happy shock. “Holy hell. You really do know what to do to woman’s body.”
Triaten couldn’t help a self-satisfied smirk. “So it turns out I was ‘on’?”
“So ‘on,’ I’d happily take you on an ‘off’ day.” She wiped her forehead and then hit the button to roll down the window. Evergreens swayed in the cool night breeze surrounding them, sending the scent of pine into the jeep.
“Okay, first, I need air.” Shiv closed her eyes again and leaned out the window, breathing deeply and gasping for as much oxygen as could fit into her lungs. On her exhale, she opened her eyes to look at Triaten. The green in them flickered — they were as ravenous as they had been when they first parked. “And then, do you think you can do that again?”
“Give me five minutes.”
“I give you three.”
~~~
Morning sunlight filtered in through the pines around the jeep, doing nothing to break the exhausted sleep Triaten and Shiv were weighed down by.
The slightest jerk of the naked leg on his lap eventually awoke Triaten, and he cautiously opened his eyes to the day, only to find himself tangled, naked with Shiv in the backseat of the jeep. They had never made it to the house last night.
Eyes blinking hard, Triaten rub bed his forehead. When he finally focused on Shiv’s face, he could see her start to blink, her head half-covered with his shirt. Goosebumps were all over body.
She stared at the roof of the jeep for a moment, before her eyes turned to Triaten. Laughter immediately erupted from her. “How the hell did we sleep like that?”
She sat up and began untangling her limbs from the ridiculous braid of their legs, a satisfied smile on her face.
Triaten scra tched the back of his head, mind still groggy. “Yea, awkward, but the best sleep I’ve had in ages.”
“Really? Well , you’re welcome, then. Turns out I was ‘on’ last night too, huh?”
Triaten couldn’t help but laugh at the boast as he leaned forward and fished out his underwear and jeans from the front passenger seat. “Yes, yes you were.”
He passed Shiv her various articles of clothing, and then opened his door to step outside and pull his pants on. He stretched, shirtless, letting the cold morning air wake up his pores.
Shiv screeched and lunged at the open door. “Freezing!” She slammed it shut.
Triaten just shook his head and got into the driver’s seat. “Back to the ranch?” He knew he didn’t even have coffee at his place, much less anything for breakfast. It was nice having a chef at the ranch. Stewart would have a full breakfast buffet ready for all the guests.
“Yes, a hot shower is exactly what I need right now. Damn mountain air.” Still in the back, she pulled her shirt over her head. “When did it get so bitter cold? It was nice the other day.”
“It’s fall. It gets cold at night at this elevation.” Triaten turned and looked past Shiv out the back window, sending the jeep in reverse down the drive to the main road.
They went up the mountain, Triaten giving Shiv a lesson in higher altitude weather patterns along the way. She didn’t really listen, but did give the courtesy, “uh-huhs” when appropriate. After crawling into the front, she huddled close to one of the heating vents, clearly more interested in warming her hands, than in any conversation.
As they pulled into the circular drive at the front of the ranch, they slowed and stopped behind a large black suv with tinted windows — parked, but idling, right by the front door. Just as Triaten put on the brakes, a man in a crisp navy suit stepped from the front door, flanked by two men in black suits.
Shiv’s mouth dr opped. “Holy shit, is that the Secretary of State walking out of the ranch?”
Triaten looke d over at the man just as he stepped from the ranch’s front steps. Without a look around, he and the bodyguards got in the suv and took off.
“Ah, hell...it is.” Triaten hit the steering wheel with his palm.
Triaten couldn’t help a self-satisfied smirk. “So it turns out I was ‘on’?”
“So ‘on,’ I’d happily take you on an ‘off’ day.” She wiped her forehead and then hit the button to roll down the window. Evergreens swayed in the cool night breeze surrounding them, sending the scent of pine into the jeep.
“Okay, first, I need air.” Shiv closed her eyes again and leaned out the window, breathing deeply and gasping for as much oxygen as could fit into her lungs. On her exhale, she opened her eyes to look at Triaten. The green in them flickered — they were as ravenous as they had been when they first parked. “And then, do you think you can do that again?”
“Give me five minutes.”
“I give you three.”
~~~
Morning sunlight filtered in through the pines around the jeep, doing nothing to break the exhausted sleep Triaten and Shiv were weighed down by.
The slightest jerk of the naked leg on his lap eventually awoke Triaten, and he cautiously opened his eyes to the day, only to find himself tangled, naked with Shiv in the backseat of the jeep. They had never made it to the house last night.
Eyes blinking hard, Triaten rub bed his forehead. When he finally focused on Shiv’s face, he could see her start to blink, her head half-covered with his shirt. Goosebumps were all over body.
She stared at the roof of the jeep for a moment, before her eyes turned to Triaten. Laughter immediately erupted from her. “How the hell did we sleep like that?”
She sat up and began untangling her limbs from the ridiculous braid of their legs, a satisfied smile on her face.
Triaten scra tched the back of his head, mind still groggy. “Yea, awkward, but the best sleep I’ve had in ages.”
“Really? Well , you’re welcome, then. Turns out I was ‘on’ last night too, huh?”
Triaten couldn’t help but laugh at the boast as he leaned forward and fished out his underwear and jeans from the front passenger seat. “Yes, yes you were.”
He passed Shiv her various articles of clothing, and then opened his door to step outside and pull his pants on. He stretched, shirtless, letting the cold morning air wake up his pores.
Shiv screeched and lunged at the open door. “Freezing!” She slammed it shut.
Triaten just shook his head and got into the driver’s seat. “Back to the ranch?” He knew he didn’t even have coffee at his place, much less anything for breakfast. It was nice having a chef at the ranch. Stewart would have a full breakfast buffet ready for all the guests.
“Yes, a hot shower is exactly what I need right now. Damn mountain air.” Still in the back, she pulled her shirt over her head. “When did it get so bitter cold? It was nice the other day.”
“It’s fall. It gets cold at night at this elevation.” Triaten turned and looked past Shiv out the back window, sending the jeep in reverse down the drive to the main road.
They went up the mountain, Triaten giving Shiv a lesson in higher altitude weather patterns along the way. She didn’t really listen, but did give the courtesy, “uh-huhs” when appropriate. After crawling into the front, she huddled close to one of the heating vents, clearly more interested in warming her hands, than in any conversation.
As they pulled into the circular drive at the front of the ranch, they slowed and stopped behind a large black suv with tinted windows — parked, but idling, right by the front door. Just as Triaten put on the brakes, a man in a crisp navy suit stepped from the front door, flanked by two men in black suits.
Shiv’s mouth dr opped. “Holy shit, is that the Secretary of State walking out of the ranch?”
Triaten looke d over at the man just as he stepped from the ranch’s front steps. Without a look around, he and the bodyguards got in the suv and took off.
“Ah, hell...it is.” Triaten hit the steering wheel with his palm.
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