Page 77 of Heartless

“I’ll help with all—”

“No, I’ll be fine.Let’s go back before a bear decides it’s peckish.”

We finished the trek back to the house in silence and entered through the mudroom where Sienna took her shoes and jacket off.Once we were in the family room, she tilted her smile at me.Her face was flushed with vitality, and her eyes shone like precious gems.

“Thank you, Jake.It was beautiful up-there.”

“Going back to your laptop?”

“Those stories are not going to write themselves.”She grinned.“Have a good trip.Are you going somewhere exotic?”

“Bugs and bears.”

Her little wince was cute as fuck.Her little wave too.

****

In my hotel room inBoulder, I made a couple of calls to my team, grabbed a beer, and headed toward the sitting area where I pulled my cell out.

Settling down on the small couch, I set out to read what had made her blush so hard.

The title was:Touch.

It depicted a man the female character had been watching in minute details.She described him as a dark figure who both scared and fascinated her.Her prose was sensual and evocative of a deep need, easily drawing the reader in.By the second page, my feet hit the hardwood floor.She’d written a sex scene where they were both naked and facing each other.He was not to move while she touched him, kissed him, testing the different textures of their skins and shapes.She described him lying still while she caressed him and used his body to make herself come.Even though she was inexperienced, she’d painted a vivid picture of her being on her knees in front of him.

In the last sentence, the tip of her tongue was on his dick, and I shifted to release the pressure of my zipper against my cock.

****

Iscanned around thetable where my team made up of three experienced hiking guides was seated along with Robbie Khan, our managing director of operations.We’d opened the first outpost a few years ago, and since then, Garrett Sullivan, and Garrett Merritt, two bearded mountain men who could pass as twins, had trained six other teams in the four other outposts I owned in Colorado and California.The third guide, Erica Reinhardt, had just moved from Alaska.After Robbie had given us a detailed update of our newest outdoor center, Erica raised her hand.

“Erica, you’re not at your all-girls school anymore.No need to raise your hand.Just talk,” Garrett Merritt teased.

She sat up.“I was thinking about...”she cleared her throat.“...About maybe a mix between a hike and a day retreat for writers and artists.”

“For them to write?”

“To write?”

The two Garretts asked at the same time.

Two bodies.One mind.

I jerked my chin.“Tell us more, Erica.”

“My sister’s a writer.Last week, I took her on the Purple Trail for a picnic, and she said she had enough inspiration for a whole new book just from our afternoon.”

Garrett Sullivan crossed his arms on his chest and shook his head.“I don’t know Erica.Taking up inexperienced adults who are going to be distracted all the time is a risk.”

“I’ll take them on easy trails.Artists tend to be pretty sensuous—” When Garrett Merritt smirked, she rolled her eyes.“It means they experience things through all their senses.”She continued.“Everyone will be welcome, but I was thinking of targeting mostly women.We guide kids, survivalists, and groups with specific skillsets.Why not female artists?”

It was worth trying.“I know a writer, and you might be onto something.Look into it and send me a presentation.”

The young woman nodded.“Will do.Thanks, Jake.”

At the end of the meeting, I got on my feet.“Let’s go for lunch.”

“The boss’s paying.Let’s go big.”Both Garretts said.