Page 35 of Into the Mountains (Blue Grove Mountain #3)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

ELIAS

I slept with Charlotte. More than once.

I’ve slept with her before, but that was when we were barely twenty years old, and it never happened again because shortly after that Ash came in and fucked everything up.

The universe has a weird way of playing with the creatures that live there.

People who loved each other over a decade ago somehow find their way back to one another after years of pain and loss all wrapped up into one, complete with an untidy, tangled up bow.

Last night, I tugged at that bow and inside the box I found more than I expected.

I knew I had grown to like Charlotte again, I just didn’t realize how much until last night.

It’s been fun being rivals with her once more, but being her friend, more if she lets me, is so much better. I think I want that. But does she?

The way she turned down the idea of us being in a relationship this morning tells me no.

But the way she was with me last night tells me the opposite.

She wouldn’t have touched me the way she did that second time or looked at me the way I looked at her if she didn’t have feelings for me.

Right? Or maybe my ego is just enormous enough that it’s led me to believe that since she slept with me a few times in one night, she’s going to automatically have feelings for me again.

That she will want to be with me even after I hurt her and still have yet to apologize for it.

We haven’t talked about our last date besides the night in her apartment when we agreed not to talk about it.

After last night though, I think it’s something that’s unavoidable.

“Elias, are you even listening?” I look up to see Sky looking—actually, glaring—in my direction, waiting for me to answer whatever question I obviously didn’t hear.

Shortly after Charlotte and I woke up, Sky started making noise around the camp, calling for everyone to get up for our next team bonding activity.

What she doesn’t know is Charlotte and I did plenty of bonding last night, even though it doesn’t seem like it at the moment.

Avery was the first one to ask where Charlotte was, noticing that her sleeping bag was empty and completely soaked through.

“I thought I heard thunder last night,” Hudson says.

“You thought you heard thunder and didn’t bother to come out to check on Charlotte?” she accuses.

He scratches the back of his head nervously and avoids eye contact with us. “I did and then I heard them…uh…talking, so I figured she was…uh…taken care of.” He clears his throat and if Sky and Jacob were paying attention, they’d be seeing exactly what Avery is. Way to be subtle, Hudson.

The noise Charlotte thought she heard last night must have been Hudson going outside of his tent to check on her.

I’m trying to think where we were in our…

activities when she mentioned it, but all I remember is her body moving on top of mine, breasts full in my hands as she thrusted again and again—

“Okay, then,” Avery says too loudly. “Uh, alright.” She turns to walk one way and runs straight into Hudson. “I’m just gonna…” He grabs her by the shoulders and turns her around.

“That way, sunshine.”

“Yep.” She points. “Uh huh. That’s where I wanna go.” They both walk toward Jacob and Sky who are seated at the picnic table going over plans for the day. Once they are out of ear shot, Charlotte nods over her shoulder, signaling me to follow her.

“Where are you two going?” Sky calls behind us.

“Just going to check in on Fran and Cordie. See if they need anything before we head out.” The lie slips from her lips so easily.

We walk in silence, the occasional snap of a twig breaking the silence. Finally, she grabs my sleeve and strays from the path, pulling me around a large tree trunk that hides us both from view. Even if one of them walked this way, they wouldn’t be able to see us.

“What exactly are you doing?”

“He heard us,” she says and I think for once, she actually looks panicked.

“He did.” There’s no point in trying to deny that he heard us. By the way he was acting and his body language, he heard more than he wanted I’m sure.

“Do you think he’ll tell Avery?” I ask.

“Do you really think he needs to? He wasn’t exactly nonchalant about it. And Avery isn’t stupid. She’ll figure it out if she hasn’t already. Will you tell her?”

“Probably. I usually tell her everything.” I smile down at her. “What?” she asks.

“What will you tell her?”

“I don’t know. What do you mean?”

“I mean, do you tell her details? Will you tell her how good it was?”

“Who said it was good?”

“You did, Charlie. When you came multiple times in many different ways.” I close a little bit of the difference between us and she doesn’t do anything to recreate the space.

Bracing my hand on the trunk, I lean in until I am close enough to feel the hitch of her breath against my skin.

“Would you like to try a different way?” I nip at her chin and she pushes her chest against me, her nipples already hard beneath the two piece swimsuit she threw on when we got ready to leave.

“We said only last night,” she says breathlessly.

“What if we just extended it to the camping trip?” I suggest. One night with her was never going to be enough and I have a feeling one weekend won’t be either, but if she’s willing, I’ll take what she will give me.

“Just the camping trip?”

“We get back to Blue Grove and we go back to hating each other.” The backs of my fingers graze her stomach down to the hem of her baggy jeans. I stop at the button, waiting for her permission to continue.

“Deal.”

I don’t wait any longer and unbutton her jeans, fidgeting with the fabric until I can fit my hand down her pants where I can feel how wet she already is.

“Soaked already?” She answers with a nod. “Answer me with your voice, Charlie. I want to hear you,” I say, the demands from last night coming back again.

“Yes.”

“Yes, what?” My fingers circle her opening, the palm of my hand giving her pressure where I know she wants it the most.

Shoving into me for more friction, she says, “Yes. I’m fucking wet for you.”

I push one finger into her and she gasps.

I steal it with my lips and we devour each other with our kisses as I thrust in and out of her adding another finger.

Pulling her top aside with my other hand, I expose her breasts to the fall air and grab one with my free hand while pulling the other nipple into my mouth.

“Fuck, that feels good.”

I groan against her, liking the way my name sounds coming from her lips.

She grinds against me, chasing the release I know is coming soon.

“That’s it, honey.” The endearment slips so naturally from my lips, but with the way she clenches around me, I think it’s an endearment she enjoys whether she will deny it later or not.

Her breathing starts coming quicker and her movements are more frantic as her release is right at the edge.

A twig snapping echoes in the air and leaves start to rustle nearby.

Both of us still, but I keep my fingers moving inside her, taking the opportunity to see how quiet she can be.

Leaning into her ear, I whisper, “Better stay quiet, red, unless you want them to find us.”

She shakes her head in answer, letting herself move slightly against my hand again as I continue to work her, in and out. I press the outside of my thumb to her clit and her head falls back against the tree, but she doesn’t make a sound.

“Where the hell did they go?” I hear Sky’s voice. “They walked this way, but they should have been back by now if they were just checking on Fran and Cordie.”

“I’m sure they’re fine, sweetheart.”

“Why wouldn’t Hudson come out and look for them? Why was he being so weird about it?”

“No idea,” Jacob answers. “C’mon, let’s just head back. They’ll show up soon, I’m sure.”

I add another finger and Charlotte squirms beneath me letting out a small whimper. “No sound, honey. Or I’ll stop. Do you want me to stop?”

“No, please don’t stop.”

I love that she doesn’t care that two of our closest friends are nearby. In fact, the secrecy of it all, the air of the forbidden feel to it makes it that much hotter. I can see it in her face too as the flush deepens to her chest.

She’s so close, and I need to do something more to get her there.

“Fine, you’re right. Let’s go.” Sky and Jacob’s footsteps fade away as they leave on the path leaving us alone once again.

I grab one of her thighs with my free hand and wrap it around my waist while pulling her up with my fingers.

Her left thigh mirrors the other as she straddles my waist, and I slide my hand under her ass to hold her up against the tree.

With her legs spread against me, I push my fingers in deeper and this time she lets herself moan.

“That’s it, honey. Come for me.”

And she does. I wait for her breathing to slowly come back to normal before gently setting her down on her feet.

“That felt more amazing than it should have.”

“Or it felt right and you’re just afraid to admit it,” I say before thinking.

She stills at my words but doesn’t bother responding before starting our short hike back to our camp.

I wonder how long it will take to get us out of denial.

To admit that us together feels right…it always has.

But she has to feel it too. I can’t be the only one who feels it and after last night and just a few moments ago, I don’t think I am.