Falling for the Groomsman (Wedding Dare #1)(28)
Author: Diane Alberts

He chuckled and piled a bunch of sticks on top of one another. “I think I’ll survive. I happen to like my present company.”

Her cheeks heated. Was she actually blushing because he said he liked her? Holy crap. She was a goner. Silently, she watched him pile more and more wood on top of the pile, seeming for all the world as if he knew what he was doing. “What do you have to do to start a fire? Rub two sticks together or something? Bang some rocks against each other?”

He laughed and reached into his pocket. “Sure. Or you could use a lighter and some dry kindling.”

Her cheeks got even hotter. “That works, too,” she said, nodding as if she had a clue what he was talking about. She so didn’t. “Once you get that going, you need to eat.”

“I will once I’m ready,” he answered dismissively. He piled a bunch of dry leaves in a heap, and held his lighter beneath those. Smoke rose from the bottom, and he picked up some more leaves, turning them in his hand until they were aflame. “You can eat some more though.”

“No, thank you.”

He didn’t look at her, just kept feeding leaves to the fire. After a little while, he tossed a few small twigs in, adjusting where needed. Seeing him working like that, making a fire in the middle of nowhere while she huddled in his sleeping bag, made her realize how resourceful it was.

And it turned her on. She couldn’t help it.

His competence out here in the wild was hot.

Something about watching him make fire with his hands made her all warm inside. Or maybe it was the vodka. She shrugged and took another swig. Either way, she wanted him more than she should. “It’s only a matter of time ’til they notice we’re missing. Worst case, I’m supposed to meet Kady for a workout session at seven tomorrow morning.”

He nodded. After a few more minutes of adjusting, Tyler sank back on his heels. “I think we’re good now.”

She pressed the lip of the vodka bottle to her mouth. “Looks good. I can feel it already.”

“You need to come closer to the heat. It won’t bite.” He grabbed a hold of the bottom of the sleeping bag and dragged her across the clearing. “But I might.”

She let out a squeal and clung to the bottle. As soon as she was within reach, he snatched it out of her hands and took a hit. Swiping the back of his hand over his lips, he eyed her. She fluttered her lashes at him. “I don’t mind it when you do it.”

“Yeah.” He took another swig and handed it back. “I know that, too.”

“You think know everything, don’t you?”

He shook his head, studying her in the firelight. “About some things? Sure. But I don’t know enough about the things that matter.”

Oh, God. He was talking about her, wasn’t he? Her heart picked up speed and raced off into the shadowy woods. Swallowing hard, she peeled the corner of the sleeping bag back. “This thing is big. I bet we can both fit. Climb in.”

“Yeah, I don’t think so.” He eyed her as if he wanted to take her up on his offer, but he looked away and held his hands out to the fire. “I’ll be good out here. You stay warm.”

She knew what he was doing. He was always so worried about everyone else’s safety and comfort that he never stopped to care for his own. If he got in, she might be cramped. So…he wouldn’t. Well, with her, that wouldn’t fly. “You’ll get in the sleeping bag, or I’ll refuse to stay in it.”

“You wouldn’t.” He turned to her and scanned her face. “You’d freeze your pretty little ass off. An ass I happen to love.”

“You better save it. Either we’re both comfortable, or we’re both cold. It’s that simple.”

“There’s no way we’ll both fit in there, Red,” he said, his voice low. “We’d be plastered to each other all night long, unable to move a single limb. I could kick your ankle and hurt you again. It’s not happening.”

“I can handle that risk.” She tipped the edge back more. “Can you? Or are you scared?”

He raised a brow. “Do I look like I get f**king scared to you?”

“Prove it. Get in.”

“Why do you care so much?” He dragged a hand through his hair with a quick motion. “I told you not to worry about me.”

“You’re always so busy seeing to everyone else’s comfort.” She cocked her head to the side. “Who worries about you?”

“No one, but I don’t need anyone to.”

“Yes, you, do,” she said, holding his gaze. “We all do, sometimes. Get. In.”

He took a deep breath, mumbled something under his breath, and crawled up to her. After handing her the bottle, he slid inside. He was right. They were glued to each another, from head to toe. Or more like from head to calf, since her toes reached halfway down his leg. “There. Happy now?”

“Nope.” She set aside the booze, her head spinning from the effects of the alcohol on her mostly empty stomach, and rested her head on his arm. “Not yet.”

He wrapped his free arm around her waist and sighed. “What do you want now?”

“This.” She held the bar she’d grabbed before he joined her between their faces. “Eat it for me.”

He clenched his jaw. “I told you, I’ll eat when I’m ready. Honestly, I think my hunger wore off hours ago.”

“And I told you that I’m worried about you, whether you want me to be or not.” She poked him in the chest. “So you’ll eat it and you’ll like it, damn it, because I care.”

His mouth softened, and he lifted his hand to cup her cheek. “Red. I don’t know what to say.”

“Say you’ll eat it.” She unwrapped it and shoved it under his nose. “It’s open now. It’ll go bad if you don’t.”

He let out an aggravated sigh, but the amusement in his eyes ruined the annoyed effect he was going for. “You’re a lot more stubborn than I remember you being.”

“Yeah, yeah.” She wiggled the bar under his nose. “Now eat.”

He let go of her, snatched it out of her hand, and took a big bite. “Have you always been this bossy?”

“No. I kind of grew into it with age.” She lifted a shoulder and rested her hands against his chest. “My turn to ask a question.”

He arched a brow and swallowed. “Are we making this a game?”