Page 80 of Lessons in Heartbreak

As we drove for another twenty minutes, I mentally crossed off Fort Collins and decided to simply enjoy the journey. The Rocky Mountains off to the west were imposing under the sun, big and majestic against the blue Colorado sky, snow still visible on the highest of the peaks, variegated greens and browns spread out like a carpet over the base.

“You ever go hiking?” he asked, slowing the speed on the car enough that he didn’t need to yell to be heard.

I shook my head. “Hiking mountains wasn’t something I wanted to dobeforeI had a hand-me-down heart. Looking at them is good enough for me.”

“No hiking dates. Got it.”

My cheeks were warm as I turned my head, fixing my attention outside the car. Something about the casual way he’d said that had my pulse sky-high. I closed my eyes, and instead of overthinking, I simply distilled all my thoughts into one singular direction.

What do you want, Ruby?

It was easy enough to answer, my gaze lingering again on his big body as he deftly handled the car, the way his hand held the top of the steering wheel and his other held my thigh.

We passed a sign for a rest area, and I squeezed his hand. “Are we on a time limit?” I asked.

“Not a firm one, why?”

I pointed at the sign, and he nodded easily. Behind the relative safety of my own sunglasses, I was able to study the hard lines of his profile. Those caused a tightening of my thighs, too, and another fluttering thing in my belly.

Lying in the dark of my room the night before—completely exhausted yet unable to sleep—I was able to logic myself through my wanton little display quite easily. It was effortless to do things like climb in Griffin’s lap because he’d made the chemistry between us feel equally effortless. Speaking up and saying what I wanted, for the first time in my life, didn’t feel like a hurdle to overcome. With him, I wasn’t paralyzed with worst-case scenario outcomes because the noise in myhead was muted, like he’d single-handedly conjured the loud wind to drown out everything except what I really needed to hear.

Griffin removed his hand from my leg to hold on to the steering wheel as he eased the car off the highway and down the slightly curved path to the parking lots. It was a parking-only rest area, and other than a few semis on the far side of the lot, we were the only car there.

“Park over by those trees,” I told him, and with a nod, he obliged.

Once the car engine cut off, leaving just the sound of the highway behind us, both Griffin and I exited the vehicle. He tucked his hands into the pockets of his black joggers and joined me at the front of the car, where I attempted to fix my tangled mess of hair into a neater ponytail.

“You always have to stop this soon into a road trip? Remind me not to take you cross-country anytime soon.”

I exhaled a short laugh, then pushed my sunglasses onto the top of my head. Griffin followed suit, anchoring his glasses on the top of his hat, glancing up at the towering grove of trees where we’d parked. There were no mountain views here, not where we were standing, but we did have privacy, and with no clear idea of where this jaunt was ending up, I needed privacy more than anything.

Griffin stretched his arms, groaning in a way that tugged at the hair on the back of my neck. His T-shirt lifted, a glimpse of his hard stomach making the fluttery things return. Belatedly, I realized he was watching me watch him, and the grin on his face had my cheeks burning hot.

“Like something you see?” he asked lazily, seating himself on the hood of the car and spreading his legs out slightly.

An invitation, based on the glint in his eye.

I raised my chin an inch. “Yes.”

At my frank answer, his brows popped up. I let out a deep breath and moved between his spread legs. He closed them slightly, adding pressure to the outside of my thighs with his knees, and I swallowed against a dry throat.

“I took the day yesterday, like you asked,” I said. I found myself staring at his hands where they rested on his thighs. Staring at the curl of his big fingers, remembering with vivid clarity what they felt like inside me.

“And?”

The rough edge to his voice had me pinching my eyes shut for a moment, only opening them again when I felt a bit steadier.

“Did you know that regular sex not only improves your blood circulation, but studies have shown that it can reduce the risk of heart disease in women by up to fifty percent?”

His firm, beautiful lips stayed in a straight line, but oh, the way his eyes smiled—I felt it like a lightning bolt.

“No kidding. Any other interesting tidbits?”

“It’s a natural pain reliever too.” I stood straighter, inching closer to him, allowing my hands to rest on his forearms, curling my fingers around the smooth skin and roped muscles there. “Orgasms release oxytocin and endorphins into your system. It can even help with menstrual cramps.”

“Keep talking, birdy,” he whispered, easing his hands forward until they slid up the backs of my thighs. “I’m surprisingly turned on by talk of blood circulation and menstrual cramps.”

Even though he was teasing me, I licked slowly at my bottom lip, gratified when his pupils flared slightly. “You’d be good for my health, Griffin. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

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