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Alex didn’t stop right away to ask me if I was okay, somehow understanding that treating me like I was fragile in front of everyone else would only make me feel worse. I was already a one-man train wreck. The last thing I needed was to bring more attention to myself.

Instead, he simply helped me along the trail. When we were out of earshot and no longer visible, hidden behind a swath of green-leafed giants, he slowed the pace. Alex shifted gears swiftly. His muscles flexed as he quite literally hauled me back to the boulder we’d occupied when we’d taken a break earlier.

The sun had made its surface even hotter, the dry scratch of stone under my ass centering me in the present. Dripping and miserable, I allowed Alex to manhandle me where he wanted me. Which was sitting legs squeezed tightly together, my weight off the ground.

I glared at him because if I stopped glaring I was pretty sure I’d cry.

I didn’t want to hate myself even more, so that wasn’t an option.

Now that the shock of what had happened was wearing off, it was hard not to admire the specimen of a man in front of me. The truth was, Alex was gorgeous always—but wet Alex? In a see-through shirt? Jesus Christ. This was another thing entirely. Better than porn, really.

God, I was such a perv.

Alex was as drenched as I was, but he wore it like an underwear model and not a bedraggled rat. His joggers stuck to his shapely thighs, highlighting his quads. The same quads I’d repeatedly drooled over.

Unbidden, my eyes drifted upward—only to be assaulted with a view of his lovely flushed nipples. They were hard, pushing against the fabric of his shirt where it clung to the thick swell of his pectorals. I wanted to nip them. But not as much as I wanted to lick the water that dripped in rivulets down his ropey forearms. He looked cold, hair clinging to the tan, gooseflesh-dotted skin. His watch glinted, just as soaked as the rest of him, and immediately guilt cinched tight around my throat.

His watch had been submerged .

Because of me.

But he didn’t complain.

Instead, Alex’s chest heaved as he sighed. It was a long, gusty sigh, like he was as relieved to be away from the group as I was. Then with no warning at all he shoved my thighs apart with his knees, crowding into my personal bubble without a care in the world. Like it was his favorite place to be. I couldn’t help but be reminded of one of our first conversations?—

“I like your personal space,” Alex had said on the plane ride to Ohio, and that statement had never proved more true than it did now. My stomach fluttered nervously. I unconsciously wanted to snap my legs back together to preserve my dignity—but that was silly. And besides, having Alex between them like this was…Christ.

“Your watch—” I panicked.

“Broken,” Alex shrugged. My eyes widened in horror, I clenched my hands tight, then gasped in pain when the pressure exacerbated the burns on my fingers. “No, no . Not by you. Or this. It’s been broken for years.”

Why the hell did he wear a broken watch?

Quickly trying to cover up the sound I’d just made, I tipped my head back to meet Alex’s gaze. Confused, turned on, and mortified all at once, I recognized that not all of those things were Alex’s fault. Though…it would almost be too easy to slip into old habits and blame him anyway.

He’d like it.

I’d push, he’d push back.

We’d banter and fight.

I’d storm off down the mountain, running from him and what he made me feel.

But…

Alex didn’t look like he wanted to tease, or play, or fight right then.

Not with his lips drawn into a thin white line. There was a lovely wrinkle above his brows that I’d never noticed before. Worry lines. Alex’s tongue was bright pink as it flickered out to wet his lips.

All I could think about was what that tongue would feel like against mine.

I had no doubt that Alex was a good kisser. He had a silver tongue, had made it clear he enjoyed eating people out, and was cocky enough there was no way he didn’t have the skill to back it up.

Would his lips be soft?

Yielding?

Or hard and commanding? Like he knew better than I did. Like he knew how to take care of me. How to push me to the edge, and lift me over it. Like he knew how to catch me when I fell. Like it was a pleasure to carry me.

Did I…want him to kiss me?

His mouth is so close.

It would be so easy to cross that distance.

Alex’s eyes were full of concern. Pale and gorgeous, rimmed with shadows cast by his unfairly thick, black lashes. Without panic blinding me the dark circles beneath them were even more apparent. He hadn’t slept well. It was written all over this face. Why? Because of me?

The thought made a pit form in my stomach.

“Lemme see,” Alex commanded.

“Let you…”

Apparently I was too slow, because Alex wasted no time reaching for my cheeks. He held my face as he tilted my head this way and that. At first I had no idea what he was doing, my mind still unfortunately in the gutter. He inspected me liberally, behind my ears, my throat, my arms. I watched the way his chest moved with each breath.

“What are you doing?” I asked, but Alex didn’t answer at first.

“I’m making sure you’re not hurt,” he finally said after he’d finished yanking at the neckline of my shirt to hunt for bruises.

“Oh.”

Minutes passed as Alex took the time to part swathes of my wet hair, searching for injuries I already knew he wouldn’t find. It wasn’t like I’d fallen all that far, or been in the water for all that long. But still…I appreciated his concern.

Brendon had never done anything like this for me. Never worried over me. Never taken the time to fawn and fuss.

“I’m fine,” I reassured, my eyes hot for a new reason.

It wasn’t until I’d felt the inverse of the way Brendon had treated me that I truly realized just how little he’d actually cared. We’d been a couple for eight years. Eight fucking years. And not once could I ever recall feeling this…important.

This cared for.

It was the same with the stepping stones. The way Alex had supported me, the way he’d encouraged me, the way he’d…he’d…taken care of me. I…I’d never had that. I hadn’t known how badly I needed it until he showed me what it was like.

Was this a taste of it would be like to become Alex’s practice boyfriend?

Shaken by my own thoughts, I didn’t even realize that Alex had moved on.

Now he was feeling around my back for bruises. It wasn’t until that moment that I realized his inspection was going to lead to the discovery of my burns.

I winced.

“Does that hurt?” Alex inquired, concerned.

“It’s fine.” I shrugged. With every touch of his sure, confident fingers my pulse kicked up a notch and my traitorous stomach danced with butterflies.

No one had ever looked at me like this before.

Ever.

Alex continued to explore, and I let him, too dazed to do anything but obediently bend to his whims. By the time he found my burned fingers my fear of discovery had somewhat faded. I’d known this was coming. It was inevitable.

What I didn’t expect was his response. I figured he’d do more clinical back and forths, maybe tell me I needed some Band-Aids—or even ignore my burns entirely since they weren’t anything serious.

But he didn’t do any of those things .

Instead, Alex’s voice went quiet.

Dangerous .

“George.” There was no room for argument in his tone. “What happened?” He squeezed my wrist. With long tanned fingers, he pulled my injured hand up so I could see the blobby little burn bumps. I shrunk back. Alex gave my wrist a reassuring squeeze. “When you sat on the boulder you made a sound. This is why,” he rightfully deduced. Like the whole reason he’d been hunting my body was because he’d heard that tiny fucking noise and couldn’t leave it be.

“I burned myself.”

“When?”

“This morning?” I tried to pull my wrist back but he didn’t let me. I felt like a naughty kid. “When I was helping with breakfast. It was just hot cocoa. Nothing to worry about.”

“Why didn’t you treat the burns?” Alex’s eyes were stormy.

My toes curled in my soggy tennis shoes as I shook my head. My cock, of course, decided now was a great time to twitch despite the cold. I glanced away, horrified. A grasshopper buzzed by, and I jumped.

“ Why ?” Alex questioned.

I squirmed.

A new kind of shame bubbled up inside me. Shame that I hadn’t taken care of myself. Shame that I’d been more concerned about what people thought of me than my own health. Shame that I had a first-aid kit and hadn’t used it, simply because I was worried the bandages would attract too much attention.

Once again, when I tried to snatch my wrist away, Alex held tight. His free hand rose to cradle my face. He tipped it gently toward him until I had no choice but to meet his gaze. The storm in his eyes had softened. And beneath that, all I could see was genuine worry.

Again, I didn’t know what to do with that.

It made me feel small and large at the same time.

“I…didn’t…” I stalled, unsure what I was trying to say. Surely I wasn’t about to a dmit the truth?

“You didn’t, what, George?” God, even now he sounded gentle, despite the edge in his voice. George. Not Georgie. That’s how I knew this was serious.

The truth spilled free before I could stop it.

“The bandages are too noticeable. I didn’t want to be ‘fussy George’ again. I wanted to slip under the radar. I wanted to be…normal. To…to fit in. I didn’t want to be seen as high-maintenance.”

“Fussy George?” he trailed off, processing my words. Even though he’d just been repeating me, hearing the old nickname on his tongue made me flinch. I knew Alex didn’t mean anything by it—but fuck. I’d heard that term so many times from Brendon that it physically hurt to hear it out loud again. Like a knife had sliced directly into my heart.

Clearly I’d outwardly reacted because Alex’s softened. “You don’t like that,” he stated, his thumb rubbing a soothing circle across my cheekbone. “That name upsets you.”

I bobbed my head in agreement. “Brendon used to—It…it doesn’t matter.”

“Okay.” Alex exhaled sharply. He debated with himself before he gave my cheek one last swipe with the pad of his thumb and released me. “I won’t make a big deal about the burn, but I want you to let me treat it when we get back to camp. I understand why you did what you did—but I’m not going to allow you to remain in pain. I’m not Brendon—your health is what matters to me. Besides, anyone who thinks you’re ‘high-maintenance’ because you got hurt is a fucking asshole. If someone bothers you I’ll take care of it. All you have to do is say the word.”

I melted a little, warm despite my chilly clothing.

He was right.

Of course he was right.

“We can use the first-aid kit in my backpack,” I whispered. “I’ll let you help.”

“Good,” Alex softened. “No complaining, George. I mean it.”

I nodded again, echoing him, “No complaining. ”

“Good boy.” The praise warmed me from head to toe. Alex ruffled my hair, messing it up even more than it already was. I scowled at him, but his sunny smile was impossible to resist. Especially when he called me good boy like that. Still though, I reached up to smooth my hair down with my uninjured hand, attempting to fix the rats nest on my head.

When I was done, Alex tugged me to my feet. I stood there awkwardly, dripping. When he turned his back to me, bent over, and patted his shoulders expectantly it took me a second to figure out what he wanted.

“My fingers are burned, I didn’t break my leg. I don’t need you to carry me,” I huffed. Now that we were no longer within make-out distance my mind had already wandered back to snakes and other creepy crawlies. I was a bit jumpy after the creek—but I felt like that was justified, all things considered.

“You’ll feel better if you’re not worrying about all the critters out here.”

I blinked.

Okay, mind reader.

“I’m heavy.”

“Not for me,” Alex replied immediately, still waiting. His ass was pushed out, and my gaze slipped to it, a small groan spilling free. Apparently, Alex thought the groan was because I was annoyed, because he spoke again, in that firm tone that made my knees feel like jelly. “I’m not going to ask again. Get on my back, Georgie. Now .”

Georgie again.

Good.

“Okay.” I didn’t fight him this time. Instead, I obediently wrapped my arms around his neck and hopped up. Not gonna lie, it was surprising how easily he took my weight—even though he’d reassured me he could.

“This way you can relax,” he added, and I could hear his smile in the words. “Rest those grumpy lil eyebrows. Give your grimple a vacation.”

“My grimple?” I repeated, belly flip-flopping as Alex stood straight.

“Grumpy-dimple. Grimple.” He readjusted me, and I squeezed tight, a gasp exhaling against the back of his tan neck. Unlike me, he was not lobster-red from the sun. Though, he did have a tan line that looked particularly kissable. A drop of water wandered down his nape and it was so…so tempting to lick it.

How the hell was I supposed to relax like this—with my wet body clinging to all his supple, equally drenched muscle?

Knowing me, I’d get a boner any second. It was Murphy’s Law. Worst-case scenario always. Gah. And now that I was thinking about boners it was almost impossible to stop my mind from wandering again like it had earlier that day when I’d been serving breakfast.

Fuck. Alex smelled good.

He always did. But today was even better than yesterday.

I resisted the urge to bury my nose in the back of his neck, but only just. Maybe if I nuzzled him a bit he wouldn’t notice? We could chalk it up to forced proximity and the steady thud of his footsteps.

“I know what will help you relax,” Alex said after a brief pause. We’d gone a dozen yards or so, which I still felt was quite a feat considering how much I weighed. I was slim, but denser than I looked.

“What?” He could probably feel how stiff I was.

“Close your eyes.”

“And let the creepy crawlies sneak up on me? No thank you.”

“That’s why I’m carrying you,” Alex reminded me. “So no creepies can get to you.”

“Right.” Huh. Okay. So that argument was out the window.

“Close your eyes, Georgie,” Alex urged. It wasn’t a command this time, merely a suggestion, but I followed it anyway. Against my better judgment, my eyes drifted shut. Every time we stepped into a patch of sun my lids would turn a brilliant red. I waited for a minute, expectantly.

“Okay,” Alex said. “Now listen.”

“Listen to what?”

“To the woods. ”

“This is stupid,” I huffed.

“Georgie,” Alex laughed, fed up with my bullshit but amused regardless. “Just do what I say.”

“Fine.” I breathed in. Another sunny red puddle. More shadow. Chirping. Rustling. The crunch of Alex’s feet on the path. A bird sang somewhere high above. Maybe one of the ones Joe had pointed out? Unconsciously, I felt myself begin to relax.

“What do you hear?” Alex asked after several minutes of silence.

“Nature,” I responded stupidly. “Birds. Um. The wind?”

“That’s my favorite,” Alex replied, voice soft and almost wistful. “Sometimes when I’m overwhelmed it’s the only thing that calms me down.”

“Oh.” I peeked an eye open to look at his nape again, then swiftly shut it, letting the noises of the forest wash over me again. This time, I didn’t speak for a longer period. I absorbed every chirp, enjoying the whistle and woosh of the branches shifting above. “It’s…”

“Nice, right?” Alex murmured. I got the feeling he was listening too.

“Your eyes aren’t shut are they?” I worried.

“No.” Alex laughed and it rumbled through his back, vibrating through me. I squeezed him tighter and he hopped a little to adjust me again.

“Maybe nature’s not so bad after all,” I conceded, giving him an inch because he’d been nothing but lovely today and he deserved it.

“Maybe I can teach you to love it,” Alex said thoughtfully.

“Fat chance of that,” I scoffed.

“Fine. Maybe I can teach you to hate it less,” he corrected himself.

“Maybe.” I didn’t tell him that he just had. That for the first time in my life I could kind of understand why someone would willingly come out here in the woods. It was…peaceful. The rest of the world faded along with my worries. Brendon and my past felt so very far away at present. And the birds, the squirrels—the forest was near.

It was a simpler place .

Softer.

Alex and I didn’t speak again for the rest of the trek back to the campground. At least not about much. On occasion, I’d point out a bird I heard, and he’d murmur his pleasure and tell me he’d heard it too. But aside from that, we simply enjoyed the woods for what they were. And that horrible, awful, mortifyingly embarrassing event at the creek didn’t feel so horribly awful anymore.

Alex’s steps never stuttered, even if they did squelch.

He never dropped me.

And as I listened to the steady thump of his heart, my cheek pressed to his back, I couldn’t help but think that maybe…just maybe our matchmaking families were onto something, after all.