17. Present Day

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

PRESENT DAY

HARRISON

W hen I wake up, daylight is sliding into the cave, and Max is curled up against me. I lie there for a few minutes, soaking in the reality of what happened last night and the way we are free to leave.

I am one hundred percent sure that if we weren't trapped, Max wouldn't have done anything…he might have on the last night. I wouldn't have made the first move. I'm sure of that. Eventually, it would've become harder and harder to be around him… And not in the good way my dick was hoping for.

I hope he doesn't wake up and see the sun and then pretend like nothing happened. That will kill me. I want him to wake up, roll over, and kiss me like he intends to do it every morning for the rest of his life.

We're both sweaty and sand-covered. The cum acted like glue, turning me into some kind of bad arts and crafts project. All I need is some macaroni and glitter to complete the mess. Last night I hadn't been willing to waste water on washing, and I liked the idea of wearing his cum on my skin a bit longer .

I should know better.

Flaky day-old cum does no one any favors.

Until I know how deep the bikes are buried, or if they even work, I'm not too keen on wasting water washing this morning either.

"Hey, sunshine." I give him a shake. "Storms gone. It's time to eat and assess the damage." Worst case, I'll radio and the guide will send a car. No doubt he shat himself when the storm hit, and we disappeared.

Max rolls onto his back and stretches. His T-shirt rides up, revealing his abs and the dark auburn trail that leads to fun.

I lean in and kiss his stomach.

He curls up and laughs. "That's ticklish."

I move over him and kiss him, my leg sliding over his. His hand grips my hip like he has no intention of letting go, something I like far too much. The kiss is slow, with no demands for more. A reminder and a promise that leaves me hard and breathless.

We should be hauling ass.

If he wasn't holding mine, I might be more tempted to move. The kiss fades away, and we stare like it's the first time we've really seen each other. The way the light catches the blue flecks in his gray eyes, and his stubble has golden strands mixed through. There's a scar on his forehead from when he was twelve and didn't duck enough when riding beneath a branch. There was blood everywhere. I took off my shirt and wrapped it around his head, claiming he'd be fine, and we kept riding. I don't know what we had planned or where we were going. But I remember the way he looked up at me as I knotted the fabric and promised that scars are cool.

I kiss the scar .

Now I have to look up at him because he's taller. Maybe that was the first time I really noticed him. That visit home when I watched him play rugby and listened to him talk about finishing uni and his new job and realized he was someone I enjoyed talking to about sports and movies and the fucked-up shit we both see at work.

With Jay, it was always the army, girls, and motorbikes. I love those things, but Max… He's the missing piece of the puzzle. The part I've been searching for.

"What was that for?"

"For being you." I want to believe Jay would be happy for us. Truth is, I'm not sure. We always got on better when I had a girlfriend instead of a boyfriend.

His lips curve, and his stomach grumbles.

I laugh. "Well, someone doesn't want to miss breakfast."

His hard-on presses against my thigh, and I'm sure he can feel mine against his leg. Fuck food. I want to strip him naked and rut against him until we're both sweaty and glittering with sand.

"Mmm…and I can't wait to have a shower." His hand slides over my ass. "Maybe you can help me with the hard-to-reach places."

"I look forward to it." And I will help him find new hard-to-reach places. I want to explore him and learn every inch of him. The thought of getting him naked with no sand involved is enough to make me roll up to sitting and reach for a bag.

I pull out a bottle of water and take a sip, swishing it around my mouth before swallowing. There's sand between my teeth, and every so often, it crunches. I pass the bottle to him and pull out a couple of ready-to-eat meals, the radio, and the map .

"I'll see how much sand is blocking the entrance and call in our location."

He puts his hand on my leg, stopping me from moving. "Eat first. We can dig them out together."

Max's hair is sticking out at all angles, and he looks as rough and gritty as I feel, but he's still the best sight I've ever woken up to.

"What?" He asks when he catches me looking.

"Nothing." I smile, almost glad the storm swept in and forced us to stop. It dragged us out of our lives and made space for us to notice what was between us. "Just thinking that this place is a bit magical, even if it didn't work out for Teddy and Cyril." I nod in their direction.

"Maybe." He smiles and takes a drink. "Or maybe we needed to find the right time."