Page 145 of Challenge Me

Remi didn’t open his eyes from where he lounged on the back deck. His arms were folded beneath his head, propping it up so that the sun shone on his skin. I could see the blue veins in his eyelids and a faint hint of auburn in his hair that was nonexistent otherwise.

“It’s peaceful,” he said. “A little too backwoods for my liking, but good for a vacation.”

Trav’s backyard was expansive, even before it morphed into rows of trees. His place was far more modern than mine, with a farmhouse feel that Remi surprisingly didn’t find overrated. Maybe it was because Trav hadn’t doused it in those grey tones he hated.

Remi shouted in alarm when Tessa, Trav’s golden retriever, pounced on him and licked his face. He broke down in laughter, barely trying to fight her off.

“She was licking her ass in the car,” Roman said as he stepped onto the deck.

Remi got out from under her and rushed to hide behind me. I swore and tried to hold her back, but he hooked his arms around mine, pulling them behind me. With no defense, Tessa put her paws on my shoulders and licked my cheek.

“I doubt Remi’s afraid of a little ass-licking,” Trav noted.

He finally released me, so I twisted around and wrestled him to the ground. His knee connected with my stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I rolled to my side with a groan, and he left me there.

“Dick,” I muttered.

He took the carton of ice cream Trav handed him and shot me a smug look. “Get better at fighting.”

“I might have to at this point.”

He plopped down beside me and held out a spoonful of ice cream. Before he could change his mind and do something crazy like catapult it onto my face, I took the bite. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Trav snap a picture, but I tried to ignore him.

“This is good,” I said. “No wonder you’re always eating it.”

Trav patted his stomach before he joined us and dangled his legs over the edge. “Gives me a reason to work it off.”

“So does Roman,” Remi teased.

“That’s for sure. He’s insatiable.”

Roman scoffed. “Me? You’re like a bitch in heat.”

With a playful growl, Trav dove into his neck, knocking him backward. Remi laughed at their shenanigans, and I was relieved to see him smiling more since we’d gotten here. He’d even been up early since he’d wanted to make pancakes for everybody. I was sure it was only an excuse to brag about winning our pancake contest back in Florida. No mention of how he’d cheated, of course.

“Squeeze in,” Trav said. He held up his phone, barely managing to get us all in the picture. Leaning over Remi, he planted a kiss on my cheek and snapped one of us. “Perfect. Let me get you two together.”

Remi took a large bite of his ice cream, then fisted my hair to tip my head. I grunted when he kissed me and pushed his cold tongue into my mouth.

“Maybe more PG,” Trav laughed.

Perching his elbows on his knees, Remi stared out at the horizon. “I’ve had enough pictures taken for a lifetime, I think.”

Trav frowned over his head at me, but when I smiled, he slid the phone into his pocket. “What do you see out there, bud?”

“What do I see?” Remi mused. “No sirens here, no need to run; just dirt, and sky, and setting sun. Maybe peace wasn’t meant for me; but hell, it’s nice to let it be.” He laughed. “I don’t know. That was stupid.”

“I think it was nice,” Roman said. He looked similarly content as he watched the trees sway with the gentle breeze.

I rested my head on Remi’s shoulder. “How do you feel about getting on a LIVE with Trav later?” He was silent, and part of me regretted bringing it up. “Just an idea.”

“I’m not interested in talking about myself anymore.”

“It’d be more conversational than anything,” Trav added. He sounded light, like it was no big deal, but it still made Remi tense.

“Maybe we can shelve the idea for now,” Roman suggested.

“Is this why we came here?” Remi asked.