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TWENTY-THREE

JAXON

My hands shake as I stuff clothes in a bag for my weekend trip away. All Wesley told me is to pack for an overnight trip and hiking and to bring my passport. Maybe we’re driving into Canada?

I don’t ask questions. I just do what he asks me to do.

Dad stands in my doorway, his arms crossed over his chest when I zip up my overnight bag. “Things are getting pretty serious between you two, I see.”

“I think so,” I say, trying and failing to wipe the smile off my face.

He nods. “Be careful, son.”

“Dad, he’s better now.”

“I know. I don’t mean the drugs. Wesley is decent, and I can tell he’s trying. I mean with your heart. Being in love and giving your everything to someone may come at a cost. Protect yourself, okay?”

With a sad smile, I turn to him. “It’s too late, Dad.

I’ve been in love with Wes since I was fourteen.

Since the moment we met.” I flop on my bed, and he comes in and sits beside me.

“He was just…so broken, but he was beautiful. I re member it like it was yesterday. He looked helpless, like he wanted to disappear into the floor. But when our eyes locked? It was like my world stopped. My heart has always been lost to him.”

“I know what you mean. And it’s a recipe for disaster, but we’re unable to do anything about it.

Lana made my world stop when we met. Now that she’s gone, there’s a crater-sized hole in my heart that will never be filled.

” His eyes brim with tears, but he smiles.

“But loving her was the best part of my life.”

He pats my thigh and leaves.

I don’t want to think about losing Wesley. Not twice in one lifetime.

Pushing the thoughts of him not being in my life away, I shoulder my bag just as Wesley knocks on my window. I know it’s him because no one else would do that.

Grinning, I open the window and tick up an eyebrow at him. “You’re aware my front door works, right?”

He shrugs but hoists himself through the window. I give him room to maneuver inside, smiling as he barely manages. “Feel better?” I ask.

“It was easier when I was a kid.” He pants as he smirks at me. “Maybe I’ll sneak in one night so I can do unimaginable things to you.”

My blood heats as I think about what those things would be, but I push the carnal thoughts down as I step closer to him, pressing our fronts together. Wesley wraps a possessive arm around my waist. “My front door still works,” I say, kissing him quickly.

His chuckle vibrates against my lips. “This is more fun.” He glances around me. “All packed?”

“Yep. Wanna tell me where we’re going?”

He kisses me long and deep, the contact so hot that I’m a panting mess when he breaks the kiss. “I don’t. Come on. We’ll be late.”

I pout. “Late for what?”

“Just let the secret be a secret, baby. I promise you’ll like it.”

I smile at him when he pecks me again on the lips. “I’ll like it because we’ll be together.”

The way his eyes shine with happiness tells me I said the right thing, even if I didn’t know I needed to.

He takes my hand and, after picking up my bag, leads me out of the room. Dad is on the living room sofa and lifts an eyebrow when he sees me and Wesley leaving together. “I won’t even ask,” he says with a chuckle. “Be safe, you two.”

“See you later, Bob.”

“See ya, Dad.”

I have an idea where we’re going when he pulls up to the ferry port in Seattle. My family and I took it once when I was a kid, but I was too young to remember anything about it. I kept telling myself I’d take it again, but I didn’t want to go alone.

“So we’re going hiking in Canada?” I ask.

He leans over and kisses me on the cheek before we get out of the car. “Something like that. Come on. The ferry will set sail soon.”

We hustle up the dock and hurry on board. We find our seats—right at the front so we can stare out the windows unobstructed—and settle in. The ride will take a little less than three hours, so we have time to sit and enjoy the scenery.

For the first twenty or so minutes, we stare out at the passing landscape, our hands interlaced as I point to shapes in the clouds I’m sure he won’t decipher the same way I do.

We talk and laugh about nothing. A few people come over and ask for his autograph, but for the most part, they let us have our privacy.

Once the ferry docks, a car is waiting for us, someone holding up a sign with my name on it and everything. I glance over at Wesley, and he shrugs. “If I gave them my name, there would be a swarm of people camped out for an autograph. I thought you’d want to have me all to yourself.”

I chuckle as we slide in the backseat of the car. “You’re so full of yourself, you know that?”

“Yep. You still love me.”

“More than I can say,” I tell him honestly.

He kisses my forehead, and I lean my head on his shoulder, watching the beautiful scenery pass me by.

“You ever been to Canada?” he asks.

“Once. Crazy since it’s right here, but I didn’t want to go alone.

My friends are all married, and I didn’t want to third wheel it.

Then when I was with Evan, my ex-fiancé, he said Canada was too cold.

He said we stayed in cold enough weather year-round, that going to Canada would be like visiting another city in Washington. ”

Wes grunts. “That’s stupid fucking logic, but whatever. That just means what I have for us is unique.”

We pull up to campgrounds about twenty minutes later, and I’m still confused…

…until we round a corner, and I see the yurts placed strategically around a large field. We drive under a bright red sign that says Hideaway Campgrounds.

My mouth drops open. “You’re taking me glamping?”

He grins. “Yep. I got this yurt that has this skylight kind of deal in there. So we can stargaze.”

“You like stargazing?” I ask in surprise .

“Never actually looked at the stars. But it came with the yurt, and I figured you liked shit like that.”

I poke him in the side, and he yelps before laughing. “Yeah, so? You’ll see how fun it is tonight.”

“Don’t know about fun, but I’m here.”

The driver stops, then comes to the back to open the door for us. I try to open it myself, but he asks us to wait. It’s weird, but I allow him to do his job.

I’m blown away by our surroundings. Lush green trees, crisp-smelling air, trails I can see from where we’re standing, the beautiful lake about one hundred feet to my left. It’s all so gorgeous.

I tuck myself closer to Wesley and hug him hard. “This is perfect. Thank you.”

He turns me until I’m facing him. Framing my face with his large hands, he says, “I want to give you the world, Jaxon. This is just the beginning.” He kisses me so deeply my knees turn to jelly.

“I really love you,” I murmur, chasing his mouth to get one more kiss.

“Back at you, baby. Come on. The sooner we get checked in, the sooner we can explore shit.”

We go check in at the main cabin. The owner is an older couple, and they don’t recognize Wes, so he’s not held up signing autographs.

I’m not upset when people recognize him and want him to sign everything they shove in his face.

He’s a global superstar. It would be weird if that didn’t happen.

But I know sometimes he wants to move through the world unnoticed.

I’m not sure that will ever happen, but I’m sure having a slice of it right now is pretty nice.

The gentleman that checks us in hands us a set of linens and says, “There are only two other guests assigned this weekend, but most people stick to themselves when they visit. You’re welcome to start up the fire pit on your own, or we can have it ready for you at a certain time.”

“We don’t mind doing it,” I say. I’ve lit enough fire pits in my life to handle it. “Thank you.”

“You boys have a great time and thank you for visiting Hideaway Campgrounds.”

The yurt we’re assigned is directly beside a trail and maybe twenty feet from the lake. It’s the ideal location for hanging out around that fire pit near the shore, and it’ll be easy for us to walk out of our accommodations and right onto a trail.

We step inside, and in front of us is a king-sized bed, like twenty pillows—some on the bed and others placed on different spots on the floor—a chair, a large speaker, and a few nightstands.

Above the bed are what looks like trapdoors that will open up to the sky so we can peer up at the stars. The entire set up is fucking perfect.

In a low voice, I breathe, “Wow. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“It’s kinda nice in here.” Wes drops our bags on the floor and turns in a slow circle. “If I had known camping was like this, I would have gone years ago.”

I snort. “Would you have?”

“Nah, probably not.”

Another laugh breaks from me as Wesley stalks over to me, arms outstretched. I squeal and run around the bed, evading his reaching hands. He growls and scrambles over the bed, grabbing me around the waist and bringing me down to the soft surface. I laugh raucously as he starts tickling me .

I move this way and that, trying to evade his tickling fingers, but it’s no use, he has me pinned and won’t let up.

Finally, I say, “Mercy, mercy. I give up.”

He bends down and kisses me with smiling lips, lingering for a moment. “I love when you look so happy.”

“You make me happy,” I whisper before I lean up and capture his lips with mine.

This kiss is different. I feel the heat of it coursing down my spine, spreading through my limbs. Wesley strokes my tongue with his slowly, like he’s memorizing my taste. I do the same with him, wanting more.

He maneuvers himself until he’s settled between my legs. Snatching his mouth from mine, he then pants against my lips, “Is this okay?”

“It’s perfect.”

My hands glide down his back and grip the bottom of his shirt. I pull it up so I can touch his warm flesh. Wesley groans, grinding his hard cock against mine. “Fuck, your hands feel so good on me. The only touch I can tolerate.”

“Is that good?”

“Better than good.” He frames my face, his brown eyes boring into mine. “Lets me know you’re mine.”