Page 62 of Never Will I Ever

To his credit, he does start moving. But not without another smart-ass comment.

“I thought I was getting the day off, Drill Sergeant.”

So fucking dramatic.

I don’t dignify his comment with a response, and instead, keep up my pace. The trail to the base of Veil Falls is steep yet relatively short, and I know it won’t be long before the sound of rushing water greets our ears.

Of course, by the time that actually happens, Avery is breathing heavily and glaring at me like we just hiked five miles straight uphill.

“Sometimes I really wonder if you’re trying to kill me out here.”

“Oh, relax,” I chide, barely giving him a second glance. “You’re a college athlete. We’ve had practices harder than this.”

“Did you forget I’m a pitcher?” he asks between pants while locking his hands behind his head. “Coach didn’t make us do half the shit that the rest of you were forced into.”

Damn, he has a point there.

“Well, on the bright side, it’s all downhill from here.” Literally.

“Fucking hilarious, LaMothe,” he gripes before dropping ontoa nearby rock and making a big show of gulping down water. “You know, you really—”

The rest of his sentence dies on the spot when he finally quits his antics long enough to take in his surroundings, including the massive waterfall looming a few hundred feet from where we’ve stopped on the trail.

Avery pushes off from his make-shift seat, theatrics forgotten and a bit more pep in his step now. Almost as if the sound of rushing water was the song of a siren, luring him to the source. And because I seem to be a moth to his flame, I follow.

“Goddamn,” he whispers on a breath nearly drowned out by the noise.

Thought so.

I paint an innocent smirk on my face when he looks back at me. “Well? Worth it, Mr. Complains-A-Lot?”

“You’re so fucking smug sometimes,” Avery mutters, but his eyes are dancing with child-like excitement before he looks back at the pool of aqua-colored water gathered at the base of the falls. “Are we allowed to swim in it?”

My forehead creases as I glance between him and the water. “It’s glacial runoff, so it’s cold as shit. But, yeah, I have once or twice.”

It seems to be all the confirmation he needs, because without a second thought, he strips out of his clothes, leaving him in a pair of light-gray boxer briefs that mold to his muscular thighs and ass.

Damn, is it a sight to behold.

I watch, completely enraptured by the way his muscles move and flex, as he walks toward some rocks off the edge of the water; a perfect jumping spot if the water wasn’t colder than Antarctica.

A wicked grin crosses his face, creating a complete juxtaposition to the halo of blond hair shining in the sunlight. “You coming?”

I shake my head. Vehemently. “You’re insane.”

“You’re the one who hikes for fun, and you’re callingmeinsane?” he counters, brow arched in opposition.

Brushing off his little dig, I motion toward the water pooling below the falls. “Then by all means, if you’re looking to freeze your dick off, go ahead. I may have said you’re dramatic earlier, but at least the theatrics will be merited once you’re a human popsicle.”

“Then you give it a nice lick to warm it up again.”

The dirty comment lingers in the air between us, and I’m not sure who’s more shocked by it coming outta his mouth. It honestly might be him, going off the blush creeping over his cheeks.

“I’ll…keep that in mind,” I manage through my surprise.

It’s the first mention of anything remotely sexual since our night in my cabin, and my mind instantly pulls the memory front and center. His skin beneath my touch, his body arching into mine while I took us sky high, they play out in my mind like a movie.

That night was fun. More than fun, honestly. It was sinful and addictive. Down right intoxicating in a way that had nothing to do with the beer we’d been drinking. It was each other.

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