Chapter 7

Cheyenne

The moonlight poured in through the skylight, casting an ambient white glow across the living room.

I rolled onto my back and stared up at the black and gold tiles covering the ceiling while I listened to the crickets chirp their nightly tune.

Craig and Abe were still outside, their voices wafting in through the open window, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying.

A shiver of excitement rippled through my belly when I recalled how Abe’s arms had felt, wrapped around me for that split second before he threw me in the water.

And when he’d swum between my legs and his stubble brushed against my thighs? I thought I was gonna come right there in the middle of the lake.

I thought about his six-pack, those amazing pecs, his treasure trail, and the well-defined vee leading down into his shorts.

And I knew what he was packing. It was engraved into my brain from that night I’d watched him through the window of the bunkhouse.

It wouldn’t hurt if I indulged in a sexual fantasy about Abe. Nobody would know but me.

~I was on the dock with Abe. Craig and Julie weren’t there. We were alone, lying side by side and talking. He told me how sexy I looked in my bikini while running his hand up and down my thigh.~

~

~I squirmed and moaned, craving his touch.~

~

~He sat up and crawled between my legs, nudging my thighs apart with his broad shoulders as he gazed down at my bikini-clad pussy.~

~

~When he ran his finger under the elastic band, I cried out and arched my back, spreading my legs wider. He sank two fingers into my dripping entrance.~

~

I slipped my hand under the covers and fingered my pussy, imagining it was Abe’s fingers inside me. But I couldn’t get myself off.

Fantasy wasn’t enough anymore. Not when the real man was nearby. And interested. Or so it seemed. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

***

I awoke to the sound of heavy footsteps and hushed voices. I kept my eyes closed, listening to them moving around and getting ready for bed.

When the ladder to the upper bunk creaked, I opened my eyes. “Hey,” I whispered.

Abe leaned over the edge of his bed, a wide grin adorning his handsome face. “Hey. I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“No. Craig did. He doesn’t walk. He stomps everywhere he goes. He’s like an elephant.”

He nodded his head and chuckled. “I had a fun day today,” he whispered, his heated gaze sliding over me and sending my stomach into a backward somersault.

“Me too, Abe. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. I’m looking forward to the next six weeks.”

“Good night, Abe.”

“Good night, sweetheart.”

***

“Can we just stay here for the whole six weeks?” Abe asked as he fiddled with his camera. “This view is incredible.”

Our campsite at Telegraph Cove, British Columbia, overlooked the bay. The picturesque little village sat nestled on the east side of Vancouver Island, surrounded by trees and mountains.

“I don’t think we could entertain ourselves up here for quite that long,” I replied. “But it is nice here. Pretty and peaceful.”

Angry voices spilled out the screen door of the RV, carrying across the row of campsites along the shore.

“So much for peace and quiet,” Abe grumbled.

“I don’t care, Craig,” Julie whined. “I hate hiking. Do you have any idea what it’s like to have so many allergies? And if I get a bug bite, I’ll swell up like the Goodyear blimp!”

“Then why did you agree to go on a six-week camping trip?!”

“Because I thought it would be romantic to drive across the country in an RV with my boyfriend.”

“Did you think we were going to stay in the trailer the whole time? You helped research and plan our itinerary.”

“I thought Abe and Emily would do all the outdoor stuff. Abe’s the photographer. As long as we snap a few photos, we don’t have to ~do~ all that stuff.”

“Yes, we do. We signed a contract. How can we post about activities if we don’t do them? Seriously, Julie.”

I watched as Abe crossed the grass to the door with an aggravated frown.

“Hey, guys? Maybe keep it down. Half the park can hear you. Is that the image you wanna portray? We’re representing Twenty-First Century Parks.”

“Let’s just go,” Craig snapped as he emerged from the RV with his backpack on. “It’s almost noon. If we’re gonna make it to the top, we need to get moving.”

I walked ahead with Abe, glancing back at my brother. He did not look happy. It was going to be a long six weeks if Craig and Julie fought constantly.

“Wait!” Julie cried, running toward us.

Abe muttered under his breath when she caught up to us.

“I decided to come,” she gushed. “It’s only two kilometers, isn’t it? Which is shorter than miles right? So it shouldn’t be that bad.”

“It’s four,” Abe informed her without turning around. “Each way.”

“It’s going to take four hours to hike to the lookout and back,” Craig said. “Are you sure you wanna go?”

“Yes. Let’s do it.”

The beginning of the trail meandered through dense rainforest. Abe took my hand, leading me down the path, over roots and rocks as we put some distance between ourselves and our traveling companions.

“Why are you holding my sister’s hand?” Craig called out as he closed the distance. “She’s not a child.”

Abe chuckled, glancing back with a sly smirk. “I’m aware that your sister is a grown woman, Craig. And I’m holding her hand because, in case you hadn’t noticed, I kinda like her.”

“Ow!” Julie cried out. “Something bit me, Craig!”

“It’s called a mosquito, Julie. Didn’t you put on bug spray?”

“Yes. But it’s not working.”

Abe sighed, rolling his eyes, as we passed by a small river. We walked in silence for a while, the peaceful sounds of nature surrounding us as we made our way up the steady incline.

“There should be a cool lookout at the top of this hill,” Abe said when we stopped for a water break.

“Haven’t we gone far enough?” Julie whined. “There’s no way I’m climbing up there.”

Craig took a deep breath, his jaw tightening as he scowled at his girlfriend. “You hiked all this way, but you’re gonna quit without seeing what we came for?”

“I’m uncomfortable, Craig. I have bug bites, and my feet are killing me.”

“That’s not fair to the rest of us.”

“They can go on their own. I wanna go back.”

“And what about what I want, Julie? Does that matter at all?” He spun on his heel and stormed back into the forest.

“Craig!” she cried. “Wait up!”

“Holy fuck.” Abe shook his head as we watched them disappear into the trees. “I’m not gonna last six weeks with her around.”

“I feel bad for my brother.”

“Well, I’m sure he’ll dump her the second we get home. I know I would.” He took my hand, squeezing it gently. “C’mon. We can finish the hike on our own.”

“Okay,” I agreed, excitement pulsing through my veins at the prospect of being alone in the woods with Abe. My pussy clenched as I envisioned him pushing me up against a tree and ripping my shorts off.

“Wow,” Abe gasped when we reached the top, letting go of my hand to get out his camera. I watched as he put a fancy-looking lens on the front of it, his eyes alight with excitement.

“You enjoy photography,” I said, studying his expression while he snapped photos. Awe, appreciation, and contentment.

“I do. It’s my passion.”

“So why are you going into a career in marketing?”

He cleared his throat, glancing down at me before gazing out at the horizon again. “I’m not sure.”

“Oh.” I pulled my binoculars from my backpack while he snapped more pictures.

“I’m not even sure I’m going to take the job in New York.”

“Didn’t you already accept it?”

“Yeah. But I’m not excited about it. And I hate New York. I’m not a big city guy.”

I brought the binoculars up to my eyes and scanned the deep blue water. “There!” I squealed, pointing to the right of a little island where a black-and-white creature emerged from the water. “A whale! See it?”

He adjusted his lens, aiming the camera in the direction I was pointing toward. “Got it.”

“Someday, I’d like to find a spot like this to build my house on,” Abe said, a dreamy look passing over his face.

“With a wraparound porch. I’d sit out there every morning with my coffee, just enjoying nature. And after a long day at work, chilling with a cold beer. That would be the life.”

“Sounds like heaven.”

“What about you, Cheyenne?”

“I would like a big house in the country. Just like the one I grew up in. But without the farm.”

“And fill it with little people?” He glanced down at me, quirking one eyebrow.

“Maybe.”

“You’ll make a great mom someday,” he said, gently hip-checking me.

“Yeah,” I sighed. “If I ever find the right guy.”

“You will. He’s out there somewhere.”

***

I shivered, the cool ocean breeze picking up as the captain steered the boat out to sea. The day was chilly and overcast, and I was glad I opted for jeans.

“Once we reach the fishing grounds, you can bait your hooks, but don’t drop your lines until I give you the okay. Otherwise, you’ll get tangled up in the weeds.”

The crewman smiled at me, his gaze lingering a little too long. He was around my age, with short red curly hair, freckles, and bright green eyes.

“I’m Austin, by the way. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Great. Thanks.” Craig shook his hand.

“Have you guys ever been deep-sea fishing before?”

“First time for all of us,” Craig replied.

“Well, hopefully you catch a big fish. If you do, we’ll cut it up and package it for you.”

“Cool,” Abe said.

“You won’t be catching sunfish out here,” he chuckled, looking directly at me. “If you need help to reel in, just holler, and I’ll be glad to give you a hand.”

“I’m sure I’ll be just fine,” I replied curtly. I didn’t appreciate his implication that I couldn’t reel in a fish by myself because I was a girl.

“Okey dokey, honey. If you change your mind, let me know.”

Abe wrapped his arm around my waist. “Thanks, Austin. We’re just gonna go out to the deck and take in the scenery until we get there.”

I glanced back at my brother as Abe led me away, his sad frown sending a wave of guilt through me.

“C’mon, Craig,” I called. “Come with us.”

“Nah. I’m gonna go down and check out the lower deck, see where they clean all the fish.” He waved before disappearing down the stairs, his shoulders hunched, hands shoved in his jean pockets.

“My brother isn’t having a good time,” I said as we leaned up against the railing.

“Yeah. Julie is a total drag. I can’t believe she didn’t come.” He shook his head, gazing out at the water.

“That doesn’t mean he can’t have fun with us.”

“No guy wants to be a third wheel to his best friend and his sister,” he said, pulling me tighter against his side as he squeezed my hip.

“Why would he feel like a third wheel? It’s not like we’re a couple.”

“True. But we’re in the flirting, goo-goo eyes phase of our attraction. And that’s worse. He doesn’t want a front row seat while I put the moves on his little sister.”

He turned so we were facing each other and tucked my windblown hair behind my ears.

“Goo-goo eyes?” I laughed, my nerve endings sizzling in response to his heated stare.

“Yeah. That’s a PG-rated way of saying eye-fucking.” He leaned down, pressing his forehead against mine, his blue eyes burning into mine with unmasked lust.

I licked my lips. But instead of kissing me, he pulled away and returned his gaze to the water. “Look. Sea lions.”

“Cool,” I muttered, disappointment settling into my gut. I’d thought for sure Abe was going to kiss me. The teenage girl inside me desperately needed to live out that fantasy.

“We’re going to be reaching the fishing grounds soon,” Austin said, coming up behind us with a bucket of bait. “Where’s your friend?”

“He went to see the fish cleaning station,” I explained.

“You might wanna go grab him,” he said, staring directly at Abe.

“Why don’t you go get him?” Abe suggested, wrapping his arm around possessively around my waist.

“I’ve gotta get your lines ready.”

“Go, Abe,” I said, wriggling out of his grasp. “I’ll be fine alone for a minute. Austin isn’t gonna throw me overboard.”

“That wasn’t what I was worried about,” he muttered as he headed for the stairs.

“Your boyfriend doesn’t like me,” Austin said with a dry chuckle.

“Abe isn’t my boyfriend.”

“Really?” He glanced up from the fishing line he was preparing, wrinkling his forehead. “He sure acts like he is.”

I shrugged. “He’s like a big brother. And Craig, the other guy with us, is my brother.”

“Come here and I’ll show you how to lower your line,” he said as he put live bait on my hook.

“I can bait my hook,” I said. “I’ve fished before.”

“Sorry, honey. I was just trying to help.” He stood behind me, guiding my hand as I lowered my line.

“That’s it, honey,” he whispered in my ear, pressing his body against my back. His hot breath reeked of coffee and cigarettes. I wished the guys would hurry up. Austin was making me uncomfortable.

“Get your hands off her!” Abe shouted, drawing the attention of the other passengers and crew.

Austin backed away from me with his hands in the air. “Relax, big guy. I was just helping her drop her line.”

He glanced between Abe and Craig, swallowing hard before stalking off down the deck.

“Are you okay, Cheyenne?” Craig asked.

“I’m fine. Really. I can take care of myself.” I glanced up at Abe. He was watching Austin, anger radiating from him as he clenched his fists. “Just let it go, Abe. Please.”

“I don’t want that guy coming anywhere near you for the rest of the day.”

“I’m pretty sure you guys scared the shit out of him. He won’t be back. But if we need help, we’ll have to ask someone else.”

“He better not show his face down here again,” Abe said.

***

“Oh my God!” I shrieked when I felt a strong tug on my line. “I’ve got something already.”

“Looks like a big one.” Another crew member approached, studying my pole as I held on for dear life. “Hook it hard and let it tire itself out. If it’s a king salmon, it’ll put up a good fight.”

“Abe, help me! I don’t know if I can hang on. It’s stronger than I expected.”

“Relax, baby,” he said, wrapping his arms around me. “I’ve got you. We’ll do it together.”

***

I stared at the king salmon lying on the scale. With Abe’s help, I’d managed to reel it in.

~A fifty-pound freakin’ fish.~

~We’ll be eating salmon for days. Good thing the RV had a freezer.~

“Stand next to it so I can get a picture,” Abe said.

“I’ll take it,” Craig offered. “You should get in the picture, Abe. You helped her reel it in.”

“Okay,” Abe agreed. “Thanks, man.”

He stood next to me, his arm wrapped tightly around my waist, as Craig snapped the photo.

“You can let go of her now,” Craig growled, handing the camera back to Abe.

“What if I don’t wanna?” Abe challenged with a halfhearted chuckle.

Craig cleared his throat. “Then I would say that you and I need to have a private chat.”

“Fair enough.”

“Excuse me,” I said. “I’m standing right here. Don’t I have any say in this?”

“No,” Craig barked. “This is between Abe and me. It’s about one of the cardinal rules of friendship. Little sisters are off-limits.”

“I’ve had enough of this macho nonsense.” I pulled away from Abe, shooting my brother a menacing glare before heading up to the main deck.

Older brothers could be such a pain in the ass. It’s a wonder I’d ever had a boyfriend. Whenever any boy came around, my brothers tried to scare the shit out of them.

I was twenty-two years old. I didn’t need Craig’s permission to fuck Abe. And I wasn’t unaware. I didn’t have any delusions it would be anything more than a casual fling.