Series: Fever Falls Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 92704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“Yeah, I get that,” Dax said, looking through the windshield. “It did the same for me. Sawyer seems like a good guy too. I can’t say I ever imagined you being attracted to a good guy.”
“In fairness, I can’t say I ever imagined you being attracted to a good guy either,” I teased. “But seems like they manufacture a lot of them here. Pretty greedy of us to move in and snatch them up.”
“Well, we’ve always been two greedy bastards, haven’t we?” he said with a wink.
As nice as our conversation was, there was something about it that worried me. “I really like what I have with Sawyer, but don’t make too big a deal out of it with Elliott, okay? I don’t want him to feel bad about needing me for work. He’s got a lot on his plate, and if we’re both here, that doesn’t really leave him with a lot of options…since someone has been busy enjoying living in sin with #HottieFirefighter.”
“Shut up.” He nudged my arm with his elbow. “I won’t say anything to Elliott, but just remember, you have to take care of yourself too.”
“Yeah, I know,” I said, though I knew I was brushing off his words.
We slipped out of the car, fetched supplies, and returned to the campsite. After we finished dinner, we started a bonfire and gathered around it, playing games, catching up, and making our way through the alcohol like it was going out of style. We were winding down as it started to get late, so we split off, heading to the showers in couples, taking turns to keep from overwhelming the place. When it was my turn and Sawyer’s, we slipped into the showers. There were a few urinals and four shower stalls set up inside. Aside from us, it was empty.
“This is kind of creepy,” I remarked. “Like a Friday the 13th movie.”
Sawyer pushed up behind me, hooking his arm around my waist, his lips finding their way to my ear, and he whispered, “Don’t worry, boo. I’ll take care of any hockey-masked, machete-wielding monsters.”
I whirled around. “Ooh, Baby Burke’s going to protect me from all the bad monsters in the woods.”
He cringed. “You can’t call me the nickname my big brother calls me. That’s weird.”
“You like when I’m weird,” I said as Sawyer and I headed into neighboring shower stalls. I stripped down, hung my clothes on the nearby racks, and turned the water on.
“Oh, Jesus fucking Christ,” I called out as I felt the water that streamed out. “Guess the guys took all the hot water.”
“Well, that’s what we get for going last,” he said with a chuckle.
I waited for the water to get about as warm as it seemed it would get before slipping under the showerhead. Despite being fairly cool, it was kind of nice, considering how much time we’d spent out in the humid sun that day. I relaxed as the water enveloped my body, taking a deep breath, when I heard, “Hey, sexy,” from behind me.
I didn’t know why, but I jumped and spun around, my nerves on edge from the surprise.
Sawyer had my curtain pulled aside as he watched me, a satisfied expression across his face. “Sorry,” he said, “but I forgot my hockey mask and machete.”
I caught my breath before laughing.
He checked toward the door, like he was making sure no one was about to head in and catch him standing outside my stall, naked.
“Look at you being all naughty,” I said. “I thought you were supposed to be the good Burke brother.”
“I figure if we’ve done this much and you still think I’m the good Burke brother, then I must be doing something wrong.” He slipped into my stall and closed the curtain behind him.
I noticed the condom and lube bottle in his hand, and I knew it was going to be one hell of a shower.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Sawyer
Books are safer than people.
~ Sawyer’s Journal, 21 years old.
We fell into an easy routine.
When Carter was in town, we spent most of our free time together, whether it was just the two of us, or hanging out with our friends. It wasn’t something I would have ever admitted to anyone—hell, not even to myself—but as more of my friends had begun pairing off, no matter how happy I was for them, there was a part of me that was envious.
I’d wanted to be with someone I cared about and who cared about me. I never hooked up in high school, and then Julian had ruined college for me. I’d let him ruin the years since college for me as well, because I couldn’t allow myself to let anyone in, couldn’t put myself out there for fear of getting hurt. Yet despite trying like hell to keep my armor up, Carter had found a way beneath it. He had broken down my barriers and given me the confidence not only to risk my heart, but to try and figure out who I was in a relationship. I didn’t have to be insecure with Carter. I could just…let go. And fuck, did that feel good. It was like I didn’t recognize myself sometimes when we were together, but I liked what I saw. Liked the person I was allowing to come out from their hiding spot deep inside me.