Page 53 of A Vine Mess
“Of course,” he said. “Just…need a drink.”
That made two of us.
The next day, Ellaand I decided to take our first big hike of the trip. In truth, I needed the fresh air and physical exertion. I was damn near coming out of my skin being so close to her all the time, and after ourmomentin Deadwood the day before, I needed to push myself and hopefully be so tired by the time we returned to the campground that I’d forget how badly I wanted her.
Still, a little voice in the back of my mind sought to remind me that it seemed like Ella was coming around to the idea of us, and I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with the knowledge. I knew I needed to tread lightly, but my hands itched to pull her against me every time I looked at her, and I could feel my self-control rapidly fraying.
Since she had virtually no knowledge of the area and I had personally spent weeks preparing for this trip, she was more than okay with letting me choose the trail, and I selected Black Elk Peak.
Located in Custer State Park, I selected Black Elk Peak for a number of reasons, the main one being that, at over seventy-two thousand feet, it was the highest point of elevation between the Rocky Mountains and the Pyrenees Mountains in France. When I told Ella this, she hadn’t been nearly as impressed or excited as I was.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked as we loaded some gear into the van. “You can stay here and relax. I don’t mind going alone.”
In fact, despite knowing there’d be no way in hell she took me up on my offer, I almost wished she would, simply so I could have some time to myself in order to get my head back on straight.
She glared at me in response. “I’m not letting you go alone.”
I didn’t bother to fight her. I knew exactly how deep that Delatou stubborn streak ran, and I had zero desire to go up against it.
Once the van was fully stocked with water and snacks for the trip—it was a seven mile loop that could take us anywhere from two to four hours, and with Ella’s lack of experience, I was betting on the latter—we set off.
Custer State Park was beautiful, named so because it was where General Custer led an expedition that discovered gold in the late 1800s.
I was a bit of a history nerd, and I’d spent hours reading up on each of the areas I wanted to explore before I began booking places to stay for this trip. There was just so much to be seen and so little time to do so. I wanted to get the most bang for my buck, and I liked being able to come into a place like this park and know the history behind it.
Especially when I spouted those facts and impressed the dark-haired beauty next to me. Well…mostly impressed.
We parked in the lot at the trailhead, loaded up our packs, and set off.
It was relatively easy going at first, a gentle incline that allowed us to get used to moving our bodies in new ways.
At least, it was for me.
Ella, on the other hand, was huffing and puffing barely a hundred yards down the trail.
“We can turn around now,” I assured her. “Do something easier.”
She paused to gulp down some water before answering me. “No, Wills. I’m doing this. The views at the top are supposed to be incredible, right?”
I nodded. “Supposedly, you can see Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, and North Dakota as well as South Dakota from up there.”
“Then let’s go. We’re losing daylight.”
I chuckled, though she wasn’t wrong. We’d bummed around the Park for a while before taking this hike, hoping to catch the sun going down as we made our descent.
She stomped past me, and I decided I didn’t quite mind the view from back here.
The day had heated up quickly, burning off the fog and dew clinging to the grass outside our cabin when we’d woken up. We’d swung through a store and grabbed a can of coffee the day before, and I was grateful I didn’t have to suffer through another cup of that disgusting instant shit. And I’d been even more so when Ella stepped outside with a mug in hand, liketaking our morning caffeine on the porch was part of our routine. Her hair had been mussed from sleep, and she’d been dressed in a silky pajama set, clearly braless, the top of which had done nothing to hide her peaked nipples—or the small balls resting on either side of them.
My mouth dried out at the memory, at the knowledge that she had her tits pierced, and I guzzled down some water to combat it.
The sight of her ass in her tight little workout leggings didn’t help matters, either, nor did the skimpy little workout tank she revealed when she slipped off her quarter-zip, tying it around her waist and tying her hair back in a ponytail. The damn thing suctioned to her chest, leaving nothing to the imagination, almost like shewantedto torture me.
I was completely obsessed with every part of this woman’s physical appearance, but especially her tattoos, which were truly works of art, and I was desperate to know who her artist was. They were an odd collection, exactly like mine were, and it made me feel connected to her in a weird way. There were tiny, scrawled phrases, butterflies and bees, a hummingbird, sparrow, and blue jay. And, of course, the flowers.
My personal favorite was the rose on the cap of her left shoulder, mostly because it reminded me so much of the one on my hand.
Of course, it wasn’tonlyher physical appearance I was attracted to. The brains, the heart, and the soul underneath? They were even more stunning than the exterior packaging. I’d considered myself lucky that she even gave me the time of day.
