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“Do you have anything to drink?” I finally croak, and embarrassment floods my cheeks.
The big man stops so abruptly that I nearly bump into his back, but he twists to pull his pack from his shoulders just in time.
“Did you follow me out here without any water?” He grumbles, rifling through the bag. Now that we’re stopped, I realize that the world is a little bit spinny. Tiny dots float behind my eyes, and I scan the area for somewhere to sit for a second.
“Shit, are you okay?” Large hands come from nowhere, guiding me down onto a rock. A cool bottle of water presses against the back of my neck, and instant relief swamps me when another touches my lips. My hands shake when I reach for it, but Murphy helps me hold the bottle steady, tipping it up and pouring a few drops down my throat. They instantly soothe the burning pain, and the world gets a little brighter.
“I’m fine. I can keep up,” I slur, not wanting Murphy to leave me behind in the woods all by myself. It may be beautiful here, but I’m not familiar with the trail, and the thought of being left behind fills me with dread.
“I know you can, Trouble. When was the last time you ate?” My eyes blink before focusing on him crouched in front of me. For once, he’s looking at me with something other than contempt, but I can’t even enjoy it.
“I…I can’t remember.” And it’s the truth. With all the traveling yesterday, I didn’t get a chance, and I was so tired last night that I didn’t bother making anything. I had packed camping gear, thinking I might need it, but food had slipped my mind.
Great job, Blyth.
The crinkling of a wrapper distracts me, and he presses a snack into my hand.
“You need a damn keeper, huh?” he asks with a shake of his head, but there’s no malice in his words—just a gentleamusement that makes my belly flutter. Something passes between us, and my world shifts when he runs a hand over my hair.
The granola bar dissolves on my tongue and tastes like heaven, perking up my stomach, so I demolish it in a few bites before guzzling down the bottle of water. My energy returns rapidly, and relief spreads through my limbs.
“That’s a good girl. Feeling better?” Murphy’s face is so close to mine that I can count the flecks of gold in his hazel eyes. His words of praise unlock something within me, and before I take a second to control myself, I close the gap, pressing our lips together.
Murphy lets out a strangled groan, but he doesn’t pull away like I would expect, instead palming my head to tilt my chin up. His touch turns possessive, the kiss flames brighter and I open myself to him, twisting our tongues together in a dance as old as time.
Now we’re getting somewhere.
Chapter Six
Murphy
“Ican’t believe you sent your future wife’s best friend to seduce me into coming to your wedding,” I complain over the phone. I’m currently hiding in my master bathroom, where I ran under the guise of finding her bandages for all the blisters on her feet. The silly woman hiked after me in the worst damn shoes.
“I didn’t tell her to fuck you. I’m not a pimp,” Drew answers with a boisterous laugh. Even hearing his voice on the other end of the line makes guilt boil in my stomach. We’ve been close since going through basic training together. Our personalities just clicked, but after a mission went bad, ending both of our military careers, we drifted apart. The memories were just too much to bear.
Though I can’t say Drew hadn’t tried to stay in touch. He calls me monthly and we shoot the shit, but the idea of seeing him in person for the first time since we flew back home, devastated by all we lost, is overwhelming. And at his wedding, no less. I can’t imagine why he would want a fucked-up asshole like me there.
“She’s something else, man,” I tell him with a shake of my head. My lips quirk up at just the thought of the little siren in the other room. This shit is wild—no one has brought out my protective instincts and amused me at the same time for longer than I can remember.
“Can’t say I’ve minded having her brand of crazy away from my wife for the last few days,” he jokes. “She’s more than I can handle, but Tilly considers her family.”
I can practically hear him shrug, and I have nothing to say. Questions tumble in my mind, but giving voice to them is next to impossible. Luckily, I don’t need to—Drew knows me too well.
“So, did she work her magic? You gonna come?” The hope in his tone hits me like a ton of bricks. How could I say no? After all, he’s saved my life twice. Once overseas and the other when he helped me get settled here.
Without Drew, I wouldn’t be an artist. I wouldn’t have my mountaintop sanctuary. I was so messed up after our mission went south, I couldn’t get my shit together and ended up on the streets. When he realized what was happening, he pulled me from my dark spiral and helped me buy my first home.
Embarrassment shoots through me at the memories.
“You really want me there?”
“Fuck yes. How many times do I need to tell you? Get your ass here. Stand up for me,” he orders, but his voice cracks at the end, driving home just how important this is to him.
“Shit. Alright, I’ll be there. But I’m not flyin’.”
“Drive safe. See you soon, brother,” Drew says, cutting off. “And thanks for doing this.”
He hangs up before I have time to reply, but it doesn’t matter. Knowing him as well as I do, I would expect nothing less.
