Page 23 of Trusting Skulls (Rebel Skull MC #8)
Chapter Twenty-One
Ash
I ’m packing a lunch for us when I feel her behind me. She’s trying to be quiet, but it’s not enough to get past me.
“There’s a breakfast sandwich for you in the microwave.”
The cute little huff that leaves her mouth makes me smile.
“How do you do that?”
“Practice.”
She’s still moving quietly, trying not to wake Brody. He’s sleeping like a damn grizzly bear in the living room. A marching band could tromp through the cabin, and he wouldn’t hear it.
Lexie yawns into the back of her hand, and I feel bad. I heard her and Daisy up late into the night whispering to each other. I have excellent hearing, but I couldn’t make out everything they were saying. I caught bits and pieces.
It’s crazy that two strangers can instantly become best friends. I’m wondering if Lexie has an easier time with people who don’t know everything about her past. She seemed to connect with Elizabeth the same way.
I’ll admit there is something special about Elizabeth and Daisy. It could be that both women shared their own tribulations with Lexie. I don’t know, but whatever it is, I’m thankful for it. She’s building her own little family. Much like my sister and I had to do.
“Sit down,” I tell her, going to get the boots I found by the door.
She reaches for them when I return to her side.
“I’ve got it. Give me your foot.” I crouch down in front of her, and she hesitantly rests her heel on my knee. “I want to make sure they’re on properly, so you don’t slip.”
“You’re not going to make me climb the mountain, are you?”
I laugh.
She doesn’t.
“I’m serious, Ash. Do I look like a nature girl to you?”
I shrug. “I don’t know what kind of girl you are. But we’re about to find out.” I pat the side of her foot, encouraging her to put some pressure on it. “How does that feel?”
She stands and walks around the kitchen. “Actually, they fit pretty good.”
“Excellent.”
I help her with her jacket, grab my backpack, and we’re off.
We both take a deep breath the minute we step outside.
“I’ll admit, it does smell good out here,” she says, following me into the trees.
The way she follows me blindly into a dark forest shows me just how much this girl trusts me. She’s probably too trusting, but she’s safe with me. Bird songs serenade us as the morning slowly brightens along our way.
When I hear a twig snap I pause, holding up my hand for her to do the same. My heart sings when she halts her steps on my order. It will be easier for me to keep her safe, here and at home, if she allows me to take the lead.
I smile when I spot a doe and her fawn. My hand lowers, and I point in their direction. Lexie’s gaze follows my finger, and she gasps quietly.
The deer’s ears prick up, but eventually she goes back to eating.
We watch them until they move out of sight.
“That was amazing,” Lexie whispers.
I take her hand and continue on. When the sun makes an appearance, we shed our jackets. I fold them up and tuck them away in my bag. So far, our hike has been easy, but we’re getting to a spot that’s a little bit trickier. “Watch your step.”
The deeper we go, the more I sense her hesitation. She slows until eventually she stops.
“Ash, I don’t think I can do this.”
I look over my shoulder. “You’re good. Step where I step.”
“We’re going to get lost.”
“We’re not lost.”
Her head swivels from side to side as her teeth worry at her bottom lip. “I have no idea where we are.”
“Well, I do.”
A part of me wants to give in to her, but she needs to see that she can do hard things. I continue on, and she follows. I do my best to keep her relaxed, stopping to point out different plants.
“How do you know all this stuff?”
“My dad. He loved the great outdoors.”
She pauses and points to a flower. “What’s this one?”
When I tell her, she smiles. “You could be making all this up. How would I know?” she teases.
It makes me happy that she’s joking with me. “Take a picture, and you can look it up later.”
“That’s actually a good idea,” she says, pulling her phone from her pocket. That one small act changes everything. Her worries begin to morph into curiosity.
Her snapping pictures slows us down, but I don’t mind. We have all day. When she lies on her belly to take a picture of a mushroom, I know she’s hooked.
“It’s so cute,” she sighs dreamily.
“We should find a good place to stop and have lunch,” I tell her, helping her to her feet.
A few minutes later, she pauses behind me. “What’s that noise?”
I hear it too. “I don’t know. Isn’t it exciting?”
“Exciting? I was thinking more scary.”
Her seriousness makes me laugh. “It’s just water.”
Lexie tips her head to the side, closing her eyes. Fuck, she’s beautiful. A slight sheen of sweat rests in the cupid bow of her lips. Her eyes fly open, but she doesn’t notice that I’m completely mesmerized by her.
“It’s a waterfall!”
“You think?”
She grabs my hand and hurries us toward the sound.
“Slow down, Lex.” I tug on her arm, pulling her close to my side. “It’s not going anywhere.”
When it comes into view, it takes both of our breaths away.
“Worth getting off the beaten path?” I ask.
Tears pool in the corner of her eyes and she nods, unable to speak.
“I knew we’d find the perfect spot for lunch.”
She walks along the water’s edge as I set up a spot for us to picnic. I watch her out the corner of my eye, making sure she doesn’t wander too far away from me.
I sit down as she takes pictures from every angle. She squints her eyes and bites her bottom lip before snapping each shot. It’s endearing. Seeing her out here, enjoying nature, is more than I imagined. She’s more relaxed than I’ve ever seen her.
This is Lexie with her guard down. It’s like finding a rare jewel.
Eventually, she makes her way over and sits down beside me. I offer her a sandwich and a smile. She doesn’t disappoint and returns it with one of her own.
We continue to share shy glances and grins as we eat in silence. She pulls her phone out, and I catch her trying to inconspicuously snap a picture of me. I’m not big on having my photo taken, but I pretend not to notice while internally cheering like I just won a million-dollar lottery.
She lies back, staring at the blue sky. “I don’t want to leave.”
I understand what she’s feeling. Here in the wilderness, it’s easy to be yourself. There are no distractions, no temptations.
“This is just the first of many beautiful things we’re going to see together,” I reassure her, settling by her side.
“You could have any woman you want. Why me, Ash?”
“Does the heart ever understand what it wants?”
Her head falls to the side. “The heart is foolish.”
“But yet it’s the very thing that keeps us alive. What’s yours telling you?”
She swallows hard as she ponders my question. “I don’t know. It’s confused.”
“That’s okay. It’s going to take a few beats for it to realize it’s safe with me.”
Her hand goes to her chest as if she felt my words there.
Lexie remains quiet the rest of the day as I ramble on about the trees and my family. When we arrive back at the cabin, her steps slow and her eyes roam over the driveway. Slowly, her hands disappear into her sweatshirt, and her shoulders climb up to her ears.
“Brody wanted to get on the road early,” I tell her, slowing to her pace.
“Oh.”
“I’m sorry you didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to Daisy, but I’m sure we’ll see them soon.”
The look on her face tells me that’s not the problem. She’s nervous to be alone with me. This isn’t the first time we’ve been by ourselves, so I’m not sure where this hesitation is coming from. I hold the door open for her, and she reluctantly steps in.
As soon as I close the door, she heads for the stairs. I quickly wrap my arms around her waist, holding her against me. “What’s going on?” I ask.
“Nothing.”
I turn her around to face me. “Lexie, I can tell you’re nervous. Just talk to me about it. It will only make you more anxious if you try to hide it.”
She stares straight ahead at my chest. “I don’t know.”
Her voice cracks, and it breaks my heart.
“Are you scared to be alone with me?”
“No.” Her gaze snaps to mine to ensure I see the sincerity in her response.
I place my hand on the side of her face. “Lexie, just talk to me.”
“I don’t know how to act around you, okay?”
She tries to pull away, but I don’t allow it. After several attempts she relents and drops her forehead to my chest in surrender.
My hand rests on the back of her head, holding her there. “I just want you to be yourself.”
I hate the way she remains tense in my arms.
“We’ve been alone before, Lex.”
She lets out a little whimper. “I don’t know how to act because I’ve never dated anyone before, and that’s totally and utterly humiliating to admit.”
My fingers weave into her hair, and I gently but firmly tug her head back. “I love that I get to be your first.”
When she opens her mouth to argue with me, I swoop in and plunge my tongue down her throat. I kiss her long and hard. I kiss her until her body relaxes and molds against mine.
I kiss her until she forgets her own name.