top of the mountain. Staring up at the steep climb, she wondered if maybe she’d bitten off more than she could chew.

“I’m not sure mountain climbing was what I had in mind,”