Chapter 6

I’d never talked about work like this with anyone before. Sure, I gave the company line; how good Printech has been to me, what a great company it is to be a part of, how lucky I am, blah, blah, blah. All the things I knew were expected of me to say, and if I didn’t, I worried it would get back to the family. As much as I liked to pretend I didn’t care what they thought, it was hard not to.

Now, here with Jesse? We were far enough removed from the ears and eyes that were always on me that I felt like I could be more open. I felt awful for how he’d been treated at work, especially by me. But he held me in his arms, he saw me. Something about him made me feel protected. He wasn’t much bigger than I was, we were fairly matched in height, but he had a presence that I was drawn to. Jesse seemed so much stronger and sure-footed than me, and damn, I didn’t realize how much I craved that.

I certainly never imagined I’d feel comfortable alone in the woods, but he made me forget where we were, and I found myself wishing we could stay right here. The sun shining on us, and the stream bubbling in front of us. It was serene and perfect, even for someone who didn’t care for the outdoors.

I breathed in deeply, relishing the moment we were in. Except…a smell tickled my nose. I sniffed again, and it was stronger. “What is that?”

“Mmm, what?” Jesse asked dreamily. Was he falling asleep?

I tapped his arm, which was folded over my chest. “Jesse, something smells…funky.”

I inhaled once more, hit with a pungent, wet animal odor that had definitely not been there before. I sat up and whisper-yelled, “Jesse! I think there’s some sort of creature out here.”

The urgency in my voice caught his attention, and he launched to his feet. When I stood, too, he clutched me against him as he withdrew his knife from his pocket. Quietly and carefully, he sprung the blade free. He looked all around us, even as he pressed me behind him. If I wasn’t terrified by how alert and worried he seemed, I might have swooned at the protectiveness of the action.

That same putrid smell wafted around us stronger than before. A growl rumbled, and Jesse looked at me with wide eyes. My heart was racing, but then I realized it was my own stomach betraying me, speaking its discontent with not having been fed yet. I let out a nervous chuckle.

“Sorry,” I whispered as quietly as possible.

He gave me a sweet half-smile. When an even louder growl echoed around us, we both froze.

“That one wasn’t me.”

Jesse’s eyes narrowed, and I watched him as he seemed to be calculating the scenario. This was it; we were goners. I came all the way out to the woods, met a guy I liked in a situation that allowed us to be ourselves, and now we were going to be bear food.

“Here’s what we do. We’re slowly going to make our way back to the path. Everything is going to be fine.” Jesse’s whispered reassurances only partially calmed my freak-out. But a freak-out seemed pretty damn justified at the moment.

I held tightly to him and we moved as one, each step carefully placed to make as little noise as possible. Jesse grabbed the still-damp thermal pants that he’d used to dry us off and we continued on our way, not leaving anything behind. Inch by excruciating inch. My heart beat louder than our footsteps. We were nearly to the path when the air seemed to stand still.

An eerie whoop screamed through the land and I swore even the stream trembled at the sound of it. I caught Jesse’s gaze. Too afraid to speak, I mouthed, ‘what was that?’

He shook his head. My heart sank to my stomach. That wasn’t a good sign. Jesse said he’d grown up camping, so if he didn’t know what it was, we were in trouble. I silently asked, ‘what do we do?’

He seemed to think for a moment, but when it sounded again, he simply said, “Run!”

Jesse grabbed my hand, and we took off, retracing the route we’d taken to get to the stream. I felt slightly better when our feet landed on the worn walking path, but it didn’t slow us down. We ran, hand in hand, until we were at the edge of camp. With the tents in sight, we slowed to catch our breath.

Once we could breathe normally, we listened before going back into camp. Had we led the creature back? Did we just offer everyone up as a buffet to whatever it was? That eerie sound played in my head on repeat. Something about it was strangely familiar, and considering I was not the outdoorsy guy that Jesse was, it made it even more baffling. Where had I heard it before?

Jesse scanned the path behind us before placing his hands on my cheeks. ”Are you okay?”

Concern was written all over his face. When was the last time someone was actually worried for me? It unnerved me a little too. Unused to the kind of attention he paid me, seeing past the facade everyone else saw.

I threw on a smile and offered my best cool and collected version. ”Yeah, sure. Only a light sprint through the forest with who knows what chasing after us. Completely fine.”

Jesse squinted at me. ”You don”t have to do that. Not with me.”

My mask began to slip as he gently caressed my cheek with his thumb. I placed my hand over his as it rested on my face and leaned against it.

”Better now. That was…intense. I”m just glad you were with me.”

Jesse”s lips tugged up on one side before he leaned in and gave me a quick peck. ”Thank you. You”re allowed to be honest with me. You don”t have to pretend. And we”re back, we”re safe now.”

”Yeah, I think we should stick close to camp from here on out. Safety in numbers, right?” It had become my mantra since he first said it to me. If I had been alone, I would have been a goner. I couldn”t help the shudder that rolled through me at the thought of whatever was out there.

”Right. Now, how about we get some food?”

My stomach responded to the suggestion. ”Yup, I think that”s a great idea.”

When we got to the makeshift kitchen, Rider was there alongside the camp cook, helping dish up food. He took one look at us and grinned broadly. Self-conscious, I ran a hand through my hair, trying to tame the ran-for-our-lives look.

“Looks like you two have had an exciting morning.”

“Yeah, a bit,” Jesse responded nonchalantly.

“Uh-huh. And the team-building? Going good, yeah?”

With the adrenaline rush subsiding and my brain still processing what had happened, it felt a lot easier to focus on the man at my side. My hand found Jesse’s and our fingers entwined. “Pretty good, I think.”

Jesse slid a glance at me and gave me a wink. He was so handsome. I was a complete fool for not noticing him before. But now that I had, I could never un-see him. Rider gave me a not-so-subtle thumbs up before offering me a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and potatoes.

We took our food and sat at the table alongside Craig and Liza, the older couple celebrating their anniversary. They were a sweet and quirky pair, but we’d had a good time chatting yesterday. Strike joined us soon after, and he seemed all amped up.

“Well, folks, you’re in luck. It seems our sensors have picked up some activity.”

“Activity?” I asked as I clutched Jesse’s thigh. “What kind of activity?”

“Well, it could be nothing, or it could be Sassy.”

“Sassy?”

Strike smiled toothily. “Our good ol’ sasquatch.”

Jesse and I looked at each other with wide eyes. That sound we’d heard…it finally hit me where I’d heard it before. It was on the recording they played in the museum. That was impossible. It couldn’t be. Jesse had been noncommittal before when I asked about his belief in the creature. But the way his face paled, he must have been thinking the same thing.

“Where did your sensors pick up this activity?” Jesse asked carefully.

“About a half mile out, just a little past the stream that cuts through on the east side.”

Half a mile? That was so close to where we were. There was no way that was a coincidence. “I think something was out there.”

All eyes turned to me as they sat on edge, ready for me to regale them with our tale. Jesse watched me too, except his look told me he was ready to take over if it was too much. Which was very sweet, but a captive audience and a story to tell, that was what I excelled at.

I stood up from the table and stepped back, needing room to emphasize.

”Well, it started out like this…” My arms flew as I gave all the details. Well, maybe not the naked, making out details; I’d keep those to ourselves. ”The sun shone down on us like a spotlight from the heavens. A perfect, picturesque day. Until a cloud covered the sun, casting darkness across the land. The birds stopped singing, the fish swam upstream, anxious to flee. It was as if nature itself feared the shadow we found ourselves in.”

The rest of the campers had gathered around at the commotion, all listening, completely captivated. Jesse sat back, eyes twinkling and lips pursed with amusement at my dramatics.

”What happened next?” Cam leaned forward, eager to hear more.

”The ground shook beneath our feet and a dank, heavy mist crept in and lapped at our legs, bringing with it an unearthly stench. Soon the only thing we could smell was the rot of something ancient. The murky mist threatened to envelop us completely. We couldn”t see, yet we felt the presence of something lurking in the fog. Jesse pulled out his bowie knife, ready to take a stand. But when the creature let loose a sickening chortle, we knew we only had one chance.”

”What did you do?” Liza whispered.

”We hightailed it out of there. I”m too young and pretty to die.” I ended by putting my hands under my chin and lifting my eyes upward in an innocent, cutesy pose that brought a round of laughter. Jesse smiled and clapped, and everyone else followed suit. I took a bow before sitting back down.

He leaned into me and whispered in my ear. ”You are really something. Had I not been there, I might have believed it.”

Replaying it in such a way strangely helped ease the fear I felt when we actually experienced it. It was a show, a story, something that happened to someone else. Only it didn’t; it happened to us. It was still there, the smell and sound that was imprinted fully in my mind. If I thought about it too much, it would have sent me into a panic. But we were safe. We made it together, Jesse and I. And now we were back in camp and surrounded by others. Whatever was out there was sure to stay away, I hoped.

”Well, kid, you really had us going,” Craig laughed.

”Was any of it true?” Disappointment bled into Cam”s voice.

”I may have taken some liberties.”

Jesse drew out his pocketknife and flipped open the three-inch blade. ”My bowie knife.” The campers around us twittered. ”But we really did hear something and smelled it, too.”

Strike studied us. He’d taken in every detail of my story, cautiously excited. I didn”t doubt he”d heard any number of tall tales on these trips, and probably told a few, too. ”What did it sound like?”

I did my best to mimic the call we”d heard. ”I swear it was exactly like the track you played in the museum.”

”Well, hotdog! Looks like we got ourselves a hunt tonight. Good job, boys. Glad you made it back safe. With a sighting this close, I would recommend staying within the campsite unless we go as a group. Stay with your buddy. If you want to join me on a night hunt, I”d suggest a little siesta.”

He”d get no argument from me. I would happily stay with my buddy…and rest sounded ideal. Coming down from the fight-or-flight response and with a full belly, I felt myself beginning to crash.

The group around us was chittering away at the possibilities of Bigfoot being so close that our experience might as well have been theirs. They knew someone that it happened to. We were the someones it happened to. I was still trying to wrap my head around that. A shudder rolled through me as the realization hit me.

Jesse caught my attention, likely noting the change in my demeanor. “Need to take a break?”

I bobbed my head in response as everything that had happened slammed into me. He was suddenly at my side, his arm around my waist. Jesse’s lips brushed over my ear. “I got you, Reed.”

It had been a rollercoaster. Steamy wake-up sex to the weirdness after, the cold water, the relaxed cuddle, the terror, the relief. I found myself leaning on Jesse more than I meant to. I had spent so little time with him and yet I already found comfort in him.

When we reached our tents, we paused halfway between his and mine. “Do you want to be alone? I can move your bed back.”

I shook my head. Alone was the very last thing I wanted. “I think you’re stuck with me…buddy. I mean, unless you want to be alone. I know you said you were looking forward to time to yourself on this trip.”

And I swooped in and took over everything. Is that how he saw me at work, too? I winced internally at the thought. I hated that he spent so much time thinking about me, and I hadn’t spent any time on him. I was a rotter. No wonder he despised me.

“Yeah, I’ll just leave you be. Thanks for everything.” I started to walk toward my tent, not wanting to get my bedding. I didn’t deserve bedding.

Jesse grabbed my arm and turned me back around. His beautiful brown eyes were warm and inviting. “Sometimes plans change. I might have been seeking quiet solitude when I drove up the mountain, but then you were there.”

“And ruined your plans,” I offered solemnly.

“No, not ruined…rerouted. You’ve made this trip far more interesting than it would have been on my own. I haven’t been fair to you either, I’m sorry. But you know what…buddy? You’re stuck with me, too. Besides, we have some unfinished business to take care of.”

The gleam in his eye and the crooked smile he wore had me feeling a lot less tired than I had a minute ago. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Now get out of your head and get your ass into my tent.” His exasperated tone was belied by the heat in his expression.

I bit my lip to keep from smiling like a fool and did as he said. As soon as he zipped the fabric flap closed behind us, we crashed into each other. It was awkward as hell, not enough room for us both to stand. We squirmed and hunched, trying to get at each other. He nipped my bottom lip as we fumbled together. It was messy and clumsy and so fucking hot. Who knew a shared experience of running from Bigfoot would bring such urgency? Thank you, Sassy.

Jesse slid his hands under my hoodie, roving over my chest. I pulled my sweatshirt off to get it out of the way. He continued touching me, fingers dancing over my skin, driving me wild. But we were both crook-necked, trying not to bump the roof of the tent. I sat down on the bedding, happily watching as Jesse freed himself of the same clothes I’d seen him dress in twice today already.

Naked, his rich golden skin on full display, with the happiest of happy trails leading down his lower belly, pointing toward his beautifully hard cock. He stood over me, pushing my shoulders until I was laying across our two sleeping bags. Jesse bent down and rolled my sweatpants down my legs until I was as naked as him.

It was the middle of the day, and light bled through the material of the tent, leaving us in full sight of each other. Not that we hadn”t seen the other naked. We”d been naked at the stream before the chills took hold. Hell, Jesse had lain beside me with his pants down just that morning. Even still, he was a beautiful sight in the green tent-filtered daylight.

Settling himself between my legs, he leaned over me, his chest against my chest, his cock against mine. Jesse rolled his hips, rubbing our dicks together, and captured the moan that let loose from my lips. I liked that it was him leading things this time. That it wasn’t merely the convenience of helping each other out in the morning. There was drive and need. Our tongues danced together as he thrust again, the most luscious friction.

Jesse braced himself on one hand and brought the other to his mouth. He stared straight into my eyes as he licked from his palm to the tip of his fingers. With his hand dampened with spit, he reached between us and grabbed our cocks together. He pumped up and down, the wicked sensation of our shafts rubbing against each other made my back arch and my head fall back.

I was moaning louder than the fabric walls could contain. When he twisted as he tugged, I let out a gasp.

”Oh fuck, Jesse, that feels so good. But. I. Think. We. Need. To. Stop.” Stopping was the last thing I wanted. But he did, much to my dismay.

”What”s wrong?”

”Nothing at all. You would have me coming in no time if you kept it up.”

Jesse tilted his head and squinted at me. ”And that”s a problem how?”

”Because unless you have something to clean up with, I don”t want to take another trip to the stream. Maybe not ever, not after today.”

”Well, I did pack some wet wipes.”

I couldn”t help the smile that cracked. ”Of course, you did. You”re such a boy scout. That would have been helpful earlier.”

“I like to be prepared. This morning, though, was…unexpected. Besides, if we’d used them earlier, I wouldn’t have gotten to see you all naked and wet in the middle of the forest, which was a glorious sight, so no regrets.”

It was exhilarating being out there with him. I’d always been pretty comfortable with my body, but never to the point of being nude in public. Despite the terror of what came after, I didn’t regret that either.

“Tell me, boy scout. How prepared are you?” I ran a finger down Jesse’s stomach, playing with the dark hair at the base of his cock.

Jesse gulped, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Unfortunately, not that prepared. Hooking up was the last thing on my mind when I packed, especially knowing I was going to be with coworkers.”

“Pity that.” I tried not to let the disappointment show. I wanted him so badly, wanted to feel him deep inside me, filling me up. I’d screwed around with a lot of guys but had never felt so seen before. Had never had a connection with someone I slept with. “That’s probably a good thing, though. Guys don’t usually stick around after they fuck me.”

Jesse’s expression softened as he brushed his knuckles along my cheek. “Well, we’ve already established that we’re stuck with each other. And I haven’t pushed you aside yet, right?”

I shook my head. Quite the opposite. Besides his weird reaction that morning when he left the tent, which was understandable, he’d been at my side the whole day. Two days together, and already I’d spent more time with him than any other dates I’d had.

“We can have some fun along the way, too.” He gave me a wink before kissing his way down my body. He paused at my nipples. He twirled his tongue over each one, sucking lightly until they were hard and my dick throbbed from the sensitivity.

Jesse continued down and brushed his nose against my length, causing my cock to jump with interest.

”Shit, Jesse, please!” My voice was thick with needy desperation. Besides the scare we’d had, it had been an edgy roller coaster, too. With literal ups and downs for my poor dick.

He gave me a wicked grin before licking his lips and opening wide, swallowing me down. I let out a loud moan as I was enveloped in warmth. Jesse applied the perfect amount of pressure as he bobbed his head. My toes curled and my hips bucked. It didn’t take long to push me over the edge I’d been riding.

”Fuuuck,” I drawled out as I came hard. Jesse stayed locked onto me until I stopped pulsing from my release, capturing every last drop.

When he popped off, he gave me a devilish look. ”See? All clean, Prince Charming.”

”I can”t decide if you calling me that is good or bad.”

Jesse crawled back up until he hovered over my face and shrugged, eyes hazy with lust. ”It could be either. It”s multi-functional.”

”And right now?”

”Right now…” Jesse leaned down and caught my mouth in a hungry kiss, and I savored the taste of me on his tongue. ”It”s a great thing. Besides, now I have a prince indebted to me, and I intend to collect.”

”Is that so?” I hooked my legs around his waist and twisted, forcing him to fall to his side and I climbed on top of him. ”I don”t like being in debt to others. I”ll need to remedy that right away.”